Become a tiney childminder
Whether you’re completely new to the industry, or an experienced educator, we’ve got a pathway that’s right for you
Existing childminder?
Discover our bold, new breed, of childminder agency and how we can work together.
Learn more
What is a childminder agency?
Childminder agencies (CMAs) like tiney provide new and existing childminders with a popular alternative to direct Ofsted registration. Childminder agencies were introduced by the Government to provide more support and services to childminders and their families.
tiney is the biggest CMA in England and has fast become the most popular registration route for many new childminders. In recent months, almost half of all new childminders chose to register with tiney! All childminder agencies are fully regulated by Ofsted, meaning they are licensed to train, support and quality assure their registered childminders (you can read tiney’s glowing Ofsted report here!).
What do childminders do?
A registered childminder is a childcare professional who works from their own home, or at certain times on non domestic premises, caring for a small group of children.
As professionals working with children, all childminders in England must either be registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency (like tiney!). When first setting up any childminder is required to go through stringent checks before they open, but with tiney you’ll also get enhanced training to learn about the business side of childminding. All tiney childminders are self-employed, with tiney acting as their legal regulator. We believe that being a childminder is one of the most high impact and rewarding jobs out there - but we also know that running a new business can be really daunting. That’s why tiney exists - to help childminders run sustainable and successful businesses, with the shared goal of providing brilliant childcare for families near them!
How can a childminder agency help me start my own childcare business?
Setting up as a childminder can be really daunting, but with tiney, everything you need is offered in one easy package. If you’re looking to start a childminding business, there’s no other organisation in England that will provide you with more support or services than tiney.
Before registration
Faster checks all in one place
With tiney your checks will be taken care of and processed in one place via the tiney app, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to self-serve many of your checks in different places and put up with a lot of manual paperwork.
With tiney your checks will be taken care of and processed in one place via the tiney app, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to self-serve many of your checks in different places and put up with a lot of manual paperwork.
Dedicated tiney advisor
With tiney you’ll have a dedicated tiney advisor throughout your journey to registration, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your points of contact will vary and your journey won’t be so hand-held.
With tiney you’ll have a dedicated tiney advisor throughout your journey to registration, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your points of contact will vary and your journey won’t be so hand-held.
Complete business training
With tiney you’ll learn how to be a great educator, but crucially we’ll also teach you how to run a successful business. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your training will be more basic and you may need to pay for extra training, tools or courses to learn all the aspects of childminding.
With tiney you’ll learn how to be a great educator, but crucially we’ll also teach you how to run a successful business. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your training will be more basic and you may need to pay for extra training, tools or courses to learn all the aspects of childminding.
Virtual theory call & registration visit support
With tiney you’ll get a virtual theory call and access to our tiney community ahead of your registration visit, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your journey can be quite hands off, leaving many people feeling under prepared or with many open questions ahead of their home visit.
With tiney you’ll get a virtual theory call and access to our tiney community ahead of your registration visit, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your journey can be quite hands off, leaving many people feeling under prepared or with many open questions ahead of their home visit.
Marketing support to find families
With tiney you’ll be able to build a tiney profile page and access marketing tips and resources during your training, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your ability to find customers will be completely up to you once you open.
With tiney you’ll be able to build a tiney profile page and access marketing tips and resources during your training, whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your ability to find customers will be completely up to you once you open.
After registration
Run your entire business with the tiney app
With tiney you’ll be able to run your entire business using the amazing tiney app whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to figure out things like contracts, billings, policies, accounting and other business processes on your own using other software.
With tiney you’ll be able to run your entire business using the amazing tiney app whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to figure out things like contracts, billings, policies, accounting and other business processes on your own using other software.
Support from the tiney community & access to our tiney experts
With tiney, you’ll be part of a national and local network of passionate childminders as well as having access to our internal team of business, education and payments experts. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to build your own network which can often feel lonely or isolating.
With tiney, you’ll be part of a national and local network of passionate childminders as well as having access to our internal team of business, education and payments experts. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll need to build your own network which can often feel lonely or isolating.
Inclusive insurance, tax help & more
With tiney you’ll get inclusive benefits like comprehensive insurance, expenses tracking / tax advice, and other perks as part of your tiney fee. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll typically be responsible for sourcing your own insurance and covering other business and accounting costs.
With tiney you’ll get inclusive benefits like comprehensive insurance, expenses tracking / tax advice, and other perks as part of your tiney fee. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs you’ll typically be responsible for sourcing your own insurance and covering other business and accounting costs.
Families love the tiney Learning Journal & education tips
With tiney you can track children's progress, get education tips/ideas and share daily moments with families, all through the tiney app. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your reporting to parents and other paperwork will need to be solved by you.
With tiney you can track children's progress, get education tips/ideas and share daily moments with families, all through the tiney app. Whereas with Ofsted or other CMAs your reporting to parents and other paperwork will need to be solved by you.
Ongoing CPD & yearly QA visits to prove your quality to families
With tiney we’ll take care of all your continued professional development and you’ll be visited by one of our friendly team for an in person visit at least once a year. Whereas with Ofsted your inspections can be as much as six years apart, and ongoing training will be your own responsibility. This inspection frequency can be a huge concern for parents, so an up to date tiney QA report can be a huge boost for your business.
With tiney we’ll take care of all your continued professional development and you’ll be visited by one of our friendly team for an in person visit at least once a year. Whereas with Ofsted your inspections can be as much as six years apart, and ongoing training will be your own responsibility. This inspection frequency can be a huge concern for parents, so an up to date tiney QA report can be a huge boost for your business.
What are the onboarding steps to join tiney?
Becoming a childminder as part of a childminder agency - Whatever pathway you pick, we make sure your journey with tiney is highly supported and easy to follow.
1
Introductory call with a friendly adviser
Chat with one of our expert team to make sure that childminding, and tiney, is the right fit for you. Any questions you may have can be covered off at this stage.
2
Confirm eligibility and pay your agreed Joining fees
Complete two short questionnaires so we can confirm your eligibility, then pay your agreed joining fee to get started. For the rest of your journey you'll have a dedicated onboarding advisor to help you on your way.
3
Submit your checks and start your training
Complete two short questionnaires so we can confirm your eligibility, then pay your agreed joining fee to get started. For the rest of your journey you'll have a dedicated onboarding advisor to help you on your way.
4
Connect with the tiney community and coaches
Throughout training you can connect with the wider tiney community and our tiney coaches. tiney training is fun and engaging - with lots of video content and interesting webinars to build your knowledge.
5
Complete your virtual theory call and online learning
Undertake a virtual theory call with our tiney team to demonstrate your training knowledge and get support to prepare for your home visit. Complete your Paediatric first aid training and food hygiene requirements.
6
Pass your home registration visit and open for business!
The final onboarding step is an in person registration visit at your home with one of our friendly tiney team. Pass this and you’re on the home stretch to a successful new business!
tiney support
With tiney, the support is just beginning once you register
We’ll help you with ongoing marketing and business coaching, provide you with amazing learning opportunities within the tiney community each month and visit you, in person, every year.
Common FAQs
What does a childminder agency do?
A childminder agency (CMA) provides enhanced support and services to childminders compared with direct Ofsted registration. As such, joining a CMA is an increasingly popular registration route. CMAs must ensure ongoing support and CPD for their providers, and will conduct annual QA visits. On top of this, CMAs can also offer additional services to support childminders, which is where tiney stands out! tiney offers the most comprehensive CMA support package in England- including upfront training and tools, and ongoing professional community support. tiney is also the only company in the world with a dedicated app designed specifically around the needs of childminders and their families!
How much should a childminder charge per day?
As a tiney childminder, what you charge per day is entirely up to you. We always recommend that you set your prices after thorough local market research, covering all the types of childcare on offer in your area. Remember, parents across the country are desperate for top-quality, local care so it’s important that you don’t undersell what you have to offer! A significant benefit of registering with tiney is that your families will have a professional customer experience through the tiney app, boosted by the trust and quality assurance that only a childminder agency like tiney can provide. Consequently, while comparing prices with local childminders is important, tiney providers can often confidently look at the day rates of the area's top local nurseries and how their services compare. More often than not, our most successful childminders are those who understand their value and approach rate setting by competing with top local nurseries, rather than simply undercutting other childminders. In almost every case, when a tiney childminder takes this approach to rate setting (which should also always include a margin to cover the tiney fee) they fill up quickly and find parents in the area whose requirements match their rates.
What is an Ofsted registered childminder agency?
An Ofsted registered childminder agency is a private business that is licensed and regulated by Ofsted. Once approved by Ofsted to operate, a Childminder Agency is then able to register childminders directly, and Ofsted acts as the agency's regulator. The role of Ofsted as the regulator is to inspect the Childminder Agency on an ongoing basis and ensure that standards are being met. CMA Ofsted inspections will include a review of the agency's provision for childminders, taking into account things like CPD (continued professional development) and a review of the agencies grading system and quality assurance processes.
Do childminder agencies get Ofsted ratings?
Yes. All Childminder Agencies are regularly inspected by Ofsted and will receive an effectiveness rating as part of the inspection report. Inspections normally take place every 3 to 5 years, with the first inspection taking place within 12 months of the first childminder on roll. There are 2 overall effectiveness inspection outcomes for CMAs – 'effective' or 'not effective'. Ofsted publishes the inspection outcome for each CMA on its website. You can read all about tiney’s last (very positive!) inspection, along with the comments from Ofsted on how tiney works here.
