In this day and age both mum and dad are likely to be working to support the family so childcare is essential.
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It’s also essential to make sure you’re getting the right childcare for your child so we’ve got five questions you should be asking a perspective nanny, child-minder or nursery worker before hiring them.
Liz Bayram, Joint Chief Executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), has given her recommendations on what you should be questioning, enjoy!
1. How do you contribute to the care, learning and development of the children you care for?
Members of PACEY make a commitment to contribute to the care, learning and development of children through their code of ethics.
Child-minders and nursery workers should be well versed in the Early Years Foundation Stage which has been shown to have improved the quality of childcare in England.
2. How do you look after the physical health and well-being of the children you care for?
In order to deliver high standards of care for your children, childcare professionals should have an understanding of good health, nutrition and encourage physical activity for your children
3. Do you have a valid paediatric First Aid Certificate and DBS check?
Valid paediatric first aid certificates and DBS checks are a minimum for anyone working in childcare. The first aid certificate should be renewed every two years.
4. What qualifications do you have and have you undertaken any training or continuous professional development in the past two years?
If you are enrolling your child in a nursery ask about the qualification levels of the staffs. As a minimum the leader should have a relevant Level 3 and over half the staff should have Level 2, but the higher the better. In Wales the requirements are even higher.
If you are employing a nanny, look for relevant Level 3 qualification. If the nanny doesn’t have this, ask how they develop their professional skills and keep up to date with best practice.
If you are employing a child-minder ask about their relevant qualifications and ask how they keep up to date with best practice. PACEY believes child-minders (who work on their own in their home-setting) should hold a relevant Level 3 qualification.
5. Are you Ofsted or CSSIW registered and (for a nanny) are you happy to be registered with my support?
Regulation and inspection has significantly improved the quality of childcare provided by child-minders and nurseries. Nannies too can be Ofsted/CSSIW registered and the process of recognising the Core Common Skills of childcare and ensuring their paediatric first aid and DBS checks are up to date will all help to ensure a better quality of childcare.
What would you want to know when interviewing a perspective child-minder? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting us @FemaleFirst_UK
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