Childcare Insurance FAQ

Qualifying Childcare.co.uk gold members can now opt-in to receive £10m of free Public Liability Insurance, £10m of free Employers' Liability Insurance, £100,000 of free Professional Indemnity Insurance, Legal Expenses Cover and Loss of Revenue & Suspension Cover as part of their gold membership. This page deals with some of the frequently asked questions about the insurance.

Who can apply for the free public liability insurance?

The free public liability insurance is available to qualifying Childcare.co.uk gold members who have an accepted profile listed in the childminder, nanny, babysitter, private tutor, maternity nurse & nursery nurse categories and who have opted-in to our insurance scheme.

Who is the insurance provided by?

The public liability insurance is underwritten by Markel International Insurance Company Limited.

The legal expenses cover is underwritten, managed and administered by Markel International Insurance Company.

Can you show me some examples of successful claims paid out?

Tens of thousands of childcare professionals have used the Childcare.co.uk insurance scheme. Most people never need to make a claim, but in the event of a serious incident happening, does your insurance really help you?

Read some real-life case studies of actual claims made by Childcare.co.uk members.

Do I need public liability insurance?

All registered childminders are required to have public liability insurance by law. Ofsted registered nannies are also required to have public liability insurance. If you provide any childcare or tutor services in which you come into contact with members of the public then you are likely to need public liability insurance.

I'm a nanny who isn't Ofsted registered - do I still need it?

It is not a legal requirement for nannies to have public liability insurance, if they aren't Ofsted registered, but it is considered good practice and gives peace of mind and reassurance to both the family employing the nanny and protection for the nanny.

Does the insurance cover childcare providers and tutors throughout the UK?

Yes - the public liability insurance covers childcare providers and tutors living in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It also provides cover for childcare activities outside of the UK, but within the European Union, for a temporary period of time (up to 30 consecutive days).

Is Legal Expenses Cover included?

Members of our insurance scheme also receive free Legal Expenses Cover including a 24 hour Legal Advice Helpline. The free legal expenses policy provides legal advice and assistance in a number of civil and criminal legal situations. 

Does the policy include Employers' Liability Insurance?

Yes. The policy provides £10m of Employers' Liability Cover for registered childminders. To benefit from this cover you need to provide us with your HMRC or PAYE Employer Reference Number (ERN). You can enter your ERN via our insurance page. You may be exempt from requiring an ERN if you pay all your staff below the Lower Earning Limit (currently £116 per week) or are located in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man. If you are exempt from requiring an ERN then you must declare you are exempt via our insurance page.

Does the policy include Professional Indemnity Insurance?

The policy provides £100,000 of free Professional Indemnity Insurance for childminders, nannies, maternity nurses, private tutors and nursery nurses.

Does the insurance include cover for childminder employees, assistants or my partner who is also a childminder?

Yes. We also provide free Public Liability Insurance for up to 2 additional care providers working under the direct supervision of the registered childminder policy holder. This means cover is included free for up to two childminder assistants and apprentices. Alternatively, cover is included for up to 2 additional registered childminders working at the same address under the direct supervision of the policy holder at all times.

Can childminding assistants be left in sole charge of children?

In England, Ofsted state that registered childminding assistants can provide sole care of children for up to 2 hours as long as the parents have provided written permission and the assistant has a DBS check and a paediatric first aid certificate.

We provide public liability cover for childminding assistants to provide sole care subject to the above criteria and Ofsted rules being met.

I'm a childminder - can I use my own childminding contracts?

Yes. The policy does not require you to use specific contracts.

How many children am I covered for?

The terms of a childminder's official registration with their regulatory body will dictate how many children they are able to care for at any one time. Children over 8 years old are usually outside the scope of regulated care.

The policy does not specify a limit for the maximum number of children that can be cared for at once. The best way to consider the appropriate amount is to assess how many children over 8 years old the childminder feels they can comfortably supervise at any one time. The limit may vary depending upon the age of the children and other factors.

Childminders must give consideration to the total number of children they are caring for and assess the risks. In the event of a claim, a childminder could be asked to justify to a Court that the number of children in their care during the time of an incident was justifiable.

Does the policy cover babysitting?

If you are a childminder, nanny, maternity nurse or nursery nurse gold member then you are also covered for babysitting - including babysitting in a hotel. Babysitting cover is not currently included for private tutor members.

Does the policy cover trampolines?

No - The insurance underwriters consider trampolining to be a dangerous activity and therefore any liability occurring involving a trampoline is not included in the policy. Some NHS trusts say as much as half of all children’s activities which require a trip to A&E are following a trampoline accident. For this reason we highly recommend that you do not allow any children in your care to use trampolines.

Does the policy cover forest school activities?

Yes, if you are a Level 3 qualified Forest School Leader then cover is included providing that you have undertaken all necessary risk assessments and risk management.

Does this mean I no longer need insurance from elsewhere?

The public liability insurance available to gold members covers the EYFS legal requirements for public liability insurance for Ofsted registered childminders and nannies. If you require Public Liability cover of more than £10m, Employers' LIability of more than £10m or Professional Indemnity Cover of more than £100,000 then you will need to seek alternative cover elsewhere.

What should I do if a parent or family owes me money?

If you are owed money, you should send a Letter Before Action.

Depending upon the specific nature and circumstances of the debt then our Legal Expenses Cover may be able to assist you with legal assistance with a claim. All insurance scheme members get access to free 24 hour legal advice by telephone in any event.

Will I receive a certificate of insurance?

Once you've applied for the public liability insurance you can download and print the policy document as a PDF file from our website. You can also download your 'Proof of Cover' document which will automatically update each month if you remain a gold member. If you have also opted for our Employers' LIablity Insurance then you can download your certificate of insurance. We retain a log of all members who have active cover and you can check your cover status online at anytime by going to www.childcare.co.uk/insurance. 

When does the insurance cover commence?

Once you've submitted the form on our insurance page, you will receive immediate cover and your cover is automatically renewed each month as long as you remain a gold member and continue to qualify.

When does the insurance cover expire?

Cover is continuous whilst you are a gold member and have opted-in to the scheme, however if you cancel your gold membership then your cover will cease from the date of your cancellation.  If you change the category of your Childcare.co.uk profile then your cover will automatically cease and you will be required to opt-in again if you quality for the cover under the your new profile category. Our master insurance policy runs from 1st January to 31st December each year and the terms of the insurance may change from year to year. Please check the current policy for full cover details, terms and conditions.

Where can I read the fully policy wording?

Read the full policy wording for details on any exclusions and information on what is not covered under the policy.

Any Questions?

If you have any queries about the insurance cover please contact Childcare.co.uk in the first instance via our website. We respond to all enquiries the same day.

Do not contact the insurance underwriters directly unless you have a claim or wish to access the legal helpline.