Introduction to Child Minding Level 3

About this course

This course has been developed to give those already working as a childminder or those contemplating a career as one to understand the key aspects and responsibilities of this demanding but rewarding role.

Course Description

A childminders role is many and varied and can be described in a number of ways. Gone are the days when childminders were seen as uneducated, low paid babysitters who were paid to keep an eye on the children whilst their parents spent a few hours at work. Parents are no longer content to pay someone to look after their child simply because they appear motherly and seem to like playing with children. Parents now, quite rightly, express a wish to find a highly qualified, organised person who has the right skills to not only nurture their child but to educate and discipline them.

This course will give you the key information to enable you to put into practice your ambition to be a successful childminder as well as crucial information about Health and Safety and setting up your own childminding business.

Course Content

UNIT ONE 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 TWO Understand the legal responsibilities of the childminder

• Define the legal responsibilities of the childminder
• Outline relevant legislation with regard to childminding

UNIT THREE 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 FOUR 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 FIVE 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 equipments

UNIT SIX 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 SEVEN 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 EIGHT 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 Information

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course).

The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards' Quality Licence Scheme. This means that UK Distance Learning & Publishing has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet certain quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to an Ofqual regulated qualification but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills towards regulated qualifications in the future. The unit summary can be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this sector. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 3 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

The course itself has been designed by UK Distance Learning & Publishing to meet specific learners' and/or employers' requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards' endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

ABC Awards is a leading national Awarding Organisation, regulated by Ofqual, and the Welsh Government[1]. It has a long-established reputation for developing and awarding high quality vocational qualifications across a wide range of industries. As a registered charity, ABC Awards combines 180 years of expertise but also implements a responsive, flexible and innovative approach to the needs of our customers.

Renowned for excellent customer service, and quality standards, ABC Awards also offers Ofqual regulated qualifications for all ages and abilities post-14; all are developed with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure that they meet the needs and standards of employers across the UK.

[1] Regulators for exams and assessments in England and Wales

Method of Study

Online Version

Our online A-Level courses are fully digitised versions of the paper-courses, so you can study on any PC or smart device when connected to the internet.

As with the paper course, your online learning programme is completely flexible, so you can study at a pace that suits you.

All of our online course content is broken down into bite size chunks to make your learning more manageable and effective.

Method of Assessment

The course contains a number of assignments which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. We call these Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs). You need only send the TMAs to your tutor for comment, not the self-assessment exercises which are also part of the course to help you gauge your progress.

Tutor Support

You will have access to a tutor via email who will mark your work, guide you through the course and assist you with any problems you may have. In addition you will be supplied with a comprehensive Study Guide which will help you through the study and assessment process.

Currently there are no Q&As for this course. Be the first to ask a question.