As a childcare provider, what can you do to ensure your services are accessible when it comes to providing childcare for special needs children? From interactive learning to more flexible timetables, we cover the basics of offering childcare provision that is truly inclusive. Defined by the Department of Health as a “significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills, with a reduced ability to cope independently”, there are thousands of child in the UK with some form of diagnosed learning disability.

Like all children, they need to play and learn. For many parents of children with learning disabilities, the sad truth is that finding a childminder or day nursery with the staff and skills to look after their child is difficult.

Offering childcare for special needs children means adapting provision so that they are safe and nurtured, whilst being able to safely access play and learning activities.

Every child has a unique personality and special skills so how as a childcare provider can you provide the childcare for special needs children that so many parents are looking for?

Plan together

Every child has different needs and for a child with a learning disability, these needs can be complex and profound. This doesn’t mean that childcare provision is not to be found but it does mean making changes.

Adaptations can be anything from the amount of exercise they have to the kind of activities they want to do and more. For example, a more flexible timetable ensures learning stays on track but accommodates the challenges that some children with learning disabilities can face.

Plan the provision with the parents or caregivers and seek advice too from their social worker if they have one and other professional sources.

Small changes, big impact

professional providing childcare for special needs children

For some children with a learning disability, a quiet and calm space is just as important as plenty of activity and friends.

Some childcare providers have professed to not being able to accommodate children with special needs or disabilities because the adaptations are too big, too expensive or too disruptive to make.

But research and real-life case studies have shown that small changes have a huge impact. Quiet space is ideal for any child but for a child with a learning disability, their need for calm space can be frequent.

Invest in accessible play equipment

Play equipment and toys should be accessible to every child that a nursery or childminder cares for. And yet, so many ‘mainstream’ toys are simply not accessible or suitable for a child with a disability.

Consider, for example;

 

Inclusivity

Inclusivity is not just about ensuring that staff understand how to interact with children with disabilities – it is about the other children you care for at the same time too.

Having said that, children rarely see the differences as this trailer from the BBC’s Everyone Welcome campaign highlights. When asked what makes them different, none of the children pointed out that their friend was in a wheelchair or their friend has Down Syndrome or their friend was a different colour or gender to themselves.

But we need to make sure as adults, that we continue to model this behaviour and it starts with the language that we use to interact and encourage children to play and connect with each other.

 

Grow your own skillset for childcare for special needs children to accommodate their needs

However, we also need to recognise that for childcare staff, working with and caring for a child with learning disabilities can be daunting, more so when they feel unprepared for and unsupported.

Online childcare courses and childminding courses are available for specific topics, such as working with children with physical disabilities as well as learning disabilities, as well as topics such as Autism and ADHD.

The better trained a childcare worker is, the more prepared and skills they are for creating a safe and nurturing play environment that is truly inclusive and accessible for all children.

Charities and support groups also advocate that alongside being skilled and trained, childcare workers shouldn’t be frightened of asking questions or seeking feedback from parents, caregivers or the child, if this is appropriate.

Every child has the right to play, to be safe and to be nurtured and not excluded from activities because they have a disability, physical or otherwise. And childcare providers have a responsibility to offer a fantastic learning and play environment for every child.

 

Childcare is an underrated service, but it is one that is so important to parents and guardians across the world. This blog talks about why childcare is important for both parents and children.

It the balance that every parent strives for – work, life and family. On one hand, two incomes are essential in the modern age and that means for pre-school children being care cared for someone other than their parents.

But on the other, it means finding reliable childcare that is professional and nurturing, and one in which your child thrives.

There are various childcare options: a private nanny, a live-in au pair, a childminder or a day nursery. Childcare is essential, but this doesn’t mean it comes without its problems and issues.

Stressed children

A recent study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology look at children and their stress levels. And it seems that according to this latest piece, some children find the long day at nursery very stressful.

For children who were in childcare for longer than eight hours, cortisol levels peaked in the afternoon, meaning they were the most stressed.

But before you use this to compound the feelings of guilt of dropping your little one at the door of the nursery or childminder, the research team says that this doesn’t mean it is negative stress. As always, there are two sides to the story…

The argument of the effects of childcare on a child’s emotional and social development have raged for years. With many women choosing to return to work after birth, from the 1980s onwards Mothers were at the thin end of the wedge when it came to childcare issues. The issue was not whether childcare damaged a child but how much.

But longer-term studies have found that the effects of childcare are positive for the majority of children. Finally, the argument that children became more aggressive as a result of being in nursery was put to bed once and for all.

And with parenting being seen as something both parents do, rather than ‘just Mum’, the issue of child care became less of whether it was a good idea or not to how it can be utilised to support the parenting process.

What the latest batch of studies on the effects of child care on a child’s development all agree on is that it is the quality of childcare that matters.

Good childcare – how to measure it and the impact on your child

And so, as parents, we look to other people to give the care our children need to protect and nurture them when we are at work. Measuring what is and what is not good childcare is difficult, especially with such an emotionally charged issue.

It is hard for parents to detach from the emotional side of childcare, making the ‘right’ decision to keep their children safe whilst still maintaining and advancing their careers. It is for this reason that the government, organisations and child care providers themselves are looking to make measuring the quality of childcare easier.

There is no child who doesn’t, at some point, cry when being left. It could be when they are a few months old and being taken to nursery or when you drop them at the school door, every child at some point will be reluctant to leave their parent.

For parents, the daily ‘peeling your child from your arms’ is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking – it is certainly not a great start to your day!

But say experts, rather than focus on the ‘drop off’, focus on the pick up instead. How is your child when you collect them? do they respond positively when you ask them about their day, the activities they have done and the people they are with?

What about their other behaviour? Are they sleeping well and eating normally? Is their behaviour consistent?

Real life example

Jane took Isaac to see her GP (*not their real names) concerned at the sudden change in his behaviour. Even though he was 3, he was dry during the night but had started to wet the bed. He was also calling out a lot, seeking reassurance that she was in the house when she wasn’t in the same room. He had started nursery the month before and the GP wondered if he was stressed.

BUT, Martha and David had placed their twin boys in a local nursery and found the whole experience to be positive, with their children nurtured and stimulated in equal measure.

As seen from the above example, childcare is individual – what suits one child, doesn’t suit another. So how long should you persevere for?

If, after a few weeks, a child is showing signs of stress and unhappiness, cutting back on childcare hours could be an option. As children don’t verbalise their feelings, they show stress in other ways – a tense body, calling out, bedwetting, becoming clingier, for example, are all signs of an unhappy toddler.

It seems that the importance of an individual approach in childcare is essential and yet, for a long time, we assumed that the same boot had to fit all children.

Real life example

Maggie has three children, all of whom went to nursery. Her middle child, Alex, didn’t fare as well as her eldest and younger child. After showing signs of unhappiness and stress, he was looked after for most of the time his parents were at work by a nanny.

Maggie thinks that he had a ‘smaller’ childcare experience but this doesn’t mean he missed out. It was ‘just quieter, more suitable for him than spending hours in a situation he found too boisterous’.

70% of communication is non-verbal. It is the subtle signs that tell us so much. From looking tense and unhappy to being clingy, a child has so many ways of telling us that they are unhappy – and it isn’t always tears that give us the strongest message.

And yet, so many of us ignore our intuition. If you notice behaviour changes that don’t fit with the development of your child and your gut feeling says something isn’t right, talk to your childminder or child care providers. What do they see happening?

What to look for – QUALITY

There have been numerous studies – and more to come! – that the quality of childcare is the singular most important aspect of childcare that is successful, whether it is from an individual childminder in their own home or at a day nursery provision.

ALL child care providers, including childminders, are inspected by the relevant authority. This varies depending on whether you are in Wales, England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Like school inspections, the report will highlight their findings of the childcare provision, what was outstanding, what was good and what needs to be improved.

You will find the latest report on the website of the corresponding inspection authority – e.g. OFSTED in England, Care Inspectorate Wales in Wales and so on – where you can read the report in full. The child care provider may also use this report as part of their marketing material and they may give you a copy of the report too. But make sure this is the full report as they may have cherry-picked the good bits!

Essentially, as a parent, you are looking for a professional service, something that comes with qualifications and experience. When your child reaches school age, you will expect them to be taught by qualified teachers so why expect less for pre-school childcare?

There is a range of childcare courses and qualifications open to anyone looking to become a childminder or work in the field of childcare.

There are NVQ courses in childcare, as well as courses provided by other providers but all aim to do the same thing – to equip the student with the skills and knowledge of keeping children safe but doing so in a vibrant, nurturing and stimulating environment suitable for every child.

Ideally, someone who works unsupervised with a child or children should have, as a minimum, a level 3 childcare qualification.

Just like a school environment, childminders and nurseries will have a curriculum, a long-term plan of activities that support and promote learning. These activities will focus on different skills, such as developing speech and language with story time and imaginative play.

For a child to feel secure with a carer, they need to form a strong bond. Look for someone who is warm and attentive, as well as affectionate and readily available to meet a child’s needs.

There are other signs to look for too, such as;

Childcare is essential for in so many ways. Whilst we once talked of ‘mum working to support our lifestyle’, now we look at how professional child care can be used to support and nurture our child’s development.

Choosing childcare is difficult for any parent. There are various options, with the choice between a childminder or nursery being two of the most popular options. Just how do you decide which one is best for you and your child?

illustration of a teacher reading to children

Making a decision about childcare needs to be an informed one, based on the information you gather. It is an important choice. As well as your child being safe, you want them stimulated in a nurturing, educational environment. However, instinct plays a big part in whether you are happy to leave your child in the care of a childminder or nursery. But rather than listing pros and cons for each, we decided to look at five key question to ask of both the childminder and the nursery.

1.   What qualifications do you have?

It may surprise you, but neither a childminder or nursery staff are obligated to be qualified in childminding. They need to hold a current Paediatric First Aid certificate but other than that, once the policies and procedures are in place to the satisfaction of the local authority, a nursery or childminder can start to operate.

That said, most nurseries will train their staff and most childminders will also look to complete a range of childcare courses. Qualifications are important and deeply reassuring when you are leaving your bundle of joy in their care.

Qualifications show that the childminder or nursery understand how to provide the right care and have a deeper understanding of your child’s need and how they develop.

2.   What did your last inspection report say?

Nurseries in England are registered with OFSTED – education and nurseries are a devolved responsibility in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland so consult the appropriate regulatory body – and thus, are inspected at regular intervals.

As part of this inspection process, a detail report is produced with a final ‘grading’, from excellent to good, poor or inadequate. Look on OFSTED’s website and check the official report from the last inspection.

Nurseries will often promote their business on the better bits of this report, so it is important to get the overall picture.

For childminders, they too are inspected by OFSTED in England to ensure that they are meeting the safety and learning standards expected of them. Like nurseries, their reports are published after inspection too.

3.   What is the daily routine?

Attending nursery or being cared for by a childminder is a big change in your child’s routine. Most children find comfort in a structure to their day and in fact, can prove advantageous when they start school.

Nurseries will often have a prescribed timetable for the day, similar to that of a school. There may be messy play in the morning, followed by story time before lunch. Some nurseries advocate sleeping after lunch whilst others allow napping to happen as and when a child wants.

The afternoon may be outside play or another activity. Nurseries will display a weekly or monthly timetable for parents to see how the day is structured.

Childminders can operate differently, depending on the children they are looking after. Like a nursery setting, a childminder is expected to offer different tasks and activities during the day to create a stimulating learning environment.

4.   How will you keep me informed?

You want to know what your child has been doing during their time at nursery or with the childminder. Likewise, you also want to know if there are any concerns and also the best way for you to communicate with them.

Nurseries and childminders should keep a development record or a daily, weekly or monthly reporting system so that you can see what your child has been doing. Or you can leave a notebook with your childminder and ask them to make a daily entry as to what your child did during their time with them, what they ate, when they napped and so on.

5.   How do you manage behaviour?

To be safe and happy, children need boundaries, but discipline varies from one parent to another, and from one nursery and childminder to another too.

Ask to see their policy document on discipline and how they prefer to do things. Some nurseries and childminders will use distraction techniques, raising concerns with parents and working together and so on.

Managing behaviour is covered in our extensive guide ‘How to become a nursery nurse’ – why not take a look?

You want the best for your child and thus, as well as asking key questions, relying on your own instinct. Is this the person or the nursery who gives off all the right vibes too?

How To Find A Childminder

a childminder putting a baby to bed

So, you’ve decided on your childcare. Choosing a nursery is often a simpler choice – after all, you can view their references easily and go and take a look around their establishments to make the best judgement yourself. But, if you’ve decided on finding a childminder for your little ones, it’s important that you make the best decision for everyone involved. Here’s how to find the right childminder for you and your kids:

Choose a registered childminder

Anyone offering their services as a professional childminder, offering to care for children in exchange for money, must be registered with OFSTED in England – this inspectorate differs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A registered childminder will be inspected and the reports about the provision they provide from their last inspection will be published online.

Resources to look at

As you would expect in the digital age, turning to the Internet for help in finding a local childminder is a good place to start. And there are a few around;

Finding the right childminder – the questions to ask, the things to look for

Choosing the right childminder is about making sure that everything is in place and that your children are safe and nurtured. It also comes to personality and your gut feeling. So don’t be frightened of visiting different childminders and getting a feel for who they are and what they offer.

What questions could you ask?

Once you have found the right person, you’ll have peace of mind that your children are being well cared for.

Childminder or Nursery?

children with a childminder or nursery teacher

Making the right choice of childcare is vital, and with the right preparations and questions on hand, you can be sure that you will find the perfect solution for your family. However, if neither a childminder or nursery is for you, that’s perfectly okay too! You can find more types of childcare here.

Childminders will always be in high demand. In this article, we explore whether you can make a living from childminding and how to go about setting up a childminding business.

All parents want the best for their children and when it comes to professional childcare options, their expectations are high. They want a childminder who cares for their child, as well as offering a stimulating and educational environment.

As a childminder, these are heady responsibilities to meet. Traditionally, childminding has been a low-paid job. But as a profession, it is revolutionising itself so that childminders are highly trained, qualified professionals who have the earnings to match.

A profitable business

woman sitting whilst children eat in the background

Even with more people becoming childminders, the demand for high-quality childcare will often outstrip what is available locally. And so, parents are willing to pay to have their child taken care of in the right kind of environment – and for you, as a childminder, that means understanding what parents are looking for and balancing that with the needs of the child as well as statutory and legal obligations too.

Being a childminder can be profitable, with many people enjoying successful careers for many, many years;

Childminder qualifications

There are no formal requisites that childminders should hold a specific qualification, there is an expectation from local authorities – and parents too – that people who choose to offer childminding services will have some kind of qualification in childcare or a related subject.

For this reason, most people will look to childminding courses. These courses will cover how to create a safe environment, as well as examine how children learn and develop. By understanding issues such as this, a childminder can provide a stimulating and educational care setting.

There are also other issues and areas of knowledge that childminders are expected to have. For example, a paediatrics first aid qualification is essential, with most local authorities requiring this as an obligatory part of the registration.

As well as first aid, childminders are also expected to keep up to date with the changes and developments in child protection procedures. As a childminder, you will be expected to have numerous policies and guidelines to which you will abide, reporting possible abuse and neglect is one such responsibility.

DBS Checks + Insurance

As part of this process, childminders will also undergo an extended Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This check needs to remain current – your local authority will tell you how often they want this check repeating – and you will need to show this to all parents too.

Insurance is essential too so that you are protected should there be accidents and/or injuries. Public liability insurance is a must and some childminders will have specific insurance for themselves, as well as their home or premises.

There are also health and safety requirements for the areas of your home that you intend using for your childminding activities. And as you would expect, there will inspections by the regulatory authority, which differs whether you offer childminding services in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

More childminders are needed!

In England, the latest figures from Ofsted (March 2017) show that there are 43,500 registered childminders, a decrease of 500 since the end of 2016. This is a fall of nearly 25% since August 2012.

There are many reasons why this is the case, including the impact of some recent changes in how childminders can register, more so in England than in other areas of the UK. But what is heartening to see is that the rating of good our outstanding childminders and childcare provision is increasing.

This is, in no small part, down to the quality of childminding courses on offer, including those offered online by us. Isn’t it time you took a second look?