Nursery Insurance

Protection against loss or damage to the assets of your business.

Features and Benefits

‘All Risks’ cover for:

• Buildings, including cover for subsidence.
• Contents and personal possessions, including the personal possessions of nursery children.
• Contract works for repairs, alterations and extensions to existing buildings.
• Fixed and unfixed equipment, including play equipment, external lighting equipment and signs covered in the open, up to £20,000 in total in any one period of insurance.
• Temporary accommodation for resident staff up to £20,000 in any one period of insurance.
• Deterioration of frozen foods up to £5,000 for any one freezer and £20,000 in the aggregate.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• Conditions apply when a building becomes unoccupied, some cover may be reduced.
• Excludes bridges, dams, land, piers, jetties, culverts, excavations and marquees, unless specifically insured.
• It is a condition that you notify us for any alterations or repairs where the contract value exceeds £100,000.
• Theft or personal valuables such as jewellery, precious metals, furs and pedal cycles must involve forced entry/exit to or from a building.
• Excludes storm damage to property in the open.

Protection against your loss of revenue, or unnecessary additional expenditure, following a loss under the property damage section.

Features and benefits

‘All Risks’ cover for:

• Business interruption and reasonable additional expenditure.
• Specified disease, murder, food poisoning or defective sanitation at the premises – up to £250,000.
• Prevention of access.
• Failure of utilities and/or telecommunications.
• Reinstatement of data – up to £25,000.
• Computers – increased cost of working – up to £25,000.
• Hiring of temporary staff following abuse allegation – up to £25,000 in one period of insurance.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• Losses excluded under the property damage section.
• If your business is wound up or carried on by a liquidator or receiver, or is permanently discontinued.

Public Liability and Employers’ Liability cover with a choice of indemnity limits (with a minimum for Employers’ Liability of £10,000,000) and a range of extensions as standard.

Features and benefits

• Cover for the administration of drugs, medicines (prescribed and non-prescribed) and first-aid.
• Overseas personal liability extension covering governors and employees.
• Corporate manslaughter defence costs up to £1,000,000 in any one period of insurance.
• Libel and slander extension up to £100,000 for any one event for unintentional infringements.
• Additional clean-up costs extension up to £1,000,000 in any one period of insurance, for remediation of accidental pollution and contamination which you are ordered to make by a regulatory authority.

Significant exclusions or limitation

• No public liability cover for any claim connected with asbestos or asbestos materials.

Protecting you against loss of your registration certificate, which occurs through no fault of your own.

Features and benefits

• The reduction in value of your interest in the premises or the business, as a result of non-renewal or withdrawal of your registration certificate from causes beyond your control.
• Protection for your loss of revenue whilst your registration is suspended from causes beyond your control.
• Policy limit of £100,000, with higher limits available on request and subject to an additional charge.

Significant exclusions or limitation

Incidents arising out of:

• Any town or county planning, improvement or redevelopment.
• Compulsory purchase or surrender.
• Reduction or redistribution of registration certificates.
• A change in the law.

Protection for legal costs and expenses arising from specified civil and criminal incidents in connection with your business. Standard limit £250,000.

Access to specialist crisis communication and public relations experts in the event of a crisis affecting your business. Standard limit £25,000.

Cover if you or a member of your staff are required to attend an interview under caution by the police, health & safety authority or other body with the power to prosecute. Standard limit £2,500.

Features and benefits

• Employment disputes and compensation awards – defending you in an employment dispute with an employee, ex-employee, prospective employee or trade union acting on their behalf arising from a breach or alleged breach of their contract or service with you and/or statutory rights under employment legislation.
• Tax protection – representation in appeal proceedings with the Inland Revenue in a full or aspect enquiry following your corporation tax self-assessment return and appeal proceedings with HM Customs and Excise in respect of Value Added Tax.
• Property protection – cover for disputes relating to material property which you own and is your responsibility.
• Compliance and regulation – defending you when dealing with the police or Health & Safety Executive or representing you following notice by your registration body to alter, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew your registration. The cover also includes legal advice and/or mediation to resolve issues arising from your opposition to the terms of an improvement action notice or welfare requirements notice.
• Employees’ extra protection – at your request, defending an employee in civil proceedings under legislation for unlawful discrimination, defending an employee as a trustee of a pension fund, or persuing a claim following an event causing an employee bodily injury.
• Contract and debt recovery – cover to negotiate disputes relating to a contract you have entered into with a customer or supplier for the purchase or sale of goods or service where the amount in dispute exceeds £200.
• Crisis communication – access to crisis communication and public relations experts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week following a ‘critical event’ affecting your business. This section will pay up to £25,000 towards the costs of the appointed advisors in helping you to manage the crisis and protect the reputation of your business.
• Legal defence – cover is provided from criminal investigations and/or enquiries or interviews under caution by the police, a health & safety authority or other body with the power to prosecute, where it is suspected that an offence may have been committed.

Please note that this section of cover is provided by ARAG UK plc and is underwritten by HDI Global Speciality SE. ARAG also supply a large library of free legal documents to Pound Gates’ clients. You can find out more here.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• In respect of civil proceedings and criminal prosecution claims, the cover is subject to the case having reasonable prospects of winning or making a successful defence, other than in respect of claims for employee disputes where insurers will take on such claims irrespective of the prospects of success.
• Any costs and expenses incurred before the written acceptance by us or the claims administrator of a claim.
• In respect of compensation awards, you must follow the advice of the legal helpline or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme (ACAS) code of Disciplinary Practice and Procedures in Employment for cover to be effective.
• Redundancy or alleged redundancy or unfair selection for redundancy occurring during the first 180 days of this policy except where equivalent cover was in force up until the start date of this policy.
• Claims caused by your failure to register for Value Added Tax and any investigations by the Special Civil Investigations Office or Special Compliance Office of HM Revenue and Customs.
• Investigations by HM Customs into alleged dishonesty or criminal offences.
• Any claim relating to the settlement under an insurance policy.
• For contract disputes and debt recovery, a claim must be made within 90 days of the money becoming due.
• Under the Crisis Communications section, insurers will only pay costs associated with the ‘critical event’ as defined by the policy.
• Under the Legal Defence section, insurers will not pay legal costs and expenses in excess of £2,500 for representation at an interview under caution.

Protection against your civil liability arising from a negligent act or omission committed by you.

Features and benefits

• Cover for civil liability arising from a negligent act or omission, committed by you.
• Policy limit of £100,000 in the aggregate (higher limits are available for an additional charge).
• Cover for loss of documents, including up to £100,000 for reasonable and necessary costs incurred in the repair, replacement or reconstitution of documents.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• No cover for any claims or circumstances which are known to you at the start of the insurance.

Protection for a claim against a director, officer or employee arising from a wrongful act where the claim is first made against you during the period of insurance.

Features and benefits

• Cover for civil liability arising from a negligent act or omission, committed by a director, officer or employee of the company.
• Policy limit of £25,000 in the aggregate (higher limits are available for an additional charge).
• Cover includes defence costs and expenses and investigation costs and expenses, subject to the policy limit which will be the maximum paid in total during any one period of insurance.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• No cover for any claims or circumstances which are known to you at the start of the insurance.
• Excludes dishonesty of an employee where previously there has been reasonable cause for suspicion of dishonesty by the employee in question.

Protection against loss of money belonging to your business.

Features and benefits

• £5,000 in transit, bank night safe, on the premises during business hours or in a locked safe outside of business hours.
• £500 for all other money.
• Includes Assault cover for injuries arising from robbery or hold-up whilst working for the business – £10,000 for injuries such as death or loss of limbs or eyes.
• Includes fraud and identity theft.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• Escort requirements are in place for transporting cash in excess of £3,000.
• Excludes fraudulent use of credit or debit cards by you or your representatives.
• Identity theft costs must be agreed by insurers in advance.

Cover for accidental bodily injury to you, your permanent employees, governors and volunteers.

Features and benefits

• Cover applies for injury caused or suffered during the course of employment.
• Up to £50,000 for death and capital benefits.
• Up to £500 per week for temporary total disablement.
• Up to £250 per week for temporary partial disablement.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• No cover for travel to a destination which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against before the journey commences.
• Any pre-existing health conditions.
• Sickness, disease or any gradually operating cause.
• Suicide, attempted suicide or deliberate exposure to danger.
• Pregnancy or childbirth.
• Flying, except as a fare-paying passenger.

Protection against losses caused directly by theft, fraud or dishonesty of your employees.

Features and benefits

• Policy limit of £25,000
• Includes cover for pension fund trustees

Significant exclusions or limitations

• Cover is subject to you complying with minimum standards of control in respect of supervision, accounting procedures and checking the security of money or goods.

Breakdown cover for a range of equipment including lifts, boilers and air conditioning systems.

Features and benefits

• Up to £5,000,000 in any one period for all claims.
• Up to £500,000 for any one accident for computer equipment at your premises.
• Up to £5,000 for any one accident to portable computer equipment anywhere in the world.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• Equipment breakdown will not include items which are covered under any maintenance agreement, warranty or guarantee.

Supporting your business and your staff.

Legal and tax advice

• Legal advice available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Tax advice available between 9am and 5pm on weekdays (except bank holidays).

Legal services website

• Free access to hundreds of legal templates allowing you to create your own documents.
• Online guides to help your business with everything from contracts and settlement agreements to leases and health & safety statements.

Legal representation

• If you or a member of staff has been asked to attend a police interview under caution, in relation to a child who has been under your care, we can arrange for a solicitor to represent you.

Redundancy approval

• We can arrange specialist advice if you are planning redundancies (this is a paid-for service).

24-hour crisis communication helpline

• Advice from crisis communication, public relations and media experts in the event of a crisis affecting your business.

24-hour counselling assistance helpline

• Totally confidential service for you and your staff, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Counsellors are available to provide support on any matter that is causing upset or anxiety, from stress to bereavement.

Risk management advice

Risk specialists are on hand between 9am and 5pm weekdays (excluding bank holidays) to advise you on a range of topics including:

• Property protection, security and business continuity planning.
• Health and safety, food safety and environment management.
• Construction safety, fire safety, occupational health, water safety or asbestos.

Emergency glass replacement

• If you suffer glass breakage you can call upon the services of specialist provider, who will affect a rapid repair.

Expert advice and guidance from us

• We are experts in the childcare sector and will be able to provide you with advice and guidance on any issues affecting your business from an insurance or risk management perspective.

For more information on these services and helplines, please visit the Risk Management Support area of this website.

What is it?

Cyber insurance covers the losses relating to damage to, or loss of information from, IT systems and networks.

Why do you need it?

All business these days (nurseries are no exception) rely on information technology (IT) infrastructure to some degree. This reliance can expose you to the risks of business interruption, income loss, damage management and repair, and possibly reputational damage if IT equipment or systems fail or are interrupted.

A UK Government survey estimated that in 2014 81% of large corporations and 60% of small businesses suffered a cyber breach. The average cost of a cyber-security breach is £600k-£1.15m for large businesses and £65k-115k for SMEs.

While existing insurance policies such as commercial property, business interruption or professional indemnity insurance, may provide some elements of cover against cyber risks, businesses are increasingly buying specialised cyber insurance policies to supplement their existing insurance arrangements, particularly if they:

• hold sensitive customer details such as names and addresses or banking information (or in the of nursery settings, a child’s medical history);
• rely heavily on IT systems and websites to conduct their business;
• process payment card information as a matter of course.

What does it cover?

Cyber insurance covers the losses relating to damage to, or loss of information from, IT systems and networks. Policies generally include significant assistance with and management of the incident itself, which can be essential when faced with reputational damage or regulatory enforcement. Generally cyber risks fall into first party and third party risks. Insurance products exist to cover either or both of these types of risk.

First-party insurance covers your business’s own assets. This may include:

• Loss or damage to digital assets such as data or software programmes;
• Business interruption from network downtime;
• Cyber exhortation where third parties threaten to damage or release data if money is not paid to them;
• Customer notification expenses when there is a legal or regulatory requirement to notify them of a security or privacy breach;
• Reputational damage arising from a breach of data that results in loss of intellectual property or customers;
• Theft of money or digital assets through theft of equipment or electronic theft.

Third-party insurance covers the assets of others, typically your customers. This may include:

• Security and privacy breaches, and the investigation, defence costs and civil damages associated with them;
• Multi-media liability, to cover investigation, defence costs and civil damages arising from defamation, breach of privacy or negligence in publication in electronic or print media;
• Loss of third party data, including payment of compensation to customers for denial of access, and failure of software or systems.

As with all classes of insurance cover can vary from one insurer to another, as can policy exclusions. Please give us a call to discuss your specific requirements and we will source the most appropriate solution for you.

Cover for property damage or business interruption following an act of terrorism in Great Britain.

Features and benefits

• Cover for damage to property and business interruptions as insured by the property damage and business interruption sections of the standard policy.

Significant exclusions or limitations

• No cover for losses occasioned by riot, civil commotion, war, invasion, act of foreign enemy hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military or usurped power.

What is it?

If you use motor vehicles for your business you are legally obliged to have motor insurance.

If your employees drive company vehicles it is your responsibility to purchase motor insurance for your entire fleet.

If your employees are using their own private vehicles for work purposes you are not obliged to pay for their motor insurance, but you are required to ensure that they have the minimum cover required by law. Your employees should disclose the fact that they are using their personal vehicles for work purposes to their insurance provider (please note this is different from the normal risk of commuting to/from the ‘usual’ place of work which many insurers now cover as standard). They may be charged an additional premium to amend their cover and your employee may ask you to cover this cost for them as their employer.

If you are operating a minibus or people carrier to transport children between breakfast/after-school clubs and their school you may need a private hire licence, even if you are not charging a specific fee for the service. You should discuss the situation with your local licencing authority as the rules can differ from one area to another.

Whatever your motor insurance requirements we can arrange the appropriate cover for you.

As with all classes of insurance cover can vary from one insurer to another, as can policy exclusions. Please give us a call to discuss your specific requirements and we will source the most appropriate solution for you.