tiney can register childminders who work from a non-domestic setting. A non-domestic premises is anywhere that is not a private home, such as a community hall, a church hall, a school space, a commercial property, or a defined outdoor space such as a woodland.

Childminder with domestic premises: you work from a home (your own or someone else's). You can also use a non-domestic space for some or all of your sessions in addition to the home.

Childminder without domestic premises: you work entirely from a non-domestic setting. There is no home involved at any point, including for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Both types follow the EYFS statutory framework for childminders.

⚠️ An empty house is still a domestic premises in law, even if nobody is living there. You cannot rent or use an empty house solely for childminding and register it as non-domestic. If you want to childmind in a domestic dwelling, someone must be living there.

Confirm with your Local Authority planning department that childminding is a permitted use of your chosen premises and that the building has the correct permitted usage. Do this before going any further; different premises types have different rules.

In a non-domestic setting, fire safety is your responsibility and is enforced by your local fire and rescue authority. You must have a written fire risk assessment and a clear evacuation procedure in place before you can operate.

If the premises is shared with other organisations, a fire risk assessment may already exist but you still need to review it and understand how it applies to your specific childminding space and the ages of the children in your care.

You must carry out a thorough written risk assessment before registration is granted. Key areas to cover:

If you operate from more than one premises, carry out a daily risk assessment each time before children enter the non-domestic space.

tiney will check the suitability of you and anyone else working with children at your setting.

If you register without a domestic premises, household member checks are not required. The DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check needed is an enhanced child workforce check, it does not need to be home-based, as long as it is on the DBS Update Service or was issued in the last three months.

If you register with a domestic premises too, standard household checks still apply for the home registration.

Your Morton Michel insurance (included with your tiney membership) covers public liability. If you are adding a non-domestic premises, contact Morton Michel directly to confirm your cover extends to your specific setting.

You can care for up to 24 children in a non-domestic setting, subject to the space available. Standard EYFS ratios apply:

You can work with up to three additional adults (co-childminders or assistants) at any one time. If the total exceeds four adults simultaneously, it is no longer classed as childminding.

If you operate from a commercial property, business rates may apply. This is your responsibility to check. Contact the Valuation Office Agency or your Local Authority for advice.

Let tiney know your operating days and hours at each premises. This is important so we know where you are if we need to carry out an unannounced safeguarding visit.

If you are thinking about adding a non-domestic premises or registering without a domestic premises, contact the tiney team to start the conversation before you do anything else.