Childminders Club: Updating Policies

[HellyBelly]

Morning!

I'm in the process of making some slight changes to my policies etc. as I've learnt a lot since I started minding and came on mumsnet! I thought this was the ideal time to get them how I want them ready for any new interviews I may have.

My only concern is I still have 1 mindee left and their parents signed the contract based on the old policies etc. I'm very sure these changes won't bother them but what do you do when you do updates? I presume you need a signature from parents to say they are happy with the changes?

As it happens, I'm just about to do a new contract for this mindee for another reason so can I just tie these in together or do I still need something extra from the parents to say they are happy with the changes?

Thanks

bump

What are you changing? Will be changing mine now that i am getting experiance in how the parents try and fiddle it their way !

hehe , bits about payment, being late etc. but also tweeks to things like food, sickness, the fact I'm only taking the younger children now etc etc. Several bits actually but only small bits in each section.

Someone must have done this before?

When have you next got a review with the parents? I would change them in time for that.

There's a whole new contract that needs signing for current mindee so I thought maybe I could tell them of the changes for that and make sure we're all happy?? Just wanted to check that sounded ok first!

bump again

If you have changed the policies before the new contract is signed, you make a meeting and explain that

HB:now I do things this way.......
Do you have any problems with this?

Parents:that seems ok to me

Sign contract

If parents don't agree - discuss it to find out why, then put forward your argument

Are you putting fees up helly? I would give parents a letter well in advance of a contract review if thats what you're doing. For anything else ie late payment charges,food etc i would only show parents at contract review and give them a copy of new paperwork.Why are you changing things? Have parents taken advantage at all?

I did mention to the mum that I'd be adding bits to the contract so she's expecting that already (I will do as you do Katymac! ). It's the actual policies I'm also tweeking i.e. slight changes to meals (they are not fussed), activities, adding certain bits I'd never thought of before - nothing too major! One example being I'm stopping the school runs and will only be taking children aged 0 - 5 (will do nursery class runs still)

So far, my contracts have been signed after they have said they are happy with my policies, but the actual policies aren't signed anywhere saying they are happy. Is this right or should something been signed confirming they are happy with my policies???

agalch - no, I'm not putting fees up. Would never do that without giving lots of notice. I think it will be a while til I do that as I've only been minding since start of July! As for payment, yes, unfortunately I have been messed about already (I'm an obvious soft touch!!) so I'm adding bits to cover my back!

I'm not really worried about the extra bits on the contract as I know the mum will be fine, it's the changes to my policies I'm not so sure about.

I presume that if I had no mindees, I could change these whenever I want???

I just want to get them 100% how I want them for all future contracts. I also want all the changes shown on my website asap as I'm advertising and don't want parents seeing one thing on my site and get confused when they meet me iyswim.

Did all that make sense??? (sorry, got a headache this morning - really need to clean my glasses and use them!)

p.s. I'm fairly sure I will have more questions once I start reviewing them properly - reckon I'll need to start a new thread for that

It's taken me 10 years to get to the stage where i feel reasonably happy with my policies and procedures and i still tweek them on occasions. I have found tho even when you have a written policy and get parents to sign some of them will still take advantage.for example,do sick children policy and say kids with diahorrea or vomiting must be kept at home,parent says of course,signs policy and 2 weeks later brings child hands over and casually mentions child has been sick through night but is fine now!!!?? I really will explode one day

Oh yeah.....the D & V thing is something that annoys me too - I lost around £200 recently for 2 days off (was 5 children and school hols) sick because someone bought their poorly child but made out they were ok. I got really ill and didn't want the other children getting it (in my policies).

I will now make sure this is highlighted even more when doing any further interviews!!!

Nobody ever seems to read my policies I give it to them at the meeting to have a look at and they don't and I give them a copy to take home and I'm sure they just throw them away. I spent ages on mine and was gutted when the first parent I interviewed didn't read them and then said she didn't want one to take home

Karen 23 - I have experienced the same sort of thing so now I only give out my policies once a contract has been signed - it can work out quite expensive!