What records must a childminder keep? An inspection-ready checklist
The records a registered childminder is expected to keep — attendance, accidents, medication, permissions, safeguarding and more — what each one is for, and how long to keep it.
8 min read
Why record-keeping matters
As a registered childminder you're required to keep certain records so children are safe, parents are informed, and you can show your regulator you're meeting the rules. In England that's the EYFS statutory framework, inspected by Ofsted; in Scotland it's the Care Inspectorate, in Wales it's CIW, and in Northern Ireland your local Health and Social Care Trust.
The exact list varies by nation, but the core records below are common to all — and they're the first thing an inspector asks to see. This is a plain-English checklist, not legal advice: always check your nation's current requirements.
Children’s information and permissions
For every child, hold: full name, date of birth and address; who has parental responsibility and their contact details; emergency contact numbers; who is authorised to collect the child; dietary needs, allergies and any health or medical conditions; and the child's doctor or health visitor.
Alongside that, keep written parental permissions for anything you need consent for: outings and trips, applying sun cream or first aid, emergency medical treatment, taking and using photos, and travelling in a vehicle. Consent should be specific and recorded, never assumed.
Attendance register
A daily record of the hours each child actually attends — arrivals and departures. It matters for ratios, for safety (knowing exactly who is in your care right now), and for funding headcounts, and it's a document inspectors routinely ask for on its own.
Accidents, incidents and medication
Keep an accident record for any injury that happens in your care — what happened, when, the action you took, and a parent's signature confirming they were told. Record any pre-existing injuries a child arrives with, too.
Keep an incident record for other events worth noting (a behaviour incident, a near miss, something a parent should know). And keep a medication record: written parental consent before you give anything, plus the dose, the time, and who administered it, signed.
Tip: The parent signature is the bit people forget. A record a parent never saw or signed is hard to stand behind later — capture it the same day.
Safeguarding and child protection
Keep a clear, factual record of any safeguarding or welfare concern: what you observed, what you did, and any referral you made to children's services. These are sensitive — store them securely and share them only with the right people. Make sure you know your local referral route before you ever need it.
Learning and development (EYFS)
You track each child's development through observations and assessment, and in England you share a written progress check when a child is aged two. This is your learning journal — it shows how you're supporting each child's next steps, and it's part of what an inspector will look at.
Your own compliance records
Beyond the children, keep evidence that you — and any assistant or household member aged 16 or over — are safe and qualified: DBS certificates, a current paediatric first-aid certificate, safeguarding and other training, and public liability insurance. Record your fire and emergency evacuation drills.
If you keep children's records digitally or take photos on a phone or tablet, you're processing personal data and almost certainly need to pay the ICO's annual data-protection fee, plus keep a privacy notice explaining what you hold and why. Track every renewal date so nothing lapses.
How long to keep records
Retention varies by record type. Routine children's records are kept for a set period after the child leaves; accident and medication records are kept longer; and safeguarding records are kept much longer again, sometimes into adulthood.
Follow your regulator's and the ICO's guidance and your own retention policy. Don't keep personal data longer than you need it, and dispose of it securely when the time comes.
Tip: Set a renewal or retention date on every record and certificate — so you neither lose something an inspector needs nor hold personal data longer than you should.
How MinderHQ helps
MinderHQ keeps all of this in one place: the attendance register, accident and medication logs with parent signatures, permissions on each child's profile, an EYFS learning journal, and a compliance 'wallet' that tracks DBS, first aid, insurance, the ICO fee and drill dates with reminders before they're due.
When the inspection call comes, you can produce an inspection-ready pack in seconds instead of hunting through folders — and it applies your nation's rules. The first month is free at minderhq.co.uk, no card needed.
Quick answers
What records does an inspector ask to see first?
Usually your attendance register, accident and medication records, children’s information and permissions, safeguarding records, and evidence that your DBS, first aid, insurance and training are current. Having them in one place is what makes inspection day calm.
Do I legally need written risk assessments?
In England the EYFS no longer requires a written risk assessment for every outing, but you must still keep children safe and be able to explain how — many childminders keep short written assessments as evidence. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check yours.
Do childminders need to register with the ICO?
If you keep children's records electronically or take photos on a phone or tablet, you're processing personal data and almost certainly need to pay the ICO's annual data-protection fee (a low tier for most childminders). Keep a privacy notice explaining what you hold and why.
How long should I keep a child’s records after they leave?
It depends on the record. Routine records are kept for a set period after the child leaves; accident, medication and especially safeguarding records are kept much longer. Follow your regulator's and the ICO's retention guidance, and don't keep data longer than you need.