Nannies join Ofsted's Voluntary Childcare Register. You'll need four things: an enhanced DBS check, a paediatric first aid certificate, public liability insurance, and a completed CR1 application. It's voluntary — but registering lets the families you work for put government childcare support towards your fees, which makes you meaningfully more affordable to hire.
It's a straightforward process, but it's spread across several organisations and it isn't always obvious what order to do things in. Here's the route.
Table of contents
Why register at all
It's called the Voluntary Childcare Register for a reason — as a nanny you aren't legally required to join it. So why do it?
The main practical reason is money, and it's the family's money rather than yours. Parents can only put government childcare support towards a registered childcare provider. If you're not registered, they pay you entirely out of taxed income. If you are, a chunk of your fee can be covered by schemes they're already entitled to.
That makes you cheaper to employ without dropping your rate — which is why registered nannies find it easier to get work, and easier to hold their price. It also signals to families that you've been checked, insured and trained, which matters in a market where anyone can call themselves a nanny.
Government childcare schemes change regularly. Check the current position on GOV.UK's help with childcare costs before quoting anything to a family.
Which register you need
Ofsted runs two registers. Nannies caring for children in the children's own home go on the Voluntary Childcare Register.
The Early Years Register is a different thing — it's compulsory, and it applies to people caring for children under five on their own premises, which is childminding rather than nannying. If you're planning to look after children in your own home, that's a different route: see registering as a childminder.
The four steps
Get an enhanced DBS check
An enhanced DBS check with a children's barred list check. If you already have one through a nanny agency, you don't need to redo it — you send the original certificate to Ofsted and they verify your details.
Sign up to the DBS Update Service when you apply, not afterwards. It keeps your certificate current and portable between roles, and it's far cheaper than repeat checks. If you leave it until after your certificate arrives you have a very short window to subscribe. Full detail: what is the DBS, and how the update service works.
Complete a paediatric first aid course
It must be paediatric first aid — a general workplace certificate isn't accepted. Certificates typically last three years.
Babyem no longer runs first aid training, but our guide to paediatric first aid for nannies covers what a compliant course includes and how to find an approved provider.
Arrange public liability insurance
Cover for accidents or damage while you're working. Several providers specialise in nannies and childcare professionals, and some nanny associations include cover in membership — worth comparing before you buy standalone.
Submit the CR1 application
The application form itself, plus Ofsted's checks and fee. We have a walkthrough: how to complete the Ofsted CR1 application form, which covers the questions people most often get stuck on.
What it costs
There are three or four separate costs: the Ofsted registration fee, the DBS check, the DBS Update Service subscription, your first aid course, and your insurance.
We've deliberately not listed current prices here, because all of them change and out-of-date figures are worse than none. Check the Ofsted fee on GOV.UK and DBS fees on the DBS pages before you budget.
As a rough shape: registration and checks are a modest one-off outlay, first aid is renewed every three years, and insurance is annual. Set against the work it unlocks, most nannies find it pays for itself quickly.
After you're registered
Keep your DBS certificate somewhere safe — Ofsted no longer sends copies to the countersigning body, so yours is the only one, and employers will ask to see the original.
Diarise your first aid renewal three years out. Let it lapse and you're technically non-compliant, which is an awkward conversation to have with a family mid-placement.
Registration is the floor, not the ceiling. It proves you've been checked — it doesn't demonstrate specialist skill. If you want to move into newborn work, where day rates are considerably higher, that's what accredited maternity nurse training is for. See also how to become a maternity nurse in the UK.
Common questions
Do nannies have to register with Ofsted?
No — it's the Voluntary Childcare Register. But registering lets families use government childcare support towards your fees, which makes you easier to hire.
Which Ofsted register do nannies join?
The Voluntary Childcare Register. The Early Years Register is compulsory and applies to people caring for under-fives on their own premises, which is childminding.
Do I need a new DBS check if I already have one?
No. Send the original certificate to Ofsted and they'll verify your details. Subscribing to the DBS Update Service keeps it portable between roles.
Is workplace first aid enough?
No. It must be a paediatric first aid course covering infants and children specifically, and it's typically valid for three years.
How long does Ofsted registration take?
It varies with how quickly your DBS clears and how complete your application is. Getting the DBS and first aid done first is the fastest route.
Registered is the start, not the destination
Ofsted registration shows you've been checked. Accredited maternity nurse training is what moves you into specialist newborn work — and a considerably higher day rate.