Do i need a contract for emergency i day cover?

[nadmaj]

Hi ya

I've had an enquiry and agreed to childmind for a saturday as emergency cover for 3 children as a one off.

Do i need to use my mortonmichel contract or can i make a one day contract up myself which will also be backed up by mortonmichel.

[hazel2]

if its for just the one day i would not bother with a contract, just get the cash up front, thats if its just for the one day.

hazelx

[sarahnev707]

If you want to be covered by insurance, you need a contract, an emergency treatment form and a list of allergies to eg medication, peanuts etc

To be honest, while I agree with what Hazel is saying in principle, in practice (in today's litigious society) I would never ever work without permissions, contract etc etc I just wouldn't want the risk of anything going wrong

But to answer your original question nadmaj, I would make one up - not use one that costs ££ for one day!

Sarahx

[cheryl1]

Hi Sarah

If you make up your own contract are you still covered by ncma / morton michael insurance ?

Would be far cheaper if we could type our own contracts

cheryl x

[hazel2]

hi sarah just to query your previous reply, athough i had everything else in place , permission forms alergies etc, the parent did not want a contract and when i informed ofsted on my inspection that we didnt have a contract she said that was fine it was up to me as long as i had the permission forms for everything else it was between the parent and myself. it all worked well and i had the child for 5 years until she went to school never had any problems at all, we had a verbal contract and understanding . i know this was probably a one off and i would not advise other cm to do this .

hazelx

[nadmaj]

Hi ya,

Thanks for the advice everyone. I won't bother using mortonmichel contracts just make one up myself following the layout of the mm contracts. I will though get all the permission forms etc signed. I'm not going to be paid cash,i'll be invoicing a company before hand to receive payment - i've rung the company to make sure i get the payment.

[sarahnev707]

Hi Hazel - I think you were very lucky - the amount of people who mind for family and friends that are led a merry dance on payday!

Cheryl - my understanding is that it's ok with Morton Michel, but not with NCMA - the original question was re MM so that's what I answered.... I've always been with MM and always used own contracts - though they'd look startlingly familiar to any MM contract user LOL

Sarahx

[cheryl1]

Thanks for answering that Sarah, i'm with ncma so I will have to stick with their contracts

Do you know if you can be a member of ncma and have insurance from morton michael or is it one or the other ?

Is there much price difference or difference in their plans ?


Cheryl x

[hazel2]

hi Sarah, yes i do agree i was very lucky i wasn't led a merry dance when it came to pay day. they were not friends of mine but came as a recommendation from a friend, thats how i started child minding. a friend asked me to look after her 3 children while she went back to teach. since found out the eldest has adhd and the youngest is autistic so talk about thrown in the deep end. we did not know at the time though. she then asked if i would like to look after her Friends baby and i said" i don't know whether i could cope", but cope i did and my child minding business spiraled. my past occupation was a plain clothes store detective in Kendal's , Manchester, slight difference! so that was just a one off , they had used another cm when they lived down south and said that they didn't have a contract with them either. i would just like to know when it comes to payment why some people don't think we have worked hard and truly deserve payment?

hazelx

[Pauline]

cheryl1 said:

Do you know if you can be a member of ncma and have insurance from morton michael or is it one or the other ?

Yes you can be a NCMA member but have your insurance elsewhere.

As regards contracts - as far as I can remember, without getting the standards out! it currently reads something like "the childminder must have a written agreement with parents"

I'll have a look later to see exactly what it says.

Must dash, 3 kids arriving any sec!

[hazel2]

oh Pauline your right standard 12.1 it does say written agreement with parent, i wonder why my inspector told me that its fine if i didn't have a contract? obviously didn't know her standards! or it would of surely been a recommendation. ( cannot all be perfect) i have course had to check, i try to work to the rules, that why this forum is soooooooooooooooooooo great, you can find out where your going wrong i of course am the first to admit i am not perfect. thanks again Pauline ps it was just a 1 off.

hazelx

[nadmaj]

crikey you are all upto date with your standards and i can't even remember what the first one is arg my memory isn't what it used to be i have baby brains!!!

[rubybubbles]

maybe I'm over reading but surley if it's for Saturday it wouldn't be classes as emergency anyway I was always told emergancy care is for well an emergency!!

I would def get contract done ( although I have the sort term NCMA ones- never used them but Just in case)

I do not mean to offend here but if coving for an emergency thats when you would get hold of the parents to collect the child so really short term contract

;D sorry to waffle thinking outload

[Pauline]

hazel2 said:

oh Pauline your right standard 12.1 it does say written agreement with parent, i wonder why my inspector told me that its fine if i didn't have a contract? obviously didn't know her standards! or it would of surely been a recommendation. ( cannot all be perfect) i have course had to check, i try to work to the rules, that why this forum is soooooooooooooooooooo great, you can find out where your going wrong i of course am the first to admit i am not perfect. thanks again Pauline ps it was just a 1 off.

hazelx

Thanks Hazel saved me having to get them out!

I too was told at my last inspection (nearly 4 years ago for me!) that they were not interested in contracts so it's possibly a new rule since then, so you were probably ok.

My interpretation though would be that a written agreement doesn't necessarily have to be a contract as such, but a written agreement on what care is expected and provided.

xx