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Day care / creche manager / person in charge
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Day care / creche manager / person in charge

The manager would be the person responsible for setting the operational direction and organising the effective running of the day care provision. The manager will normally be the “person in charge” and may be the “registered person”.

If you have a query about childcare and early years qualifications, email us at eycc@socialcare.wales. Please tell us the qualification title, where the qualification was obtained, the job role and the type of setting the role is for.

Last updated: 3 June 2025

Registration is not required

To work as a Day care / creche manager / person in charge

  • Option 1

    • WJEC Level 2 Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core

    and 

    • City and Guilds Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice

  • Option 2

    • WJEC Level 2 Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core

    and

    • WJEC Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice and Theory

  • Option 3

    • University of South Wales: BA Early Years Education and Practice (with Early Years Practitioner status)

    • University of South Wales: Fd Early Years Education and Practice (with Early Years Practitioner status)

    • Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Early Years Practice Status (EYPS) (only if awarded prior to December 2022)

    • Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Early years education and professional practice with EYPS

    • Glyndwr University: Fd Early Childhood Studies (EYPS)

    • University Trinity St Davids: BA Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status

    • Swansea University: Early Childhood Studies with Early years practitioner

    • Aberystwyth University: BA Early Childhood Studies with Early Years Practitioner Status

    • University Trinity St David’s: HE Diploma Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status

    • Prifysgol Caerdydd: BA (Anrh) Addysg Gynnar ac Ymarferydd Proffesiynol gyda Statws Ymarferydd Blynyddoedd Cynnar (bi-lingual)

    • Prifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant: BA Addysg a Gofal Blynyddoedd Cynnar: Statws Ymarferydd Blynyddoedd Cynnar (available through the medium of Welsh)

    • Swansea University: Early Childhood Studies With Early Years Practitioner Status with a Year Abroad

  • Option 4

    Recommended for practice: To raise the standards within early years and childcare settings and to reflect the ambition of the Welsh government, the following qualifications are recommended for practice as managers.

    • City and Guilds Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management in Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development

    and

    • City and Guilds Level 5 Leadership and Management of Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice

  • Option 5

    • City and Guilds Level 4 Professional Practice in Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development

  • Other accepted qualifications

    Other accepted qualifications that will be accepted for this job, if you don’t hold the current Welsh qualifications:

    • B.Ed / BA Primary Education*

    Level 5 qualifications

    • Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Management) Wales and Northern Ireland

    • Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Advanced Practice) Wales and Northern Ireland

    Level 3 qualifications

    • Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Wales and Northern Ireland)

    • EDEXCEL BTEC Level 3 National Certificate/Diploma Children’s Care, Learning and Development – CCLD (only if commenced prior to 2014)

    • CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education

    • NVQ 3 Children’s Care Learning and Development

    • NVQ 3 Child Care and Education

    • NVQ 3 Early Years Care and Education

    • Diploma in Nursery Nursing Level 3

    • Level 3 Certificate in Work with Children

    Other alternative qualifications

    • CACHE Extended Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development

    • CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education

    • Award in Early Years and Child Care for Play Workers (transitional awards)

    • CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing (DNN) (informally known as NNEB)

    • Diploma in Childcare and Education (DCE)

    • National Certificate in Caring Services (Nursery Nursing)

    • National Diploma in Caring Services (Nursery Nursing)

    • National Certificate in Childhood Studies (Nursery Nursing)

    • National Diploma in Childhood Studies (Nursery Nursing)

    • National Certificate in Early Years

    • National Diploma in Early Years

    • NVQ 4 Children’s Care, Learning and Development

    • NVQ 4 Early Years Care and Education

    • Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Early Years Practice Status (EYPS) (only if awarded prior to December 2022)

    • Open University (OU) Level 4 Certificate in Early Years Practice

    * These qualifications do not meet the design principles (i.e. based on National Occupational Standards and that competence is assessed in the workplace) to practice within an early years and childcare setting and are therefore not accepted unless:

    They were commenced prior to 2010 for specific job roles

    Or they are held by those working within Foundation Phase services.

Other requirements

Before their appointment, a person in charge (the manager) must have at least 2 years’ experience of working in a day care setting.

Those working in regulated childcare settings with children between the ages of five and 12 years may need to complete a playwork qualification set by SkillsActive to meet National Minimum Standards and regulatory requirements.

You can find more information at:

Qualifications gained outside of Wales

The following information applies to you if:

  • you are working, or would like to work, as an early years and childcare manager in Wales and  
  • have a relevant qualification (from the UK or overseas) that isn’t listed on the qualification framework or the precedence list.  

Qualifications achieved prior to December 2026

If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold a qualification (achieved prior to Dec 2026. The date of achievement can be found on your certificate) which is recognised by Skills for Care (England), the Northern Ireland Social Care Council or Scottish Social Service Council you should complete aspects of the All Wales induction framework for early years and childcare managers that are relevant to your role and the setting.

QEA Process from January 2027

If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold a qualification in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, you will need to check the [precedence list] to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.

If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the Qualification Equivalency Assessment webpage.

International qualifications

If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold an international qualification you will need to check the [precedence list] to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.

If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the Qualification Equivalency Assessment webpage.

Induction requirements

Managers who are new to the setting or organisation should complete relevant parts of the All Wales induction framework for early years and childcare for managers.