Orkney Islands Council is launching a free training and support programme aimed at encouraging ten new professional childminders, to help address childcare shortages in the county. The programme is being delivered by the Council’s employability service in partnership with the Scottish Child Minding Association (SCMA) and covers everything a new child minder will need to do to achieve registration. The programme will deliver the following courses run by SCMA, via e-learning:

• Induction to Childminding

• Child Protection in a Childminding Setting

• The Business Side of Childminding course

• Realising the Ambitions - this unit focusses on increasing confidence and knowledge of child learning and the different stages of development in a child’s early years.

* This information event will be held over teams and is open to anyone wishing to find out more about starting up as a childminder.