Information and Resources

Useful information and resources to support your childminding business

News and updates from NCA

Good news

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have decided not to go ahead with proposals to substantially increase annual registration fees for registered childminders and other childcare providers.
They have today announced that fees for the Early Years Register will only increase by £5 annually until 2010, when the government will review the fee framework again. This means that in 2010 childminders on the Early Years Register will pay £35 rather than the £100 as originally proposed. The current fee levels set for the Ofsted Childcare Register (OCR) for both the compulsory (for those caring for children between 5 and 7 years) and voluntary (childcare that is not required to be registered) parts will remain unchanged.

For full details click NCMA

20/06/08

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04/04/08
Car Insurance Policy

We have heard that some insurance companies are not covering childminders for carrying minded children in their cars even though they have business cover included on their policy. This may apply whether or not you charge separately for mileage. It is very important that you check with your insurance company that you are covered for carrying minded children and that this is written into your policy.

19/09/07
Accidents and Incidents – when to notify your insurance company

We have received several queries from childminders about the circumstances in which accidents to minded children should be reported to their insurance company. Some childminders are concerned that the terms and conditions of their public liability policy seem to indicate that all accidents, even the most minor ones, should be reported.

The advice from NCMA and from Morton Michel is the same. They have both said that to have a claim made against you, you have to be proved to have been negligent. With all accidents, you must record the details in your accident book, tell the parent and obtain the parent’s signature. For the majority of these, there will be no need to notify the insurance company. However, you should report any accident which requires medical intervention or is more serious than the normal bumps and scrapes that children get. If you are at all concerned about whether or not to contact your company, then both NCMA and Morton Michel will be happy to advise. If you are insured through NCMA, their Insurance Liaison Officer is on 020 8290 2430 and if your insurance is with Morton Michel, their enquiry line is 0845 257 0117.


30/08/07 New law regarding smoking
Since 1st July 2007 it has been illegal to smoke in enclosed spaces. The National Childminding Association (NCMA) have put together information about how it affects childminders.
Click on the link below to find out more.
NCMA

18/03/07 New revised Dfes Child Protection Booklet

The Dfes child protection booklet 'What to do if you're worried a child is being abused -Summary ' has been revised.
To get a new copy ring Dfes Publications on 0845 60 222 60 quote reference 04319-2006BKT-EN or download from www.everychildmatters.gov.uk or www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications Search using reference 04319-2006BKT-EN


21/12/06 First Aid
Is your First Aid certificate due to expire?
Ofsted has informed us that if a childminder’s First Aid certificate has expired they will only get an inadequate grading and it will be put down as an action. So make sure you book onto a course in plenty of time.
Details of all approved Paediatric First Aid courses can be found in the Early Years and Childcare Multi-Agency Training Guide.

For more information about preparing for your Ofsted inspection click on the link below

Preparing for your Ofsted inspection

Downloadable resources

The following resources can be downloaded as Adobe PDF files. The resource will open in a new browser window. Large documents will take time to load.

Paper copies can be available on request.