Outline the current legislation covering home based childcare, and the role of regulatory bodies.

Current legislation:

Every Child Matters

This was the name of the green paper produced in response to the Laming inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié in 2000. It went on to form the basis of the 2004 Children’s Act. The paper lists five outcomes which were identified in consultation with children and young people:

Being healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle Staying safe: being protected from harm and neglect Enjoying and achieving: getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood Making a positive contribution: being involved with the community and …show more content…

The five main areas covered by the welfare requirements are:

Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare Suitable people Suitable premises, environment and equipment Organisation Documentation

The role of regulatory bodies in home based childcare

The different countries of the United Kingdom each have a different regulatory body. Ofsted are the responsible body in England, working alongside The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, The Care Council for Wales and the Health and Social Trust (Northern Ireland). Their role is to make sure that childminders (and others) meet the welfare and learning & development requirements, are suitable people and can promote an environment where children are safe and well cared for. The regulatory bodies publish the requirements, standards and procedures that childminders have to meet in order to be registered. They inspect childminders to ensure they meet the necessary standards, investigate complaints made against them and enforce the regulations.

In England Ofsted are responsible for inspecting and grading childminders as well as other educational practitioners. Childminders are inspected every three years and are graded into four categories:

grade 1 (outstanding) grade 2 (good) grade 3 (satisfactory) grade 4 (inadequate)

Ofsted manage two registers relevant to