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Nottingham and County Childminding Association

Voluntary Register Resignations

Ofsted will be writing to childminders who are not currently looking after children and for this reason, have had their inspections deferred as a result, to ask them to consider resigning their registration as a childminder.

From September 2008, Ofsted will have the power to cancel the registration of childminders who have not looked after children for three years. Cancellation of registration means a person is disqualified from providing childminding or any other registered childcare in the future, unless Ofsted agrees to waive the disqualification. The application process for reversal of disqualification can take some time.

However, voluntary resignation of your registration does not disqualify a person from applying to Ofsted again in the future. A childminder who resigns their registration now will be able to apply directly to Ofsted as soon as they decide they want to register again to provide childcare. And because they have previously been registered, it may be possible for Ofsted to process any future application more quickly.

In addition, voluntarily resigning from registration means that the annual fee to Ofsted will not be payable. Childminders who retain their registration, even if they do not intend to look after children, will still have to pay this fee.

Ofsted must inspect all childminding settings by March 2008, regardless of whether or not children are being cared for. With no children in the setting at the time of inspection, Ofsted cannot usually judge the provision as being any better than satisfactory.

Grandparents caring only for their own grandchildren need not be registered, and if they are registered, they cannot act as a registered childminder in relation to them. You can only act as a registered childminder to children to whom you are not related.

If you have not cared for children (on roll) for some time, and do not plan to care for children in the near future, you should consider resigning your registration with a view to reapplying for registration in the future if necessary.

If you have received a letter from Ofsted and decide that you no longer wish to be registered as a childminder, you can resign your registration by completing and returning the reply slip attached to the letter. If you have any questions about the contents of the letter, please call Ofsted on 08456 404040. You can also call NCMA's information line on 0800 169 4486.