Work Placements - DfES Guidance 'Safeguarding Children in Education'

As you will be aware, the above guidance was released by the DfES in September 2004. Specific guidance in Annex A applies to Work Placements.

Key issues which may arise from implementation:

Recommendations in paragraphs 6 and 7 clearly apply to Work Related Learning rather than to Work Experience. As most students on Work Related Learning placements meet at least 1 of the 7 criteria, Norfolk LEA and the Employer's Service within Connexions Norfolk consider it important to ensure that a structured, consistent approach to CRB checks on supervisors within the workplace is introduced.

Where schools request Connexions find a placement, then the staff in the Employer Services Unit Connexions will inform employers of the necessity for CRB checks on named supervisors. With the agreement of the supervisor concerned, CRB forms will be completed and sent to County Hall for processing. Once checks have been completed, Connexions will notify the employer and the placement accepted or rejected.

Where schools make the decision to find placements, schools will be responsible for the process of ensuring that satisfactory CRB checks are completed on work place supervisors.

DfES guidance refers to the need for the placement organiser to ensure that supervisors are made aware of Child Protection issues. It will be necessary for school staff involved in securing placements as placement organisers, to undergo Child Protection training for which the Area Child Protection Committee will make a modest per capita charge.

The Employer Services Unit of Connexions intends to train its staff in Child Protection and so be able to implement the changes as soon as possible.

It is not likely that there will be other hidden costs as work place supervisors will be classed as 'volunteers' which will result in CRB checks being undertaken free of charge.

Timescales:

Finding suitable placements may take several weeks. A further 3 to 4 weeks may be needed for the processing of CRB checks. At the end of 2 months, it is possible that the placement may not go ahead if the CRB check is unfavourable. Many employers will accept the need for these safeguards but a small number of placements may be lost as a result of CRB checking.

Attached is a flow chart which schools who intend to do their own checks may find helpful. If you need more information or to discuss this further, please contact Sheila Owens (tel: 01493 845400).

Fred Corbett	Sheila Owens
Assistant Director of Education	Employer Service Unit
Head of Service (Advisory Services)	Connexions Norfolk

This is the procedure suggested for schools which obtain placements directly, otherwise the Employer Services Unit, Connexions would carry out these steps on behalf of schools which purchase the service

Safeguarding Children : Work Experience for under 18s Supplementary DfES Guidance November 2004