Coram PACEY

Childminders in Plymouth - we need your help! 👇

Calling all Plymouth childminders 📣

We want to hear from you!

Join a confidential virtual roundtable with Coram PACEY to share your experiences, challenges, opportunities, and views on local support for childminders in Plymouth.

Your feedback will help shape a childminder recruitment strategy with Plymouth City Council, supporting the future of childcare in the area.

The roundtable is open to all registered childminders in Plymouth – Coram PACEY members and non-members welcome.

📅 Tuesday 23 June | 6:30–7:30pm
📍 Online via Zoom
👥 Limited to 20 places (a second session may be arranged depending on demand)
🧸 Who can join? Registered childminders in Plymouth

Sign up: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/r94sGST1RmeK5Fyslv3aXw

What makes childminding so special for babies?

For Megan, a childminder in England, it starts with building relationships early. By getting to know families before a child even starts, childminders can help babies feel secure, settled and ready to thrive.

🪄 Read Megan's full story as part of our campaign
https://www.corampacey.org.uk/magic-of-childminding-campaign-the-magic-of-caring-for-babies/

💡Discover more from our Magic of Childminding report
https://www.corampacey.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns-media/magic-of-childminding-report/

*SAFER SLEEP UPDATE * Yesterday (18 June) we received a further update from the Department for Education in response to our query about the use of coracles. The DfE has now advised the following:

"The Department recommends that coracles are only used for babies aged over 12 months. This is due to safety risks, which have also been highlighted in a prevention of future deaths report related to a similar product, where a child suffocated after getting caught on the partially lowered side. We must ensure that the safety of our youngest children is put first. A cot, carry cot, moses basket or travel cot that meets British Safety Standards is the safest place for a baby aged 12 months and under to sleep in."

Please refer to our updated news story for more details on the DfE's guidance for safer sleep.

DfE publishes guidance to help you create and maintain safer sleep environments for babies and young children in your care. - Coram PACEY DfE publishes guidance to help you create and maintain safer sleep environments for babies and young children in your care.

Could you be the face of a new campaign from the Early Education and Childcare Coalition to raise the status of the early years workforce in England?

The Coalition are looking to recruit 50 volunteer early education and childcare professionals from across the country who are happy to share a selfie of themselves to feature in a campaign that will travel across Westminster, political party conferences and the internet.

To register your interest please contact [email protected]

Rescue and Reform Manifesto — Early Education and Childcare Coalition Building The Early Education Workforce in EnglandBuilding The Early Education Workforce in England is our collaborative research and advocacy programme aimed at improving the pay, conditions and status of people working in early education in England. A key objective of this programme is to help shap...

Due to a staff training day, our phone lines will be closed on Thursday 18 June. Phone lines will reopen on Friday 19 June at 10am.

Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected] and we will respond as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Contact us 👉 https://www.corampacey.org.uk/about/contact-us/

On Friday 12 June, Ofsted published its updated early years toolkit, operating guide and inspection information, effective for inspections from 1 September 2026.

We are currently updating the Ofsted inspection resources on our Coram PACEY website to reflect these changes and help you prepare for your inspections. We will share this as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can find links to the updated inspection documents and new Ofsted blog outlining the changes on our website.

Ofsted publishes updated early years inspection documents for early years settings in England - Coram PACEY On Friday 12 June, Ofsted published its updated early years toolkit, operating guide and inspection information, effective from 1 September 2026.

In March 2026, Minister Bailey wrote a letter informing early years settings of amendments that the Department for Education (DfE) intends to make to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory frameworks later this year. The letter mainly focused on safer sleep but also referred to potential changes to ensure that children are suitably protected from banned dog breeds in childcare settings. Banned dog breeds are those to which section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applies and includes the XL Bully type.

The DfE held a targeted stakeholder consultation considering different options, following which the decision has been made to prohibit the provision of registered childcare from any premises where a banned dog breed is present or kept.

This change will come into force from 1 September 2026, subject to parliamentary and legislative process. Further communications on this will be issued by the Department for Education in Summer 2026.

Department for Education update on banned dog breeds in England - Coram PACEY The Department for Education has shared an update around banned dog breeds in settings in England.

Ofsted has recently updated its blog for nannies, covering registration, inspections and the key differences between nannying and childminding. The blog also clarifies the rules around caring for children from different families and explains how existing childminders can operate as nannies under their current registration.

Are you a nanny? Coram PACEY is here to support you with training, resources, policy updates and professional advice to help you throughout your career.

👉Become a Coram PACEY member: https://www.corampacey.org.uk/careers-in-childcare/nannies/
🔍Read Ofsted's blog: https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/08/nannies-what-you-need-to-know/