Childcare Providers and the Search for the Best Protection

With child safety and care never too far from the media and the minds of parents and educators this article looks at what nurseries and schools can do to make sure they get the right protection.

And in particular what they can do to get the right cover and premium looking for business insurance for their nursery or school.

In part 1 of this post we looked at 2 secrets that childcare providers could use to make sure they got the right insurance at the right price and in part 2 we look at 2 final tips to making sure they get the protection and peace of mind they need without paying too much for it.

Secret number 3 nurseries, schools and other childcare providers can use to get the best protection is ask questions. So many people ring around looking for Nursery insurance, Pre-School Insurance or Kindergarten Insurance and spend the entire conversation answering questions. The third secret is therefore ask questions to find out if the insurance broker or insurance company you are speaking to provides not only the right cover and premiums but also the right level of customer service and support.

Types of question you might want to ask include, if you suffer a loss and need to claim what will they do to help? Will they just give you a telephone number and leave you to deal with it on your own or will they help you so you claim is dealt with quickly and your claim is settled quickly and favourably? You might also want to find out if the insurance provider is experienced or specialises in nursery insurance or school insurance. You can do this by asking how long they have been trading and if they are an insurance broker, which insurance companies do they use. Finally, if they are insurance brokers you may want to find out if they are independent. That is, do they have access to different types of insurance policies and insurance companies or are they tied into using just one? And if they have access to just one, is this right for your school or nursery?

By getting answers to these types of questions you can then a make a decision on whether you would like to deal with them (and whether you trust them to act on your behalf.)

The final secret to making sure you get the best from your insurance provider is another which Nurseries, Pre-Schools or Kindergartens who are focusing just on price may neglect.

Nurseries, Pre-Schools and Kindergartens who make the decision on where to place their insurance on price alone should bear in mind that the cheapest premium is not always the best.

Whilst getting a low nursery business insurance or school business insurance premium is one of the most important things to look for, a really cheap premium without a combination of other factors is probably cheap for a reason. Things you may want to know about the insurance provider as well as their ability to get a cheap premium include, are they local? Are they friendly and approachable (we all like to do business with people and businesses we trust and like). Which insurance company will your be insured with? Have you heard of them? What is the excess or deductible? Making sure you know the excess and that it is affordable in case you do suffer a loss is vital.

A couple of other things you want to know and look for are do they have a good reputation and do they communicate the benefits of their products and service to you in a way you understand.

If you follow these 2 simple secrets as well as the 2 in part 1 of this article there is every chance your experience when dealing with Insurance for your Nursery, School or Kindergarten will improve. And whilst Insurance is unlikely to become your number 1 hobby there is every chance the cover you get will be what you want, the premiums you pay will be less than your nursery or school has paid previously and the service you receive will be one you would be happy in giving and one you would be happy to recommend.

There is nothing more important than making sure our children are protected at all times so good luck in your search for the best protection for your nursery or school.

Protecting Our Children Doesn't Have To Cost The Earth

What is the most important thing in your life? This could very well be different depending on where you live, your age and your personal circumstances but if you are a parent then the safety and welfare of your children is likely to be at the very top of your list.

This post looks at what nurseries and schools can do to protect our children without it costing the Earth.

When you drop your children off at nursery, kindergarten or school in the morning you are very much reliant on the teachers, staff and establishment making sure they a safe and protected until you pick them up at home time. The good news for parents and children alike is that the vast majority of nurseries and schools do in excellent job in making sure health and safety is paramount to them. And by performing such risk management tasks the chances of accidents occurring are reduced as can their nursery insurance and school insurance premiums.

Part 1 of this post looks at 2 other secrets that nurseries and schools can use to reduce their premiums with a further 2 secrets covered in part 2.

With literally thousands of insurance companies, insurance brokers and providers, nurseries, schools and other childcare providers are faced with a massive choice. So faced with decisions at every turn finding the right insurance cover is sometimes difficult.

This post will therefore give you some free advice that insurance providers rarely share with their customers. These few steps could help you find the cover that is best for you at the right premium and with the best service.

The first secret to making sure you get the nursery insurance and school insurance cover at the right premium is perhaps the one that most people will find hardest to believe but it really works.

When ringing around for nursery insurance quotes the chances are you will be asked what is your current premium or what is the best price you have had elsewhere.

The mistake most people make when asked this question is to not tell the person asking the question. However if you are asked the best price you have had, tell them.

Most people assume that by telling an insurance broker or insurance company your premium you are at a disadvantage. The truth is the opposite is true. Let me explain.

If you tell a good insurance provider the premium you have elsewhere they should have a good idea straight away whether the premium is too expensive, too cheap or about right. And knowing this information they can give you an immediate indication if they can get a lower premium for you. If the insurance broker or insurance company know they will not be able to help you they can tell you and save you time.

Another reason you should give them your premium is because most insurance companies will not give you the best price unless they have a premium to beat. Let me say that again, if you do not give your insurance broker or insurance company a price to beat, there is every chance you will not get the best premium. However, if you do tell them, they can often use this information when dealing with the insurance company which can ultimately save you money.

One final tip on this matter is, do not be tempted to make up a premium. For example, Mrs Buzz is looking for a Nursery Insurance quote and she has a best price of £2000.00. She wants to save some money so when asked the question of what is the best price you have had so far she decides to go in low at £1000.00. By Mrs Buzz doing this most companies will know the price seems low and because of this many will not provide a quote because they know they will not be competitive. However, had Mrs Buzz been honest and said £2000.00 there is every chance she could have saved some money on her nursery insurance.

Therefore Secret Number 1 when looking for nursery business insurance, school insurance or indeed any type of business insurance is be totally honest. Give it a go...it really works.

Secret number 2 is common sense but so many Nurseries and school fail to make sure it happens because they are focusing on the premium. Tip number 2 to ensure you get the right cover is therefore to use an insurance broker or company who has an understanding of your requirements.

You can often establish this by listening to what, how and how many questions they ask you. And how they react to what you are saying. If they enter into a conversation about your nursery or school it is very likely to be because the more information they have about your premises and needs, the better cover, premium and service they can provide you.

If the conversation is very scripted and they fail to understand what you are looking for or do not ask the type of questions you would expect there is every chance it is because they do not really understand what your school or nursery needs. If this is the case you risk not getting the right cover and ultimately not being correctly insured.

These first 2 secrets alone could save you time and save you money on your nursery insurance and school insurance premiums. And yet in part 2 of this article we will also give you 2 further ways in which you make sure have cover in place that can protect your children for less.

Northern Counties Insurance Brokers are The UK Leading Nursery Insurance Experts and Nursery Insurance is available from them by visiting http://www.northerncounties.com/nursery-insurance.php

4 Reasons Why Childcare Has To Improve

According to the latest results released by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (or OFSTED) 4% of childminders, nurseries and creche facilities were deemed as inadequate for inspections carried out between April 2006 and March 2007.

The good news of course is that 96% of childcare providers inspected were deemed as adequate or better with 3% rated as outstanding, 54% good and 39% satisfactory.

However for the 4% of childcare providers in the Getting on Well: Enjoying, Achieving and Contributing report who were judged to provide inadequate childcare some of the reasons citied for their rating included:

1. Insufficient range of toys and activities, so that children wander aimlessly

2. Adults with lack of knowledge of how to guide children's learning

3. Lack of regular observation

4. Lack of opportunities to engage children's interest

5. Poorly-organised environment

Another piece of good news from the report seems to be that once a childcare facility has been rated as inadequate steps are often put in place to bring it up to a satisfactory standard. This is highlighted by the fact that inspectors returned to almost 300 childcare providers who were previously deemed as unsatisfactory and upon re-inspection 85% of these had improved.

Clearly however the bad news is that 4% is 4% too many when it comes to inadequate childcare and therefore OFSTED, the Government and Childcare providers are working together to make sure standards improve.

The fact is most childcare facilities are run extremely well with hard working, dedicated and totally professional staff who love what they do and are good at their job. For the 4% of nurseries, childminders and crèches who remain unsatisfactory lessons could certainly be learnt from the vast majority who do such an excellent job in educating and looking after our children.

And for the good of our society as a whole it is imperative that standards amongst carers and educators of children continue to improve. This is because research shows that there is in many cases a direct link between high quality early years learning and care and improved intellectual, social and behavioural development in the future.

Mark Burdett, Marketing Manager of The UK Nursery Insurance Brokers Northern Counties had this to say about OFSTED’s latest results, “We provide Nursery Business Insurance and other types of Business Insurance to many different types of childcare providers and what strikes me most is how hard people in the childcare industry actually work. It is clear that if 4% of childcare providers aren’t meeting certain standards then improvements will need to be made but I don’t think the vast majority of parents should feel the need to unduly worry as the childcare facilities in the UK are amongst, if not the, best in the world.”

Mark went on to add, “Northern Counties provide protection and peace of mind in the form of Nursery Insurance and I know the vast majority of childcare providers are also doing all they can to make sure the children in their care are happy, safe and develop in the right way.”

Is it worth risking it all for cheap insurance?

Picture the scene, you wake up early one morning with the sound of the wind blowing and rainfall bashing against you bedroom window. You ease yourself out of bed, walk down your stairs and are faced with your home under 6 feet of flood water.

And so begins the long and distressing process of recovering from flood damage. And imagine your shock and horror when you call your insurance company only to be told you don’t have the cover you thought and your claim is rejected!

This horrific scenario whilst uncommon could well be on the increase as home and business owners seek the cheapest possible insurance premiums without first looking into the cover they actually provide.

Mark Burdett, Marketing Manager of Gateshead based Northern Counties Insurance Brokers had this to say, “The recent flooding many parts of the UK has seen is likely to have an adverse affect on insurance premiums with insurance companies like Norwich Union already announcing price increases. One of the problems with increased insurance premiums is that people will naturally look to cut costs by shopping around for the best deal. The potential downside to this is that they then opt for the cheapest premium quoted without actually looking into the cover it provides. And unfortunately this could well result in cover not being in place which may only come to light when a loss occurs and they find out they aren’t covered.”

So with flood claims seemingly on the increase for many home and business owners, Mark suggests people when looking to buy home or business insurance make sure they:


1. Get the cover actually required. For home owners this could mean accidental damage whilst for business owners’ business interruption could be more beneficial. Many of these types of cover are often sold as optional extras so don’t just be tempted with the lowest premium without understanding what it does (and perhaps more importantly) what it doesn’t cover you for.


2. Know what excess they will have to pay in the event of a loss occurring. One of the ways insurance companies can quote lower premiums is by increasing policy excesses. Make sure your policy has an excess you can afford.


3. Ask for advice and help if in any doubt. Insurance Brokers are a great source for this as they can use their experience to find you the right cover, at the right price whilst making sure you, your home and your business are protected


As a victim of flood damage in the past himself, Mark summed up the risks involved in buying the cheapest insurance possible, “Many people see insurance as a grudge purchase and one which only produces a benefit when a claim needs to be made. I was lucky enough to have the right insurance cover in place when my home was flooded and I would urge anyone looking to cut costs on their insurance to make sure they know the potential consequences of buying the cheapest policy.”

Is this the best insurance comparison tool ever?

As modern living becomes ever busier it is little wonder that more and more people are looking to internet comparison sites to find them the best deals on utilities, services and various other types of goods. This article looks at what the insurance industry and specifically business insurance providers are doing (or not) to address this need.

Let’s be totally honest before we look at what could be the best insurance comparison tool ever, people don’t like buying insurance. Yes it is without doubt one of the most essential purchases a business can make (the recent flooding in the UK has once again highlighted this) but it’s hardly an exciting process is it?

You may trawl the internet, fill our numerous forms, make several phone calls and answer the same questions over and over and over again. However this can be long and drawn out process which takes time and costs business owners money.

Therefore why aren’t there business insurance comparison tools on every search engine or insurance website? Well the truth is business insurance is a little more complex than buying a CD as believe it or not getting the cheapest price isn’t necessarily the only thing you want. Yes getting the cheapest premium is of course important as nobody likes to pay over the odds but when it comes to business insurance getting other things like the right cover, an affordable excess (or deductable) and help and advice can be just as important.

So this leads us onto what could indeed be the best comparison tool over for businesses looking for business insurance. This tool has been around for years and for businesses looking to compare different types of insurance it could save them time and money. Ladies and gentleman could in fact the best insurance comparison tool ever be an insurance broker?

Insurance Brokers have been around for years but for businesses who want to compare many different insurance companies and insurance products they could still well be the best tool around. For those insurance brokers who don’t like to be referred to as a tool I’m very sorry but the fact remains they do the same job (plus much more) than any online insurance comparison site.

So if you’re a business owner or someone who is responsible for the purchase of business or commercial insurance for your company you really have 3 options when it comes to buying your insurance. You could go direct to an insurance company who will quote their premium or you could go to an insurance broker who isn’t independent and they will quote you a premium from the one insurance company they deal with.

Alternatively, you could go to an independent insurance broker to help you with your business insurance. Find a good one and they will search the market to help you find the right insurance cover, the right excess and the right premium. Not only this because they are independent and aren’t tied into using just one insurance company, they can often find you more cover for less money.

If you want to compare business insurance why not take advantage of what could the best insurance comparison tool there is?