Orkney

PLEASE NOTE: recruitment is already underway in Orkney and all spaces on the pilot project have been filled. However, if you are still interested in becoming a childminder in Orkney, please register your interest anyway and we will be in touch should there be further opportunities.

The Scottish Rural Childminding Partnership is a pilot project which aims to support economic and community development through the creation of more than 100 new professional childminding jobs, which in turn will create between 700 and 900 much-needed childcare spaces for families living in some of the more remote and rural parts of Scotland. This initiative focuses on communities across ten areas of Scotland, which have been specifically identified as having an urgent need for more childminders to enable parents and carers to go to work.

Why be a childminder?

Childminding is a hugely rewarding career which provides the opportunity to contribute to children’s development, learning and wellbeing and provides a valuable childcare service within the local community. You don’t need any previous childcare experience to become a childminder...but you do need to be passionate about working with children and supporting families.

What support will I get?

All participants who are successfully enrolled onto the pilot project will benefit from:
Once you have completed induction training and applied for registration with the Care Inspectorate and HMRC, you will also receive:
Then, following successful completion of your registration with the Care Inspectorate and HMRC you will receive:

How do I know if I am eligible?

It’s simple…if you live in one of the ‘areas of focus’ listed at the topbottom of this page, you are eligible to apply.

I live in one of the areas specified and I’m interested in becoming a childminder, what do I do now?

Please complete the submission form on the topbottom of this page to register your interest and a member of the SCMA team will be in touch by email with further details. Alternatively, if you would like to have an informal chat first you can call Hazel Mackie on 01324 556828, Gillian Paterson on 01324 831072 or email childminder-recruitment@childminding.org and we will be able to help with any initial queries you may have.

What happens next?

Once we receive your submission form a member of the SCMA team will be in touch with further details and next steps. Once you have had time to look over the information sent to you, an online information session will be arranged to provide an opportunity to ask questions and let you know more about what to expect, including some of the compulsory checks and procedures that will happen as part of the process, such as registration with the Care Inspectorate (which requires obtaining a PVG certificate) and registering with HMRC.

If you are still happy to go ahead following the information session, there will be a simple application form to complete. Please rest assured that you will be guided through every step of the application by your dedicated SCMA team member.

The intention is that you will be able to have your business up and running and ready to start taking children by the start of the summer school term, August 2022.

I do not live in one of the named ‘areas of focus’ but I am still interested in becoming a childminder - what should I do?

If you live in Orkney but not in one of the named communities specified, please register your interest anyway using the submission form and we will keep your details in case of future opportunities.

You can also visit our ‘Become a Childminder’ webpage and download the free step-by-step information guide, which contains all you need to know and details of how you may still be eligible to access funding to cover your induction training and first year of SCMA membership. You can also give our helpline a call from Monday to Friday between 10am – 4pm on 01786 449063 or email information@childminding.org