Management Information Sheet

Following issue of MI Sheets 110/10 and 121/10 we have made some amendments to the new subsidised lettings scheme.

	The new standard scale of lettings charges has been amended to include hire of field
	The hire of swimming pool charges have been amended as follows:

		Swimming pool unheated
		Swimming pool heated - learner
		Swimming pool heated - improver

We have amended the wording relating to the use of kitchen and changing rooms/showers to read:

May include use of ……….. at the discretion of the school

Caretaker We have introduced three different rates of charges reflecting the input of the caretaker to lets

		No caretaker involvement - group leader holds a key - you must let us have details of these situations so that we can ensure that there is no risk to your buildings insurance - see note below
		One visit by Caretaker - for when the caretaker attends to lock up only
		Two visits by Caretaker - for when the caretaker attends to unlock prior to let and lock up following let.

	Star Accounts is being amended to take account of the above as necessary.
	The new standard scale of lettings charges will be published on the Norfolk Schools website in due course.
	Groups have been made aware of the new costs, but they may not realise that they will be paying 85% of the stated amounts. If you are in discussion with them perhaps you could make that clear?

Risk and Insurance Guidance relating to Caretakers and Group Leader Keyholders

One of the areas included in the review of subsidised lettings was the option of having different charging rates; reflecting the input of the caretaker opening up and closing the building.

This does have insurance and risk management implications that any school that lets their premises on a "without caretaker" basis needs to be aware of.

It has been an insurance condition for several years that:

"Any loss arising as a direct result of a premises being left unsecured by a person entrusted to secure those premises, other than an employee of Norfolk County Council acting on the Council's business, or governor of the Insured (the school), or a professional security firm, will be uninsured."

This will cover such incidents as a theft from or vandalism inside the premises where the perpetrator did not have to break in because doors or windows had not been secured. It would also cover an incident where the hirer failed to set the intruder alarm, meaning that a break in would not be detected.

Advice

	The decision to let on a "without caretaker" basis will be down to each individual school after assessing the potential risks they might be exposed to, and understanding the insurance condition above.
	Schools who let on a "without caretaker" basis need to make an assessment of whether the person they are giving the key to is sufficiently competent, reliable and trustworthy that the premises will always be secured after the hire, meaning there is effectively no additional risk.
	Where possible, the hirer's access needs to be restricted to just the part of the premises that they will need to use. Other parts of the school premises should remain secured and alarmed. An example could be sports changing rooms where the rooms have their own accessible external doors and so the rest of the school can remain locked and protected.
	Hirers must not be given intruder alarm codes or key fobs to set and unset alarm systems. It may be that the school intruder alarm can be zoned so that most of the school can remain alarmed while an unalarmed route through an area of low value contents is available for the hirer to access the relevant part of the building. In this instance, internal doors off the unalarmed route need to be locked although consideration must always be given for emergency evacuation routes.
	Consideration also needs to be given to which room or part of the building is used to allow as much as possible of the building to remain alarmed and locked.
	In the event that the only way that the let can go ahead is if the hirer is given access to the intruder alarm system, then a decision should be made to not allow the let.

Any school that has an issue with a "without caretaker" let can obtain further advice from the Risk and Insurance section at County Hall on 01603 224375 or email insurance@norfolk.gov.uk.

All procedures and any related forms are in the process of being updated to take account of all the changes.