Childminder agencies

Childminder agencies register with and are inspected by Ofsted. Agencies are not childcare providers as they will not directly provide childcare, but, once registered with Ofsted, agencies are able to register individual childminders (and childcare providers on domestic premises) who will provide this service.

This means that individual childminders will have a choice either register:

• directly with Ofsted
• with a childminder agency

The introduction of childminder agencies may alter the method used by local authorities to collect data.
This means that the local authority will have to collect data from:

• childminder agencies (on behalf of all childminders registered with the agency)
• agency registered childminders who choose to submit returns directly to the local authority
• childminders registered with Ofsted

This could impact URN and EY numbers.

Childminders registered with Ofsted

Childminders who are registered with Ofsted will be required to submit a childminder return to their local authority.

Local authorities with childminder networks (who previously submitted aggregated returns for the network) are now required to submit an individual return for each childminder registered with Ofsted.

Childminders registered with childminder agencies

Childminders who are registered with childminder agencies can submit a childminder return directly to their local authority. However, childminder agencies may submit an individual level return for each childminder registered with them to the childminder’s home local authority (the local authority within which geographical area the childminder is located).

In both instances, the childminder and any colleagues working with them, are recorded as the number of staff. For example, a childminder working together with another childminder and an assistant would be recorded as three staff.

The Childcare Act 2006 indicates that if 4 or more adults work together to provide childcare on domestic premises then they are either classified as an early or later years childcare provider or both (depending on which Ofsted register they are registered on). Therefore, a childminder working with 3 or more adults will need to be recorded as an early years provider (private, voluntary or other) in the census.