Working In Child Care

Working In Child Care

Finding Job Prospects for Childcare Professionals in UK

Being a childcare professional is probably one of the most rewarding jobs. Sure, it has its share of disadvantages, not to mention the stress when dealing with certain children, but it certainly has its appeal.

This is especially true that anyone in this line of work can venture into a wide range of employment opportunities.

As a Childminder

To be a childminder working with young ones in your own home, you must register first with your local authority or Ofsted. Your registration determines the number of children you can look after. With Early Years Register, you can look after children aged 5 and below, while Childcare Register gives you the authority to take care of children aged 5 to 7. If you register for both, you will have many opportunities to enjoy.

As a Nanny

If you work as a nanny, you will care for children in the home of the child. If you agree to live with the family who hired you, you are also referred to as an au pair. Whichever arrangement you choose, you must register with nanny agencies to find suitable employment. To get hired, you must hold certain qualifications, such as the Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Childcare and Education.

As a Crèche Worker

Love to work in a different environment than your home or that of a child’s? You can apply as a crèchecrèche worker. You will have an opportunity to work wherever there is a crèche attached, including supermarkets and sports centre. For you to be accepted, you must meet qualifications set by the crèche, which could be any of the following:

  • National Units
  • SVQ level 2 or level 3 in Playwork or Early Years Care and
    Education
  • HNC in Childcare and Education

As a Play Leader

The job title alone is enough to make you want to apply. Where you will work will also make it more interesting. As a play leader you will be hired in children’s club, holiday play schemes, playgroups, community centres, hospital playgroups and other similar settings. You must hold the appropriate qualifications to be hired for the job, such as the HNC in Childcare and Education. If you want to work with children aged 0 to 8, you must have SVQ level 3 in Early Years Care and Education. As for working with children age 5 to 15, you must hold a qualification in SVQ level 3 in Playwork. Of course, you must have experience working with the little ones.

Aside from these, you can also work as a playworker or play assistant, nursery nurse, classroom assistant, special needs assistant and out-of-school care workers.

Whichever position you prefer, finding jobs is easy when you register to local authority of appropriate agencies. You can also find job prospects online through recruitment firms that cover a wide area of employment or those that specialises in childcare alone. Before you hunt for jobs, however, you must gain the required qualification, especially enough experience working with children. Find out which qualifications are specified in a particular area, since it may differ from one place in the UK to another.

 

Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash

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