# Insurance for self-employed social workers, social pedagogues and educators in Germany

> Self-employed social workers, social pedagogues and educators in Germany work in family support, individual case work, school assistance or care, often on fees from youth welfare providers. You are in other people's homes, drive clients to appointments and hold sensitive data. Here is which insurance covers which risk, and what the German pension rule means for you.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-social-worker-and-educator.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Am I covered by the youth welfare provider I work for?

As an employee, usually yes, through the provider's liability policy and the BGW. As a freelancer on fees, usually not. You then need your own professional liability that includes supervision, lost keys and work in other people's homes.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No compulsory liability insurance. Self-employed educators without employees subject to social insurance must pay into the statutory pension scheme under section 2 of Social Code Book VI
- **Biggest risk:** Liability for supervision taken on by contract under section 832 of the German Civil Code (BGB), for damage that children in your care cause to others
- **Basic cover from:** about €100 to €250 a year of professional liability for individuals, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW, the Berufsgenossenschaft for health services and welfare, covers providers and their employees
- **Often forgotten:** Lost keys of clients or providers, and damage caused by clients in your own car

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Supervision:** A teenager in your care scratches a parked car. Whoever took on supervision by contract is liable under section 832 BGB unless supervision was adequate.
- **Home visits:** In family support you work in clients' homes. A knocked over television or a flooded kitchen happen quickly.
- **Lost keys:** Keys to a residential group or client flat go missing, and the locking system has to be replaced.
- **Driving clients:** Trips to authorities and doctors in your own car: accidents, but also damage clients cause in the car.
- **Allegations:** An allegation of neglected supervision or a criminal investigation is stressful even if it turns out to be unfounded.
- **Sensitive data:** Reports for the youth welfare office and care plans on your laptop are highly sensitive data.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 1, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 4, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Covers injury, property and financial damage from your work, including supervision when included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): For freelancers with own premises, group work or staff, often combined with professional liability. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Legal expenses insurance** (Strongly advised): Legal expenses including criminal defence for allegations, investigations and disputes with clients. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-legal-expenses.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Mental strain in social work is high. If you can no longer work, your income stops. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Covers accidents on trips and excursions if you are not covered by statutory accident insurance as a freelancer. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Car insurance** (Depends on the business): If you drive clients in your own car, business use must be in the motor policy. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): Covers laptop and cloud with reports and client data. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

For individuals premiums are moderate. They depend on your work, the people you look after and the limits. Supervising children costs more than pure counselling.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Self-employed social pedagogue in family support, €3 million limit, lost keys included | about €100 to €250 a year |
| Business liability | Small practice with group work and two staff | about €300 to €600 a year |
| Legal expenses insurance | Professional, motoring and criminal legal expenses for the self-employed | about €300 to €550 a year |
| Occupational disability | Social worker aged 35, €1,500 monthly benefit | about €70 to €130 a month |

For comparison: Professional liability for an individual usually costs less a year than two hours of paid casework.

_Guide figures from our own quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026. The sources support the legal statements on this page._

- [Section 832 BGB, liability of persons with a duty of supervision](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__832.html)
- [Section 2 Social Code Book VI, pension duty of the self-employed](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_6/__2.html)
- [BGW: compulsory insurance for self-employed people](https://www.bgw-online.de/bgw-online-de/service/beitrag-leistung/versicherungsschutz/pflichtversicherung-fuer-unternehmerinnen-und-unternehmer-91482)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Casework** (Freelancer in family support or individual case work): Professional indemnity, Legal expenses insurance. Together: about €400 to €800 a year
- **Practice** (Small practice with group work and staff): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Legal expenses insurance, Cyber insurance. Together: about €1,000 to €1,800 a year
- **Protection** (Full time freelancers living from their work): Professional indemnity, Legal expenses insurance, Occupational disability, Accident insurance. Together: about €1,400 to €2,400 a year

## The worst day in family support

Six things that really happen to self-employed social workers, all on one single day. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 08:30: On a home visit you knock the family's television off the cupboard. (€900, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:15: The master key of the residential group is lost and the locking system must be replaced. (€6,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 12:40: A twelve year old in your care scratches a parked car on an outing. (€2,200, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:20: On the way to the youth welfare office you rear end another car, your client is slightly hurt. (€7,000, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 16:50: A parent makes an allegation and an investigation starts. You need a lawyer. (€3,500, Paid by: Legal expenses insurance)
- 21:00: Malware encrypts your laptop with care plans. (€4,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €24,100

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have supervision of minors expressly included in your liability policy.
- Make sure lost keys are covered with a sufficient limit, including locking systems of providers.
- Tell your motor insurer that you drive clients.
- Check your pension duty under section 2 of Social Code Book VI if you work self-employed as an educator.
- Choose legal expenses cover with criminal defence for work related allegations.
- Encrypt laptops holding client data.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We read the wording:** In social work, supervision, keys and home visits decide whether you are covered. We check that your work is fully described.
- **Explained in English:** We explain German policy terms and social insurance rules in plain English.
- **Offers from several insurers:** As brokers we compare wordings and prices and explain the differences.
- **Broking since 1989:** Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker. Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Do I need professional liability as a self-employed social worker?

It is not required by law, but many providers and youth welfare offices ask for it. Whoever takes on supervision is liable under section 832 BGB for damage caused by the people in their care.

### Am I liable if a child in my care damages something?

If you took on supervision by contract and did not supervise adequately, yes. If you can show adequate supervision, you are not liable.

### Do I have to pay into the German state pension?

As a self-employed educator who regularly employs nobody subject to social insurance, yes, under section 2 of Social Code Book VI. Register with the German pension insurance.

### Are lost keys covered?

Not automatically. Many policies include third party keys only up to a limit. For master keys of facilities, the limit should be high enough.

### What does cover cost?

Professional liability for individuals is about €100 to €250 a year in our quoting work. With legal expenses, usually €400 to €800.

### Am I covered when driving clients?

Damage caused by the car falls under motor liability, provided business use is declared. Professional liability does not cover driving.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-social-worker-and-educator.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.