Working with children and young people in Scotland's social services

Childminders work from their own home to provide a flexible, high quality childcare service in a family setting. They give children the opportunity to learn and develop skills through real-life experiences like going to the shops, family meal-times and visits to the park.

It's a rewarding career that provides an opportunity to contribute to children’s development, learning and wellbeing while providing a valuable, professional childcare service for your community. It may suit you if you’d like to work from home, or spend time with your own young children while building a career.

Childminders register their service with the Care Inspectorate. They do not also require to register with the SSSC however they have equal access to our learning resources and events to support their development. While many childminders hold qualifications, there is no minimum requirement for this role.

Support workers provide high quality care and learning experiences to children in day care settings like nurseries and school age childcare. They get to know each child, playing, caring for them, and making sure they are learning and developing. Some support workers work with individual children who require help to participate.

Support workers don’t work alone with children. They are guided by practitioners and lead practitioners. It’s therefore a good career choice if you’re just starting out because you’ll get plenty of help to develop your confidence, knowledge and skills.

In this role you’ll register with the SSSC as a support worker in a day care of children service. Your minimum qualification requirement will be SCQF level 6 and you can learn of the different career routes in our childcare qualification pathways which include college and apprenticeships. If you start work first, without a qualification, you will still register with the SSSC and you’ll get time to work towards it.

Practitioners use their enhanced knowledge and experience to identify and meet the care, support and learning needs of children. In partnership with the service manager and other professionals they provide high quality support to children and families and contribute to the range of interactions, experiences and spaces for children to help them learn and grow through play.

Practitioners may be responsible for overseeing a particular room or group of children. In some settings, practitioners will supervise and mentor support workers and students.

In this role you’ll register with the SSSC as a practitioner in a day care of children service. Your minimum qualification requirement will be SCQF level 7 and you can learn of the different career routes in our childcare qualification pathways which include college and apprenticeships. If you start work first, without a qualification, you can still register with the SSSC and you’ll get time to work towards it.

Career Stories

Outdoor development and gardening makes a great difference to children regarding their confidence. It helps them open up and trust me which is so rewarding.

Sarahjane Whyte Early Years Practitioner

Jono McCulloch

Playworker

Alex McBain

Deputy lead practitioner

Lead practitioners and managers hold overall responsibility for the development, management and quality of the childcare service. They lead practice in the service, with an overview of the interactions, experiences and spaces which support play and opportunities for the children. They also support staff members in their professional development which can include delivering or arranging training.

As well as being experienced childcare professionals, managers have a number of responsibilities relating to the operation of the childcare service. For example, they might be responsible for budgets, sourcing funding, self-evaluation and quality improvement. They may also take the lead on partnership work with parents, carers, families, communities other professionals and agencies.

In this role you’ll register with the SSSC as a manager or lead practitioner in a day care of children service. Your minimum qualification requirement will be a childhood practice award at SCQF level 9 and a practice award at SCQF 7. You can learn of the different career routes in our childcare qualification pathways which include the BA degree or Professional Development Award. Usually, managers will already hold a qualification at practitioner level (SCQF level 7), and the credits from this can count towards their childhood practice award which they can gain in work.

Career Stories

Go to Stephanie's story

Current pathways like SVQs and Modern Apprenticeships are great because you can gain confidence in the workplace and earn a wage while you study.

Maria Clarke-McKay Head of Centre

There are plenty of other people working to support high quality experiences for children in day care settings. Take a look at the other stories here for more career inspiration.

Career Stories

Childminders are professional childcare workers who work from their own homes to provide care to other people’s children. A childminder will provide a warm, familiar setting for children and will plan different daily activities to support their learning and development. This can include everyday things like going to the shops, playing creative games, preparing meals and learning skills like counting and reading.

Childminders must register their home-based childcare service with the Care Inspectorate (the body which inspects and supports improvement in all Scottish care services). As they are registered with this body they do not also require to register with the SSSC however they have equal access to SSSC learning resources to support their professional development. It can be a flexible career and may suit you if you’d like to work from home, or if you’d like a way of spending time with your own young children while having a career at the same time.

You can find out more about becoming a childminder on the Scottish Childminding Association website https://www.childminding.org/become-a-childminder

Career Stories

Every day is different and what we do depends on how he feels, what he wants to do, what happened at school or at home. It’s very personalised, flexible, responsive and creative.

Donna Murray Personal assistant

Childminders are professional childcare workers who work from their own homes to provide care to other people’s children. A childminder will provide a warm, familiar setting for children and will plan different daily activities to support their learning and development. This can include everyday things like going to the shops, playing creative games, preparing meals and learning skills like counting and reading.

Childminders must register their home-based childcare service with the Care Inspectorate (the body which inspects and supports improvement in all Scottish care services). As they are registered with this body they do not also require to register with the SSSC however they have equal access to SSSC learning resources to support their professional development. It can be a flexible career and may suit you if you’d like to work from home, or if you’d like a way of spending time with your own young children while having a career at the same time.

You can find out more about becoming a childminder on the Scottish Childminding Association website https://www.childminding.org/become-a-childminder

Career Stories

Sometimes I feel like I’m working with elite humans like the X-Men with super powers.

Deborah Johnson Community support assistant

Childminders are professional childcare workers who work from their own homes to provide care to other people’s children. A childminder will provide a warm, familiar setting for children and will plan different daily activities to support their learning and development. This can include everyday things like going to the shops, playing creative games, preparing meals and learning skills like counting and reading.

Childminders must register their home-based childcare service with the Care Inspectorate (the body which inspects and supports improvement in all Scottish care services). As they are registered with this body they do not also require to register with the SSSC however they have equal access to SSSC learning resources to support their professional development. It can be a flexible career and may suit you if you’d like to work from home, or if you’d like a way of spending time with your own young children while having a career at the same time.

You can find out more about becoming a childminder on the Scottish Childminding Association website https://www.childminding.org/become-a-childminder

Career Stories

My role is empowering and encourages me to think outside the box to improve the lives of children.

Gemma Paterson Equity and excellence lead