Just signed with michel Morton!

[jadavi]

...and feel great about it. I didn't like being tied to Ncma paperwork (though the expenses accountancy book was really helpful) the contracts were ridiculously lengthy and expensive. The support meetings were crap (sorry) and gave me no support or useful discussion and the back up re getting the pack etc really slow...
Here's hoping for a better year with MM!

[sarah707]

I've been with them for 18 years and they have always been there for me when I have needed them

[ziggy]

I'm just about to re-new after my first year. Love the fact i'm only paying half as much. Contracts v lenghty but cover everything.

My friend also using them now.

[marian]

I made the move 3 years ago and they were brilliant in helping me with a non paying parent

I continued to be a member of the NCMA - so effectively paying more in the long run - but stopped this year when they decided to open membership and not solely childminders

Marian x

[Joda]

I really like the MM paperwork and have been with them for 5 years now.

[rickysmiths]

Just to clarify.

MM insurance actually costs twice as much as NCMA insurance.

In order to take advantage of the lower insurance cost you do have to pay for membership of NCMA.

Please don't muddle this up because it gives a false impression.

Also MM include Employers Insurance in their Public Liability Insurance even if you don't need it which is why it costs more. NCMA don't do this and only charge a small extra fee for Employer's insurance if the cm needs it.

[hectors house]

I decided in June to change to Morton Michel - I decided that the NCMA weren't doing enough to support childminders anymore (opening up to every tom, dick and harry) and I could get far better advice from this lovely forum for free. Also the quality of their stationery wasn't to the same standards it used to be - with less pages in register, accident/incident books and the costs kept going up.

I used to be insured with Morton Michel many years ago when *****minded the first time around - we got free cover paid for by our County Council!

[rickysmiths]

...and feel great about it. I didn't like being tied to Ncma paperwork (though the expenses accountancy book was really helpful) the contracts were ridiculously lengthy and expensive. The support meetings were crap (sorry) and gave me no support or useful discussion and the back up re getting the pack etc really slow...
Here's hoping for a better year with MM!

My understanding is that MM paperwork is no less expensive than NCMA paperwork for its members? My understanding is that the MM Contracts are longer than the NCMA ones?

I have just had a look and indeed we can bust the myth that MM are cheaper than NCMA once and for all.

MM Contracts are a lot more expensive, approx 30%, Insurance is approx is 100% more expensive.

MM 10 Contracts £13 for Policy Holders £2.17 each (£26 for non Policy Holders)
NCMA 10 Contracts £10 for members £1.67 each (£19 for non members)

I must say in order to protect myself I have never begrudged the cost of a Contract (£1.67 ) and in the overall picture of the money I make from the Contracted child the cost is minute, even children I only have one day a week.

While I respect people's choice in choosing to Insure with either MM or NCMA. I do object to the way the move from NCMA to MM is often portrayed as being done because of the high cost of NCMA when it is not correct and this kind of thread is inflammatory and inaccurate.

I hope the above information helps to give a more balanced view.

[jackie 7]

Best thing with MM is that you can use any contracts and you are still insured. My old la gave me great contracts which included some permission forms.

[Jods]

interesting thread - I am with NCMA but due for renewal and am considering MM, but like most things its a personal choice, but I do find the NCMA contracts difficult to complete for my minding needs, so created my own, knowing I am not covered seems a pointless exercise tbh x

[tialil]

This is what I am considering when mine is due for renewal soon. I have thought about it now for a few years but everytime I just renew. We no longer have a NCMA DO in our area so part of me is really thinking of trying somewhere else this time around.

Still I have about 6 weeks yet to think about it .

[christine e]

This is what I am considering when mine is due for renewal soon. I have thought about it now for a few years but everytime I just renew. We no longer have a NCMA DO in our area so part of me is really thinking of trying somewhere else this time around.

Still I have about 6 weeks yet to think about it .

You have to remember that it was your local authority funding your development officer not NCMA. Your LA would have put childminder support out to tender and NCMA would have been given a contract to support childminders in your area. Many LA's are now not renewing contracts and withdrawing support as part of their cutbacks. NCMA are still their centrally supporting, lobbying and providing online training for members and are present in the regions via forums keeping in touch with members. I am off to my regional forum today to give my input

[christine e]

interesting thread - I am with NCMA but due for renewal and am considering MM, but like most things its a personal choice, but I do find the NCMA contracts difficult to complete for my minding needs, so created my own, knowing I am not covered seems a pointless exercise tbh x

NCMA will only get involved with a contract dispute if you use their contracts this comes under membership services not insurance. Using your own contracts does not affect your public liability insurance.

Cx

[starlight1]

I am a new Childminder and just signed up with them and was wondering if people found the full packs useful?

[LauraS]

I am a new Childminder and just signed up with them and was wondering if people found the full packs useful?

I am also new and had the.full pack but didn't use it. I found that some of the formats.if.the.documents didn't tally with.how I wanted to do.things (for example attendance registers list multiple children on one page, I wanted one page per child.)

I had also created a lot of the documents needed for myself because the pack took so long to arrive (my fault, not mms) and felt mine were just as good, if not better in places, for the way I want to do things. Some of the.stuff in the full pack is entirely useless, like the policy and procedure stuff.

Everything I have is my own now, apart from contracts, and I will do those myself when I need more too.

Incidentally, I joined mm purely because.of the support I felt I would receive.in the case of a non paying parent. Mm provides a speedier resolution to my mind (by paying money owed themselves if.the case is viable) and then pursuing it. Ncma would assist in the court process but I might wait months or years (or forever!) for the money. I have already had.cause.to.use them and they are great.

[zippy]

I was with ncma for first year and then changed, membership fee is at too expensive and at the time I was a member 1998 I think didn't see any benefits from it that I can remember, so saved myself a tidy sum and moved to mm, never looked back they have got fab over the years and they are excellent at sorting out contract disputes, also no excess to pay for contract disputes in case anyone needs that info.

[pinkbutterfly]

Mm provides a speedier resolution to my mind (by paying money owed themselves if.the case is viable) and then pursuing it.

I know that with small amounts like the one I had which was just over £150 they do not pursue it. They just pay the outstanding amount to you as it's not worth their time to try to get the money back. The non paying parent did not find out the debt was settled so in fact I could have still taken her to small claims court but without the support of the insurer.

[Childrenatheart]

I wish NCMA would change the name of their business division so people had a clearer appreciation of the fact that the PLI is not the be all and end all. I get really fed up of debates saying how people are leaving NCMA & joining MM without making the distinction between NCMA membership & NCMA business services which includes insurance. NCMA are childminder's professional association. They charge a membership fee to support their work championing childminder issues and rights such as the current individual inspection campaign and Inland revenue tax special considerations cms have. Much of this work is behind the scenes so many CM's don't appreciate the work undertaken on their behalf. NCMA membership also gives access to a free ****** website to advertise vacancies and ****** resources and a number of retailer discounts, plus discounts on NCMA stationery, plus Who Minds magazine. As a member of NCMA one of the perks is to be able to buy cheaper public liability insurance. I dislike NCMAs new policy of admitting non-home based childcarers and voted against this BUT they are still our strongest ally against the current threats to our profession.
Morton Michel are an insurance broker but have added enhanced services to those taking out PL, home & motor insurance through them, including creative steps mag and some retailer discounts. They also produce their own stationery but have the advantage that you don't have to use this for their PLI.
When deciding what to do PLEASE think of NCMA membership and your PLI as two completely separate things. If you want to belong to your professional org and support it's work then pay NCMA membership, THEN look at both NCMA & MM PLI and decide which to go for but remember you can't take advantage of the cheaper NCMA PLI without being an NCMA member.
And just in case you were wondering - I am an NCMA member with MM PLI but when I renew I will go back to NCMA PLI because I still use their contracts, their legal service has improved & I have my car insurance via MM so I still get the benefit of creative steps etc.