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3. Support for childminders

Congratulations on your registration with Ofsted.

Following the completion of the ‘Preparing to work in home-based childcare’, you should have had contact with your Childminder mentor who has been supporting you through the registration process.

Once you have received your registration certificate, you will be contacted by the Early Years Specialist based at your local Children’s Centre who will take you through Oldham’s Induction for new Childminders; ‘Welcome to Oldham’.

You will receive information about local pathways including Safeguarding and SEND; local processes; useful contact numbers and much more.

Furthermore, you will be offered support via Quality 4 Early Years, a team of specialists commissioned by Oldham Council to support you in preparation for your first Ofsted inspection.

We are committed to supporting the highest quality early years and childcare provision for our children and their families, and as a result, we provide a universal offer of support to all childminders at no extra cost.

Oldham’s Universal Offer (for all childminders)

Childminders working in Oldham have access to the following support at no cost.

  • general support, advice and guidance by telephone and email on 0161 770 1857 or familyinfo@oldham.gov.uk
  • funding advice and support through the LA Free Entitlement Team on free.entitlement@oldham.gov.uk
  • membership and access to the national web based Early Years Foundation Stage Forum, including an Oldham local page.
  • early Years Local Authority Network (2 per year)
  • safeguarding Network (2 per year)
  • safeguarding Level 2 training
  • role of the SENCO training
  • access to a range of local self-assessment and guidance tools i.e. Journey to Excellence (JtoE), Children’s Assessment and Progress Tool (CHAPs), Early Years Personal Education Plan (PEP) to support your ongoing action planning.

Category 2 Intervention Pathway (Requires Improvement/Satisfactory judgement)

In addition to the Universal Offer, childminders judged to be requiring improvement or satisfactory by Ofsted will be able to access a small amount of additional, time limited support in order to support them to address actions identified by Ofsted as requiring improvement. The targeted offer includes:

  • access to the universal programme
  • support to complete a Focused Improvement Plan (FIP) to address areas identified by Ofsted as requiring improvement
  • four support visits to monitor progress against the FIP prior to re-inspection by Ofsted (usually 12 months)
  • six monthly or annual monitoring visit until re inspection  

Engagement in this element of the quality improvement programme is mandatory to childminders receiving or planning to receive the Free Early Entitlement (FEE) funding.   

Category 3 Intervention Pathway (Inadequate judgement)

In addition to the universal offer, childminders judged to be inadequate by Ofsted will be required to accept intensive support in order address actions identified by Ofsted as inadequate and requiring significant improvement. The targeted offer includes:

  • support to complete a Focused Improvement Plan (FIP) to ensure rapid progress in addressing all actions identified by Ofsted as inadequate. 
  • six support visits to monitor progress against the FIP prior to re-inspection by Ofsted (usually 6 months)

Engagement in this element of the quality improvement programme is mandatory childminders receiving or planning to receive the FEE funding. Where a childminder is inadequate the Council will not fund any new 2, 3 and 4 year old places or continue to fund 2, 3 and 4 year olds at the provision. Funding for existing children will be withdrawn 3/4 months following the publication of the Ofsted inspection report.

This level of support may also be provided to childminders who have not been recently inspected and the Council has evidence that suggests an inadequate outcome is likely at next inspection. The amount and nature of this support will be agreed with the childminder, within the resources available to the Council.

Inactive childminders will not be required to take part in the IP (Intervention Pathway). Contact will be made on an annual basis to check status.

Where a childminder has been judged as 'not met' the Ofsted standard, they will not be asked to participate in the IP. However, they are required to inform the Council Family Information Service when they are about to take a child on to roll and will be required to engage in the programme.

If a childminder is inspected at any point during the IP period and receives a good or outstanding Ofsted grading the childminder will not be required to continue on the programme.

If a childminder is inspected at any point during the IP period and receives an inadequate Ofsted grading the childminder will be required to take part in the Inadequate Intervention Programme (IIP).

For those childminders rated by Ofsted as satisfactory/requiring improvement or met who wish to register to be an Approved Provider, for delivering the 3 and 4 year old Free Early Entitlement (FEE) funding, a pre approval visit(s) will be completed. The purpose of the visit(s) is to ensure all statutory requirements of the EYFS are being met prior to registering and signing the Provider Agreement Contract.

The Council will only register and approve childminders rated satisfactory/requiring improvement’ to deliver FEE for 2 year olds where there is not sufficient, accessible good and outstanding provision and the childminder is actively engaging in the IP.   

In addition to RI settings, where concerns are identified with an existing good or outstanding childminder, or where a good or better judgement is not expected at next inspection a visit may be arranged with the childminder to discuss concerns and development points outlined in action plans and/or SEF.

Inadequate Intervention Programme (Category 3)

A requires improvement / satisfactory or inadequate childminder who refuses to participate in the IP or IIP; or participates but demonstrates little or no improvement may be removed from the list of Approved Providers for the 2, 3 and 4 year old FEE.