Childcare Disqualification Declaration

For candidates undertaking relevant childcare provision

Important Information

The Department for Education's statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 comes into force on 1 September 2026.

Childcare disqualification arrangements are an additional safeguarding requirement alongside the wider safeguarding arrangements that apply to staff working with children, including those relating to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The childcare disqualification arrangements are made under the Childcare Act 2006 and the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018.

The arrangements apply to staff who are employed or engaged to provide relevant early years childcare or relevant later years childcare in schools, and to staff directly concerned with the management of such childcare.

In schools, relevant early years childcare includes childcare for children from birth until 1 September following their fifth birthday, including children in nursery and reception classes. Relevant later years childcare includes childcare provided outside normal school hours for children who are above reception age but have not attained the age of 8, such as breakfast clubs and after-school provision.

The arrangements may also apply in other relevant non-domestic childcare settings. Whether an individual is within scope depends on the nature of the childcare provision and the individual's role.

A person who is disqualified under the applicable legislation may not provide relevant childcare provision or be directly concerned in the management of such provision. An employer must not employ a disqualified person in connection with relevant childcare provision unless the person has been granted an appropriate waiver by Ofsted.

The childcare disqualification arrangements are separate from the DBS regime. Satisfying DBS requirements does not, by itself, establish that a person is not disqualified under the childcare disqualification legislation.

Ortus Recruitment supplies staff to schools and other educational settings. Where you are placed in relevant childcare provision, Ortus Recruitment and the relevant setting must ensure that the applicable childcare disqualification requirements are satisfied.

This declaration is intended to obtain information relevant to the statutory childcare disqualification criteria. It is not a general criminal-record declaration.

Please answer every question accurately. If you answer "Yes" to any question, please provide the relevant details in Section 3.

A "Yes" answer does not necessarily mean that you are disqualified from all work with children or from all work within a school. The information provided will need to be considered against the applicable legislation, the nature of the proposed role and the relevant statutory guidance.

For further information, please refer to the official guidance and legislation:

This declaration should only be completed where the proposed role falls within the scope of the childcare disqualification arrangements.

Section 1 – Orders, Registration and Other Grounds

Please answer each question by selecting Yes or No.

1. Has any order or other determination specified in Regulation 4 and Schedule 1 of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018 been made with respect to you which prevents you from being registered in relation to a facility in which children are looked after, or from being involved in the management of, or otherwise concerned with, the provision of such a facility? *

2. Has any order or other determination specified in Regulation 4 and Schedule 1 of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018 been made with respect to a child who has been in your care? *

3. Has your registration in relation to childcare or a children's home ever been refused or cancelled, or have you ever been prohibited from private fostering, in circumstances specified in the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018? *

4. Are you included on the Disclosure and Barring Service Children's Barred List? *

5. Have you previously been granted an Ofsted waiver from childcare disqualification which is currently relevant to the childcare work you are being considered for? *

Section 2 – Relevant Criminal Offences and Findings

Under the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018, certain relevant offences and findings can result in disqualification from relevant childcare provision.

A person may be treated as having been found to have committed a relevant offence where they have been convicted of the offence, given a relevant caution, given a relevant youth caution, found not guilty by reason of insanity, or found to be under a disability and to have committed the act for which they were charged.

The relevant offences are specified in Regulation 4 and Schedules 2 and 3 of the 2018 Regulations. In addition, any offence resulting in the death of, or bodily injury to, a child is considered a relevant offence and must be disclosed under the statutory arrangements.

6. Have you ever been convicted of a relevant offence specified in the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018? *

7. On or after 6 April 2007, have you been given a caution by a police officer for a relevant offence specified in the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018? *

8. On or after 8 April 2013, have you been given a youth caution by a police officer for a relevant offence specified in the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018? *

9. Have you been found not guilty of a relevant offence by reason of insanity, or have you been found to be under a disability and to have committed the act for which you were charged in respect of a relevant offence? *

10. Have you been found to have committed an offence outside the United Kingdom which would constitute a relevant offence under the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018 if it had been committed in any part of the United Kingdom? *

11. Have you ever been found to have committed an offence which resulted in the death of, or bodily injury to, a child, including an offence which is not otherwise specifically listed in the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018? *

Section 3 – Provision of Information

If you have answered Yes to any question above, please provide the relevant details below.

Where applicable, please include:

The nature of the order, determination, registration matter, offence, caution or other relevant matter;
The date on which it occurred or was made;
The court, police force, authority or other body involved;
The sentence, disposal, order or determination, where applicable;
Details of any relevant Ofsted waiver; and
Any other information necessary to enable the matter to be properly considered against the applicable childcare disqualification requirements.

Details of any matter disclosed above

Please provide only information relevant to this declaration. You do not need to provide details of protected cautions or protected convictions which you are legally entitled not to disclose. You should not provide criminal-record information about people who live with you or other household members for the purpose of this declaration.

Section 4 – Declaration

By completing and signing this declaration, I confirm that the information I have provided is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

I confirm that:

I understand my responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
I have read and understood the information provided to me concerning childcare disqualification.
I have answered all questions in this declaration accurately and to the best of my knowledge and belief.
I have disclosed any matter relevant to the childcare disqualification criteria which I am required to disclose under the applicable legislation.
I understand that I must notify Ortus Recruitment promptly if I become aware of any new circumstance, order, offence, caution, finding, registration matter or other relevant matter which may result in my disqualification from relevant childcare provision.
I understand that the childcare disqualification arrangements apply only where I am within the statutory scope of relevant childcare provision.
I understand that a person who is disqualified may not provide relevant childcare provision or be directly concerned in the management of such provision unless an appropriate Ofsted waiver has been granted.

I confirm that I have read, understood and truthfully completed this Childcare Disqualification Declaration.

Candidate Details

Full Name *

Date *

Candidate Signature *

Please sign only after you have read this declaration in full and answered all questions accurately.