Cms - I've converted to MORTON MICHEL CONTRACTS - advice please..........

[looneytune]

Hi all

Thanks to ds2 throwing up lots yesterday, I'm closed for 48 hours and now he's better, I'm making the most of the time by sorting urgent admin out. I've got 5 new starters so far for September and decided that now was a good time to switch to using MM contracts, they arrived yesterday :). After over 7 years of using NCMA, I found it a bit 'OMG' to start with but I can see that a lot of it removes the need for certain permission forms so that's good. I've got to go through mine again and see if I'm happy with just the MM bit or of mine are more detailed. Anyway, that aside, there are a few extra bits to fill in which I need to make some decisions on. These are the bits I'm undecided on and wondered if any of your lovely CMs would share with me what you put:

1. ........If you want me to change the times that I look after your child you must give me ___ days notice (page 1, top left)

2. I will give you at least _ days notice of any holiday.......(page 1, mid right)

3. You must tell me if your child has been ill in any hour period before I look after them (page 2, bottom left)

4. If your child's behaviour is, or becomes, such that it affects the care or safety of the other children that I mind, i may cancel this contract. I will give you days' notice in writing........(page 3, bottom left)

5. Name(s) and address(es) of anyone else who may see your child/children whilst in my care (page 4)

These are my 'thoughts' but am undecided on what to actually write down:

1. If they want new contracted hours then I'd need 4 weeks notice unless I agree sooner. If they mean one off changes then I'm happy to agree the day before if I'm happy with what they're asking.

2. Thinking of putting 28 days although they know that I actually provide dates by the end of the year for the whole of the next year.

3. Not sure what to put? 24/48 hours?

4. I'd normally say 28 days but it depends on the behaviour i.e. dangerous? What do you put?

5. Not quite sure what this bit means?

If you can help with any of this, I'd much appreciate it so I can decide what I'm going to put (had banging headache for 2 days which is not helping me!)

TIA x

1 - 4 sounds fine and is pretty much what i put in mine.

5 - from a safeguarding point of view the parent should give you details of people allowed to see the child in case of safeguarding issues (obv you'll know that!) If there are no court orders / parents don't want anyone banned then I just put see additional list of those not allowed if applicable.

HTH

Just to add that I used MM for the 10 yrs I had my nursery. Each year I got other quotes + every time they were best + better cover.

All yr points seem fine to me, but don't hesitate to ring MM if u need clarification they were always v helpful!

Thanks to both of you. Totally get about point 5 now, thanks :)

About point 4 - would anyone share with me what they put for the number of days? I.e. if you had someone who became a real risk, would you have a shorter time or would that just be classed as breach of contract anyway as we do have our policies and procedures as that would come under that!

Sorry, just double checked and I put 14 days unless there is a risk to the other child(ren) or a serious safeguarding issue, then the contract is terminated with immediate effect.

Thanks, much appreciated! :)

My NCMA contracts refer to immediate termination in the event of a child being a risk to others or whatever so I think you're fine with no notice there.

Maybe put 48 hrs for illness, to cover D&V. Other than that 4 weeks sounds good to me. Not sure about the dangerous behaviour. I would probably want to cancel immediately if it was really bad, but you can do that during settling inanyway. For a more long term child , hopefully you'll have more time to work with the family.

Thanks again.

HSMM - that's what I've written (48 hours) for the very reason you stated and as really bad behaviour would still be covered through my T&Cs, I'm going to stick to 4 weeks notice I think.