The Childcare (Childminder Agencies) (Registration, Inspection and Supply and Disclosure of Information) and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children’s Homes etc.) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations apply to England only.

These Regulations amend the Childcare (Childminder Agencies) (Registration, Inspection and Supply and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2014 (the 2014 Regulations) and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children’s Homes etc.) Regulations 2015 (the 2015 Regulations).

Regulation 2 amends Schedule 1 of the 2014 Regulations to change the number of quality assurance visits that a childminder agency must carry out for its early years providers in their first year of registration, from two to one and provides that the visit must be unannounced.

Regulation 3(2) amends regulation 27(1) of the 2015 Regulations to insert a new regulation (1A) to provide that, for the year ending 31st March 2022, the Chief Inspector must comply with paragraph (1) so far as is reasonably practicable.

Regulation 3(3) amends regulation 27(3A)(a) of the 2015 Regulations to omit the requirement for the Chief Inspector to arrange for homes with a judgement that the overall experiences and progress of children and young people living in a children’s home are good or outstanding to receive a further inspection in that year unless the Chief Inspector determines that a further inspection is required.

Regulation 3(3) also amends regulation 27(3A)(b) to provide that where an inspection was carried out on or after 1st January and the judgement in relation to a home was that the overall experiences and progress of children and young people are less than good, if the Chief Inspector has been unable to arrange for the second inspection to be carried out in that year, the next inspection may be carried out in the first three months of the following year.

A “year” is defined in regulation 27(5) of the 2015 Regulations as being the period commencing on 1st April in any year and ending on 31st March the following year.

An Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has minimal impact on businesses or civil society organisations. The instrument has minimal impact on the public sector.