Your assistant should not begin working at your setting until they have been fully registered.
Note: The average time to register a non-household member as an assistant is between 3–5 months. This is due to Local Authority background checks and the time required to receive them. We actively follow up with Local Authorities on these checks and do everything we can to minimise the processing time.
Step 1 - Tell us about your assistant
Read our guide! This covers your responsibilities as an employer, the requirements to employ an assistant and helpful documents such as job descriptions and employee contracts.
Tell us you'd like to register an assistant, you can do this in the app or by chatting to us. We need to know if this is an existing household member or someone from outside the household.
Step 2 - Complete Checks & Learning in the Assistant App
Your assistant will be sent a separate login to the tiney app. Once they've downloaded the app and logged in, the app will explain how to complete their training. If you have any trouble logging in, please let us know and we'll be happy to help!
Complete their background checks
In the trainee assistant app, your assistant will need to to complete similar forms to when you first joined tiney, telling us about their address history etc. We'll then start the background check process and will reach out if we need any more information.
tiney conducts background checks on all prospective tiney assistants, a Local Authority check and a Known to Ofsted check. These checks can take between a few weeks up to a few months to return. We will chase them in line with agreed schedules between tiney, your LA and Ofsted.
If your assistant already lives with you then we may be able to use existing information, this depends on how long ago checks we're previously completed.
Apply for a DBS Certificate
Your assistant will need their own DBS Certificate. Specially an Enhanced Child Workforce DBS that either was issued within the last three months or is currently registered with the DBS Update Service.
If you don't already have one, then we recommend applying for this as soon as you can. Before starting, remember they'll need
Address details for the past 5 years
Details on any names previously used including dates
Documents which prove their identify
The app provides a link to our DBS Portal and provides the correct link to apply online, it's really important to use the link in the app to access the correct DBS Portal for assistants.
Complete first aid training
Your assistant must complete the same 12-hour Paediatric First Aid course you did in training. If your assistant has completed this course within the last 12 months, please send us a copy of their certificate in the assistants app. Tigerlily is our chosen provider for First Aid courses, discounted voucher code are available in the tiney shop.
Complete our in-app Safeguarding & Learning training
We've created a new short course in the app which covers safeguarding, food as well as other key things to know when working with tiney. There's loads of great videos quizes and important information. We recommend starting the learning only when the background checks and DBS Application has been submitted.
Upload your DBS Certificate
Once the DBS Certificate has been received in the post, your assistant should upload it via their app. We'll check it's correct and keep it on record.
Step 3 - Collect references for assistants
As part of the changes to the EYFS, it's the Childminders responsibility to collect references for assistants
References must come from a senior individual (not a family member) at the candidate’s most recent employer, training provider, or education setting.
Electronic references must originate from a legitimate source.
You can find a template in the resources section of your app and for more information, you can read about the Safer Recruitment section of the updated EYFS guide.
Step 4 - Registration
As soon as we have all the required details and documentation we will register your assistant. This will involve checking through all registration documents. You'll be sent an email confirmation of your assistants registration.
Once registered, their app will give access to information about Children, allow them to post in the Learning Journal and record information in the Register. Assistants can't access any features related to Wallet, Money or Contracts.