Terms and Conditions

This page provides information about the legal terms and conditions that apply to you and your interactions with SCMA, including when you visit and /or interact with our website, purchase or place an order for our products and services, and any offers or promotions. 

We have divided these Terms and Conditions into different sections as follows. Please ensure you read all sections:

• SCMA Membership

- SCMA Practitioner Insurance (if your current SCMA membership start date is before 1 April 2024)
- SCMA Practitioner Insurance (if your current SCMA membership start date is on or after 1 April 2024)
- Direct Debit Guarantee

• Continuous Professional Learning
• Childminding Induction Support Programme

• Purchasing from SCMA

- Online Purchasing with SCMA
- Offline Purchasing with SCMA 
- Delivery
- Returns and Exchanges to SCMA

• SCMA Complaints Policy and Procedure
• Childminder Search Service
• Membership Discounts and Offers

- Halfords

• Changes to Terms and Conditions 

You must read these terms and conditions carefully. Whenever you interact with SCMA you are confirming that you have read, understood, and agree to our terms and conditions.

SCMA Membership 

SCMA membership can be purchased either online or by calling SCMA Head Office on 01786 445377.  Existing members can renew their membership online (via the Membership Dashboard) or by calling SCMA on 01786 445377. Membership is payable by credit/debit card, or monthly by Direct Debit.

SCMA membership paperwork (including SCMA Practitioner Insurance certificates) will be issued to members following the payment transaction. We recommend members keep their documents safe and secure. Replacement paperwork and/or insurance certificate can be requested at a cost of £7.50. 

If you wish to cancel your SCMA membership, please call us on 01786 445377. 

SCMA membership is non-refundable (unless you wish to cancel your membership purchase during the cooling off period, see below).     

SCMA Membership: Cooling-Off Period
Don’t worry if you change your mind about joining SCMA. Provided that you write to us requesting cancellation of your membership and return all elements of your membership pack (in full) to SCMA Head Office within 14 working days (beginning on the day after you receive your paperwork), we will give you a full refund of the price paid for your membership. 

View our cancellation policy and complete our electronic form. 

Please note that you will be responsible for the cost of returning your membership pack to us.  

If you cancel your SCMA membership you will no longer benefit from our SCMA Practitioner Insurance cover, and/or any other benefits of SCMA membership.

 

SCMA Practitioner Insurance (if your current SCMA membership start date is before 1 April 2024)

All qualifying new and renewing members of SCMA will benefit from being automatically covered under SCMA’s Practitioner Insurance policy while they hold a valid membership.

SCMA Practitioner Insurance is arranged by Morton Michel and underwritten by Covea Insurance PLC. 

By choosing to purchase SCMA membership, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions. This is our standard client agreement upon which we intend to rely.

For your own benefit and protection, you should read these terms carefully before agreeing to them. If you do not understand any point, please call 0300 003 0005 and ask for further information before proceeding with your purchase. If your circumstances change and you are no longer able to adhere to these terms and conditions, you will not be eligible for cover and must inform SCMA immediately by emailing us at information@childminding.org or by phoning 0300 003 0005 to discuss the best way forward. 

Whilst we have worked with the Insurer to provide a level of insurance cover which is appropriate to the general needs of professional childcarers, we do not give you advice as to whether this product is suitable for meeting your specific demands and needs; you must therefore carefully read the policy and other documentation, and particularly the section on exclusions and limitations, to determine whether this product is right for you.

It is important that you understand the cover our Practitioner Insurance policy provides. Please read the Policy Summary and the Full Policy Wording. Please also read the Important Notice to Policyholder for SCMA Childcare Practitioners. FAQs

By purchasing membership (including each time you renew your membership), you:

1. confirm that you agree to adhere to SCMA’s Terms and Conditions .
2. that you have discussed any areas of concern with the Morton Michel team on 0300 003 0005 and that you are satisfied that the insurance is suitable for your particular circumstances.
3. confirm that confirm that you will supply mandatory information within 90 days of your application i.e. your registration number (where applicable). 
4. make the following declaration as appropriate for your proposed membership type:
- I am registered as a childminder with the Care Inspectorate 
- Neither I, nor my partner/spouse, have ever been convicted or charged (but not tried only) with a criminal offence arising from injury or threat of injury to any person
5. confirm that the statements and particulars contained in this declaration are true.
6. agree that this declaration together with any other information supplied by you shall form the basis of any contract of insurance effected on the basis of the information you have provided.
7. undertake to notify SCMA of any material change in circumstances or alteration to the facts you have disclosed.

Making a complaint about your SCMA Practitioner Insurance

Morton Michel (MM) aim to provide you with a first-class service. If we have not delivered the service that you expect or you are concerned with the service provided, we would like the opportunity to put things right. If you have a complaint, please contact MM directly to raise your concerns and our complaints procedure will then apply. CLICK HERE to review the complaints procedure.

You may raise your complaint in person or by telephone or in writing using the contact information stated in your insurance documentation or email compliance@mortonmichel.com.

MM will promptly acknowledge your complaint and will try to resolve your complaint at that stage. Where this is not practicable, we will write to you within five working days informing you whether further investigation is necessary. If the complaint has not been resolved within four weeks of receipt, we will write to you with an update.

If following our investigation and response to you, you are not satisfied with the outcome or we do not complete our investigation within eight weeks, you may be eligible to contact the Financial Ombudsman Services (FOS). If so, details of this will be provided to you in our response.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), free of charge – but you must do so within six months of the date of our final response letter. If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances, for example if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

Their contact details are shown below, and we will include a copy of the FOS leaflet with our final response letter.

Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
Harbour Exchange Square
London
E14 9SR
Tel: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

SCMA Practitioner Insurance (if your current SCMA membership start date is on or after 1 April 2024)

All qualifying new and renewing members of SCMA will benefit from being automatically covered under SCMA’s Practitioner Insurance policy while they hold a valid membership.

SCMA Practitioner Insurance is arranged and administered by Morton Michel and underwritten by QBE UK Limited. 

By choosing to purchase SCMA membership, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions. This is our standard client agreement upon which we intend to rely.

For your own benefit and protection, you should read these terms carefully before agreeing to them. If you do not understand any point, please call 01786 445377 and ask for further information and we will put you in contact with our insurance partner Morton Michel before proceeding with your purchase.  If your circumstances change and you are no longer able to adhere to these terms and conditions, you will not be eligible for cover and must inform SCMA immediately by emailing information@childminding.org or by phoning 01786 445377 so we can put you in contact with our insurance partner Morton Michel to find the best way forward.

Whilst we have worked with our insurance provider Morton Michel to provide a level of insurance cover which is appropriate to the general needs of professional childcarers, we do not give you advice as to whether this product is suitable for meeting your specific demands and needs; you must therefore carefully read the policy and other documentation, and particularly the section on exclusions and limitations, to determine whether this product is right for you.

It is important that you understand the cover our Practitioner Insurance policy provides. Please read the Policy Summary and the Full Policy Wording. Please also read the Important Notice to Policyholder for SCMA Childcare Practitioners. FAQs

By purchasing membership (including each time you renew your membership), you:

By purchasing membership (including each time you renew your membership), you:

1. confirm that you agree to adhere to SCMA’s Terms and Conditions .
2. that you have discussed any areas of concern with the Morton Michel team on 0300 003 0005 and that you are satisfied that the insurance is suitable for your particular circumstances.
3. confirm that confirm that you will supply mandatory information within 90 days of your application i.e. your registration number (where applicable). 
4. make the following declaration as appropriate for your proposed membership type:
- I am registered as a childminder with the Care Inspectorate 
- Neither I, nor my partner/spouse, have ever been convicted or charged (but not tried only) with a criminal offence arising from injury or threat of injury to any person
5. confirm that the statements and particulars contained in this declaration are true.
6.  agree that this declaration together with any other information supplied by you shall form the basis of any contract of insurance effected on the basis of the information you have provided.
7. undertake to notify SCMA of any material change in circumstances or alteration to the facts you have disclosed.

Making a complaint about your SCMA Practitioner Insurance

Morton Michel (MM) aim to provide you with a first-class service. If we have not delivered the service that you expect or you are concerned with the service provided, we would like the opportunity to put things right. If you have a complaint, please contact MM directly to raise your concerns and our complaints procedure will then apply. CLICK HERE to review the complaints procedure.

You may raise your complaint in person or by telephone or in writing using the contact information stated in your insurance documentation or email complaints@mortonmichel.com.

MM will promptly acknowledge your complaint and will try to resolve your complaint at that stage. Where this is not practicable, we will write to you within five working days informing you whether further investigation is necessary. If the complaint has not been resolved within four weeks of receipt, we will write to you with an update.

If following our investigation and response to you, you are not satisfied with the outcome or we do not complete our investigation within eight weeks, you may be eligible to contact the Financial Ombudsman Services (FOS). If so, details of this will be provided to you in our response.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), free of charge – but you must do so within six months of the date of our final response letter. If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances, for example if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

Their contact details are shown below, and we will include a copy of the FOS leaflet with our final response letter.

Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
Harbour Exchange Square
London
E14 9SR
Tel: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

The Direct Debit Guarantee

This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instruction to pay Direct Debits.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit the Scottish Childminding Association will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request the Scottish Childminding Association to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the Scottish Childminding Association or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – If you receive a refund, you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the Scottish Childminding Association asks you to.

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

 

Continuous Professional Learning

SCMA members can purchase and arrange Continuous Professional Leaning (CPL) by calling our Learn with SCMA Team on 01786 445377/option 2.  

If you are not a member of SCMA and would like to arrange membership and book learning from SCMA, you can join online by calling SCMA on 01786 445377/option 1. Membership is payable by credit/debit card, or monthly by Direct Debit.

Refunds
SCMA learning is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Deadline for completing an e-Learning course
We allow up to one year from date of allocation to complete an e-Learning course as long as you have current SCMA membership in place.

If you have booked e-Learning with us and you cannot access your course
Please contact the Learn with SCMA team trainingbookings@childminding.org or by calling 01786 445377/option 2 who will look into this issue.
If you forget your login details at any point, simply click the 'Forgotten Password' link on the login page to reset your password.  

Accessing your certificate
When you have successfully completed the course including any related assessments and evaluations, you will automatically be issued with a certificate and the learning hours will be recorded on your SCMA Learning Log.

Intellectual Property
The course material is the intellectual property of SCMA and should not be shared or duplicated. It is intended for your own professional learning and use within your childminding setting.

 

Childminding Induction Support Programme

If you are interested in becoming a childminder and you wish to complete the Childminding Induction Support Programme please refer to the Become a Childminder webpage. Or you can call our Learn with SCMA Team on 01786 445377/option 2 for further information.

Refunds
SCMA learning is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Deadline for completing an e-Learning course
We allow up to one year from date of allocation to complete the Childminding Induction Support Programme e-Learning.

If you have booked e-Learning with us and you cannot access your course
Please contact the Learn with SCMA team trainingbookings@childminding.org or by calling 01786 445377/option 2 who will look into this issue.
If you forget your login details at any point, simply click the 'Forgotten Password' link on the login page to reset your password.  

Accessing your certificate
When you have successfully completed the course, including assessment and evaluation, you will automatically be issued with a certificate and the learning hours will be recorded on your SCMA Learning Log.

Deadline for accessing your SCMA Membership
Once you’ve completed the Childminding Induction Support Programme you will get your first year of SCMA membership for FREE. This will be allocated once you have completed your registration to become a childminder with the Care Inspectorate. We allow up to one year from the date of allocation of your Childminding Induction Support Programme to access your membership.

The course material is the intellectual property of SCMA and should not be shared or duplicated. It is intended for your own professional learning and use within your childminding setting.

Purchasing from SCMA 

Online Purchasing with SCMA

SCMA membership and insurance can be purchased or renewed online, and members can also purchase from our online shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

The childminding.org website (the 'website') is owned and operated by Scottish Childminding Association. All of the goods on this website are offered by Scottish Childminding Association (we/us) which will be the contracting party for any order that you place. 

The following Terms and Conditions of Sale apply to all transactions for the sale of goods on the website. Please read them carefully. They do not affect your statutory rights. We may change these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any changes will take effect on the date they are posted on the website. 

Prices and Promotions
Although we endeavour to ensure that all pricing information on the website is accurate, occasionally an error may occur, and goods may be mispriced. If we discover a pricing error we will, at our discretion, either: contact you and ask you whether you wish to cancel your order or continue with the order at the correct price; or notify you that we have cancelled your order. We will not be obliged to supply goods at the incorrect price.

We reserve the right to adjust prices, offers, goods and specifications of goods on the website at our discretion at any time before (but not after) we accept your order.

All prices on the Scottish Childminding Association website include postage and packaging.

The Scottish Childminding Association can only supply goods to UK residents through the website. Those outside the UK must contact SCMA Head Office on 01786 445377. 

Ordering
When ordering please follow all instructions carefully. You will have an opportunity to check and correct any input errors in your order up until the point at which you submit your order by clicking the ‘confirm order’ button on the checkout page. All orders made by you through the website are subject to acceptance by us. We may choose not to accept your order for any reason and will not be liable to you or to anyone else in those circumstances.

After submitting an order to us we will send you an order acknowledgement email with your order number and details of the goods that you have ordered. Please note this email is an acknowledgement and is not an acceptance of your order.

Any email or other electronic acknowledgement by us of receipt of an order placed by you does not constitute legal acceptance by us of your order. Acceptance of your order and the formation of a contract between us will take place when we send you an email confirming that the goods you have ordered have been despatched to you unless we have notified you that we do not accept your order.

Right to Withdraw Goods
We reserve the right to withdraw any goods from the website at any time. We will not be liable to you or anyone else for withdrawing any goods from the website.

Payment
Payment can be made by most major credit or debit cards in accordance with the payment methods section. Payment will be debited from your account upon or shortly before despatch of the goods to you.

You confirm that the credit/debit card that is being used is yours. All credit/debit card holders are subject to validation checks and authorisation by the card issuer. If the issuer of your card refuses to authorise payment, we will not accept your order and we will not be liable for any delay or non-delivery, and we are not obliged to inform you of the reason for the refusal.

We are not responsible for your card issuer or bank charging you as a result of our processing of your credit/debit card payment in accordance with your order.

Delivery and Risk 
We despatch items ordered by you as they are available using the method of delivery specified in the delivery section (see below). All prices on the Scottish Childminding Association website include postage and packaging.

We are only able to deliver to addresses in the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. Orders will be sent to the delivery address that you have registered with SCMA at the time of placing your order. We cannot be held responsible if this delivery address is incorrect. If you wish to change the delivery address prior to submitting your order you may do so by contacting SCMA on 01786 445377.

We will use our reasonable endeavours to ensure that the estimated delivery times set out in the website are met but we cannot accept any liability for late deliveries which are due to circumstances outside of our reasonable control.

On occasion items may be lost in transit. If this occurs, you must contact SCMA on 01786 445377. Once the goods have been received by you, all risk of damage to, or loss of, the goods shall pass to you. 

Severance
Each provision of these Terms and Conditions of Sale shall be construed separately and independently of each other and the validity of any one part shall not affect the validity of any other part. 

Law
These Terms and Conditions of Sale shall be governed by the laws of Scotland, and you agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts. We are required by law to inform you that sales can be concluded in Scotland only and that no public filing requirements apply.  

Offline Purchasing (by phone) with SCMA 

SCMA members can place orders by phone. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, from 8.30am - 4.30pm. If you require further assistance, please contact SCMA on 01786 445377.

Payment methods
We accept all major credit/debit cards except American Express.

Delivery

All orders are sent the next working day by second class post*. Please allow up to ten working days for delivery. If you have not received your order, please check if the Post Office has your order waiting for collection, otherwise please contact SCMA on 01786 445377.

Clothing orders are sent to the external supplier within one working day of receipt of the order. Clothing orders are dispatched by the external supplier and delivery can take up to three weeks.

*Excludes weekends, bank and public holidays and Christmas and New Year when Head Office is closed.

Returns and Exchanges to SCMA

Business Aid product(s) may be returned for a refund within 14 working days of purchase providing they are in a resaleable condition. Please include details of what you would like to exchange the item(s) for and also include any payment details in the event that there is any price difference. Please also include your SCMA membership number, full name and address details and a contact telephone number along with a note detailing why the item(s) are being returned. 

All SCMA Branded Clothing is non-refundable unless the item is faulty. Clothing item faults or issues should be reported within 24 hours of receipt of order.
Postage and packaging charges for both refunds and exchanges are the responsibility of the customer. If you require further assistance, please contact us on 01786 445377.

 

Complaints Policy and Procedure (effective from August 2021)

Providing a high-quality service to both members and others is considered a priority at Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA).  

We have a duty to provide a prompt and trouble-free service.  All staff are aware that the service we provide is to benefit all those who are interested in childminding.  We also realise that there may be occasions when we do not meet your expectations. When this happens, it is important that we try to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible, and to your satisfaction.

Managing a Complaint
Effective complaint management is important to the successful delivery of our strategic and business objectives. It is especially important to ensure consistent and robust arrangements are established for handling and examining complaints, identifying issues, establishing clear strategies for seeking an appropriate resolution.

The complaints policy and our procedure reflect the commitment to valuing complaints and support the aim to resolve customer dissatisfaction at the earliest opportunity by conducting thorough, impartial and fair examinations of customer complaints so that, where appropriate, we can make evidence-based decisions on the facts of the case.

Complaints give us valuable information we can use to improve customer satisfaction and improve service delivery. Our complaints handling procedure enables us to address a customer’s dissatisfaction and will help to prevent the same problems that led to the complaint from happening again. 

For our staff, complaints provide a first-hand account of the service user’s views and experience and can highlight problems we may otherwise miss. Handled well, complaints can give our customers a form of redress when things go wrong and can also help us continuously improve our services.

Resolving a Complaint
Resolving complaints at the earliest opportunity saves money and creates better customer relations. Sorting complaints out as soon as possible means we can deal with them quickly, so they are less likely to escalate to the next stage of the procedure. 

The complaints policy and operational complaint handling procedure will help us do our job better, improve relationships with our customers and stakeholders. It will help us keep the customer at the heart of the process, while enabling us to better understand how to improve our services by learning from complaints.

This policy is supported by the procedure below:

SCMA Complaints Procedure

If, for any reason you are unhappy with the service received, we have three distinct stages in our complaints procedure to deal with this.  It is an important part of our service to investigate all complaints that are brought to our attention, as quickly as possible.  The three stages designed to deal with any complaint are outlined below.

Stage One: Resolving concerns quickly and informally
If possible, the quickest and easiest way to resolve a complaint is to speak to the person concerned about the issue as soon as it arises.  This gives us an opportunity to address the dissatisfaction, clarify any misunderstanding or to resolve matters of concern quickly and informally.  This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong.  

Please contact us and we will try to resolve your problems straight away:

• emailing us at information@childminding.org
• or calling us on 01786 445377

If we can’t resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why and tell you what you can do next.  We might suggest that you take your complaint to Stage Two.

Stage Two: Making a formal complaint
This deals with complaints that have not been resolved at Stage One and those that require further investigation. At this stage, please tell us: 

• your full name and contact details
• as much as you can about the complaint
• what has gone wrong; and
• what outcome you are seeking.

Please contact Graeme McAlister, Chief Executive of Scottish Childminding Association:

• email graeme.mcalister@childminding.org
• write to Head Office, Argyll Court, Castle Business Park Stirling, FK9 4TY

In summary, this means we will:

• acknowledge that we have received your complaint within three working days
• aim to complete the investigation within 20 working days and in line with our investigation policy and procedures
• let you know if we think there will be a delay and give you the reasons for the delay if possible
• let you know our findings and the outcome of the complaint.

Should you remain unsatisfied with the response given then proceed to Stage Three.

Stage Three: Final stage
Please write stating your complaint, to the Convener of the Scottish Executive Board at the Head Office address detailed above.  Our aim is to provide a satisfactory response.

Policy and Procedures Review
This policy may only be changed or varied with the specific authority of the Leadership Team.

Our Board of Directors will review this policy annually. 

A paper copy of the Complaints Policy is available on request by: 

• emailing us at information@childminding.org
• or calling us on 01786 445377

 

Childminder Search Service

Please note: All childminder profiles published on this website are the responsibility of each individual respective childminder.  SCMA cannot be held responsible for incorrect or misleading information.  SCMA reserves the right to refuse any Childminder Search Service profile from this website.

Childminders operating services in Scotland must be registered with the Care Inspectorate. To verify the status of a childminder in Scotland, visit the Care Inspectorate website at careinspectorate.com.

Membership Discounts and Offers

Halfords 8% off Discount

Login to the Membership Dashboard and go to the ‘Resources, Guidance and Support’ section to download your exclusive 8% off at Halfords discount voucher. Present your valid voucher when purchasing in-store alongside your valid SCMA membership card.  

The valid voucher entitles you to 8% off in-store at Halfords. It cannot be redeemed online. Barcode can be retained and used multiple times. Voucher expires 07.11.2024. Exclusions apply including All Tech items, Dashcams, Sat Navs, Audio and Stereo products, Cycling Tech, Electric Cycles and Scooters, Halfords Autocentres, Mobile Expert and Tyres on The Drive, including all Tyres, Servicing and MOT products. It cannot be used in conjunction with Cycle2Work, Halfords Gift cards or any other voucher, promotion, colleague discount or exchanged for cash. Photocopies will not be accepted. Offer is valid until further notice. This voucher will only be valid when supported by proof of entitlement.(i.e. a valid membership card). Halfords reserve the right to withdraw or change the offer at any time without notice. 

Changes to Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time without notice.

April 2023