Introduction to Child Minding Course

Are you planning on becoming a childminder? Want to develop your childminding skills? Then this might be the perfect course for you.

It concentrates on the legal responsibilities of the childminder, safety within the home, writing and implementing policies, accounts and book keeping. This course is perfect for anyone involved in childminding.

Your tutor will be available to answer any questions and our courses are structured in bite sized sections to make learning even easier. So Start Learning today!

Distance Learning Support

At Start Learning we pride ourselves on our friendly and supportive tutors. Your tutor support will start as soon as you receive your course and will be valid for 12 months. All our tutors are highly qualified with extensive experience in supporting distance learning students. You contact your tutor via email and they are responsible for marking assignments answering your questions and guiding you through the course.

Entry Requirements  

At Start Learning we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.    

Recommended Hours of Study

We recommended you spend approximately 110 hours of your time studying for the Introduction to Childminding Level 3 course. The pace of study is completely up to you. To give an example, if you dedicate 2 hours a week to the course it would take you a year to complete but if you could spare 4 hours a week you could complete it in six months.

Course Contents

Unit 1 - Introduction to childminding: Describe the skills and qualities required to undertake employment as a childminder - Identify your own existing skills and qualities - Identify skills and abilities to be developed.

Unit 2 - Understand the legal responsibilities of the childminder: Define the legal responsibilities of the childminder - Outline relevant legislation with regard to childminding

Unit 3 - Understand the relevant training available to childminders: Discuss the importance of first aid qualifications for childminders - Critically explore the available optional training available for childminders.

Unit 4 - Getting your business up and running: Identify the service you wish to provide - Analyse the childminding market in your area - Critically examine the importance of portfolios and welcome packs - Summarise the procedures for interviewing potential customers - Identify procedures for settling children into the childminding setting.

Unit 5 - Safety within the home: Identify the risks to children indoors - Identify the risks to children outdoors - Critically examine the importance of maintaining appropriate hygiene procedures for (a) personal (b) toys and equipment.

Unit 6 - Negotiating a contract: Summarise the importance of using contracts - Describe retainers and deposits and explain when these should be charged - Critically examine the procedures which should be followed in the event of a complaint being made against the childminder.

Unit 7 - Writing and implementing policies: Produce a policy to meet equal opportunities within the childminding setting - Critically examine the importance of having a behaviour policy within the childminding setting - Discuss the procedure for reporting a suspected case of child abuse.

Unit 8 - Accounts and book keeping: Summarise the legal obligations of a self-employed person - Analyse the consequences of employing an assistant or working with another childminder - Identify the financial help available to childminders - Critically explore how to evaluate whether your business is making a profit or loss.

Qualification

Level 3 Award in Introduction to Childminding, Plus a Start Learning Diploma. At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Level 3 certificate of achievement from NCFE. That means that it is independently accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Awarding Body Information

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland

Assessment

This course is marked through a process of continuous assessment guided by your tutor following NCFE guidelines. This means that your qualification will be awarded according to your performance on assessments rather than by taking an exam.

Language of Course

English