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MAWI
24-01-2014, 10:10 AM
Need a little advice. What would you do?

In the past I have always had specialist Childminder House Insurance.

I have just contacted my current home insurer and gone through it all with them and they have said that as Long as I am not employing someone, I will be covered for accidental damage with mindees. Public liability-not covered. But that's Ok because I have that with Pacey. They said that business equipment such as toys etc would not be covered. Thinking about it I'm not sure I'm that worried because if a toy or pram breaks I usually just replace and wouldn't claim on house insurance. there is no extra charge as long as I tell them how many children I mind and their ages.

I am only having under 5's and no after schoolies.

Would you still opt for Specialist insurance?

Your thoughts welcomed :)

Daftbat
24-01-2014, 10:15 AM
Sounds like a reasonable deal. I wouldn't claim on my house insurance for toys and equipment being damaged, its just par for the course. Make sure you have it in writing about accidental damage to other items though alongside your childminding. Which company was this by the way?

rickysmiths
24-01-2014, 10:32 AM
I don't think there is really any 'specialist' insurance. Many many insurance companies cover childminding.

Blufin are just an insurance broker who have, what I consider an unhealthy alliance with Pacey which I have complained about for years. They just find the best cover on the market or are supposed to, though I have always found their 'finds' over the years to be restricted to one or two companies and I have always found them expensive compared to the open market but that is me.

I did have car insurance with them for a year and they let me down badly and left me in an unacceptable position that reduced me to tears, those who know me know that that is not easily achieved! I then discovered I was not the only one to have been treated in this way and I would never trust or use them ever again even if they were the cheapest quote but that is just my view.

Churchill insured me for years, car and house, accidental damage for mindees, no restriction on having assistants. Having said that in 20 years of minding I have never had anything damaged during minding or by a mindee that I would even consider claiming on insurance for so I wouldn't dream of paying extra. Also if you are a Pacey member and use their Contracts it states on page four that if any child willfully damages or breaks anything the parents must pay on their next invoice.

I was with Churchill for nearly 18 years and only changed because they could no longer cover an item we have as a family so we are covered by Direct Line a sister company who had no problem with childminding or covering for accidental damage for the family and childminding, we do pay more now but that is not because of the childminding.

I have my car insurance with Tesco, second year because their cover was good and they were much cheaper than Churchill. On holiday in Scotland last summer a van went into the back of us. Tesco were fantastic. They allowed me to use my car dealer for the repairs instead of their garage, they were happy to pay the £12 per day car hire from my dealer so I had exactly the same car for the week mine was being repaired, I couldn't fault them all done quickly and efficiently.

MAWI
24-01-2014, 11:18 AM
Sounds like a reasonable deal. I wouldn't claim on my house insurance for toys and equipment being damaged, its just par for the course. Make sure you have it in writing about accidental damage to other items though alongside your childminding. Which company was this by the way?


I agree, never ever claimed on house insurance for resources. It is with Legal and General. I think as long as I don it employ an assistant It sounds like a good deal.

MAWI
24-01-2014, 11:20 AM
[QUOTE=rickysmiths;1336413]I don't think there is really any 'specialist' insurance. Many many insurance companies cover childminding.

Blufin are just an insurance broker who have, what I consider an unhealthy alliance with Pacey which I have complained about for years.

That's very interesting. Was about to get a quote from them and have been insured with them before. The cynic in me thinks we are sometimes being exploited by these companies anyway!!

Chatterbox Childcare
24-01-2014, 01:18 PM
I just have normal insurance - I am with churchill who allow you to have this and childmind without penalties. I have accidental damage but not for childminding items

alex__17
24-01-2014, 02:47 PM
I have legal and general, I'm only just registered but checked with them last year when I took out the insurance and I just need to let them know when I start and tell them the number of mindees and their ages.
I went through go compare or something and it was a really good deal, and wanted to be sure it wouldn't rocket when I started minding!

candy cat
24-01-2014, 03:01 PM
I have cover for accidental damage for childminding ..... I don't pay a lot more than normal policy

rickysmiths
24-01-2014, 09:24 PM
[QUOTE=rickysmiths;1336413]I don't think there is really any 'specialist' insurance. Many many insurance companies cover childminding.

Blufin are just an insurance broker who have, what I consider an unhealthy alliance with Pacey which I have complained about for years.

That's very interesting. Was about to get a quote from them and have been insured with them before. The cynic in me thinks we are sometimes being exploited by these companies anyway!!

I have always found Blu Fin Expensive for house insurance when I got quotes. The thing that always annoyed me was the inference that especially with car insurance that they were the only people that could properly insure childminders and that other cheaper insurers did not properly cover children in the car. I hope they don't do this any more. Of course that has never been true, I have been insured perfectly well as a childminder using my own car for 14 years and I only used them the one year, well part of as it turned out!