How we help Care Home owners

Making sure that you have the right insurance cover in place is vital to safeguard your business should the unexpected happen. But it’s sometimes difficult to know exactly what you need. Getting expert advice on what’s right for your care home is paramount to your future prosperity.

At Barnes Commercial, we specialise in insurance programmes for those in the care and care home sector. We have partnered with market-leading insurers who operate in this sector and provide comprehensive solutions that meet the specific needs of the care home owners, managers and those who provide care services.

We caught up with Head of Insurance, Nick Long and asked him some questions about how we help businesses in the care sector:

Who is Barnes Commercial and what services do you provide for the care sector?

Barnes Commercial is an independent, family-owned commercial insurance broker, helping clients in the care sector to secure the right insurance for their business by offering impartial advice and guidance on how to manage business risk. We have in-depth knowledge of this sector which allows us to support a variety of businesses and organisations including care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care firms, children’s homes, care related charities, and those providing care services.

We can arrange a wide range of insurance covers for care facilities and staff, from standard liabilities, buildings and contents, legal expenses and machinery breakdown, to refrigerated drugs, abuse cover, residents contents, key man cover, medical malpractice (for private work), cyber liability and more. And because we understand the needs of the businesses within the care sector, we can secure industry specific wording and extensions, for complete peace of mind.

We’ll also support clients with risk management advice, and can provide access to an invaluable online e-learning portal for courses in areas such as health & safety, fire safety, personal wellbeing, manual handling and effective risk assessment.

What benefits do your products bring to clients in the care sector that your competitors do not?

It’s how we bring the right insurance covers together in a comprehensive solution with honest and impartial advice and guidance, which differentiates us from our competitors.

We know that some brokers are leaving customers without cover at a moment’s notice, and that renewal terms can be left until just a few days before renewal, a situation we never want our clients to experience. Our approach of managing client relationships means that we try to always be engaged in our clients business activities, because we want to be more than just an insurance broker, we want to be seen as an extension to their management team.

Barnes Commercial clients receive a highly personal service from a broker who has expert knowledge of the care sector. As an independent broker we are not tied in to any one insurer or policy, so our clients can be reassured that our recommendations will be just what is needed to protect their business from commercial risk. We start the insurance review process early, to make sure nothing is missed, to discuss any changes to the business since the last quotation, to check for over or underinsurance on a previous policy, and allow the time to approach our insurer partners for the right solution. Our aim is to make sure that our clients have the right level of insurance at the right premium to protect their business.

We recognise that every care home is unique with its own set of challenges, so by developing a closer relationship we naturally build a trusted partnership – our clients know they can rely on us to help whenever they need us.

We recommend anyone looking for commercial insurance to make sure they give themselves time to work with their broker, to find the best solution for their specific needs. A good broker will want to look at all areas of the business and build an insurance programme that provides robust protection for the business now and also looking to the future.

The cheapest premium might look attractive initially but not actually cover everything adequately and if the worst should happen and you need to make a claim, you could find the cover isn’t as extensive as you need it to be, or there’s no cover at all.

It’s a good idea to carry out an annual insurance review at each renewal. Your circumstances might have changed and insurance covers available may also be different. Keeping in touch with your broker and sharing information helps to build a good relationship, which will make your next renewal even more straightforward. They will understand your needs and will be able to advise of any anticipated changes to the insurance market or legislation changes that may affect future policies, availability of cover and changes to premiums.

We’d welcome the opportunity to carry out a no obligation review of cover levels, even if the renewal date isn’t for a while. Understanding any areas of concern and being prepared for conversations with your broker and insurer will facilitate a smooth renewal process and help to ensure the right level of cover at the right premium.

How do you work with your clients in the care sector?

We look to assess our clients’ needs based on business set up and their specific exposure to risk. We’ll then look at insurance products, which we believe will best protect them from the identified commercial risks associated with their business.

These can include general insurance covers such as public and employers’ liability, buildings and contents insurance and legal expenses cover, to business interruption, key man cover, abuse cover and specific domiciliary care cover. Our specialist insurer partners allow us access to industry specific wordings and extensions that can prove invaluable in a crisis situation.

We deal with our clients on an individual basis, so our recommendations for covers and any specific extensions will be particular to each business’s needs, to help safeguard the future of the care facility should the unexpected happen.

You can find out more about the covers available for the care sector here

What types of organisations can you help in the care sector?

We can help a range of organisations in the care sector including the following:

Care homes, nursing homes, care charities, domiciliary care entities, hospices, alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres, care and day centres, children’s homes, retreats.

We would be pleased to hear from companies regardless of their CQC rating, because we know that change can happen very quickly and are able to consider solutions for all variants of rating.

We can also help healthcare professionals and care workers.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected insurance for the care sector?

There have been external challenges brought about by changes in the availability of insurance as a result of the pandemic. Business interruption insurance and professional indemnity both experienced a rise in claim activity, which inevitably resulted in less cover availability from the insurers and a rise in premiums. But with access to a wide insurer network and by being independent, we have been able to source cover for our clients to ensure they can continue to protect their business from commercial risk.

Changes in insurance availability does happen quite often and is frequently driven by external factors such as the pandemic, economic and/or political factors, the demand for insurance and the number of claims made. Our close client relationships ensure we stay in touch on a regular basis, and this allows us to manage change effectively. Even with a changing insurance landscape, we will still be able to provide a recommendation for insurance that fits with client needs.

Why should we choose Barnes Commercial?

As specialists in the care sector, you can be assured that the advice and guidance we provide will be relevant to your needs. We put you and your business at the heart of everything we do, supporting you with honest advice and providing tailored insurance solutions that will bring complete peace of mind.

From typical buildings and contents insurance, or public liability and employer liability insurance, to key man cover, loss of licence and residents’ effects, we will help you to manage potential risk. We provide freedom from worry, allowing you to focus on running your business and providing an outstanding care service.

Luke Green is one of our commercial brokers who specialises in solutions for companies and organisations in the care sector. His excellent insurer relationships help us to find comprehensive insurance cover for our clients, whatever their situation. His focus is always what is right for the clients’ business and he will explore all avenues to meet their needs. You can reach Luke directly on 01480 278535 or send him an email at luke.green@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk

We really do care about our clients and their businesses. We don’t stand still, but look to strengthen our client relationships by developing our insurance solutions further. By nurturing our insurer partnerships we ensure that we are able to support you with insurance solutions that meet your needs for now and for the future.

If you would like a review of your current levels of cover, please get in touch and we’ll be pleased to assist. Alternatively, if your insurance isn’t due for a while yet, let us know the renewal date and we’ll get in touch nearer the time to make sure you have the right cover in place for your next cover period.

You can contact us on 01480 272727, complete our enquiry form below or send an email to enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk – we’re here to help you protect your business from the risks you face now and those that may arise in the future.