Childcarerecruitment software

Talisman is recruitment software for childcare agencies: one record for practitioners and nurseries, enhanced DBS confirmed before a placement, and approved hours running into PAYE, umbrella or contract arrangements with AWR and holiday pay.

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Pick your desk

Six ways a childcare agency places people. One record under all of them.

Temp
Temp childcare recruitment
Shifts and cover, booked on the call and paid weekly.
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Permanent
Permanent childcare recruitment
Vacancy to placement fee on one job record.
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Contract
Contract childcare recruitment
Rates, status, extensions and self-bill.
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Shift
Shift childcare recruitment
Rota patterns, bulk shifts and break rules.
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Executive Search
Executive Search childcare recruitment
Retained assignments, from market map to offer.
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Multi-Desk
Multi-Desk childcare recruitment
Perm, temp and contract on one shared record.
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Which desk is which

What each desk runs, and what it checks first.

Desk	What it runs	Checked before a placement	Pay and bill
Temp	Shifts and cover, booked on the call and paid weekly	Enhanced DBS and AWR position, at the point of booking	Weekly, from approved timesheets, with the client invoiced in the same run
Permanent	Vacancy to placement fee on one job record	Enhanced DBS and references, before the offer goes out	Placement fee on the placement, with the start date and rebate period attached
Contract	Rates, status, extensions and self-bill	Enhanced DBS, plus contract status and IR35 position on the placement	Self-bill from approved hours; umbrella and limited arrangements
Shift	Rota patterns, bulk shifts and break rules	Enhanced DBS, plus fatigue and break rules across the rota	Weekly pay queue built from the hours actually worked once approved
Executive Search	Retained assignments, from market map to offer	Enhanced DBS at shortlist, with the assignment's confidentiality settings	Retainer milestones tracked against the assignment, then the placement fee
Multi-Desk	Perm, temp and contract on one shared record	Enhanced DBS once, on the record every desk shares	PAYE, umbrella or contract arrangements with AWR and holiday pay

Checks and clearances

Safeguarding confirmed before any placement

How documents and expiry work

Enhanced DBS with expiry alerts
Ofsted and EYFS suitability
Paediatric first aid certification
References confirmed on the worker record

What the agents add

AI agents working on the childcare desk in the background.

Sourcing Sam
Works the day's open bookings and matches practitioners across every desk.
Compliance Clara
Flags enhanced DBS coming up for expiry.
Timesheet Tommy
Reads submitted timesheets and preps PAYE, umbrella or contract arrangements with AWR and holiday pay for review.
Growth Grace
Surfaces new nursery leads worth a call.
Manager Max
Briefs the desk each morning on fill-rate by setting.

Meet the agents

Free guide · PDF

The AI Agents Guide for Childcare Recruitment

Where agents help on a childcare desk, and where they should not
Keeping enhanced DBS current without chasing
Pay and bill: PAYE, umbrella or contract arrangements with AWR and holiday pay

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Questions

Childcare recruitment software questions.

Which childcare desk type do I need?

Pick the desk that matches how you place practitioners: Temp — shifts and cover, booked on the call and paid weekly; Permanent — vacancy to placement fee on one job record; Contract — rates, status, extensions and self-bill; Shift — rota patterns, bulk shifts and break rules; Executive Search — retained assignments, from market map to offer; Multi-Desk — perm, temp and contract on one shared record. All six run on the same record, so an agency can start with one and add another without a second system.

What checks does a childcare placement need?

Childcare placements turn on clearances that expire. Each one is held against the worker with expiry alerts, and confirmed before a booking is committed rather than after the practitioner has arrived. The desk holds enhanced DBS with expiry alerts, ofsted and EYFS suitability, paediatric first aid certification, references confirmed on the worker record.

Can one system run all our childcare desks?

Yes. Temp, perm, contract, shift and executive placements sit on one shared record, so a practitioner the temp desk has booked is the same candidate the perm desk puts forward, with nothing re-keyed.

How is pay handled for childcare practitioners?

PAYE, umbrella or contract arrangements with AWR and holiday pay, run from the hours approved on the timesheet, with the nursery invoiced in the same straight-through run.