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Welcome to the Early Years sector and a career that offers many opportunities to progress to various levels and a variety of jobs roles.

Most people start at introductory level by completing short courses or a level two qualification. Other’s may enter the sector on completion of GCSE’s, A’ Levels or Higher National Certificates/Diploma and degree programmes.

Before embarking on a training course or qualification, you should consider the area you would like to work and match this with an appropriate early year’s qualification.

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Early Years Qualifications and Minimum Standards

Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12 (July, 2012 amended October 2018) (hyper link document/add to associated resources) are used by the Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT) Early Years Social Services Team to register new facilities and carry out inspections. National Minimum Standards describe the minimum requirements for regulated early years and childcare settings.

Standard 11, within the Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children under Age 12, and the associated Implementation Guidance Sessional and Full Daycare Version 3, sets out the minimum qualification requirements for staff working within the early years and childcare sector.

For more about relevant qualifications and the role of the Childcare Partnerships click on the links below:

  • Qualification Guidance for the Early Years, School Age Childcare Childminding Sectors and Home Childcarers in Northern Ireland, 2022. (link to document/add to associated resources)
  • Childcare Partnerships – Training and resources for childcare providers (hyper link to Training and resources for childcare providers – FamilySupportNI)

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Social Care Council and Early Years

Brief description of current remit re qualification review and development and digital resource development – to be drafted.

The Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for children under Aged 12 (amended October 2018) require Childminders to have core training in Health and Safety.

The Department for Health’s (DoH) COVID-19 Guidance for Registered Group Childcare Settings and the DoH COVID-19 Childcare-Guidance for Childminders require managers of early years’ childcare settings and childminders to ensure that they and their staff are trained in infection control. This training course has been developed specifically to meet this need and to incorporate the DoH COVID-19 Guidance into an online/digital course.

To enable Childminders and Early Years Professionals to meet these requirements the Northern Ireland Social Care Council in partnership with the Childcare Partnerships, NICMA, the Childminding Association and the HSCT Early Years Teams have developed digital learning resource – Go to Learning Resources to find out more.