Insurance query?...

[lucyD]

My PLI runs out 16th May, but will only be childminding until the end of June as contract runs out & no more children as will be taking maternity. I am gutted I will have to pay for another year when only need 2 months....

Any way round this?

[QualityCare]

Have you rang your insurance company and explained the situation to them they may be able to work something out.

[sarah707]

If you intend to keep your Ofsted registration then part of the requirements for registration is that you have insurance.

A lot of childminders stopped their insurance for maternity and fell foul of this rule.

Hth

[jackie 7]

It is good for anyone to have public liability insirsnce not just childmindrrs.

[Tazmin68]

It is an requirement to have insurance even if you are having a break.

[Dilly Daydream]

I checked this with ofsted just a few weeks ago. I finish mid May to go on maternity leave and my public liability runs out end of June. I still have to renew it even though I aren't returning to work til mid Feb 14. Doesn't please me much as I am earning very little these next few weeks as it is without having to worry about forking out again in June when everything is due again due to it being the anniversary of when I registered. Not 100 per cent sure I will even return to childminding yet but know I will still have to renew just in case. Sorry I digress and wandered off my point - ofsted confirmed if public liability wasn't renewed I would be in breach of registration requirements x

[bunyip]

Many insurers will pay back the outstanding premium (minus an admin fee) for unused time on many types of cancelled policy. I don't know if this is an industry standard or legal requirement. it would be worth asking the Association of British Insurers. I can't provide a link at present as their website is under maintenance or something, but try Googling it again in a few days.

[Dilly Daydream]

It's not the insurers that's the problem. It is an ofsted requirement as part of your registration that you hold public liability insurance. If you are found not to have it in place by them you can have your registration cancelled - this is what I was told by ofsted 3 weeks ago. I tried to argue that it was stupid and unnecessary but was told by the guy it was necessary if I wanted to remain registered. And he stopped calling me by my first name at that point and referred to me as 'Mrs G' think I got on his nerves a bit with my arguement but at least I can blame hormones ;-)

[bunyip]

The insurers certainly are the problem if they are either refusing to sell a PLI product for only the time it is required, or refusing to refund part of an annual policy if it is cancelled early. OTOH it's perfectly reasonable for Ofsted (more correctly, Dept of Education, who wrote the regulations) to expect a CM to be insured. It's not Ofsted's or Dept of Ed's fault if the insurer doesn't sell a suitable product.

TBH, there's no earthly reason why an insurance company should be unable to sell PLI for a fixed period of time. Plenty of people buy holiday insurance just for the duration of their holiday, not for the whole year. So why not PLI just for the period a CM knows s/he'll be working? In fact, insurers must be doing fixed period policies, as one-off events like craft fairs and public shows/open days frequently need to have PLI.

Or look at it this way. I don't think I'd have many clients if I made all my parents pay for a whole year's childcare and refused any sort of refund if they gave notice after a month or 2.

[lucyD]

Oh bum! Never realised I needed it still if I was taking a break from minding. Not sure if I will continue to do it after but best to keep my options open. I guess if I don't & Ofsted check they can cancel my reg' but I could I suppose then apply again but then there is cost involved so may as well just get it. I am with ncma so I may knock that on the head and just go for mm insurance as will be cheaper. Thanks ladies. Think I would be better off on benefits, sad but true!!

[Tazmin68]

I wish someone could advise Mr A of this requirement as on the tax threads he is saying that it is not a requirement to have pli insurance while a minder is taking a break such as maternity leave!,

[bunyip]

I wish someone could advise Mr A of this requirement as on the tax threads he is saying that it is not a requirement to have pli insurance while a minder is taking a break such as maternity leave!,

EYFS Statutory Framework states:

3.62 Providers must carry public liability insurance.

I suppose the key question is: are you defined as a "provider" whilst not having any children in your care (eg. maternity leave or other break) ?

I don't know the answer. As usual, I can see both sides and not decide which is right.

On the one hand, you are a provider cos you have a reg certificate which expressly describes you as a "registered provider".

OTOH, you are not a provider cos you're not providing childcare during a break/maternity leave.

Hmmm.......