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helen29
19-03-2008, 06:44 PM
Hi i need help i signed up a new parent on the 5th of March this year and her little girl started with me on the 12th of march. Unfortunately the little girl has been teething quite badly and been very upset. On monday i ended up ringing the parent and telling her that i think she should come and collect her daughter as she was really not happy with the teething. She text me on tues morn 10 mins before being due to say she wasn't coming and i said this is fine. Today i text her and asked if she would be coming today and her reply was i have sent you an email, i checked and yes at 10pm last night she had sent one explaining that she felt due to my pregnancy which i had informed her about before signing contracts and the problems i've had in a past pregnancy that i would not be able to care for her daughter. I said to her that i felt there were no foreseable problems apart from around sept when i was due and would not take on the extra work unless i was capable. My problem is that she has paid in advance for care and on my NCMA contracts that the notice period is 4 weeks, she has come back to me and said that there is a 14 day cooling off period which this does not state on the ncma contract. Please can anyone ease my mind on this situation at all is there under ncma a cooling off period and she hasn't yet officially handed in her notice to me yet.

Helen

Alibali
19-03-2008, 06:50 PM
Don't know about the NCMA contract, but my settling in policy states that the first 4 weeks are a trial period and can be cancelled at any time within this period by either party without notice. Do you have anything similair?

Alison x

flora
19-03-2008, 06:55 PM
On the back of the firt sheet of the contracts it says:

"Settling in period: A two to four week "settling in period" is reccomended at the start of the arrangement. During this time no notice period or notice payment will be required if either party wishes to end the agreement but all other areas of the contract are applicable"

Think this is what she's refering to??

Can't decide if this means you need to refund her or not???

Sorry. :blush:

Blaze
19-03-2008, 07:05 PM
I've pm'd you.
Tasha:)

katickles
19-03-2008, 08:10 PM
The NCMA contracts recommend a settling in period - but it depends on what you have written on the contract. :)

sarah707
19-03-2008, 09:35 PM
You can fight for your money or you can let it go and be done with it... if the parent is likely to fight back, sometimes it can be best to move on...

You should always do what you feel strong enough to do... good luck :D

miffy
19-03-2008, 09:49 PM
Sorry but I think if you have used the ncma contracts and agreed a four week settling in period then you will need to refund this parent IF she terminates the contract in writing and any part of this period remains iyswim

Good luck - it may not come to that perhaps you need to talk to her about her sudden change of mind

miffy xx

buildingblocks
19-03-2008, 11:05 PM
On page one there is a section at the bottom where you fill in dates for a settling in period if so you may find this is what she is talking about.

Tatia
20-03-2008, 08:11 AM
Yes, I agree with Miffy. If you have filled in the settling-in block on page 1 of NCMA contract and any of the time remains, you should refund her (except for hours you actually worked). That's what it's for, to make sure that everyone is happy with the arrangement.

If you haven't filled that in, I guess you could keep the money but personally, I wouldn't. If things went pear shaped on day 1 (for whatever reason), then I would definitely give the parent her money back (except for the hours I did work).

helen29
20-03-2008, 09:52 AM
thankyou for all your advice, i didn't have a stated settling in period as she came before the contract started for a few visits so her contract started on the 12th of march. so this means by termination of the contract she has to give four weeks, she has messed me around from day one she was meant to start in january then feb then in the end march she then came for 4 sessions and said that after thinking over the weekend she was unhappy with my future cicumstances of being pregnant but didn't say this till wed this week so feel she has been very unfair in her way towards me, have sought advice already and it said that she has to give 4 weeks notice as i didn't state a settling in period. so will see

Helen

Tatia
20-03-2008, 10:02 AM
How much in advance has she paid you? Would you be happy to just keep that in lieu of the 4 weeks notice?

helen29
21-03-2008, 11:05 AM
Yeah i have written to her and said that insted of the 4 weeks notice which will cost her over four hundred pounds more she can just let me keep what she has paid so far and give 9 days notice instead will see what her reply is. She is coming to collect some stuff she has left so not looking forward to seeing her

Helen

angeldelight
21-03-2008, 11:08 AM
Poor you Helen

Just be friendly to the parent and say you are sorry that it came to this

She is prob dreading seeing you too

Hope it goes ok

Let us know

Angel xx

wendywu
21-03-2008, 04:40 PM
This is the horrid part of childminding:panic: Good luck

miffy
21-03-2008, 04:52 PM
How did it go with the parent Helen?

Hope you are OK

Miffy xx

Tatia
21-03-2008, 05:55 PM
Hope everything went alright. (((Helen)))

deeb66
22-03-2008, 04:54 PM
How did it all go Helen?

Did you manage to get it sorted?