Background to the Research

• Registered childminding is by far the most popular - and affordable - form of full-time childcare in NI. However, registered childminders in NI are neither required to have insurance nor to undertake any initial training, and long delays in the process of registering childminders are providing an incentive for childminders to remain unregistered, putting at potential risk the children they look after and discouraging individuals from entering childminding in the first place.
• Opinion poll data shows that the public wants the NI Executive to make childcare a priority. Improving the current system would ensure a better deal for childminders, for the children they look after and for the parents who use their services. This paper outlines the key steps required to ensure registered childminding is an attractive occupation and provides a quality service.
  

Research Approach

• The findings presented came from a recent survey of newly registered childminders carried out by NICMA. Survey forms were sent to 210 NICMA members who registered within the 12 months prior to November 2007. There was a 24% response rate.
  

Main Findings

• Newly registered childminders had faced an average wait of seven months to be registered, compared to an average wait of just 81 days in England.
• Just one in ten prospective childminders had their registration processed within three months and one in ten waited ten months or longer.
• Nearly three-quarters of respondents felt the wait time had been too long, with one third saying it was much too long.
• Half of those who were dissatisfied with the waiting time felt like giving up.
• An apparent lack of sufficient social services staff to deal with registration was the most commonly cited reason for the delay.
• Other major factors cited by respondents as contributing to the delay were:
  • A lack of year-round mandatory training where this is required - meaning applicants may have to wait some time to take a course;
  • Delays in obtaining police checks.
    

Conclusions

• Lengthy delays in the registration process are a particular concern given a significant shortage of childcare places in NI, with previous research showing that the use of unregistered childminders is much more prevalent in NI than the use of registered childminders. Given that unregistered childminding puts children's welfare at risk because unregistered childminders aren't inspected, NICMA argues that it is imperative that the NI Executive acts now to speed up the registration process.
• NICMA advocates the following four steps to address the current shortcomings in registration:
  • Make the completion of an accredited introductory training course in childminding, the successful completion of a paediatric first aid course which tests the applicant's skills, and the possession of public liability insurance mandatory requirements of registration.
  • Make use of NICMA's expertise and resources to deliver mandatory introductory training.
  • Move towards a regional system of Early Years registration and inspection.
  • Ensure that each of the Health and Social Care Trusts has in place a rigorous and robust system of monitoring the time taken to process registration applications.