Childminders: report new people in the setting
If you are a childminder, you must tell Ofsted within 14 days about new people aged 16 or over who live, work or help to provide childcare in a setting (domestic or non-domestic) where you look after children.
Applies to England
Ofsted has to carry out checks on new people aged 16 or over to make sure children will be safe in the premises where you look after them.
People aged 16 or over includes any child who reaches the age of 16.
Do not use this service if you either:
- run, or are joining, a nursery or other group-based childcare provision
- work with 4 or more other people at the same time to provide childcare in someone’s home (known as childcare on domestic premises)
You should instead read the separate guide Apply to join a nursery or other group-based childcare provision (EY2).
If you are a childcare on domestic premises provider, you should still read the guidance on what counts as ‘new people’ in the home.
Until they have received their enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate with barred lists (a specific type of criminal record check), anyone who counts as a new person in the home where you look after children, or who is a new person helping to provide care on non-domestic premises, cannot be left unsupervised with those children.
Do not wait for the new person’s DBS certificate to arrive to tell us about them.
What you must do
As a childminder based at home, you must tell us about new people in the home where you look after children. If you are working with a maximum of 3 other people at the same time, you will do this through the service on this page.
As a childminder based outside the home, you must tell us about new people who assist with providing childcare on the non-domestic premises. If you are working with a maximum of 3 other people at the same time, you will do this through the service on this page.
This service:
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replaces the EY2 and EY3 you would have had to use previously
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will meet your legal requirement as a childminder to notify Ofsted about new people in the setting
Number of people caring for the children
If a new person means that there will be 5 or more people providing childcare at the same time in someone’s home, you will need to apply to register as a childcare on domestic premises provider.
If there will not be more than 4 people working together in this way at any time, you can stay as a childminder based at home or outside the home and still use this service to tell Ofsted about new people in the home where childcare takes place.
New people in the setting
New people are aged 16 or over and are:
- new household members who start to live in the home
- people already living in the home who turn 16
- new people who work regularly in the home during childcare hours, such as a cleaner
- new childminders and new childminders based outside the home, or assistants
You must also tell us if any of these people move out or stop working in these roles.
Ofsted can take action against you if you do not tell us about these people within 14 days.
The first of the 14 days is the day the new person begins living in the home, starts working there or turns 16.
Household members and visitors
We need to check people even if they only live in the home for some of the time. For example, if they are away studying but come back during the holidays.
However, Ofsted does not need to check people if they:
- are a relative or friend who, for example, comes round for lunch once a week
- stay overnight with you only occasionally
- are doing building work or repairs in the home
- work in the home outside childcare hours (for example, cleaning in the evenings or at weekends)
- work on the non-domestic premises but do not help to provide care for the children (for example, a cook working in a village hall)
You are responsible for these people during this time.
What the new people on your childcare premises must do
All new people must:
- have a specific type of DBS check – they should carefully read the guidance below on what DBS check they need
- answer a few questions about their health, other names they have had, where they have lived for the last 5 years and circumstances that might affect their suitability to be in contact with children – we will contact them directly about this
Type of DBS
They will need an enhanced DBS check with barred lists.
If they live in the home where childcare is taking place, they must make sure to select ‘yes’ on question x66 to say they are going to be in a home-based role.
DBS Update Service
Ofsted recommends new people then join the DBS Update Service to keep their details up to date.
Lived abroad
If you have lived abroad in the last 5 years, you may need a certificate of good conduct or other evidence from the relevant embassy.
Tell us about new people in the setting
Only use this service if you are a registered childminder or a registered childminder based outside the home with no more than 3 other people helping you at the same time.
What happens next
Ofsted will carry out suitability checks on new people with council social services.
We will contact the new people directly for more information.
Childminder assistants
We will send childminder assistants a suitability letter once we have finished our checks.
Childminder assistants must not begin working at a setting until they have been confirmed to be suitable by either Ofsted or their childminder agency (CMA).