A SERIOUSLY FUN CAREER - MAKE A DIFFERENCE, CHILDCARE!

Could it be you?

Yes it could! All kinds of people work in early years, childcare and playwork – school leavers, students, adults, people with disabilities, people from ethnic minorities, men and women - all of which play an important role in a child's life.

What skills and qualities do I need to work with children?

• Interest in children
• Some experience of working with children eg babysitting, caring for your own child/ren
• Caring nature
• Understanding
• Patience
• Flexibility
• Responsibility
• Enthusiasm
• Sense of humour
• Energy
• Reliability
• Ability to keep things confidential
• Adaptability
• Non-judgemental attitude
• Initiative
• Good communication skills with both adults and children

What qualifications are required?

Quite often childcarers can be unqualified, but you can work towards a qualification either before you start work or whilst you are working. There are many qualifications available depending on which area of childcare you wish to work in.

Where could I work?

• Private/Independent nurseries (full day care)
• Local Authority nurseries (sessional)
• Playgroups
• Crèches
• Out of School Clubs
• Your own home as a Childminder
• Children’s Centre

I would like to work with children but i’m not sure which area

We offer an informal 2 hour information session called ‘Next Generation’ which will give you an insight into all the career options available to you. For information on the next available session please call the C.I.S on 08000 345340.

For those of you who do know which career path you wish to take the following information could provide some useful tips on where to start.

I want to be a childminder

You would be self-employed working in your own home, so the hours you work, the number of children you care for, to an extent, would be up to you.

If you look after children ages 7 and under for more than two hours a day, for payment or reward you must be registered by Ofsted.

All new Childminders have to complete a short pre-registration course within the first six months and a ‘First Aid course for Babies & Young Children’.

Why not come along to one of our ‘Childminding is it for you?’ information sessions. For further information contact the C.I.S for a childminder pack and list of information session times and dates.

What about work in a nursery, pre-school or in full day care?

If you have had some experience of caring for babies or young children that may be all you need to start work as a trainee. You could work towards an NVQ Level 2 in Early Years Care & Education OR Children’s Care, Learning & Development and then progress onto a Level 3 qualification.

Is playwork the career for you?

You would work in an Out of School Club (open before and after school and all day during the school holidays) with children aged 3 to 14 years. You could attend an ‘Introduction to Playwork’ course, a short entry-level course which gives you good grounding into becoming a Playworker. You could then progress onto an NVQ Level 2 in Playwork to become an assistant, and then a Level 3 for a supervisory role.

All of these courses could be funded and most of this training would take place on the job and at your pace. Please see our training index for details on the courses available.

What do I do next?