Each individual childminder must ensure they comply with the Child Minding and Day Care Regulations 2010 and the National Minimum Standards in full.  

Each individual childminder needs to have their own Statement of Purpose. This needs to clearly reflect the operation of their business. Childminders working alongside each other must ensure that each Statement of Purpose provides clear information about how they operate their businesses and about their roles and responsibilities whilst working alongside each other. 

that All registered childcare providers are required to have this Statement of Purpose by law. The Statement of Purpose must include all the information under Regulation 15 of the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010 about the aims and objectives and other relevant matters about the service to be provided for children under the care of the registered person.  

Each childminder must have their own policies and procedures in place. When both childminders are working alongside each other from the same domestic property, they can use the same policy content for consistency. However, each individual childminder should be fully accountable for their own policies and they must ensure they review them regularly and ensure they are always in line with regulations, National Minimum Standards and their own current practice. 

Each childminder is registered individually and therefore CIW will inspect each individual childminder, regardless of them working alongside each other. 

Yes, as each childminder is registered individually and has their own legal entity, they have individual inspections and therefore individual inspection reports. CIW determine the most appropriate way to inspect each childminder using data and intelligence held on their systems.  

A parent’s contract for the care of their child exists between them and the childminder commissioned to provide care for their child, in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations and National Minimum Standards. The contract provides clarity on who is legally responsible for the child’s care and other crucial matters such as the terms for payment for the service and applicable procedures in relation to safeguarding and the raising of complaints etc. Contract terms may also be relevant in determining the identity of the provider against whom any enforcement action for regulatory short-comings should be instigated. 

The contracts should set out the expectations and arrangements for the provision of care by each childminder and this should also be included within the Operational Plan for each registered service. This is because even where two independently registered childminders work alongside each other or operate from the same domestic premises, their contractual and regulatory responsibilities remain separate. Each childminder remains individually accountable for the care they provide including compliance with regulatory requirements and for maintaining their own insurance cover. 

When childminders work alongside each other, it is important to ensure the written contracts set out the arrangements in place for when care is provided in all circumstances. The operational plan, emergency procedures and Statement of Purpose are also invaluable documents to ensure clarity and a shared understanding for everyone. 

Ultimately, it is up to each individual childminder to decide how they draw up their contracts, but it must reflect the above.  

Yes, each childminder must ensure they have their own Public Liability Insurance for their own registered service.   

Childminders working alongside each other are each self-employed and therefore not employed by each other, so ELI is not required. 

However, if a childminder employs an assistant (s), they must hold Employers Liability Insurance (ELI). If there are assistants working at the setting, the childminder employing the assistant(s) would need to ensure they have Employers Liability Insurance. The childminder employing them would need to be clear on any employment contract. 

All childminders need to ensure they complete relevant training at relevant times to meet with all regulatory and National Minimum Standards requirements. Their training records must always be current.  

Each childminder must ensure the environment is safe. They need to assess the environment individually and be accountable. The way in which they conduct and record a risk assessment is their own responsibility but it needs to be effective and each childminder needs to be completely accountable for their own risk assessments.  

Each childminder needs to ensure they individually comply with the regulations and National Minimum Standards. All childminders must ensure their practice is clearly reflected in their contract with parents, policies and procedures, operational plan and their Statement of Purpose, clearly setting out the arrangements in place for temporary or intermittent care provided by another registered person on behalf of another childminder working from the same domestic premises. Clear communication with parents regarding the way in which they operate is essential to ensure they are effective. Each childminder needs to ensure that the children they mind are safeguarded.  

Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate. The certificate states how many children they can mind at any one time. 

Each childminder needs to ensure they individually comply with the regulations and National Minimum Standards.  All childminders must ensure their practice is clearly reflected in their contract with parents, policies and procedures, operational plan and their Statement of Purpose, clearly setting out the arrangements in place for temporary or intermittent care provided by another registered person on behalf of another childminder working from the same domestic premises. Clear communication with parents regarding the way in which they operate is essential to ensure they are effective. Each childminder needs to ensure that the children they mind are safeguarded and safe.  

Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate. The certificate states how many children they can mind at any one time. 

Each childminder needs to ensure they individually comply with the regulations and National Minimum Standards.  All childminders must ensure their practice is clearly reflected in their contract with parents, policies and procedures, operational plan and their Statement of Purpose, clearly setting out the arrangements in place for temporary or intermittent care provided by another registered person on behalf of another childminder working from the same domestic premises. Clear communication with parents regarding the way in which they operate is essential to ensure they are effective. Each childminder needs to ensure that the children they mind are safeguarded.  

Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate. The certificate states how many children they can mind at any one time.

Each childminder needs to ensure they individually comply with the regulations and National Minimum Standards.  All childminders must ensure their practice is clearly reflected in their contract with parents, policies and procedures, operational plan and their Statement of Purpose, clearly setting out the arrangements in place for temporary or intermittent care provided by another registered person on behalf of another childminder working from the same domestic premises. Clear communication with parents regarding the way in which they operate is essential to ensure they are effective. Each childminder needs to ensure that the children they mind are safeguarded and safe.  

Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate. The certificate states how many children they can mind at any one time. 

Childminders must have a robust emergency procedure in place and review it regularly. They must ensure all children are safe during emergencies. Childminders should inform parents of their emergency procedures. They must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate. Childminders must ensure they comply with the Regulations and National Minimum Standards at all times.  

This would depend on the nature of the concern and would consider any specific conditions of registration. Each childminder’s involvement would be considered and based on all available information CIW would decide on the most appropriate course of action.     

The safety and well–being of children is CIW’s first priority. If one of the childminder registered at the property was suspended, CIW would consider whether the circumstances affected any other childminders working at the property or posed risks to children being cared for. Any decision about remaining childminders would be made based on available information and each situation would be judged independently.    

No. Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration and can only mind from the address specified on their certificate. Childminders cannot mind children from commercial premises such as village hall.  However, childminders are able to take their minded children to facilities within the community or arrange trips for minded children.    

Yes, however each childminder remains individually responsible for the care they provide. Childminders must adhere to the conditions of registration. These conditions are clearly set out in their registration certificate, including the maximum number of children they are allowed to care for at any time. The childminder would need to follow all regulatory requirements including contracts which are clear on who is responsible for a child’s care at any given time. 

Having clear written agreements helps ensure accountability, avoids confusion about responsibilities and supports safeguarding arrangements. 

Potentially yes, provided the requirements of the relevant funding scheme are met. There is no specific legal rule that prevents a registered childminder from receiving childcare funding simply because the child’s parent is also a registered childminder. Eligibility will depend on the rules of the particular funding scheme, together with the circumstances of the individual case. The practical arrangements are important. For example, if a child is receiving funded childcare, there should be clear evidence that the registered childminder claiming the funding is responsible for providing that care during the funded hours. Childminders should consider the finer details carefully and ensure that their contracts, records and statements of purpose accurately reflect how care is provided. 

Both childminders would need to set out clearly how they would work together in practice from the same premises e.g. how they would avoid situations where a childminder would care for their own child, and how they would ensure they are not operating outside the conditions of their registration. 

Additionally the fact that the child ordinarily resides at the premises does not, in itself, mean that another registered childminder working from those premises cannot provide the childcare. However, both childminders would need to ensure that the arrangement operates within the conditions of their respective registrations and complies with the relevant regulatory requirements and National Minimum Standards.

Childminders are registered as individuals in their own right with separate legal entities. Therefore, they work as an individual business and will need to submit their own tax returns.   

Legally, a childminder’s registration will always be in the childminder’s own name. The nature of the activity is that it is a personal service provided on domestic premises, normally in the childminder’s own home. The regulations relevant to childminding do not make any provision for companies to register, unlike day care. 

A childminder, or childminders working alongside each other, could organise their financial affairs under a name of a company, so that parents can make payments to that account. This is purely for managing the finances.  

If a childminder, or childminders working alongside each other, use a trading name or company name in their statement of purpose this will not raise a problem for CIW. A childminder’s registration will always be in the childminder’s name and the fact that a childminder organises their finances through a company does not alter the need for the registration to be in the individual’s own name.

Working alongside another childminder may help support continuity of care for children and families, including sibling groups who may benefit from being cared for in the same familiar environment. This can help maintain established routines, relationships and a sense of security, provided arrangements are clearly agreed with parents and reflected in contracts, policies, the Statement of Purpose and operational plans.

Children may benefit from a wider range of activities, resources and experiences when childminders plan together and share ideas and may benefit from more opportunities to play, learn and build relationships with a slightly wider group of children in a familiar home-based environment.

Where arrangements are clearly set out in contracts, policies, Statements of Purpose and operational plans, working alongside another childminder may help support continuity and flexibility for children and families. 

Childminders can learn from each other’s skills, experience and approaches, supporting reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Working alongside another childminder can provide regular professional support, reassurance and opportunities to share ideas, which may help reduce the isolation sometimes experienced when working alone.

Childminders can support each other with planning outings, setting up activities and managing daily routines, while still remaining individually responsible for the children in their care.

Working alongside another childminder can encourage discussion, reflection and shared problem-solving, helping both childminders to develop confidence and improve practice.

Childminders may be able to share some resources, equipment, training opportunities or business-related costs, while ensuring each remains responsible for their own registered service.

Childminders may feel more confident and sustainable in their practice when they have a trusted colleague to discuss ideas, challenges and ways of improving their service.