CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Home – based Child Care

When Debbie Hemsley decided to become a childminder she was keen to embark on formal training. "The DHC seemed the ideal course for me," she says. "As a new childminder I found it invaluable."

Debbie finished her NVQ just two weeks before giving birth to a second baby boy!

When Debbie was made redundant from her job as Business Development Executive for a coach holiday company, she decided that she would train to become a childminder so that she could spend time at home with her son until he started school.

"I felt at the time I did not have enough experience to study the NVQ, and the DHC seemed the ideal course to help me with my new childminding business. The courses were on at a time that suited my needs too, and in a classroom environment I was able to swap professional tips on childminding and the course in general," she says.

Debbie was one of a group of 12 childminders who completed the Diploma in Home-based childcare course in April 2007, which was funded by Birmingham Council. "I was delighted when I got an 'A' grading," she says. Clearly spurred on by her achievements, it wasn't long before Debbie began working towards another qualification. "I wanted to have my options open once my son started full time education, so thought that doing the CACHE Level 3 NVQ in Children's Care, Learning and Development would mean I could care for children outside of home if I wanted to."
Dedicated Debbie finished her NVQ just two weeks before giving birth to a second baby boy! She said "I’ll definitely be carrying on with the childminding for a bit longer now until my little one starts school."

As well as childminding, Debbie has been keen to pursue other challenges as part of her professional development. "I also worked in a local children's centre as part of a council scheme to provide respite care for the parents of disabled children. There was a time when a group of us were linked to the centre so that if we had hours free, we could go along to help out."

Since then, Debbie has also enrolled on a British Sign Language Course, and has become a member of the Children Come First Network. Despite the fact that she has progressed so much since she began her career, Debbie still credits the DHC as providing a great stepping stone into a new career for her. She says, "It has given me the ideal platform to continue my qualifications into childcare and to improve quality in my business."

CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Home – based Child Care
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