form help please.

[lisalou]

Hi i am in the process of compiling all my forms/policies/procedures etc and am nearly there but im stuck and would appriciate some help.

Could anyone give me an example of:
Accident form
Bumped head form
Receipt/bill template
Register
Fire escape plan
?
I kno this is a lot to ask but done all the others and for some reason i dont know where to start on these ones!!

thanks.
lisa
xx

[angeldelight]

Hello Lisa

If you go to this webpage you might find what you are looking for

www.bromleycma.org.uk/policies_and_procedures.html

You can adapt those policies to suit your own setting

If you go to the resource section of the forum ( see top of page ) there are also some things there if you go to the download section .

If you still can not find what you are looking for let us know

Angel xx

[lisalou]

Thats brill thanks, got nearly all of them except accident form and fire escape.

lisa
xx

[angeldelight]

I think there is an accident form on that site ?

There is also a escape plan

www.bromleycma.org.uk/downloads.html

Angel xx

[lisalou]

yep got the escape pla but still cant find accident form, im being thick!!
lisa
xx

[Pauline]

Hi Lisa

When you say an accident form - do you mean for the parent to sign to say that you have informed them of an accident that has happened while the child was in your care?

If so, then it should be covered by your NCMA Registered Childminders' Accident, Incident and Medication Record Book

This would also cover bumped heads.

[lisalou]

what do you mean like a book that you buy from mcna of masters copies for accidents?

lisa
xx

[Pauline]

Sorry I'm assuming that you have got as far as getting your NCMA 'Toolkit' pack.

Have you been to the briefing sessions? They usually have them there, it's a blue carry box full of books, contracts, forms etc. plus your insurance. You usually buy it with your start up grant money (or you can choose Morton Michel which is similar)

In there is a big book full of different pages for permission to give medication, accidents and such like.

If you haven't selected which pack you will have yet then you might be creating unnecessary work for yourself in making accident forms now, as you will get them eventually.

[angeldelight]

I agree with Pauline

I am with NCMA and you do get all the forms you need when you first start out

I do a lot of my own forms now when I run out - not the contracts though

But when you are just starting out it is difficult enough with every thing else without making things harder for yourself

Are you waiting for your registration or are you registered ?

Angel xx

[lisalou]

im not bothereing with the ncma pack cos its expensive and to be honest doing all this is keeping me busy cos i have just gone on maternity leave. Am in process of filling out ofsted forms but im not starting minding till jan so in no hurry.
lisa
xxx

[debratina]

please, please, please get your contracts from ncma or morton mitchell.
you will be protected if parents dont pay.
these companies have legal depts that you can use for free.
its better to be safe than sorry
there are many childminders on this website who have had non payers.

[angeldelight]

I agree with Debra 100%

Like I said to you I am with NCMA and I do a lot of my own paperwork , policies etc etc and permission forms - so you could spend time doing those some good examples on the website I gave you

I would never ever use my own contract - did you know that if you are insured with NCMA and do not use their contract then you would not have a leg to stand on if you had a dispute with a parent.
For example say if one of your parents owe you a months money ( hope that does not happen and hope you read everyones advise about this on here ) but if it did happen and you had your own contract then had to call NCMA for help, they would not be able to help you at all.

Just out of interest who are you going to get insured with ?

When my daughter registered a few years ago she had a grant that was awarded to all the new childminders so what they did was use that towards their first insurance and they got the NCMA pack too.
I know things are different depending where you live but maybe you could find out about this in your area then you would not have to pay out all that money.

Angel xx

[Pauline]

I agree the pack is expensive but if you can buy it with your grant then you would get lots of good information with it.

I'll echo Debra and Angel on the contracts, making your own is a minefield and it is best to have ones that have been legally prepared.

Also, if you make your own it is difficult to get both copies identical, you have to write them out twice and make sure there are no differences, however with NCMA and Morton Michel ones they are self duplicating so no danger of mistakes and it's quicker to do while the parent is there.

Contracts are cheaper from NCMA if you are a member but as far as I'm aware they are the same price for everyone with Morton Michel whether you have their insurance or not. - Correction - I've just checked and they are cheaper if you have your insurance with them.

Going back to the accident forms - if you are making your own it's a good idea to have a body map on it, this helps you to carefully show where the child was injured, you will need a section to describe what happened, any witnesses (who should also sign the form) and a place for you and the parent to sign that the incident has been discussed.

You will also need an Incident Form - for just that, any incidents occurring that should be reported i.e. child says they keep getting headaches. Child A and child B had a fight and there was hair pulling but no obvious signs of injury

You will need a Medication Form - for parents to say what medicine they want you to administer, what time etc. then you sign to say it was given and parent signs to say they have been told.

Child Information Records, detailing allergies, contact details, emergency contact, doctor, health visitor etc.

That should keep you going for a bit!

[lisalou]

Hi Pauline
You wont believe it buti have already done ALL those forms, the only one left to do is an accident form. I have also done a form with a bodygram which covers me in case a child arrives in my care with an injury or bruise. I am currently doing the ICP, and our tutor advised us to do our ow contracts so that you can personalise it. So even is i get insured with ncma, if i dont use their contracts i am not covered by their insurance?! Would u mind if i sent u a copy of the contract that i have drawn up so you can take a look at it?
lisa
xx

[Pauline]

Well done Lisa!!

You would be covered by their insurance but you would not have the back up of their help and legal team in the event of a contractual dispute/going to court etc.

However, I believe that Morton Michel will offer legal support even if you don't use their contracts - I will double check that and get back to you.

I don't mind at all if you want to send a copy of your contract - you can email it to me at:
[e-mail]

Just going for lunch now but will be back later.

[Pauline]

Just found this on-line, it might be useful for anyone thinking of making their own contracts:

"Given the definition of a contract, it should be no surprise that if any aspect of a contract is illegal, the law will regard the contract, or at least that part of it which is illegal, as invalid from the start."

Also here is a site while details the requirements for making a contract legally binding:

www.rurallaw.org.au/handbook/xml/ch06s18s05.php

Personally for all the trouble it will take to ensure it is legally binding I'd go for a MM or NCMA contract.

And just to clarify what I said earlier about Morton Michel still allowing you to use their legal service even if you don't use their contracts, this is what Samantha from Morton Michel says:

you *don't* need to use our contracts etc in order to benefit from our legal expenses/legal helpline cover.

(Obviously you would have to have their insurance to use the legal service)

I think we should add legal work to the list of jobs a childminder does!!

[Pauline]

Hope you don't mind Lisa but I'm going to move this into the 'policies, procedures etc.' section because I think it's a valuable topic that will give great advice to others in the future and it would be a shame for it to be lost if it drops down through the 'chat' section.

[asila]

Hiya Lisa - I use this form and it has body diagrams on it to mark any accident spots on

Hope it is useful for you

www.devon.gov.uk/accidentform.pdf

Lisa