Childcare rules where the work happens.
Choose the country or territory where care will take place. The state, province, nation or municipality can matter just as much as the country.
Check the scope before relying on a rule.
United Kingdom: choose the nation where the care happens. Criminal-record screening and childcare registration are separate requirements.
Sources checked . This is a concise guide to the linked sources, not confirmation that a particular job is lawful. Follow the authority’s current rules for the work date and location.
England · DBS and Ofsted
Use DBS eligibility guidance for the actual role. Eligible self-employed workers and personal employees can apply through an umbrella body. Childminding registration depends on the arrangement and exemptions; Ofsted’s rules expressly include payment in kind. Check the children’s ages, hours and location before treating a time exchange as exempt.
Wales · DBS and Care Inspectorate Wales
DBS eligibility depends on the role. Care Inspectorate Wales has separate registration rules and exceptions. The 2010 exceptions remain applicable through 31 March 2027. Guidance published on 20 October 2026 describes changes from 1 April 2027 and a transition period; use the rules for the date your care takes place.
Scotland · PVG and the Care Inspectorate
PVG membership is mandatory for regulated roles, including relevant paid and unpaid work. Use Disclosure Scotland’s role checker. Registration with the Care Inspectorate is a separate requirement for a childminding service; its definition includes care in the childminder’s own home for reward for more than two hours a day.
Northern Ireland · AccessNI and your HSC Trust
Eligible self-employed workers and personal employees can seek an AccessNI check through an umbrella body. The activity determines the appropriate check. Ask the local Health and Social Care Trust whether your arrangement requires childminding or day-care registration; registration and babysitting exceptions differ from England’s rules.
Before either person agrees.
- Describe the real arrangement. Record the country and local region, care location, ages and number of children, hours, frequency, supervision and whether care is in the child’s home or the helper’s home.
- Confirm the local requirements. Ask the responsible regulator about registration, licensing, inspection records, required qualifications, first aid, insurance and any limits on the number or ages of children.
- Use the correct screening process. Ask the relevant authority which criminal-record or child-work check is available or required for this role, who applies, how to verify it and when it needs renewal. An overseas certificate may not cover local requirements or all overseas history.
- Check the person and the care plan. Verify identity and references independently. Discuss experience, safe collection, emergencies, supervision and the child’s needs privately. A good rating or clear check is never a guarantee of safety.
- Include payment in the discussion. Tell the authority if compensation is money, services or a direct exchange of time. Confirm any employment, tax, immigration and insurance obligations. A time exchange is not automatically exempt.
Keep children’s names, schools, exact home addresses, medical details and documents out of public listings. Agree only a general local area publicly; exchange necessary details privately once you are satisfied with the arrangement.
What HourHelpers does and does not verify.
HourHelpers membership remains 18+ worldwide. Both people must agree a direct exchange of equal time; hours are not credits that can be spent with other members.
The current “Childcare check reviewed” feature supports England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland only. It records an administrator’s review of evidence for the stated role, jurisdiction and scheme. It is not a worldwide clearance, registration certificate or permission to work with children in another place.
A listing, selected country or this guide does not grant a review label. The label’s date and scope matter; no label is not an adverse finding. Read how evidence reviews work.
If an arrangement is unclear, pause until the relevant authority confirms what is required. Report a platform concern to hello@hourhelpers.com; do not attach criminal-record documents. For immediate danger, contact local emergency services. The support mailbox is not an emergency service.