Which nation is my MinderHQ set up for?
One app, four rulebooks: how MinderHQ knows whether you work to Ofsted, the Care Inspectorate, CIW or your HSC Trust — and what changes with each.
2 min read
One app, four rulebooks
Childminding isn't regulated the same way across the UK, so MinderHQ isn't the same app everywhere. In England you work to Ofsted and the EYFS; in Scotland to the Care Inspectorate, with Realising the Ambition and SHANARRI; in Wales to Care Inspectorate Wales and the five developmental pathways; in Northern Ireland to your HSC Trust's Early Years Team, with CCEA's six Areas of Learning as a non-statutory guide.
You choose your nation once, when you sign up — the "Where do you provide childminding?" question at minderhq.co.uk/join — and everything follows from it: what the learning journal tags, what your compliance checklist tracks, how funded money is handled, which inspection pack you get, even which vetting badge (DBS, PVG or AccessNI) your public website shows.
How to tell which one you're on
Three quick signals inside your workspace:
- 1Open a child's "Learning" tab — the observation tags are your framework: EYFS areas in England, SHANARRI wellbeing indicators in Scotland, the five developmental pathways in Wales, the six Areas of Learning in Northern Ireland.
- 2Open "Compliance" — the inspection-day card names your regulator's pack: "Open Ofsted-ready pack", "Open Care Inspectorate pack", "Open CIW inspection pack" or "Open Trust inspection pack".
- 3Open "Money" — England shows DfE funded hours, Scotland a council claim summary, Wales the Childcare Offer and Flying Start, Northern Ireland the NICSS claim export.
Picked the wrong nation?
Your nation is fixed at signup on purpose — your records, checklist and evidence pack have to stay consistent for your regulator, so there's no switch to flick in settings.
If you chose the wrong one, tell us — Account → "Send feedback" in the app, or hello@minderhq.co.uk — and we'll put it right with you. It's quickest while your account is new, before the records build up.
Tip: Moving nation for real (say England to Scotland)? Email us before you move — registration starts again with your new regulator, and we'll help you start the right way and keep your old records exportable.
Quick answers
Does the price differ by nation?
No — £19.99 a month everywhere in the UK, first month free, no per-child fees, no child cap.
Do parents see anything different?
Parents get the same diary, photos, messages and invoices wherever you are — with your nation's details, like NICSS lines in Northern Ireland or £0 funded sessions in Scotland, handled automatically.