Childcare on domestic premises

Lady chatting to three girlsChildcare on domestic premises provided by more than three people at any one time has been categorised as "childcare on domestic premises" (not childminding).

 

This includes any setting where four or more people are working together at any one time in your setting. (This figure includes you, other childminders or assistants.)

 

People who work with three or more other childminders or assistants but never have four or more people in total working together at any one time may still be registered as childminders.

 

This new category has raised many questions and the Department for Children, Families and Schools (now the Department for Education) has provided NCMA with a series of questions and answers covering many of the questions that have been raised about this new category of childcarer, including:

  • the status of students, assistants, other childminders and support workers providing one-to-one care for disabled children
  • whether you can work as a childminder part-time and a childcare provider on domestic premises at other times
  • what you will need to do differently
  • the business arrangements of becoming a childcare provider on domestic premises.

 

You can read the questions and answers here.

 

NCMA membership and insurance


NCMA has confirmed with the providers of NCMA’s public liability insurance that

they can continue to provide cover for registered members who have re-classified as childcarers on domestic premises. Their NCMA membership will remain unchanged, and childminders registered in this way will still have access to the same membership benefits.

 

If you are affected by this, please contact NCMA either by calling 0845 880 0044 or emailing info@ncma.org.uk. This will allow NCMA to make a note on your membership record so it can contact you with more information. It will also give NCMA details of how many members this will apply to. At present there are no statistics to show how many people are likely to be affected.

 

What should I do?

  • read the questions and answers provided by the DfE.
  • contact NCMA on 0845 880 0044 to let us know about your change in status.