While we hope that any queries can be resolved quickly and amicably between childminders and guardians, sometimes things escalate.
Any disputes should always be discussed with your childminder as the first step. If you wish to speak with us about it, we'll be happy to help facilitate discussion and clarify terms, but please bear in mind that we cannot issue rulings or make decisions on behalf of childminders.
tiney's role
We're a childminder agency, meaning that we handle various administrative processes for our registered childminders, as well as providing training, support, and the use of our app.
We are not party to the childcare agreement, or to any dispute between a childminder and parent.
Please see section 6 of our Terms for further detail.
Childminders who are registered with tiney are self-employed: they each retain control over their own business, including all decisions around invoicing and contracts. They are not employees of tiney.
What we can do
We can clarify points and answer any questions you may have around invoices and contracts.
We can help to facilitate constructive discussion between families and childminders.
We can make invoice amendments and issue refunds if these have been agreed upon by both parties, and confirmed to us by your childminder.
What we can't do
We cannot make changes to your invoices, or issue refunds, without the consent of your childminder.
We cannot make decisions on behalf of your childminder. This includes contract termination.
We cannot issue rulings about financial disputes.
Notice periods and termination of contract
After the 14-day cooling-off period, tiney's contracts have a standard notice period: this is usually 30 days in contracts for regularly scheduled care, and 7 days in contracts for ad-hoc care.
This means that if either party gives notice to end the contract, all care scheduled in that period must be paid for.
While a childminder may choose to waive or reduce this notice period in certain circumstances, this will always be at their discretion, and tiney cannot make that decision or advise a childminder to do this.
Childminders and parents may terminate their contract as per the terms of their childcare agreement. tiney do not make or authorise these decisions.
Next steps if a resolution has not been reached
If the dispute remains unresolved after discussion between both parties, parents and guardians may wish to seek independent advice, and childminders may choose to contact an insurer for advice and possible claims.
You can find tiney's complaints policy here, including contact details for Ofsted should you wish to escalate.