The Childcare (Inspections) Regulations 2008 (“the Principal Regulations”) provide for inspections of early years provision and later years provision (defined in section 96 of the Childcare Act 2006 (“the Act”), provided by people on the Early Years Register or on Part A of the General Childcare Register. The registers are maintained by the Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (“the Chief Inspector”) under Part 3 of the Act.

These Regulations amend the Principal Regulations by revoking the provisions relating to early years provision including regulations 3 to 11 covering frequency of inspections, the circumstances in which the Chief Inspector is not required to inspect provision in independent schools, the provision of inspection reports to local authorities and the requirements on providers to tell parents about an impending inspection and to give them copies of inspection reports.

In relation to later years provision these Regulations also omit regulations 14, 15(b), 16(b) and 17. Regulation 14 required the Chief Inspector to send a copy of a later years inspection report (made under section 61(1) of the Act) to the relevant local authority. Regulations 15(b) and 16(b) of the Principal Regulations required later year childminders and other later year providers to give copies of reports or additional reports to parents upon payment of a fee. Regulation 17 allowed a fee to be charged for copies of the reports referred to in regulations 15(b) and 16(b). The Regulations also omit the definitions of terms which are no longer used apart from the definition of “parent” which is still required.

An Impact Assessment has been produced for this instrument and can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk.