Suitability checks
Details of the checks we carry out, including health checks and what to do if you have lived abroad in the last 5 years.
We will carry out a series of checks on you and anyone connected with your application. This includes contacting your relevant local authority children’s services department. We may carry out further checks if we have any causes for concern, or if you have lived abroad in the last 5 years.
This is to make sure that you and anyone connected with the registration are suitable to work or be in regular contact with children.
If you’re a childminder applying to join the Early Years Register, you will need to complete a healthcare declaration form. This is to see if you have any health issues that might affect your suitability to be in contact with children. We may also carry out a health check on a childminder assistant or a staff member providing childcare on domestic premises if there are concerns about their health.
If you or anyone connected with the application have lived abroad in the last 5 years, we need to know which countries you or they lived in on the application.
We may need extra evidence of suitability depending on the country or countries. The types of evidence we need will depend on the person’s history and what they can supply to show their suitability.
A certificate of good conduct is the most common form of evidence we need in this situation. We need a certificate of good conduct from the embassy of every country where the person has lived. Find out more about checks for overseas applicants.
We do not need a certificate of good conduct if the person:
- is a refugee
- is a UK resident who has been working or travelling abroad, for example on a gap year
- has travelled extensively and has not remained in any country long enough to establish a history
If the person cannot get a certificate, we must consider what other information is available. Types of other information might include:
- a reference from ‘a person of good standing in their community’ in the country in which they lived, such as a doctor or lawyer
- employer references, particularly relating to childcare
- evidence to support any work permit
If you’re applying to join the Early Years Register – or you’re connected with an Early Years application – and you have lived or worked on a UK military base overseas, Ofsted has an agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for carrying out checks.
This is to make sure that there are no issues that might affect your suitability.
To find out how Ofsted processes personal data, please view our personal information charter and our early years privacy notice.
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