EARLY YEARS RECRUITMENT
Partner with a specialist early years recruitment agency that connects nurseries, preschools and childcare providers with experienced nursery nurses, EYFS practitioners and early years educators across the UK. Find passionate professionals who help children learn, grow and thrive.
BUILDING STRONG EARLY YEARS TEAMS FOR CHILDCARE SUCCESS
Charles Hunter Associates delivers fast, fully compliant early years recruitment solutions for nurseries and childcare settings across the UK.
We connect qualified, compassionate practitioners with permanent, temporary, and flexible roles. All candidates are vetted to be fully compliant, ensuring safe, engaging learning environments for children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Fast, fully compliant early years recruitment for nurseries and childcare providers across the UK.
Access pre-vetted candidates for temporary, temp-to-perm, and permanent roles.
Practitioners hold enhanced DBS, safeguarding, and paediatric first-aid certification.
CACHE/NVQ Level 2 & 3 qualified staff available, plus unqualified candidates gaining experience.
At Charles Hunter Associates, we support nurseries and pre-schools across the UK with tailored early years recruitment services.
Whether you need long-term team members or emergency staff cover, we place childcare professionals who bring warmth, experience, and EYFS-aligned practice to every setting.
early years recruitment solutions
From support workers to directors, we place candidates at all levels in trusted settings.
ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY TALENT
Market-mapped talent pool of childcare professionals
SPEED AND AGILITY
Fast placements of pre-vetted room assistants, key persons, and nursery managers
CANDIDATE VARIETY
Unqualified to Level 3 certified candidates with enhanced DBS
THOROUGH SCREENING
Scenario-based assessments and structured interviews
A TRUE PARTNER
We provide ongoing support after the first placement - from compliance checklists to retention advice
KEY QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS FOR EARLY YEARS EDUCATORS
CACHE/NVQ LEVEL 2 & 3 REQUIREMENTS
Level 2 or Level 3 CACHE/NVQ diplomas in Childcare & Education are essential for most nursery roles.
These ensure practitioners can plan learning activities, observe development, and support key milestones in line with EYFS. However, we can also place unqualified candidates so they can gain experience.
DBS Checks, Paediatric First-Aid & Safeguarding
All candidates have:
Clear enhanced DBS checks
Valid paediatric first-aid certificates
Up-to-date safeguarding
We also manage ongoing renewals and maintain training logs so you stay compliant without admin strain.
Ofsted & EYFS Standards screening
We conduct:
Scenario-based interviews
EYFS-aligned skills assessments
Full reference and employment history checks
Learning journal and planning sample reviews
ARE YOU Hiring now?
If you're not actively hiring now, but would like to discuss how we can help with hiring challenges you may be facing, you can speak to us here.
UPLOAD VACANCY
Early years recruitment agencies fill nursery practitioners, room leaders, pre-school teachers, key persons, childcare coordinators, and nursery managers.
Hiring nursery staff through an agency can be as fast as 48 hours for emergency placements, while permanent hires usually take 4–6 weeks.
Most early years and nursery staff require CACHE or NVQ Level 2 or 3, enhanced DBS, safeguarding training, and paediatric first aid.
Early years recruiters help nurseries improve retention by offering CPD guidance, NDNA resources, and regular post-placement check-ins to support long-term stability.