Childcare Abuse
Please note – The terms ‘childcare’ and ‘childcarer’ in this write up refers to the following:
Childminder, babysitter, nanny, nurse carer, nurse maid, governess, ayah, amah, au pair, dry nurse, nursery nurse, maternity nurse, wet nurse, and creche worker.
WHAT IS A CHILDCARE?
Childcare is when an individual is hired or asked to provide care for a child under the age of 18 years.
There are many forms of child care. They all do one primary job, and that is to provide care for a child. The definitions below are general and many overlap.
A babysitter – A babysitter can be an individual hired for a few hours or a temporary basis that usually comes to the home to look after a child. At the same time a babysitter can also be qualified and registered with Ofsted.
A child minder – A child minder is a regular form of childcare where the child goes to the home or workplace of the childminder during the day. They are qualified, registered with Ofsted and/or with an agency.
An au Pair – An au pair is an individual from a foreign country where they live with the host family and take care of their children in return for living facilities, food and pay. An au pair is integrated into the host family’s life.
Nanny – A nanny is a paid childcare provider that does not live with the family.
Dry nurse – A dry nurse is a female who looks after a baby but does not breastfeed someone’s baby.
Wet nurse – A wet nurse is a female who looks after and breast feeds someone’s baby.
Governess – A female who looks after children in their home, who is also their teacher and nanny.
Ayah – A word which originates when Europeans hired an Indian nanny to look after their child whilst living in India.
Amah – Amah is a nurse maid or nanny in India or East Asia.
Maternity nurse – A maternity nurse is a postnatal carer that helps a mother and her newborn child.
Creche worker – A cheche worker is a nursery assistant or worker that looks after and helps children up to the age of 5 years in a nursery setting.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM AGE OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CAN PROVIDE CHILDCARE?
Under UK law there is no minimum age for an individual who can provide childcare.
However, the parents or the person with parental responsibility is responsible if they leave their child with someone aged 16 years or below and something goes wrong.
DOES AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDES CHILDCARE HAVE TO BE REGISTERED WITH OFSTED?
All child carers such as childminders, nannies, and babysitters must be registered with Ofsted (office for standards in education, child services and skills). There are 15 exceptions where registration is not required:
- A childcarer who cares for children aged 8 years and over
- A childcarer who cares for a child no more than 2 hours a day.
- If a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister or half-siblings care for a child(s) they are related to.
- A childcarer who cares for children aged under 8 years at home or someone else’s home without any payment.
- A foster carer.
- A childcarer who cares for children in their own home. This carer can care for the children of 2 sets of parents in one or both sets of parents homes.
- A childcarer who cares for a child between 6pm and 2am at their home or someone else’s home.
- A childcarer who is providing a home education to a child of compulsory school age who receives full-time education outside school, and is partly or completely taught by a person other than a parent of the child.
- A childcarer who provides two of the following from the list below to children aged 3 years and above and care is not provided for children aged 5 years and under for more than 4 hours in a day. – a) sport, b) performing arts, c) arts and crafts, d) religious, cultural or language studies and e) study and homework support.
- A childcarer who cares for children as part of the organisation’s activities in the following places – a) a children’s home, b) a care home, c) a hospital where the child is a patient, d) a residential family centre, e) a young offenders institution or secure training centre.
- A childcarer who owns a school providing education or care for children’s aged 3 years and over where one child is being cared for as part of the school.
- A childcarer who cares for children under 8 years of age for 4 hours or less a day and the parents are on the premises or nearby where the care is being given. For example a shopkeeper’s cheche. Children do not attend this service everyday.
- A childcarer who provides an open access scheme for children. This allows children to leave on their own. Early years children cannot attend an open access scheme. Early years are from birth to 31st August after the child’s 5th birthday.
- A child carer who cares for children under 8 years of age from specific premises for 14 days or less in any year. The childcarer must inform Ofsted in writing 14 days or more before starting the service.
- A childcarer who cares for children between 6pm and 2am in a hotel or a guest house. The care is for the children of no more than 2 sets of parents staying at the same place at the same time.
LINK TO OFSTED CHILDCARE FACTSHEET – REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED
WHAT IS AN OFSTED REGISTER?
Ofsted has 2 registers where childcarers can register.
1. The early years register – Childcarer’s who care for children from birth to 31st August after the child’s 5th birthday must register with this register unless exempt. Providers on this register will be inspected in the first 30 months of registering and then once every 6 years. They will also be inspected when there is a complaint. They must also have an Ofsted poster for parents displayed during their work hours. Ofsted will assess them on the early years foundation stage (EYFS)
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR POSTER FOR PARENTS
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK.
2. The childcare register – There are 2 parts to this register. The first part is compulsory for child carers who care for children aged between 5 years and 8 years unless exempt. The second part is voluntary for child carers who care for children aged between 8 years onwards. These providers will be inspected at random.
WHAT IS CHILD CARE ABUSE?
Childcare abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual abuse as well as neglect. All four types of abuse are discussed in our write up ‘what is child abuse?’.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE
WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO A CHILDCARE PROVIDER IF THEY PROVIDE CHILDMINDING OR DAYCARE WITHOUT BEING REGISTERED AND ARE NOT EXEMPT?
They will get an unlimited fine or go to prison.
WHAT STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO SAFEGUARD YOUR CHILD FROM AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY PROVIDE CHILDCARE?
Bottom line is all parents need child care. There are many steps you can take to safeguard you and your child from hiring the wrong person. They are:
1. Always hire a registered childcarer – You should always hire a childcarer from a reputable agency or organisation. They will have done their safety checks and checked references.
2. Read the references carefully and always do checks – Whenever you hire a childcarer to look after your children you must ask for a CV and references. Once you have these references you must call and follow them up to see if they are genuine. Please ask for a personal and a professional reference. Also make sure everything written on their CV is true by checking and researching the facts.
3. Hire someone who is qualified – If you are going to leave your child in the care of a childcarer then please make sure they are qualified and have passed the relevant courses. A qualified person will know how to look after your child in most circumstances that could arise. Please check their qualifications by calling the college where they obtained these qualifications. You can also check with the exam boards.
4. Hire someone who has experience – It is best to always hire someone who has previously looked after the child age group you are hiring them for. You must not hire anyone who doesn’t have experience with babies and toddlers.
5. Be observant of your child’s behaviour – Take note of any changes in your child’s behaviour since the childcarer has been caring for your child. Your child may be withdrawn, upset or disturbed. Notice if your child is scared and attached to you when the child caregiver arrives.
6. Set up a camera at home to capture abuse as it happens – There are recording systems on the market where you can record a child carer with your child. The recording will show you if any abuse is happening and if it is, you will have evidence to forward to the police.
WHO CAN YOU REPORT CHILD CARE ABUSE TO?
Please note the name of any person who reports child care abuse to any organisation should not be revealed. Sometimes the individual can report the abuse anonymously.
There are many ways you can report child care abuse:
1. You can contact the police – You can dial 999 if a child is at immediate risk or your child has been abused. Alternatively if there is no emergency you can dial 101 or file a report online.
LINK TO POLICE WEBSITE TO REPORT A CRIME ONLINE
2. You can contact Crimestoppers – You can report a crime anonymously to crimestoppers. Their telephone number is 0800 555 111.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CRIMESTOPPERS.
3. You can contact your local authority child services – You can contact your local authority child services and report your childcarer’s abuse.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE TO A LOCAL COUNCIL
4. You can contact the NSPCC – You can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns and report your childcarer’s abuse. If the child is in danger they will call the police.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US
5. Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child has suffered from abuse and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CHILDLINE – CONTACT US
6. Inform the company or organisation from where you hired the childcarer or where they work – If you know and have evidence or if you suspect the childcarer is abusing your child you must inform the childcarer’s managers and superiors immediately. You may not be believed if you do not have any evidence but nevertheless you still should express your concerns so they can become vigilant and monitor the childcarer.
As far as a babysitter is concerned you can inform their parents, family or the organisation where you hired them from.
7. Inform the organisation or governing body they are registered with – You can inform the organisation or governing body of the childcarer if you know and have evidence or if you suspect they are abusing your child.
8. You can read our help guide for where you can reach out to get help if your child is a victim –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR WHERE CAN YOU REACH OUT TO GET HELP IF YOUR CHILD IS A VICTIM
9. You can contact other organisations –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE 16 – CONNECT WITH CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS THAT COULD HELP YOU.
WHERE CAN YOU AS A PARENT TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?
You can contact NSPCC – If your child has suffered child care abuse you can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns. If the child is in danger they will call the police.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US
You can contact FAMILY LIVES – Family lives was previously known as parentline. You can speak to them about your concerns that your child has suffered child care abuse.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR FAMILY LIVES – CONTACT US
You can contact SAMARITANS – The samaritans are a free organisation that you can talk to about childcare abuse. Call their helpline on 116 123. They are available 24 hours a day. You can email them, chat online or write them a letter.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR SAMARITANS – CONTACT US
You can contact SUPPORTLINE – Supportline can provide confidential emotional support over the phone about childcare abuse. Their helpline number is 01708 765 200. You can also email them.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR SUPPORTLINE – CONTACT US
You can contact your local authority child services – You can call them directly or look on their website to see if there are any local support groups where you can get support.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY
You can contact VICTIM SUPPORT – Victim support is a charity that can help individuals who have been the victim of a crime. They have a free confidential support telephone line and live chat. They are independent of the police.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR VICTIM SUPPORT – CONTACT US
You can contact other organisations –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE 16 – CONNECT WITH CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS THAT COULD HELP YOU.
You can read our help guide for where you can reach out to get help if your child is a victim –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR WHERE CAN YOU REACH OUT TO GET HELP IF YOUR CHILD IS A VICTIM
WHERE CAN YOUR CHILD TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?
Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child has suffered from child care abuse and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.