Journey
Set up an education or childcare business
Education and childcare businesses are regulated by what they do and who they serve. Early years and out-of-school childcare register with Ofsted in England. Independent schools register with the Department for Education. Higher education providers register with the Office for Students. Driving instructors join the DVSA's ADI register (Great Britain-wide — Northern Ireland has the DVA's separate register). Domiciliary care and social work have their own regulators. Find your provider type, then follow the route that matches.
Regulation in this sector follows the activity. Caring for children under 8 for more than 2 hours a day for payment generally requires Ofsted registration in England (with parallel regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Schools, colleges, universities, training providers and driving instructors each have their own registration gateway. Domiciliary care and social work sit with the care regulators. Across all of them run the same supporting duties: enhanced DBS checks for work with children or adults at risk, safeguarding policies, insurance, and data protection for records about children and families.
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Follow the route for your provider type
Nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and out-of-school clubs
Start and register a childcare business: Ofsted registration, the EYFS frameworks, ratios and funding — then the childcare safeguarding and inspection guides.
Register as a childminder in England
Ofsted registration for childminders.
Comply with the EYFS statutory framework
The EYFS frameworks, ratios and safeguarding expectations for childcare.
Holiday clubs and wraparound care
The Childcare Register, exemptions and staffing.
Independent schools, tutors, training providers and driving instructors
DfE independent school registration, Office for Students registration, the APAR apprenticeship register and the DVSA ADI register.
Apprenticeship training providers
APAR routes, funding rules and Ofsted inspection of providers.
Domiciliary care and social work services
Personal care in people's homes is CQC-registered in England. Social workers register with Social Work England.
Run a care home or other residential care service
Registration with CQC or Ofsted, the registered manager, enhanced DBS checks, mental capacity and safeguarding duties.
Childcare funding and entitlements
The working-parent entitlement, Tax-Free Childcare and charging rules.
The regulators by nation
Childcare regulation is devolved. Ofsted registers childcare in England. Care Inspectorate Wales registers childminding and day care for children under 12 in Wales. The Care Inspectorate registers childminding and daycare of children in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, childminding and day care register with the local Health and Social Care Trust's early years team. Education regulation is also England-specific in this journey — the devolved administrations run their own school registration and inspection systems.
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Put the supporting duties in place
Whichever route applies, work with children is regulated activity, so staff in regulated activity need enhanced DBS checks with barred-list checks (PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland). The EYFS frameworks set safeguarding expectations for childcare, and Keeping Children Safe in Education applies to schools and colleges. Providers must carry appropriate insurance, including employers' liability if anyone is employed. Records about children and families are personal data that need ICO registration and careful handling.