CMs - Thinking of not renewing with NCMA - advice

[lollipopmother]

Hi all,

I am thinking of not renewing with the NCMA, I'm not sure that the money I give them goes very far and I'm sick of having to pay through the nose for their contract pads etc, especially when I'm not sure that their contracts are actually very useful.

What I'd like to know is - is it cheaper to get insurance elsewhere? Are there any benefits of being an NCMA member that I should be aware of if I'm thinking of leaving them? Ultimately the final decision will be down to cost because I am horribly skint.

Many thanks in advance.

£40ish from Morton Michel, excellent policy and service and you can buy all paperwork, contracts etc from them too.

Thanks for that Funnylady - Do you know whether you can write your own contracts if you're with Morton Michel?

I went to MM, after 25 years with NCMA, found better paperwork forms etc.

Cheaper Insurance,

Better emailed contact.

Better emailed magazine.

Wouldnt go back to NCMA. a;though I am on a NCMA Network (and even my NCMA network advisor admitted she had gone to MM)

And yes you can write your own contracts, although I find MM ones fab and cheaper.

Although I do currently retain my membership, I have never used NCMA contracts (or any of their other documentation) in all the years I have been minding. I find their contracts to be lacking in so many areas and have always written my own from day one. Friends of mine with legal training have rated them "inadequate".

Also their things are not cheap - why on earth should they charge so much for them on top of a reasonably high membership fee???

The value of NCMA is slipping fast - I have written to them and told them directly but received a very "holier than thou" response!!!

I too left NCMA last year and went with MM. Millenium I also wrote them a long letter, basically saying I didn't feel they were standing up for the average childminder etc etc, and also received a letter basically saying, sod you, everyone else is really happy with our service . MM have been very efficient, lots of extras, as others have said, I like the contracts they seem much more detailed, and you can still use your own contracts or anyone else's if you wish, whereas NCMA you have to use their contracts.

I have found their staff to be polite and helpful when ordering stuff and very quick responses. I've not had the need to claim as so can't comment on that side of things.

Strangely as Shose mentioned, I was offered a pre-inspection visit from the local NCMA office, and took it as, quite frankly, I'd take any advice to get me through an inspection, and she is trying to get me to join the network and become accredited even though she knows I am not with the NCMA.

I'm definitely moving next year - NCMA is a rip off compared to MM!

Thanks ladies, I think you have twisted my arm - I thought that might happen!