Temporary cover help, please?

[CookieCutter]

I've agreed to look after a lo for 2 days to help out another cm who didn't want to let parents down. I use a popular online systems for all my paperwork and contracts, and in order to create a new contract on there I have to take a lot of info. Do I need all that info for a 2 day contract? If so, I'll treat it as a normal contract. Of not, can anyone tell me what info you take and paperwork you do for such a short term arrangement?

Also, the parent has asked for free settling in sessions. I offer these for long term contracts, but I hadn't even considered it for 2 days. Quite frankly, if I'm giving 2 or 4 hours care away for free, and having to spend loads of time on paperwork, I'd rather not do contracts for a only a few days in future! Would anyone else offer settling in? I don't want to say no if it's a thing most cms would do.

[Goatgirl]

hi
I would just have parent fill in personal record form (or accept a copy of the one held by current minder), email my policies and get them to sign to say theyy have read understood and agree to them. Then a permissions form for first aid, seeking medical attention, outings, leave with assistant in accordance with ofsted regs, photos etc etc.
I would not off free settling in sessions either, for this amount of time. I would invite Mum for a chat and a coffee with lo to come and see my setting, get familiar with my face, generally just to get to know me enough that I am not new unknown and scary when lo attends for real. So lo knows me as 'the nice lady mummy had a cuppa with' kind of thing....
I would also take full payment in advance, regardless of arrangements with other minder

Good luck

[Koala]

hi
I would just have parent fill in personal record form (or accept a copy of the one held by current minder), email my policies and get them to sign to say theyy have read understood and agree to them. Then a permissions form for first aid, seeking medical attention, outings, leave with assistant in accordance with ofsted regs, photos etc etc.
I would not off free settling in sessions either, for this amount of time. I would invite Mum for a chat and a coffee with lo to come and see my setting, get familiar with my face, generally just to get to know me enough that I am not new unknown and scary when lo attends for real. So lo knows me as 'the nice lady mummy had a cuppa with' kind of thing....
I would also take full payment in advance, regardless of arrangements with other minder

Good luck

I would definitely take payment in advance too.
If mum really wanted settling in sessions, I would do this but I would charge, purely and simply because if it is so important to mum and lo she will understand and pay up or if it isn't that important then it seems she just wants a bit of free care because, and no disrespect intended and of course I don't know the circumstances, emergency cover is good but personally I get a bit nervous especially when mum is asking for settling in sessions - does she think lo will struggle? Because it can be a bit traumatic for all concerned. Some kids would just take it in their stride and these these type of kids don't usually need settling in sessions!

[natlou82]

I also agree with points below, I've done a couple of emergency short term care, always payment upfront, all paperwork signed and p+ps, no free settling in sessions (I offer 2 free for people signing long term contracts) if you have time to fit in settling in sessions I would charge an hourly rate, you are already helping this family out. Good luck :-)

[AliceK]

I do quite a bit of emergency care and have never offered settling in sessions. I have also covered for another local child minder and again no settling in although I had met the children this childminder cares for when we have had play dates together so I am not a complete stranger. For contracted children I do offer them but not for ad hoc / emergency cover.

xx

[bunyip]

Lots of good advice there from members. From a regulatory standpoint, the information you must have on the child, and the information you must provide to the parents is covered in EYFS 2012, paragraphs 3.67 to 3.72 inclusive. Your insurer may require you to collect further details.

Remember your online system is a tool which is meant to help you, not dictate and slow you down. So you have 2 options. Do what it wants for the sake of consistency, or use a different simpler contract in this case. Your call.

Settling visits are tricky. I don't think I'd offer them for free without it being a more permanent contract. But I don't know if I'd take a lo for full days without the settling. Maybe an unsettled child yelling for a few days could be borne, though? I turned one down this week, who wanted to leave a 10 month old with me for 4-8 days of up to 12 hours each over a 2 week period with no settling in - and this was no emergency, just pure lack of planning on mum's part. (Call me judgmental, but I have a fat old bloke's intuition for parents with whom I'm just not going to 'click'. )

For a short-term arrangement you need to consider how cost-effective all that 'groundwork' is. Maybe a registration/admin fee would be appropriate? Or maybe suck it up in the hope of future business from the same family? It's a business decision: it's your business, your decision.

Hope it all goes well.