This is an Unofficial guide for nannies registering on the Ofsted childcare register, written by myself based on things I have found out over the years of being registered as a Home Childcarer (Nanny) on the Childcare Register. This was last updated on: 12-Jan-2013
Ofsted have an official guide on their website.
In England, nannies can optionally register with Ofsted so that parents are able to use Childcare Vouchers or Tax Credits as a payment method. I recommend that you apply Online, as the paper based form is 47 pages long!
Online Application: Use Ofsted Online. You will need a Government Gateway ID, if you do not have one then you can create that by following the instructions on the Ofsted website.
Manual Application: (Print all 47 pages)
Download CR1 which can be found at Ofsted | Application Forms For The Childcare Register and print it out in Black on good quality White paper. The forms will be scanned by Ofsted, so the ink needs to be Black and the paper needs to withstand being posted and put through a scanner. 80gsm or higher paper weight should be fine.
Use a BLACK ball point pen to complete the form. DO NOT use any other colour, it must be BLACK.
You must print all 47 pages and return all the pages in the correct order to Ofsted.
It is therefore suggested that you complete the application using the Online System if you are able to do so.
The Application Form
Looking at Form CR1 (for this I am using the manual form. The online version will be similar, though there could be some changes – if you notice any changes, do please send me an e-mail so I can update this guide)
So starting to complete the Application Form, you would select:
A1 – Home Childcarer
A2 – Voluntary
A3 – Give details as appropriate.
Complete all of Section B, excluding B13.
In B1:
If you have worked in a nursery, pre-school or other childcare setting which Ofsted regulates, then you may already be known about by Ofsted, so tick Yes to that question.
If form CR2 enclosed? Tick NO. A CR2 form is used to notify Ofsted about staff members/assistants, as a nanny you are registering in your own right thus need to complete the CR1 (the form you are completing) and no additional forms.
You are an Individual.
Leave the rest of B1 blank and continue to B2 onwards where you give your name and address details. Remember to include any middle names you have.
B11 If you are live in, then it’s YES. If live out answer No.
B13 Ignore as this is not relevant for nannies.
Ignore Section C, D
E1 – Leave Blank
E2 – Is the address at which you will be nannying. You can enter multiple addresses. You can leave this blank – but must inform Ofsted of the address once you start your job and whenever you change your job or if your employer moves house.
E3 – Private Individual
E4 – Yes,
E5 – Yes,
E6 – No,
E7 – No,
E8 ignore
E9 – No
E10 Weekday All Day or including Weekends depending on your working situation.
E11 – All Year Round (unless it’s a term time only, or holiday only job in which case tick the appropriate box).
E12 – tick the appropriate boxes. If you are not working for a family at this stage, then tick most of the boxes, if not all of them.
Ignore E13 and E14
Complete all of Section F. Ignore Section G
Complete Section H, where it says All Providers, or if it says Home Childcarer
Complete sections I and J.
For Section H, the following may be of help
Nannies must ensure that children are kept safe from harm.
Requirement Ref: CR1.1
This means that you need to remember that you are responsible for the children’s safety at all times while you are working.
Nannies must ensure that they have an appropriate first aid qualification.
Requirement Ref: CR1.2
This means that you must have had First Aid training. Ofsted does not specify a minimum course length for Home Childcarers, though Childminders have to do a 12-hour course. Therefore if it’s your first time doing a first aid course, I suggest you do a 12 hour course. If you have done many course in the past, a refresher course may be sufficient, though do check it covers all the requirements which can be found in Annex A of Ofsted: Guide to Registration. St John Ambulance run a course titled Early Years First Aid which meets Ofsted’s requirements.
Nannies should obtain written permission to give children medication. Ofsted Factsheet: Giving Medication to Children in Registered Childcare. Whilst some Home Childcarer’s could be exempt it depends to a large extent on exactly the nature of the work. Given that many nanny insurers want there to be signed permission, I feel it is best that I advise that you have a permission form for giving the children in your care medication. If you are in a nannyshare, you should have a separate permission form for each family. I have created an example permission form which you can use: Download Example Permission Form for 2012/13 Academic Year
Nannies must ensure that they do not use corporal punishment.
Requirement Ref: CR1.4
This means that you must not smack, or shake a child in your care.
Nannies must ensure that they are present on the premises at all times when childcare is being provided.
Requirement Ref: CR1.6
This means that you must never leave a child at home alone.
There is now an additional tick box on this, though I am not fully sure as to why there is another box. I think it is to cover the rare occasion when Ofsted may give prior approval to enable you to leave a child with another suitable person. This I feel is unlikely to occur when nannying, more likely to be for childminders.
Nannies must not smoke, or consume or be under the influence of drugs (including medication that may have an adverse effect on their ability to provide childcare) or alcohol while providing childcare.
Requirement Ref: CR1.9
This means that if you are a smoker, you must not smoke at any time whilst you are working. Get help to quit smoking. You must also not take any illegal drugs, or consume alcohol. You also need to make sure that if you do consume alcohol during your evening social time, that you are not still under the influence of that alcohol when you start work the following morning. If you are on any prescription or over-the-counter medication, you need to make sure that it does not effect your ability to do your job.
Nannies will supervise children whilst providing care
Requirement Ref: CR1.10
This simply means that you realise that you are responsible for the children whilst they are in your care.
Nannies must ensure they are familiar with issues of child protection and procedures to safeguard children from abuse or neglect.
Requirement Ref: CR2.2
This means that you need to know about Signs of Abuse and local procedures for reporting child abuse concerns. Contact your local Families Information Service for details of Safeguarding Children training courses for childcare workers. Many councils provide access to an online e-learning package, so you can learn about Safeguarding Children at your own pace, at a time convenient to you.
I will have effective systems to ensure that I, or any person who is in regular contact with children:
- is suitable to work with children which must include obtaining an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check
- is of integrity and good character
- has skills and experience suitable for the work
- is physically and mentally fit for the work.
Requirement Ref: CR3
This is a more recent addition to the form… I think it is putting some emphasis on you making sure that you remain fit to do the job, from both a suitability point of view and also from a physically capable view point.
Nannies must have successfully completed a qualification at a minimum of level 2 in an area of work relevant to childcare, or training in the core skills as set out in the document ‘common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce’.
Requirement Ref: CR4.2
This means that you need to have some kind of childcare training. At present it is unclear as to which training courses are acceptable, though the Children’s Workforce Development Council are developing a list of qualifications. Education.gov.uk Qualification Search
I will advise parents/guardians/carers of any health and safety risks.
Requirement Ref: CR5.6
If you notice something at your place at work which is a health and safety risk to you or the children, then discuss it with your employer.
Nannies must ensure that children’s behaviour is managed in a suitable manner.
Requirement Ref: CR6.2
You should discuss with your employer with regard to how you should manage the children’s behaviour.
Nannies must ensure that where older and younger children are together, the behaviour of children over the age of eight years does not have a negative effect on the younger children.
Requirement Ref: CR6.3
This means that if you care for children over 8 years old, you need to manage their behaviour such that younger children in your care are not adversily effected. This could simply mean stopping an older child deliberately hurting a younger sibling.
Nannies must ensure that the childcare is accessible and inclusive by taking all reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of each child, relating to their childcare, are met.
Requirement Ref: CR6.4
This means that you need to treat each child as an individual and meet each child’s individual childcare needs.
Nannies must ensure that the childcare is accessible and inclusive by not refusing to provide childcare or treat any child less favourably than another child by reason of the child’s: race | religion | home language | family background | gender | disability and/or learning difficulty, taking all reasonable steps to ensure children with disabilities have access to the premises.
Requirement Ref: CR6.5
This means that you should not discrimate against a child. I am not sure how Ofsted expect nannies to comply with this fully, as a nanny can not make sure a families home is suitable for a disabled child, when the family concerned does not have a disabled child. Therefore I feel it should be assumed that Ofsted just want you to be aware of disabilities and discrimination.
Nannies must make the following information available to parents: information about the registration system for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, Ofsted’s address.
Requirement Ref: CR9.3
This means that you should give parents details about the Ofsted Childcare Register. Information for parents and carers using childcare services PDF from the Ofsted website. Also you should make sure that parents know how they can contact Ofsted: 0300 123 1231 OfstedAddress: Ofsted, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD
Nannies must inform Ofsted of changes of circumstances as soon as they can (no later than 14 days after the change occurs).
Requirement Ref: CR10
This means that you need to keep Ofsted informed of major changes, such as if you change job, change your own contact details.
Nannies must inform Ofsted of the following: a change to the address of the premises where they are providing childcare or a change in the type of childcare they provide.
Requirement Ref: CR11
This means that if you change job, you need to tell Ofsted, or if the family you work for moves home and you continue working for them at the new home. I feel it is unlikely that you will change the type of care provided, though if you stop being a nanny do notify Ofsted.
Nannies must inform Ofsted of the following: any change to their name, address or telephone number, any significant event which is likely to affect their suitability.
Requirement Ref: CR12.1
This means that if you get married and thus change your name, notify Ofsted. If you change your name for another reason, notify Ofsted. If you move home or change your contact phone number, notify Ofsted. If you are convicted of a crime, notify Ofsted.
Matters affecting the welfare of children
Requirement Ref: CR13
While you are providng childcare, if any of the following occur you need to contact Ofsted.
Food poisoning affecting two or more children in your care.
Serious accident or injury, or death of a child in your care. Serious accident/injury in this case I feel is any that requires hospital admission.
Serious accident/injury, or death of any other person on the premises.
Any allegation of serious harm to, or abuse of, a child committed by any person looking after children at the premises. I feel this means that if you are accused of abusing or harming a child in your care, you need to notify Ofsted with regard to that allegation.
If any of those things occurs when you are not providing care, then as far as I can see you don’t need to inform Ofsted. However perhaps it’s best to look at the individual situation and decide if it’s something the regulator would want to be made aware, keeping in mind that the regulator is interested in things that relate to the quality of care you provide.
Nannies must be covered by their own insurance in respect of liability which would be incurred for death, injury, public liability, damage or other loss.
Requirement Ref: CR14.1
Nanny insurance is available from a number of providers. The most popular insurer of nannies in the UK seems to me to be Morton Michel. Check with them that the policy will cover your work – there are restrictions, such a maximum number of children in your care. You should pay for this insurance, not your employer – the insurance covers you, not them.
Employers have separate Employers liability insurance which is often part of their home insurance (though recently I’ve been told that the Co-Op don’t include it in one of the policies – so parents should check policy wording to confirm they have Employers liability insurance).
Nannies must show the certificate of registration to a parent on request.
Requirement Ref: CR15.2
This means that if a parent who employs you asks to see your registration certificate, that you must show them your registration certificate.
Section I – Complete All.
Remember that if you are completing the paper form rather than the online system, you will need to send ALL 47 sheets of paper to Ofsted, in the correct order – sheet 1 at top. Your application can be rejected if it is missing ANY of the pages (including blank pages) as it will not go through the scanner correctly.
Ofsted does seem to change this form from time to time, so if you notice any changes, especially when using the Online System, please do drop me an e-mail to let me know what you found was different. Many thanks, NannyNick.
