Nanny training

Doulas

There is no statutory requirement for doulas to have any qualifications or undertake any specific training for their role.

All Morton Michel policyholders are entitled to free training from Flick learning. This encompasses a wide variety of online courses, covering HR, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and compliance. Find out more here.

However some organisations insist that their doulas have specific training. For example, in order to set up as an NCT doula, you will need to have met NCT practitioner training requirements and doulas who are part of membership body Doula UK must have undertaken a preparation course from an approved list provided by the association.

Therefore, all members of Doula UK complete an approved course as a condition of their membership. This follows the specialist Doula UK core curriculum. In order to move from the organisation’s “mentored doula” status to “recognised doula” status, a doula has the support of an experienced doula mentor whilst undertaking and reflecting in depth on a minimum of her first four birth and postnatal jobs.

Maternity nurses

Although there are no compulsory qualifications for a maternity nurse, there are a range of awards at levels 3, 4 and 5 that accredited training providers in the UK are offering and most families will expect their maternity nurse to have paediatric first and safeguarding training as any other childcare professional would.

There are even some specific first-aid courses for maternity nurses. The OCN Maternity Practitioner Award is recognised as a formal qualification in maternity nursing. It covers topics related to post-natal care for infants and their mothers. Various training providers offer this course including MNT Training, and Babyem. Specialist nanny training institute Norland College also provides high quality training for potential maternity nannies.

You should check any training programme to make sure of the course content as well as entry requirements as many require you to have had child or baby care experience before enrolling. You should also check which awarding body grants the qualification and whether work experience is offered as part of the course. Typically courses cover skills to support both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding mothers, hygiene and health for newborns, caring for premature babies or multiple births, establishing effective sleep routines and even meal plans. Costs vary according to level and length and there are also top-up and refresher courses available from many of these same providers as specialised short courses on some of these topics.

Nannies

Although there are no specific entry requirements or set training that nannies in the UK need to have by law, it would be very difficult to find work without introductory childcare – including safeguarding – training and paediatric first aid.

If you wish to join Ofsted’s voluntary register you it is compulsory either:

To complete a Level 2 qualification or higher in an area relevant to childcare

To have completed training in the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the childcare workforce.

You must also have obtained an appropriate paediatric first-aid qualification within the past three years.

For more about voluntary registration click here.

There are many college-based and distance-learning courses for home-based childcarers. These can vary in length from 12 hours for a short course on the Common Core Skills to a whole year for a Level 2 qualification. There is also variation between those that require you to be working while you study or to carry out a work placement in order to gain the award.

As stated above, any short course should cover the six key areas of Common Core of Skills and Knowledge published by the Department for Education.

Most basic childcare training is covered in a CACHE Level 2 Children & Young People's Workforce Certificate. You need to be working, volunteering or on a practical placement as you need to show competence in both knowledge and skills in order to achieve this award. This award provides direct progression to CACHE Level 3 Children & Young People's Workforce Diploma in England or the Level 3 Diploma for Children's Care, Learning & Development (Wales and Northern Ireland).

Norland College in Bath is a specialist private childcare college with an international reputation for training nannies. Norland offers a BA (Hons) early years development & learning degree including its renowned Norland Diploma modules.

Continuing professional development is important for nannies and many employers help with the costs or with time off for nannies to gain more qualifications and deepen their knowledge. Further training can cover sleep training, child nutrition, cookery, child psychology, weaning and behaviour management.

Nannies may also look to specialise for example, in newborn care and build on their qualifications with specific maternity practitioner training. For more information, see our maternity nurse training section above.