Action Plan

If you're thinking of setting up your own childcare service, then there are a number of crucial issues that you need to consider carefully before making any kind of commitment.

The Croydon Children's Information Service strongly recommend that you create an Action Plan if you are thinking along such lines.

If you have already created an Action Plan you've obviously thought about premises for your proposed service, the possible demand in your area, the financing options and the registration under the terms of the Childcare Act.

If you'd like information on funding, or on any other matter, then please contact Croydon Children's Information Service, who will be happy to help you.

For help with starting your Action Plan visit this SureStart - Resources

What's an Action Plan?

An Action Plan is a way for you to organise your thoughts, consider issues and weigh options in a coherent way.

Such an Action Plan would ideally include extensive writing and research on the following kinds of issues:

• Finance and Structure
• Market Research
• Premises
• Registration with OFSTED

Finance and Structure

Your motivation for setting up a childcare service - like many in your position - may be because you love working and being with children, and want to contribute to their positive development.

But you are not going to be able to do that if your service is not correctly structured, and adequately funded.  Banks and Building societies often offer a Small Business Start Up Guide, which would be a good place for you to start.

Alternatively, you can contact Croydon Children's Information Service, and ask for a Start-up Guide - you can do this by  filling in the pre-registration form.

Market Research

A business - even an ethical one like a childcare service - will only succeed if it meets the needs of its target customer audience. So before doing anything, take care to establish that there is a demand for the service that you want to offer in your area.

You could do this in a number of ways:

• Word of mouth - often a business idea occurs to someone on the basis of conversations or some overheard chance remark. This is a valuable source of inspiration but should not be taken as
   
• Other childcare groups - other kinds of, already established, childcare services may be able to offer telling insights into the feasibility of your idea. Such groups get to hear the views of parents and other care workers all the time, and their opinions would be valuable market research.
   
• Questionnaires - you may want to produce a questionnaire in order to gather a better picture of the perceived need for your proposed service. The easiest way to do this would be to provide questionnaires at other already existing childcare services, voluntary groups, youth clubs etc.

Premises

Among the first things to consider are suitable premises for your fledgling business. Normal standards of cleanliness and structural integrity are obviously important - indicating that commissioning a report by a credible surveyor or architect would be a good step.

You also need to consider whether the premises offer sufficient scope and flexibility to house the needs and aspirations of exuberant children, and whether you can accommodate the various kinds of play equipment and/or furniture that you require.

The issue of access is also important if you are considering offering any kind of special needs service.

Remember that all childcare services need to be registered with OFSTED (The Office for Standards in Education) before they can begin to work with children. The Standards that OFSTED inspect to are published and can be obtained as pdf files from this link or they can be sent to you by the Children's Information Service. These set out the requirements OFSTED will expect you to meet in regard to the premises and the staffing.

Checks are carried out to make sure that the staff are suitable to care for children, and that the premises is a safe and suitable environment for children.

After the childcare service is registered, an inspection is carried out every year to make sure the service is continuing to provide a safe and suitable service.

Registration with OFSTED (The Office for Standards in Education)

• All childcare services that cater for children under eight in England are required to register with OFSTED (The Office for Standards in Education) under the terms of the Children Act (1989).
   
• Contact Croydon Children's Information Service for more information on the procedure for registering.

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Wednesday, 8 October, 2008

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