Full day care (day nursery)

Some nurseries also offer out of school and holiday childcare.

The nursery premises must be appropriate for use by young children and be a home from home environment, with an outside play area, a quiet/sleep area, kitchen and changing/toileting facilities. Sufficient car parking to enable safe drop off and collection for parents must also be taken into consideration.

Managing the day nursery

The person in charge of running the nursery and managing the staff must:

• have at least 2 years experience of working in a day care setting and have a recognised level 3 childcare qualification from the National Qualifications Framework (NNEB, CACHE Diploma in Childcare, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent);
• the nursery must have a named deputy who is able to take charge in the absence of the manager.

Future changes to the national minimum standards for regulated childcare

Advance notice of changes of staffing qualification requirements from September 2021. The changes relate to standards 13.6 (DC) and 13.7 (DC) Day Care, and concern the qualifications required for persons in charge and non-supervisory staff in regulated childcare and play services for children ages 0 to 12 years.

The temporary amendment to standard 13.6 (DC) about qualification requirements for persons in charge of holiday play schemes has also been formalised. There are no changes to the current requirements for childminders, nor for registered childcare services caring for children under the age of 8 years old.

The requirements have been agreed in conjunction with Social Care Wales and SkillsActive, the sector skills councils covering the childcare and play sectors in Wales. The lead-in time for the childcare and play workforces to attain the required play qualifications has been set at September 2021.

More detail is available on the Social Care Wales list of required qualifications to work within early year and childcare in Wales, and the SkillsActive list of required qualifications to work within the playwork sector in Wales. Providers can view the circular letter issued by Welsh Government earlier this year.

The staff:

• At least 80% of the non-supervisory staff must hold a level 2 childcare qualification from the National Qualifications Framework and at least half of these have a qualification at level 3.  Where this cannot be achieved immediately, the registered person will set out an action plan detailing how they intend to meet the criterion and agree a timescale by which it will be achieved.  The CIW will consider the plan and offer their approval or indicate aspects that need improvement.
• All staff must undergo a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS).

For more information please contact Family Information Service (FIS).