“I was concerned about moving everything to an online system but with Kids Club HQ we've saved hours on invoicing, creating registers and updating children's files. As an additional bonus, I don't need half the storage for all these things any more!”
Amy Fernandes
Sprouts Childcare Ltd

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See how your club could run smoothly with Kids Club HQ.

One of the less exciting parts about running a childcare business is organising after a school club insurance. Although this isn’t as fun as playing with the kids or ordering new play equipment, out of school clubs need insurance should anything go belly up.

At Kids Club HQ, we will go over where to find after school club insurance, who needs insurance and answer some FAQs about the process of purchasing insurance.

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice.

Types Of After School Club Insurance You Need

Basic insurance for after school clubs at school will include public and employer’s liability insurance. You may also wish to ensure your policy covers yourself or your physical assets should these be damaged and need replacing.

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability (PL) insurance covers any accidents or other claims from the public. These might be medical costs, property damage or other costs that occur while you are running your after school club. Although all businesses that work with the public should have PL insurance, this is especially important for childcare providers as kids can be particularly accident-prone, as you are probably aware.

PL covers you if the children hurt themselves while in your care due to incidents where they weren’t being properly attended to or when toys or equipment break upon their use. In these cases, PL will cover the legal costs to go to court and cover any bills associated with a claim from a parent or member of the public.

Employer’s Liability Insurance

Almost all after school care businesses will hire staff or work with volunteers. Therefore, you will need to ensure you are covered with employer’s liability (EL) insurance should anyone working for you (paid or not) make a claim.

In the UK, EL is also a legal requirement. So not only should you seek to pay for EL insurance to cover your own back in case of an accident, but you may receive a huge fine of £2,500 per day without cover!

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance

Otherwise known as D&O insurance, this legal package ensures you are covered should you need to defend yourself, the directors or managers over a discrepancy in how the business is run.

D&O insurance covers legal costs and will pay in the event you lose a case and need to make a settlement.

Trustees’ Insurance

If you run a non-profit organisation, you most likely have a trustee(s) committee to help with overseeing the childcare. As trustees technically hold responsibility for the staff or volunteers they may be liable if something goes wrong.

Similarly to D&O insurance, Trustees’ insurance ensures costs of fighting accusations are covered and settled without putting the trustees’ personal finances at risk.

Contents Insurance

Your after school club will likely own equipment, toys or educational tools. Therefore, you need contents insurance to cover these items in case of damage or theft.

Contents insurance will cover the equipment so you can receive a replacement or repair and continue running your club. Contents insurance can cover things as expensive as electrical equipment or as simple as arts and crafts supplies.

What Might NOT be Included in After School Club Insurance

Not all childcare insurance will cover the same things, and you may wish to seek our other policies to cover these aspects of your business or confirm whether your insurance provider will cover these claims:

  • Vehicle insurance. If you own a minibus to travel from school to the after school care premises or for excursions, or if you offer travel to drop students home, you will also need insurance on the van/car.
  • More extensive contents or equipment cover. If you use expensive or specialist equipment, you may wish to seek more comprehensive cover for these items.
  • Insurance against theft. Not all policies cover theft of goods, so you must check this before it’s too late.
  • Personal property compensation. You may wish to cover the damage to your staff’s clothing or personal items while on duty.

Where to get Insurance

Of course, it’s always worth shopping around for insurance to find the best policy for your needs at the best price.

Here are a few providers you may wish to check out during your research:

FAQ

What kind of risks are associated with running a childcare program?

The most common risks you may need insurance for include injury to the children or your staff.

Even if the injury is an accident, there may be a case for a claim. Insurance can also cover your physical assets from any incident, such as damage to property (although you will need to confirm with your provider what is covered by your insurance plan).

Do staff members or volunteers need their own insurance?

As a volunteer or teacher running an after school club, your insurance should be taken care of by your employer. However, we encourage you to ask your employer to provide you with a copy of their insurance to ensure you are covered should anything untoward happen during your time at work.

Are voluntary workers covered under employers’ liability insurance?

As a charity or non-profit, you may be wondering if you need employer’s liability insurance for your after school club if your staff are not paid. Although it is a little confusing, even if your staff are volunteers, you are still in a position where you need to care for them as if they were paid employees. Therefore, you will need to ensure you are covered by the correct insurance.

Volunteers may be covered by public or employer’s liability, so you will need to consult with your insurance company or broker to find the best insurance to cover you.

How much does after school club insurance cost?

Insurance costs will vary depending on who you choose to open a policy with and what level of insurance you require. However, looking at some options online, you can find affordable policies for as little as £6 a month!

Need Help With Your After School Club Admin?

If you’re tired of dealing with the more admin-heavy side of running your business, you may benefit from using Kids Club HQ.

Our system allows you to organise your business, invoice parents, note the kids’ needs and take bookings at any time of the day. If you’d like to know more or test our system for yourself, contact us or join one of our live demos.