Health and Safety and Insurance Issues - Out of School Hours - Out of School Hours Learning - The London borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Out of School Hours
Health and Safety and Insurance Issues

Given that some study support activities may take place off-site and be conducted by adults other than teachers, here are some guidelines to ensure success and safety.

The DfES publication Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits may also be useful.

Children Off-Site
As with other arrangements for activities off-site, the school should request whether the provider has public liability insurance. Add the event to the LEA's indemnity form if no other cover exists.

As long as the school has approved the visit/event, cover should be through the employer/agency or, at least, the LEA.

Please consult LEA Guidance which can be found on the Schools Intranet under Physical Education and Geography (primary and secondary).

If you have any queries contact Fiona Bevan on 0208 270 4825 or Lesley Montague on 0208 270 4865, if it relates to adventurous activities.

Vetting Staff
Existing Staff: The majority of staff who will have contact with children in out of school hours learning/study support activities are likely to be teachers and others who already work with children.

Checks of the DfES list of persons barred from employment with children (List 99), and where appropriate, criminal record checks, should have been made on those people in respect of their current employment. In those cases there will be no need to repeat these checks.

New Staff: Normal recruitment procedures - i.e. checking the applicant's identity and qualification, and taking up independent references - should be carried out and List 99 should be checked.

In addition, if the person will have substantial unsupervised access to children on a regular basis, the school or LEA should also arrange a criminal record check in accordance with the arrangements set out in DfES Circular 9/93.

Staff of Voluntary and Private Sector Organisations
Study support activities may involve voluntary or private sector organisations. In these circumstances, the school should seek assurance that the body operates appropriate recruitment and selection procedures for staff who will have contact with children.

The school should obtain details of the people who will have regular contact with pupils and arrange checks of DfES's List 99 in respect of those staff to ensure that they are not barred from teaching or other employment with children in schools.

In addition, it should also obtain assurance from the organisation providing the activity that appropriate arrangements will be in place to ensure the safety and welfare of pupils participating in them.

Criminal Record Checks:
In response to widespread concern about the limitations of existing arrangements for criminal record checks, the Home Office has included provisions in Part V of the Police Act 1997 setting out new arrangements for checks.

The provisions in Part V will make criminal record checks available on any person working in a position which involves regular contact with children and young people, whether in a school or other environment.

The Government has established the Criminal Records Bureau, which individuals will be able to approach for one of several levels of check, depending on the degree of contact with children that will be required of the applicant.

Good Practice Guide
The DfES has produce a Good Practice Guide for Health and Safety in Study Support which includes recommended action for Study Support Co-ordinators in Schools and LEAs (Ref: DfES 0197/2000).

The guide includes procedures regarding child protection, cancellation of clubs, access to services, recruitment and staffing issues and use of contracted workers together with forms and files to ensure safe practice.

The Guidance Pack can be obtained free from:
DfES,
P.O. Box 5050,
Sherwood Park,
Nottingham NG15 ODL
Tel: 0845 6022260

or alternatively a copy can be borrowed from the
Out of School Hours Learning Co-ordinator,
1st floor Morline House
160 London Road
Barking IG11 8BB
Tel: 0208 227 5065
Email: vicky.johnston-messore@lbbd.gov.uk |

Go back to Out of School Hours menu |