National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for children up to the age of 12 years: statutory guidance - Audience and overview
Standard of care child minding and day care providers must meet to look after children under 12.
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Standard 15: Staffing ratios
Child’s voice: There are always enough people to look after me and my friends.
Well-being outcome: Children receive rich and meaningful care and playful opportunities because staffing levels meet their needs.
The registered person in all regulated child minding and day care is responsible for ensuring that:
15.1 The required adult : child ratios are met.
15.2 Any care provided for children over the age of 12 does not adversely affect the care provided for children under the age of 12 and vice versa.
15.3Students on training placements of 12 weeks or less are not included in the adult : child ratio.
Specialist Activities
15.4 Day care provision offering specialist activities maintain written operating procedures for each specialist activity programme. These operating procedures must:
- be appropriate to the site and level at which activities are undertaken.
- define the competencies, qualifications and/or experience required of staff undertaking different levels of responsibility, and
- be consistent with the Health and Safety Executive Guidelines, where appropriate, Activity Centre Advisory Committee Guidelines, where they are established and with the National Governing Body Guidelines, where they are relevant, to the safe conduct of the activity at the level undertaken.
15.5 All staff with management responsibility for an activity possess the competencies, qualifications and experience required to discharge the responsibility. An activities licence is required where applicable.
Standard 15: Staffing Ratio (Child Minder)
15.1 (CM) When determining the number of children a child minder offers care to, children’s care needs and well-being must be of paramount consideration, as outlined in standard 4-meeting individual needs.
The maximum number of children for whom a child minder may care is as follows:
- Ten children up to 12 years of age;
- Of those ten children, no more than six under 8 years of age.
- Of those six, no more than four under 5 years of age.
- Of those four no more than three under 2 years of age
- Of those three children, normally no more than two may be under 18 months of age, although CIW may agree an exception for multiple birth siblings (twins or triplets).
15.2 (CM) Children who are due to start full-time statutory school (reception year) in the September may be classed as over 5 years old in the summer holidays immediately before this for the purposes of the ratios relevant to child minders. Children’s needs, care and well-being must remain of paramount consideration.
15.3 (CM) Children aged 3–5 years who attend nursery education, or a combination of nursery education and wrap-around childcare for 5 hours or more in another setting may be considered as over 5 years old for the purposes of childminder ratios. Children’s needs, care and well-being must remain of paramount consideration.
15.4 (CM) The ratios include any children under the age of 12 on the premises, including a child minder’s own children and any others for whom she/he is responsible.
15.5 (CM) Where a child minder employs an assistant, the same adult : child ratios apply to the assistant, as the child minder, for any additional children. The space available for children on the premises, however, may also affect the numbers for which provision can be registered.
Standard 15: Staffing Ratio (Day Care)
15.1 (DC) In day care the minimum staffing ratios are:
- One adult to three children under 2 years.
- One adult to four children aged 2 years.
- One adult to eight children aged 3 - 7 years.
- One adult to ten children aged 8 – 12 years.
These ratios include any children of staff or volunteers and apply to any activity including escorting and transporting children. Regular volunteers can be taken into account in the normal staffing ratios.
15.2 (DC) There are always at least two staff on duty.
15.3 (DC) Staffing levels are maintained during outings and, according to circumstances, it may be necessary to exceed them. Staff supervising outings are qualified to level 3.
15.4 (DC) Suitable contingency arrangements are in place to cover emergencies and unexpected staff absences. There are sufficient, suitable staff and volunteers to cover staff breaks, holidays, training, sickness and time spent with parents.
15.5 (DC) The adult : child ratios relate to staff time available to work directly with children:
- Additional staff and management resources will be required to undertake management tasks, including for example engagement with parents and childcare professionals, staff supervision and regulatory requirements if this impacts on required adult : child ratios.
- Additional staff and resources will be required to prepare meals or snacks, for domestic tasks and to maintain premises and equipment if this impacts on required adult : child ratios.
15.6 If the nature of the day care provision means that there are changing numbers (e.g. in the case of a crèche or other drop-in provision) there must be adequate staff to ensure the security of any group of children which is constantly changing and give children the help they need to settle in. Regular volunteers and trainees can be taken into account in the normal staffing ratios.
To assist providers, the principal regulatory requirements underpinning this standard are outlined below, followed by relevant guidance. Providers should note that neither list is exhaustive, and that providers must have regard to all relevant standards relevant to their service and the circumstances concerned.
Related Regulations
Further Guidance and Support
Cwlwm is a consortium of five childcare and playwork partners. It offers templates, information and downloadable resources to help with operating bilingual early years childcare or playwork settings.