The Tax Credit (New Category of Child Care Provider) Regulations 2002

Regulation 4

SCHEDULE 1 THE SYSTEM

Matters that shall be included in the system

The system shall—

1.  establish an awarding panel, to include at least one individual with expertise in out of school child care provision, to approve child care providers;

2.  set out the criteria, including those matters set out in Schedule 3, to be met by child care providers in order for them to be approved;

3.  set out the procedures for applying for approval;

4.  set out the documentary evidence a child care provider must produce to demonstrate that the criteria he is required to meet are met;

5.  provide for a quality assessor to assess the extent to which the criteria are met by the child care provider including by visiting the premises and interviewing staff, parents and children as he sees fit;

6.  ensure that any quality assessor has been properly trained in the requirements of the system;

7.  ensure that a quality assessor does not work and has not worked in any way with any child care provider he assesses (other than in assessing the quality of child care provided) and has not entered into any financial arrangement with the child care provider being assessed, other than any payment to cover the costs of the assessment;

8.  provide for the awarding panel to approve or reject an application for approval after considering the evidence provided by the child care provider applying for approval, the report of the quality assessor and such other information as the panel thinks fit;

9.  provide for a method of appeal against any refusal to approve a child care provider, involving independent arbitration;

10.  fix a period of time (not exceeding two years) for which any approval will last;

11.  provide for written confirmation to be given to the child care provider of any approval granted, the period for which approval lasts and the reference number allocated to that child care provider;

12.  provide for a complaints procedure under which all complaints will be investigated and, if appropriate, approval of a child care provider will be withdrawn;

13.  include a requirement that any complaints about approved child care providers are to be referred to the accredited organisation.