Job Title:
Ofsted Registered Childminder
One Sentence To Describe Work Role:
Caring for young children in my own home.
Number Of Years Dedicated To This Field Of Work or Lifestyle:
8 years
Category Of Work:
Employment -Self employed
Country / Area of Work:
United Kingdom
Industry:
Early Years Education
Type
Employment – Paid Work
Key Skills For The Job:
- Responsible and trustworthy
- Caring
- Good at relating with children
- Patient
Vital Key Skill:
The higher qualification of childcare or experience of working with children you have the more marketable you will be.
Your Personal Experience Of Entering This Role:
Self Taught.
I have always had a passion for being with and understanding children and in a teaching role was what I dreamed of being in.
At aged 13 I was told I shouldn’t work with children. This is because I have a diagnosed heart condition. I was advised that with my heart condition, its impact on my health, my life expectancy and as working with kids would involve lots of lifting I should not work with children. I was down right gutted at the time but went along with the advice given.
As I got older and over the worst of my illness in addition to medical advances, I was given a more positive medical prognosis and I decided to follow my dream.
I found myself moving home and looking for work. It was then I decided that I would now follow my desire of working with children. I applied for work at my local nursery’s and pre-schools.
After four interviews I was getting the same feedback, they loved how I interacted with the children and they seemed to like me as a person. Despite this however three things seemed to be in my way, my age (28 at the time!), I had no childcare qualifications and my medical condition. Two out of three I couldn’t change.
So I went and studied, achieving the following qualifications:
- CACHE level 1 award in getting started in a pre-school setting
- CACHE level 2 in pre-school practice
- Level 3 Diploma for children and young people’s workforce: Early learning and childcare pathway
Then it was time for me to go back and find me a job!
I lived at home with my husband and 2 children at this point in my life our children were aged 3 years and 10 years. Working in a nursery wouldn’t suit as the hours of the job were 8 am till 6 pm, therefore I would have to pay for someone else to care for my younger daughter and I wouldn’t be able to pick my other daughter up form school. Childminding was a perfect match. I planed to be childminder for a few years, but it is an amazing job and I have no thoughts on stopping any time soon.
Tips For Undertaking This Work:
Learn to say NO to parents (your customer).
The role of an Ofsted registered Childminder is totally underrated, because of this many people don’t understand the amount of work Childminders as practitioners put in. The word “childminder” doesn’t help but it is what we are known as. I have to and do work the same role as any nursery or pre-school in England does. I have to follow the same curricular and I am regulated by a government body.
Due to people not understanding our role as a Childminder many parents don’t understand what we offer and what we can offer. All nurseries and pre-schools have opening times where as childminders can be flexible and this can lead to parents taking advantage, and Childminders need to learn to say NO because we have families too.
Future Progression Or Developments:
You can achieve a higher education/qualification in Childcare (degree) along side your childminding role. This can lead you to working in a more specific area in Child Development and child learning into post of teaching, typically teaching in a primary school.
Other roles could be working in a role related to childcare, like in the government or local council helping to make decisions regarding childcare or helping to controube to a new framework.
If you want to work with children, I feel you will just know. I had a feeling that working with children was something I wanted to do. I just needed to work out what age children I would work best with. For me it is early years.
If you have grown up being part of a group like Brownies, Scouts or a youth group, then volunteer in these after you leave as a member. These connections and experiences working with children will come in useful later. If you weren’t part of a group then find your local group and ask about volunteering.
What Are The ‘tools of the trade’ Used Daily:
Knowing the law of the land and your responsibilities within this.
Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. They provide many guidance and information regarding many areas, You can visit there website or telephone them for advice.
A Typical Day’s Duties:
No two days are the same.
For me 06:10 a.m in the morning picking up children and bring them to the setting. Then by 7am another child arrives. At 9 am the third child for the day arrives.
The daily routines now – depending what ages of children in that day /nappy changing/ bottle of milk feeding/ chat about what they have done at home/ 3 daily activities that have been planned like making a mother’s day cards/ role playing a doctors surgery/ making play dough.
Lunch time – Children come with lunch boxes so providing a space for them to eat.
Updating all children’s diary, update learning and development folders, check emails, any bookkeeping that needs to be logged, tidy away 15:30 p.m. end.
Maybe of an evening catching up with any outstanding paperwork.
Is Travelling A Regularly Part Of This Work:
No
Weekly Working Hours:
Full Time
Type Of Hours Arrangement:
Flexible Based On Your Own Needs
The Best Thing About The Work You Do:
The feeling I get when you have helped a family reach their potential. It could be helping a father give up smoking or helping a mother see what an amazing job she is doing, and of course helping the children as they learn and develop.
Your Least Favorite Thing About The Work You Do:
The amount of paperwork.
Any Duties You Hadn’t Anticipated Prior To Undertaking The Work:
Being your own accountant and all that comes with this role.
The Top Perks Of The Work:
Setting your own working hours and working form home.
Other Work In The Same Sector:
Nursery manager
Pre-school manager
Nanny
What Professional Organisations Are Associated With Your Work:
- OFSTED – Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
- ICO – Information Commissioner Office (data protection)
- PACEY – Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years
Additional Details You Wish To Share:
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