Early Years Registration and Inspection Service

The primary responsibility of the Early Years Service is the registration and inspection of day care provision in the Northern Trust area for children under 12 years of age.

Any individual(s) providing care for children aged 12 and under must meet certain requirements concerning people, premises and provision of the service.

Once a person or facility has been registered by the Trust’s Early Years Service they are inspected on a regular basis to ensure that they continue to meet the required minimum standards and are committed to best practice principles.

Childcare provision regulated by the Trust’s Early Years Service includes childminders, day care providers and home child carers.

Childminders are those individuals who provide day care for children in the childminder’s premises. Child day-care providers, which include, day nurseries, pre-school groups, out of school groups, creches and summer schemes, care for children in non-domestic premises. Home child carers are employed to care for children in the children’s own homes.

The Northern Trust’s Early Years Service holds two registers of childminders and child day care providers within the Trust area. Information on the range of services and guidance on the registration process will be available from your local Early Years Teams.

There are three early Years Registration and Inspection Teams in the Northern Trust area based in three locations. The offices are open Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.