Starting a Career in Childcare

National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for children up to the age of 12 years

Regulated childcare encompasses a wide range of different types of provision, which are subject to a set of national minimum standards.

• Childminding

• Full Day Care

• Occassional Day Care

• Sessional Day Care

• Créche

• Open Access Play Provision

Becoming a ...

• Childminder
  

  Childminders are self-employed, and work in their own home. They care for children from a few months old upwards, for part or all of the day.

   

  PACEY Cymru video - Best thing about being a childminder

   

   Visit our page for a step by step guide and all of the information you need to become a childminder in the Vale: 

   

  Becoming a Childminder

  National Minimum Standards for regulated childcare

• Nanny, Approved Home Childcare Provider

  The Approval of Home Childcare Providers (Wales) Scheme 2021 is run by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)  and means that those caring for children in the child's home can register to become approved.

  The scheme is voluntary and only applies to childcare provided in Wales.

  

   

  Nannies do not have to be approved to care for a child in the parent’s own home.

   

  The benefits of the scheme are:

   

  • You can demonstrate that you meet the basic requirements for childcare

  • You will be part of a scheme that is recognised across Wales

  • You will have increased opportunity of being employed by parents eligible to claim help with childcare costs for using an Approved Home Childcarer

   

  To be eligible to apply for the scheme, you must: 

   

  • Be 18 years or over

  • Hold a current Paediatric First Aid Certificate

  • Have an enhanced DBS check

  • Have a qualification on the Social Care Wales List of Required Qualifications to work within the Early Years and Childcare Sector

   

  The Approval of Home Childcare Providers (Wales) Scheme 2021

• Playworker

  Playworkers can practice at a number of different levels and can follow different paths - everything from part-time temporary work to full time permanent posts developing or managing play settings.

   

  Playworkers work to support children by: 

  

  • Making opportunities for them to create new and different spaces for playing; places big and small, inside or out, that are attractive and offer freedom to play
  • Providing or making available all kinds of everyday stuff' that children might use in playing
  • Watching and learning from children about play and how to better support it
  • Being around if needed

  For information on local and national opportunities in Playwork:

   

  Play Development 4 - 11 years

   

  Start Your Playwork Journey 

   

  Play Wales

Setting up a ...

• Day Nursery / Creche

  Day Nursery refers to full day care for children, provided for a continuous period of 4 or more hours in any day, on non-domestic premises.

  Creche refers to occassional day care for children on non-domestic premises. 

   

  Information on setting up a Day Nursery / Creche:

  

   

  National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)

   

   

• Playgroup / Cylch Meithrin
  

  Childcare for children from aged 2 onwards on non-domestic premises which is for less than a continuous period of 4 hours in any one day.

   

  Where two sessions are offered in any one day, children must not attend more than 5 sessions per week. There must be a break between sessions with no children in the care of the provider.

   

  Information on Setting up Sessional Day Care:

   

  Early Years Wales

  Mudiad Meithrin

   

• Out of School Provision

  Out of School Childcare refers to childcare outside of the child’s full time school day and includes care provided before school, after school and during the school holidays.

   

  It does not include wrap around care and the Welsh Government free breakfast in primary schools scheme.

  

   

  For information on setting up Out of School Childcare: 

   

  Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs 

   

   

   

   

• Parent and toddler group

  Parent and toddler groups are informal sessions where parents, carers, childminders, and their children can go to have fun and meet new people. Parents and carers stay with and are responsible for their children throughout the session. Parents or carers often set-up the groups and there are usually one to two groups a week, lasting for an hour or more. 

   

  For information on setting up a parent and toddler group please see our: 

  Good practice guide: Setting up a parent and toddler group in the Vale of Glamorgan 

   

  You may wish to access training, please see the next available course dates for: 

  Food Safety 

  Health & Safety