I had put together a list of retention time scales and thought I would share with you all. :D

Retention Time Scales

Early Years Register

Name, address, DOB of child 2 years
Name, address of parent 2 years
Daily attendance register 2 years
Accident record 2 years
Medicine record 2 years
Complaints record 3 years
Records of individual children 3 years (see page 40 EYFS statutory guidance)
Safeguarding records 6 years (NSPCC 2007)
RIDDOR Until child reaches 21. (RIDDOR 1995)


Childcare Register ~ Compulsory Part & Voluntary Part

Name, address, DOB of child 2 years
Name, address of parent 2 years
Daily attendance register 2 years
Accident record 2 years
Medicine record 2 years
Complaints record 3 years
Safeguarding records 6 years (NSPCC 2007)
RIDDOR Until child reaches 21. (RIDDOR 1995)


Other records

Financial records 7 years
Insurance certificate/policy Indefinately/21 years
Employers Liability Certs 40 years :eek:

I have been keeping everything indefinately but apparently we should be telling parents how long we will keep documents and should not keep them beyond the time scales stated!

Contracts, accident / incident forms, attendance and medicine records etc have to be kept for 21 years and 6 months to satisfy your insurance company!

I have spoken to my children and requested an old folk's home with secure storage :rolleyes: :D

Not according to Morton Michel!

Many Thanks for sharing that with everyone, its always a debatable subject and everyone I speak to tells me someething different
I was told a while ago that all contracts/medicine/accident/incident records had to be kept for 21 years incase a child needs to make a claim against you in adulthood !!!! Not sure how true that is maybe someone can verify.

If it means I have less paper to keep then thats great news.

Not according to Morton Michel!

Oh crikey have they changed their minds then?

Last time I checked (which was, to be fair, a few years ago) they said the 21 years and 6 months rule same as NCMA.

For the same reasons as MAWI is quoting as well - so you can be sued by an ex minded child who becomes an adult and finds a scar or something gained at your home is stopping them becoming a model etc.

Do you have it from MM in writing? :D

I sent an email back in September asking them to clarify what retention times scales they imposed on documents used in a childminding setting.

They replied "we currently recommend that all our policyholders follow the current legal guidelines concerning the retention of documentation. Children in your care have up until the age of 21 to bring a claim against you, therefore you may wish to keep your Schedules of Insurance for 21 years. If you have employees then Employer's Liability Certificates must be kept for a minimum of 40 years."

Ah I see so their reply didn't mention the other paperwork that goes alongside it like...

Attendance records to prove whether the child was actually with you during the time they are claiming;

Accident forms to prove the type of accident in case they try to 'big it up';

Medication records to show that ok, you were an hour late with the Antibiotic but that isn't the reason they have recurrent bowel problems now;

Incident forms to show that it really wasn't that traumatic a little car bump they are trying to say still gives them nightmares...

I think I will keep all my paperwork! :rolleyes: :D

Thanks for that Kitty :thumbsup:

Miffy xx