Childcare.co.uk

Childcare.co.uk: a platform to find childcare and jobs in the sector

Childcare.co.uk is an online platform based in the United Kingdom that connects families with childcare providers and private tutors, and these professionals with families seeking their services. The company presents itself as an award-winning online social network, with over three million members and a nationwide presence.

Childcare and education services

The platform allows users to search for and contact a wide variety of care and education profiles. Available categories include babysitters, nannies, registered childminders, nurseries, nursery nurses, maternity nurses, private tutors, out of school clubs, household help, doulas and schools.

Within each category, filters allow users to refine their search by distance (from 1 to 40 miles), postcode, experience, qualifications, availability and rates. The platform also offers resources to help families decide what type of care they need, with guides on nannies, babysitters, registered childminders, nurseries and out of school clubs.

Specialised job board

In addition to childcare search for families, Childcare.co.uk manages a job board with listings aimed at professionals in the sector. Job categories posted include babysitter jobs, registered childminder jobs, full-time or part-time nanny jobs, live-in or live-out nanny jobs, night nanny jobs, travel nanny jobs, maternity nurse jobs, mothers help jobs, potty training jobs, governess jobs, doula jobs, cleaning jobs, private tutor jobs and nanny share jobs, among others.

Professionals can create a free profile, advertise their experience, qualifications, availability and rates, and upload documents and certificates for validation. Families can post an ad with their requirements and receive notifications from local providers that match their needs.

Specific profiles and filters

The platform allows filtering by very specific characteristics. For babysitters, users can search by special needs experience, newborn experience, Montessori training, driving licence, own car, first aid training, childcare qualifications, DBS check, overnight, weekend, hourly or virtual availability. There are also specific categories for babysitters who offer one hour of free childcare to women attending smear tests.

For registered childminders, filters include Ofsted registration, Scotland Care Inspectorate registration, CIW registration, Guernsey Health & Social Care registration, Northern Ireland registration, overnight care, school pickups, flexible hours, funded childcare for children aged 9 months, 2 years, 3 and 4 years, Tax-Free Childcare and special needs experience.

For nannies, users can filter by live-in or live-out, virtual, night, after school, travel, governess, Montessori trained, newborn experience, with qualifications, with DBS check, with first aid, with special needs experience, with driving licence, with own car, offering Tax-Free Childcare, open to nanny shares, prepared to relocate or offering one-hour free childcare for women having smear tests.

Maternity nurses can be filtered by MNT training, multiple birth experience, special needs experience, DBS check and first aid. Nurseries include filters by Ofsted registration, ISI, CIW, Scotland Care Inspectorate, pre-schools, playgroups, day nurseries, before and after school care, holiday clubs, Montessori and funding for different ages.

Private tutors cover a wide range of subjects: maths, English, biology, chemistry, physics, French, German, computer science, geography, history, Spanish, music, general science, art, economics, Greek, Latin, Italian, law, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, languages, government and politics, sociology, psychology, drama, swimming, football, cooking, business and marketing, physical education, humanities, engineering and technology, media studies, primary up to 11 years, secondary 12+, 11 Plus, GCSE, A-Level, higher education and university, SEND, Montessori, accounting, finance, statistics and Welsh. There are also virtual tutors and tutors with DBS checks.

The platform also includes household and pet support services: cleaners, dog walkers, pet sitters, dog groomers, dog trainers, housekeepers, gardeners, handymen, painters and decorators, furniture assemblers, window cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks and chefs, ironing services and house sitters.

How it works and resources

The process for families consists of creating a free ad describing their needs, searching for providers by postcode, reviewing their experience, qualifications, availability and rates, reading reviews and contacting through the platform's secure messaging system, which allows communication without revealing personal details. Professionals follow a similar process: they create their profile, upload documents for validation, search for families by postcode and contact through the same secure system.

The platform offers over 500 online training courses and webinars, plus over 500 online resources. According to the website's data, it has over 940,000 childcare providers and tutors, over 70,000 parent reviews and a rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on 6,250 reviews on Trustpilot. The company states it has been operating since 2009, with over 15 years of experience.

Coverage and presence

Childcare.co.uk operates throughout the United Kingdom, with over three million members in the country. The platform allows searches by postcode and distance, and includes providers registered in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey, according to the regulatory bodies mentioned in its filters.