Education Business Partnership South Westwiltshire.learnaboutwork.org/docs/EBP-SW Work Experience...Education Business Partnership-South West provides a service which helps schools

Education Business Partnership – South West

Educational Establishments Guidance for Work Experience

Education Business Partnership-South West part of CSW Group

Document WEX guidelines Version 2 Date April 2015 Review Date April 2016 Page 2 of 28

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 What is Work Experience? .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Block work experience .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Extended work experience ................................................................................................................................... 4

Legal Background ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Education Act ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Safeguarding ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Insurances ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Crown Indemnities ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Local Education Authority ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Educational Establishments ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Educational Establishment Staff ............................................................................................................................... 5 Parents and/or Carers .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Students .................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Placement Providers................................................................................................................................................. 6 Education Business Partnership-South West ........................................................................................................... 6

Operational Support.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Step By Step Support To Running a Work Experience Programme ......................................................................... 7 Placement Approval Process .................................................................................................................................... 9 Preparing a Student for Work Experience ................................................................................................................ 9 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Monitoring: Recommended Practice – Block Work Experience ......................................................................... 10 Monitoring: Recommended Practice – Extended Work Experience .................................................................. 10

Accident and Incident Reporting ............................................................................................................................ 10 De-briefing Students after Work Experience ......................................................................................................... 10

Frequently Asked Questions ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Why do we have to undertake duty of care checks on work experience placements? ......................................... 11 Do all employers have to hold Employers’ Liability Insurance or equivalent? ...................................................... 11 Are all the employers on the database available to be used for work experience? .............................................. 11 Can an educational establishment use parental disclaimers to allow students to go to unapproved placements? ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Does Education Business Partnership-South West work with placements outside of the UK? ............................ 11 How many hours can a pre-16 learner do on work experience? ........................................................................... 12 Can students that have been excluded from education undertake work experience? ......................................... 12 When is a DBS check required? .............................................................................................................................. 12 Can students work with close family members?.................................................................................................... 12 Can students attend placements that have a residential element? ...................................................................... 13 Do I need to inform Education Business Partnership-South West if there are changes in placement details? .... 13 When can a student who has been advanced through education start Work Experience? .................................. 13 Should students still in school, that are participating in Work Experience be paid? ............................................. 13

Appendix A - Sample Health Declaration Form ........................................................................................................ 14 Appendix B - Education Establishment Work Experience Policy Preparation Guidance ........................................ 16 Appendix C - Quality Standard for Work Experience ............................................................................................... 17 Appendix D - Sample work experience activity timeline ........................................................................................... 20 Appendix E - Finding a suitable work experience placement .................................................................................... 21 Appendix F - Safeguarding-Disclosure and Baring Service check (DBS) .................................................................. 22 Appendix G - EBP-SW Work Experience Geographical Operational Area ............................................................... 23 Appendix H - Sample Visitor Form ............................................................................................................................ 24 Appendix J - Sample accident/incident form ........................................................................................................... 26 Contact Details .......................................................................................................................................................... 28

Exeter Office Education Business Partnership – South West ......................................................................... 28 Melksham Office Education Business Partnership – South West ....................................................................... 28 Launceston Office CSW Group ............................................................................................................................ 28 Education Business Partnership-South West: Work Experience Staff ................................................................... 28


Introduction Education Business Partnership-South West provides a service which helps schools and businesses work together

to provide meaningful and safe work experience for young people in Key Stage 4 & 5. With years of qualified and

professional experience, Education Business Partnership-South West will deliver flexibility in their service to meet

the needs of the school and the employer.

Both the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) have recently cited

a “lack of work experience” in education. They want to see both academic rigor as well as the development of

“character” through work experience to ensure well rounded individuals leave education ready for work1.

Research conducted by UK Commission for Employment and Skills identified that 66% of employers said “work

experience is a significant or crucial factor in their recruitment”2.

Work placement arrangements are too often seen as over-bureaucratic and burdensome, putting off potential

employers. Education Business Partnership-South West tackles this and stops the over-interpretation of the law

and the unnecessary multi visit to employers for schools within our operational region.

Education Business Partnership-South West provides:

An initial meeting to discuss the requirements of the school

Access to an online work experience management tool (WEBVIEW)

One free onsite training session

Free training available in Exeter, Plymouth & Melksham offices

WEBVIEW guides

A database of possible work experience opportunities for young people to access across the South West that

can be accessed by schools and students3

Access to support material for process, preparation and de-brief

Duty of Care checking service carried out by trained qualified members of staff

Recommendations for the requirement of DBS checks

Free annual Work Experience Seminar

Incident and accident investigation procedures.

1 Future possible: the business vision for giving young people the chance they deserve, CBI, 2014.

2 Catch 16-14, UK Commission for Employment and skills 2015. 3 Please see frequently asked questions.


What is Work Experience?

Work Experience is a placement with an employer where a young person carries out a range of tasks in the same

way as a normal employee, with the emphasis on learning. The placement will help young people understand and

develop the employability skills and positive “can-do” attitudes that will benefit them in whatever they choose to

do in the future. Work experience is a critical aspect of preparation for working life and supports the

development of a learner’s economic wellbeing.

Block work experience

Block work experience is normally a placement on consecutive days and traditionally lasts for one or two weeks.

Extended work experience

Extended work experience is carried out over a longer period of time for a set number of days each week.

Extended work experience is offered to students for a variety of reasons:

Vocational studies – where students are required to undertake a period of work experience in order to

support their vocational course.

Personalised learning - where students have been disillusioned with their curriculum, regular work

experience supports their personal development and increases their motivation to succeed at school.

Legal Background

Education Act Section 560 of the of the Education Act 1996 as amended by section 112 of the schools Standards and Framework

Act 1998 enables students of compulsory school age to participate in schemes of work experience. The Education

Act 1996 does impose certain limitations on the sort of work students can be employed in. Young people may not

participate in work experience until they are chronologically in year 10 of their compulsory education. This means

work experience is restricted to students in Year 10 and above.

Section 175 of the Education Act, 2002 imposes a duty on Local Authorities and Governing Bodies to make

arrangements for the welfare of children, including those that participate in work experience. These statutory

duties reinforce existing Common Law duties towards young people participating in such schemes. When an

educational establishment decides to offer any activity, on-or-off site, curricular or extra-curricular, it is

imperative that they formally consider whether there is any increased risk to the health, safety and welfare of

their learners, staff and others who may be involved and ensure control measures are in place.

Safeguarding Education establishments must comply with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education” (DfE 2014 Ref: DFE-00341-2014)

in order to ensure that learners on work experience are afforded protection from harm. In addition to this all

education establishments are also bound by the practices of their relevant Local Authority with regard to

safeguarding.

It is important to remember that Local Authorities or Governing Bodies (e.g. Independent schools, Free Schools,

Academies) retain overall authority to ensure that each learner, who undertakes a placement, does so in a safe

and secure environment.

Insurances All work placement providers must have cover for both Employers’ and Public Liability insurances in order to take

a student on a work placement. The ABI, BIBA and Lloyds of London have agreed that, as a matter of convention,

students on work experience placements should be treated as employees for the purposes of insurance against

bodily injury (that is, they will be covered by the Employers’ Liability policy), where the employer is legally liable

for a loss. Employer’s Liability Policies must provide cover of at least £5million per occurrence.


Crown Indemnities There are situations where companies do not hold Employer’s Liability Insurance but are able to take work

experience placements. These include government bodies that are crown indemnified, which means that in the

event of an accident the crown will pay out for compensation rather than an insurance company.

Responsibilities

Local Education Authority For schools that are Local Authority maintained the Local Authority can permit the governing body of the school

to make arrangements on its behalf. The Local Authority will still need to satisfy that the educational

establishment has adequate arrangements in place to ensure the obligations of the Local Authority are met. The

Local Authority has a responsibility to ensure the following are in place:

Support, guidance, procedures & policies to ensure safe systems

Competent persons arranging and approving placements

Monitoring

Compliance advice relating to contracts for third person delivery

The safeguarding of all young people within the Local Authority areas

Investigation procedures after any incident or accident relating to Work Experience.

Educational Establishments The education establishment has a duty to ensure:

All placements meet health, safety and safeguarding regulations.

Students are properly briefed before taking part in work experience

Students are supported and monitored during the placement

Students are debriefed afterwards

That a placement provider possesses relevant information about the learner4 (e.g. health, learning

disabilities, language difficulties)

That they have a work experience policy

All safeguarding arrangements are in place

All signed documentation is kept for seven years in line with current legal practice

Educational Establishment Staff

Governors (maintained schools) – Governors’ duty is to ensure that the Local Authority guidelines are

adhered to.

Governors (non-maintained schools) - The governing body take on the responsibility of the Local

Authority in ensuring that all obligations are met, as above.

Senior Management – Senior Management needs to ensure that the school has the resources, policy and

procedures in place to run a work experience programme. This should include:

o monitoring quality

o supporting staff with operational responsibility

o liaising with the Safeguarding Officer regarding specific issues and concerns

o ensuring that work experience is embedded within the curriculum.

Designated Coordinator – Designated Coordinator has the practical task of organising work experience

placements, liaising with Education Business Partnership-South West, employers, students, parents and

tutors. At the same time they would need to ensure the practicalities of work experience follow all

relevant guidelines.

4 See Appendix A for Health Declaration form.


Parents and/or Carers Work Experience is strengthened when parent and/or carers have an understanding of the processes, procedures

and reasons for the work experience programme. They have a duty to ensure that the placement provider and

educational establishment have all the relevant information about the learner (e.g. health, learning disabilities

and any other relevant information) at the earliest possible convenience before placement starts.

Students Work experience students have a duty to take care of their own health and safety, and that of others who may be

affected by their actions. This includes listening carefully, following instructions, using any safety equipment that

has been provided and taking part in relevant training.

Placement Providers Employers who provide work placements need to meet legal duties towards the learner and they must:

observe the current legislations relating to health and safety, equality and safeguarding

have up to date Employers’ and Public Liability Insurance

review current risk assessments taking into account students’ age, lack of experience, skills, maturity and awareness of any health conditions

carryout a clear induction on the first day, ensure adequate supervision, monitoring and training throughout the placement

Education Business Partnership-South West Provides a service to facilitate placements on behalf of educational establishments. Their role is to gain

assurances:

That the employer has systems in place to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the learner while

under their control, so far as is reasonably practical

That the employer has the relevant insurances in place

That the work experience placement is supervised by competent people

That the employer understands about the specific factors relevant to employing young people

That the employer understands their duty towards safeguarding and make a judgement if a DBS check

should be considered

That the employer will identify aims, tasks, requirements and dress code of a placement

That the employer has identified risks and control measures for the placement


Operational Support Every school will deliver their work experience programme to suit their needs. Below is suggested best practice taken from schools and colleges across the South West. This support does not purport to be an exhaustive guide.

Step By Step Support To Running a Work Experience Programme

Planning

Identify person with responsibility for work experience within Senior Management

Prepare work experience policy - Appendix B – Education Establishment Work Experience Policy Preparation

Guidance

Identify Work Experience Coordinator and/or Administration Support

Identify work experience dates

Plan a time line for implementation - Appendix D – Work Experience Sample Timeline

Identify a preparation programme for work experience in order to maximise learning

Complete booking form and confirm dates to Education Business Partnership-South West

Complete school details on WEBVIEW. Include emergency contact details at the earliest possible

convenience. This should be available for the whole period of work experience

Submit student details to Education Business Partnership-South West

Preparation

Launch to staff, confirming dates of delivery, responsibility and planned programme of preparation

Launch to students and issue of PIN numbers for online database WEBVIEW (where used)

Launch to Parents:

o Send letter explaining the process providing deadline dates for placements

o Issue health declaration form

Find a suitable placement – Appendix E

o Support students in identifying and securing a suitable placement

o All placements should be checked by the SENCO5 and the person responsible for safeguarding

within the education establishment

o Provide sample letters and emails students can send

o Once a placement has been confirmed, ensure signed forms have been received from:

Employer

Parent

Student

Enter the placement on WEBVIEW

Recommendation: Send a thank you letter to employer and give them the following information:

o Contact details to be used in case of a problem during the work placement

o That they may be contacted by Education Business Partnership-South West to complete a duty of

care visit

o Medical or behavioural concerns that may affect the student on placement

School to monitor WEBVIEW for communication purposes and also for up-to-date information regarding

progress

Education Business Partnership-South West will inform school of any relevant issues or concerns via

WEBVIEW

Education Business Partnership-South West will confirm the duty of care approval via WEBVIEW and inform

the school of any recommendations regarding DBS6 checks – Appendix F Safeguarding – Disclosure and

Barring Service checks

5 Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. 6 DBS - Disclosure and Barring Service See Appendix F.


Students are properly prepared and briefed on the hazards of the workplace and the control measures

provided to reduce or eliminate risk of injury, before they start their placement.

Recommendation: Students should be provided with a means to record their learning and development

during their work experience placement. Education Business Partnership-South West produces a Work

Experience Diary for students to record the learning points of their placement. Please contact the office for

details of charges.

Students should be provided with out of hours contact that they can use is in use in case of any problems or

issues.

For block work experience programmes ensure all placements are submitted to Education Business

Partnership-South West at least seven weeks prior to work experience. Any late placements that require a

visit will have a late fee applied. This does not apply to extended work experience programmes.

Recommendation: Two weeks prior to placements encourage all students to contact employer to ensure

they are still expected, and to make any final arrangements regarding the first day.

Recommendation: Two weeks prior to placement issue job descriptions to students to pass to parents to

ensure they are aware of any particular requirements.

During Placements

Students to be encouraged to record their learning outcomes.

Recommendation: In order to ensure the school’s duty of care is maintained it is advisable to undertake

visits to students during their placement.

Placement Completed

Recommendation: Provide employer with a means for them to reflect on the student’s performance during

the placement.

Recommendation: Student and school send thank you letter to employers.

Recommendation: Educational Establishments should review the students’ recording learning outcomes

Recommendation: Encourage students to complete the WEBVIEW online feedback questionnaire

Recommendation: School to undertake a debrief session with students

Report to Education Business Partnership-South West any concerns that have been raised regarding any

employers

Complete Education Business Partnership-South West Survey Monkey questionnaire

Recommendation: Write up a case study of one of the placements and submit to Education Business

Partnership-South West and governors

Reflect and review process and report to governors

Recommendation: Celebrate the success of students and employers by:

o Issuing certificates for students

o Invite the local press and employers to celebration event

o Inform Education Business Partnership-South West of any good new stories and case studies


Placement Approval Process

On submission of a work experience placement via WEBVIEW, Education Business Partnership-South West will

check the details, provide an initial status and will update this status depending on the progress.

Education Business Partnership-South West will not take responsibility for any accidents or incidents that result

from placements that have not had a positive approval for work experience. In order to operate an effective

service to all of our customers, Education Business Partnership-South West operates deadlines for placement

requests. Placements submitted after the deadline that require a duty of care check, cannot be guaranteed.

Education Business Partnership-South West reserves the right to charge a late fee.

Deadlines For Placement Requests

Area Block Extended7

Education Business Partnership-South West

Operational area (see Appendix G)

7 weeks 4 weeks

Out of Area8 (OOA) 14 weeks 14 weeks

London 16 weeks 16 weeks

Placement Approval Process Outside of Education Business Partnership-South West Operational Area

Where Education Business Partnership-South West operates an ‘out of area’ (OOA) checking service an approval

in those regions cannot be guaranteed even if received within deadline date. Education Business Partnership-

South West relies on the Out Of Area agency to conduct a duty of care check in a timely fashion. It is

recommended that the learner has a local ‘back-up’ placement in the event that approval is not provided in time.

Preparing a Student for Work Experience

To ensure a student benefits from work experience their interests and aspirations should be explored through

effective preparation and planning. This should include a student being involved in the selection and application

for a placement; appropriate careers information and, advice and guidance.

Students should be properly prepared and briefed on, the hazards of the workplace, control measures provided

to reduce or eliminate risk of injury, safeguarding and the use of mobile phone and social media.

Students should be provided with a means to record their learning and development during their work

experience placement. Education Business Partnership-South West produces a Work Experience Diary for

students to record the learning points of their placement. An electronic version of the diary is available on

request.

Students should be provided with out of hour’s contact in case of any problems or issues. The student should be

encouraged and supported if they report any issues and/or concerns that may arise during the placement.

Monitoring

During any period of work experience the education establishment retains duty of care. It is therefore essential

that a monitoring system is in place. Monitoring provides a useful mechanism for the education establishment to

build and develop their relationship with individual employers. For audit purposes it is recommended to record all

monitoring visits (See Appendix H Sample Visit Form). In order to gain a real perspective of a placement the visitor

should speak individually to the student and the employer in confidence.

7 Please note that Education Business Partnership-South West will always seek to process ‘emergency placements’. If you have a placement that falls

outside the above window please contact one of the team to discuss. 8 Where Education Business Partnership-South West operate an out of area contact service.


Monitoring: Recommended Practice – Block Work Experience For students undertaking a block work experience programme, one visit during the placement period is

recommended unless issues have been highlighted in which case further visits may be required. If the placement

is ‘out of area’ or a physical visit impractical then a phone call to the employer and also a discussion with the

student to ensure the placement is progressing well and the student is happy. Priority should be given to those

students in high risk placements.

Monitoring: Recommended Practice – Extended Work Experience The employer should be monitored to ensure that the student’s on-going health and safety is maintained.

Education Business Partnership-South West recommends the following monitoring schedule:

Week one – Visit

Week two – Phone call

Week three - Visit

Week four – Phone call

Thereafter one monthly visit and one monthly phone call depending on the progression of the student and their

individual needs unless issues have been highlighted, in which case further visits may be required. If the

placement is ‘out of area’ and a physical visit impractical then a phone call to the employer and also a discussion

with the learner will be required to ensure the placement is progressing well and the student is happy.

Accident and Incident Reporting All accidents, incidents and safeguarding issues, involving students on work experience placements should be

reported to Education Business Partnership-South West either by the educational establishment or placement

provider immediately. Students and parent and/or carers should also be encouraged to report any accident and

incident immediately to the educational establishment. The educational establishments must complete the

Education Business Partnership-South West Accident and Incident Form (See Appendix J) as soon as is practicably

possible. A copy of this form is available on WEBVIEW. Please be aware that some local authorities have

additional procedures that need to be followed.

On receiving the form, Education Business Partnership-South West will determine the next stage of the

investigation. The educational establishment will be kept informed of the process and conclusions of the

investigation. Where the police are involved Education Business Partnership-South West will be required to pass

over all information and wait for a conclusion from the police. Education Business Partnership-South West will

investigate accidents and incidents in line with their procedures and will liaise with the required organisations as

necessary. This may include meeting with the Local Authority Designated Officer and attending a Multi-Agency

Safeguarding Meeting.

De-briefing Students after Work Experience De-briefing allows students to reflect on their experience and explore the educational outcomes gained from

their placement. It is important to ensure there is time and resources allocated for this.

It is recommended that de-briefing should include as a minimum:

An opportunity to discuss the students’ placement including any issues/successes

Raise health and safety concerns

Review the employer’s report

Time to reflect on the students’ experience and assess how classroom based learning benefits those entering

the world of work

Consider career goals both pre and post placement

Celebrate success and reward both learner and placement provider accordingly.

WEBVIEW offers the opportunity for student to reflect on their experience through an online questionnaire. This

can then be used by the educational establishment to look at the feedback across the whole cohort.


Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we have to undertake duty of care checks on work experience placements? Duty of Care checks are not just about health and safety. They also provide a means to support the employer and gain valuable information to pass to the students about the placement. Under Section 175, Education Act 2002, the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 as amended by SI 2012/2962 and the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 2011. Schools and colleges must have regard to their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This still applies to students whilst they are on work experience. There needs to be evidence that safeguarding and wellbeing have been addressed. Based on our experience and feedback from employers and schools, this is most effectively done by completing a short visit to the employer. The visit also answers questions employers have about supporting a young person in a work experience placement ensuring they are best prepared to deliver a quality experience.

Do all employers have to hold Employers’ Liability Insurance or equivalent? All work placement providers must have cover for both Employer’s and Public liability insurances in order to take

a student on a work placement. The ABI, BIBA and Lloyds of London have agreed that, as a matter of convention,

students on work experience placements should be treated as employees for the purposes of insurance against

bodily injury (that is, they will be covered by the Employers’ Liability policy), where the employer is legally liable

for a loss. Employers’ Liability Policies must provide cover of at least £5million per occurrence.

There are situations where companies do not hold Employers’ Liability Insurance but are able to take work

experience placements. These include government bodies that are crown indemnified, which means that in the

event of an accident the crown will pay out for compensation rather than an insurance company. Large

companies, like Microsoft, self-insure themselves by holding an account with a minimum of £10 million pounds to

cover any insurance claims.

Are all the employers on the database available to be used for work experience? The WEBVIEW database is not “live”. The database lists employers who have previously offered placements and

have given permission for their details to be published. The Education Business Partnership-South West stores

this data in line with Data Protection Act 1998. Inclusion of an employer on the database does not mean:

The Employer is approved for the period of the work placement

The contact details are necessarily up to date

They are willing to take a young person on work experience

Please email Education Business Partnership-South West with any changes required to the database, including employers that wish to be removed.

Can an educational establishment use parental disclaimers to allow students to go to unapproved placements?

Parental Disclaimers’ including “holiday forms” that aim to exonerate the educational establishment of their

responsibilities towards students on work experience are not recognised by law, and should not be used to

sanction unapproved placements.

Does Education Business Partnership-South West work with placements outside of the UK?

Education Business Partnership-South West does not approve any work experience placements outside the UK.

Where a student wishes to undertake a work placement outside the UK the educational establishment is required

to take all reasonable measures to check risk assessments, health and safety, tasks and safeguarding in line with

UK regulations. It is strongly recommended that any measures put in place are acceptable by the relevant local

authority. Most local authorities have guidelines for such situations and recommends that only post 16 students

are considered for placements outside the UK.


How many hours can a pre-16 learner do on work experience? The number of hours worked and the pattern of work is normally a matter for agreement by the placement

provider, educational establishment and student. It must comply with the Working Time Regulations for younger

workers9. Young Workers Directive limits time to 8 hours a day and max 40 per week, normally these can be

between 6am–10pm. Education Business Partnership-South West advises that specific arrangements between

the school, parents and employer should be in place for learners under the age of 16, where the placements

occurs between 6am-8am and 8pm-10pm and at weekends.

Can students that have been excluded from education undertake work experience? Students that have been excluded from education should be excluded from all education related activities,

including work experience. However, it may be identified that work experience would provide a means of re-

engagement. If this is the case, for Local Authority maintained schools, the educational establishment would

need to liaise with appropriate Education Welfare Officers, so that provision can be made for ongoing support

and monitoring. For non-maintained schools the decision rests with the most senior member of staff (e.g. Head

Teacher). Consideration must be given to how that learner will be effectively monitored and supported.

When is a DBS check required? The statutory obligations regarding Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are set out in Keeping Children

Safe in Education, the statutory guidance on safeguarding from the Department for Education (DfE), which came

into effect in April 2014. It states that in some circumstances DBS checks should be considered for Pre 16 work

placements. It explains that the educational establishment decides what checks are necessary and makes this

decision after considering the circumstances, including the nature of supervision and the frequency of the

activity.

Education Business Partnership-South West takes safeguarding seriously and discusses this with the employer.

During the Duty of Care visit the Work Experience Liaison Officer (WELO) goes through safeguarding information

and issues guidance. The WELO will discuss with the employer the duties of the student and who the student will

be interacting with. A recommendation will be made regarding if a DBS check should be considered, this will

depend on the location of the student, the amount of time the student will be in a solitary one-to-one working

environment and if there is a residential element to the placement. This information will be passed to the

educational establishment for them to make a decision whether a DBS check will be undertaken. Such a decision

will depend on an assessment of the overall potential risks posed to the student and will take into account any

systems in place to minimise these risks. Additional consideration for a DBS check should be given if the student is

identified as vulnerable for educational, medical, behavioural or home circumstance reasons. It is the educational

establishment’s responsibility to undertake the DBS check. It should be noted that in most cases where a student

is on 'block' work experience DBS checks will not be required.

Can students work with close family members?

There is no legal reason why students cannot work with family members as long as they hold the correct insurances, see Do all employers have to hold Employers liability Insurances or equivalent? The issue will be around the benefit of the experience for the young person and the learning they will get from the experience. Every situation needs to be individually assessed.

9 www.hse.gov.uk/youngpeople/law/hours.htm


Can students attend placements that have a residential element? Residential placements need to be considered very carefully, especially for pre-16 placements, as the school has a duty of care of the student. Education Business Partnership-South West only accepts responsibility for period when the actual work experience is taking place. The educational establishment needs to assess the risk to the student for the period when they are not undertaking the actual work placement. Some residential placements, for example the Army Look at Life courses are purely educational residential experiences that take place during work experience week. These should be classed by the educational establishment as such and the policies and procedures on residential experiences should be followed.

Do I need to inform Education Business Partnership-South West if there are changes in placement details? The educational establishment should inform Education Business Partnership-South West of changes in placement details via email if it is felt that these could affect the health and safety of the placement. These would include change of address and significant changes in tasks. If in doubt then please email the details for clarification.

When can a student who has been advanced through education start Work Experience? Students can take part in work experience if they are at least 15 by the end of the academic year the placement takes place. If a student is chronologically in year 9, but has been advanced to year 10, they will be unable to take part in the year 10 work experience programme.

Should students still in school, that are participating in Work Experience be paid? Although a work experience student has the status of “employee” for students that are still at school no payment should be made. An employer can give support to help with travel, clothing and subsistence costs if they wish to.


Appendix A - Sample Health Declaration Form The Health Declaration Form has been designed so that it can be copied and sent to the placement provider. This can be used by the placement provider to carry out and/or modify their risk assessment for a specific student on a specific work experience placement. A master copy of this can be found on WEBVIEW where there is also the option to mail merge the information from the system.


Work Experience Health Declaration Form

Name of Student Tutor Group

School

Placement period

Does your son/daughter have any medical conditions which could result in an unnecessary risk to his/her health/safety or to the health/safety of another person? If yes please indicate & comment below

Yes No

Physical disabilities If yes please give details:

Allergies, e.g. nuts, penicillin If yes please give details:

Skin conditions e.g. eczema If yes please give details:

Asthmas or any other chest complaints If yes please give details:

Hearing / Visual impairments If yes please give details:

Heart conditions that affects their ability to do physical tasks If yes please give details:

Diabetes / Epilepsy If yes please give details:

Medication If yes please give details:

Please give details of any other issues that should be considered (including emotional & behavioural) (please continue overleaf if required)

Parent This information will be shared appropriately with an employer who is offering a work experience placement. Signed Date

Name (please print)

Employer I have read and acknowledge the health information above and can confirm that I will take the relevant risks into account for this placement. Signed Date

Name (please print)

Position

Company Name


Appendix B - Education Establishment Work Experience Policy Preparation Guidance Education establishments should produce a policy for how work experience will be implemented. This policy

should not be standalone but should take into account the planning cycle of the curriculum within the school and

the learning outcomes should be linked to the whole curriculum plan. It is recommended that education

establishments consider all aspects of the Quality Standards for Work Experience (see Appendix C) when

developing a policy. The policy should include the following as a minimum to identify:

Staff who have specific delegated responsibilities and record how they are going to carry out those

responsibilities

How learners, parents and carers will be informed and briefed about work experience

Time frames for the preparation, planning and delivery of the work experience programme

How learner details and proposed placements are to be submitted to Education Business Partnership-South

West within agreed time frames

How the educational aims and objectives of work experience are to be implemented

How students will be prepared in health and safety as preparation for a safe work experience

How a student’s preparation, matching and applications to placement providers is to be achieved

How formal arrangements between the education establishments and the placement provider are to be

communicated. The arrangements will include: dates and duration of work experience, named staff

contact/s and contact number/s in case of accident or other difficulty. N.B. Since the length of the working

day will not match that of the school contact, numbers must also be available for outside school hours. It is

suggested that a mobile phone number be supplied to avoid giving out personal contact numbers of staff.

How significant risks are to be communicated to parents and carers

How individual students needs will be communicated to the placement provider

How the student will record their learning outcomes from work experience. Education Business Partnership-

South West can provide a work experience diary and there is an electronic diary saved on WEBVIEW

How students will travel to and from placements and how this transport is to be funded

How students will be monitored and supported during their placement

How students will be debriefed and health and safety issues followed up

How feedback from students , placement providers and parents will be used to improve and develop the

school work experience programme

How feedback received or any other additional information that is relevant to the ‘Work Experience process’

is communicated back to Education Business Partnership-South West


Appendix C - Quality Standard for Work Experience POLICY Criteria Responsibility

E1A Work experience policy forms part of the educational establishment development plan and is regularly reviewed and updated

Educational Establishment

E1B The educational establishment has committed senior managers who understand their legal and moral duties in relation to work experience


E1C educational establishment governors are committed to work experience and understand their liabilities


E1D The education establishment ensures that there are adequate resources for work experience in terms of staff time and budget


E1E Services by external organisers external to the Educational Establishment are reviewed regularly to take into account of any curriculum, legal or guidance changes


E1F Education Business Partnerships (EBP-SW)have a policy for their procedures and have clear training and appraisal systems

EBP-SW

E1G Equal Opportunities are promoted and gender stereotyping challenged Educational Establishment/ EBP-SW

E1H All parties fulfil legal requirements and recognised guidance for work experience Educational Establishment/EBP-SW/Employers

ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES Criteria Responsibility

E2A Educational establishment staff have specific and clear responsibilities for work experience administration and organisation. A member of the teaching staff manages learning outcomes and curriculum support


E2B Parents and Carers are involved in the choice of placement including giving their consent Educational Establishment/ Parents/carers

E2C Employers are given all relevant information about any special needs or medical conditions the learner may have and which might impact on the health, safety and welfare of the learner in the placement, co-workers and the public.

Educational Establishment/ Parents/Carers

E2D Employers understand they are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the learner during the placement and that the Educational Establishment retains a duty of care.

Educational Establishment / Employers

E2E It is good practice to use Education Business Partnership Organisations to provide expert support to schools and employers in developing and maintaining an effective partnership between Educational Establishments and employers.


PLANNING

Criteria Responsibility

E3A Learners participate in the process of identifying the types of placement that will meet their learning needs, including any employability and enterprise skills needs, capabilities and ability to get to and from the placement


E3B The educational establishment and employer work together to prepare for the placement including discussing the learning objectives, including any employability and enterprise skills needs of the placement in advance of it starting.

Educational Establishment/ Employer

E3C Learners receive information, advice, and guidance about suitability of placement choices. Educational Establishment

E3D Learners are effectively briefed before the placement, including health and safety as part of work experience preparation.


E3E The employer holds Employers’ Liability and Public Liability insurance Educational Establishment

E3F The placement job descriptions reflect the information given to EBP-SW and include “hands on” meaningful tasks. A job description is issued to the learner, parent, employer and placement supervisor before the placement starts

Educational Establishment/ Employer/ EBP-SW

E3G Progression is built in for post- 16 learners taking account of earlier experience of work, including part time and voluntary work.

Employers/ EBP -SW


E3H Special needs learners are carefully matched to placements by experienced staff and effectively supported during their placement.


E3I Parents are notified of the specific arrangements for their child’s placement, including dates, work times, dress code, contact details, location and activities to be undertaken.


E3J Emergency contact arrangements are in place between the appropriate parties, including out of school hours provision.

Educational Establishment/ Parents/Carers

E3K Educational establishments and employers are aware of the requirements relating to the learner being appraised of: a) the significant risks of the work b) the control measures to reduce the risks c) where learners are below the minimum school leaving age the placement is required to also inform the parents/carers


E3L Learners are provided with a means of completing a record of the tasks, achievements and challenges of their placement.


DELIVERY Criteria Responsibility

E4A Competent people support learners at all times during their placement.

Employer

E4B Learners are given clear instructions about what they are being asked to do during the placement.

Employer

E4C The employer or representative will conduct an induction on the first day of the placement including health and safety matters. This will include the location of the welfare facilities and evacuation procedures

Employer

E4D The employer supports the learner in recognising and developing the skills and qualities regarded as important in the workplace. There should be a structured programme with variety and a number of “hands on” meaningful tasks.

Employer

E4E Learners, supported by employers, compile a record of tasks, achievements and challenges during their placement.

Learner/ Employer

E4F Learners behave in ways appropriate to the workplace and follow the instructions given to them by the employers.

Leaners

E4G The educational establishment supports and monitors all types of placement through visits and/or telephone contact with both the workplace supervisor and the learner to discuss achievements, challenges, and to resolve issues.


REVIEW Criteria Responsibility

E5A Feedback from employers, parents and learners is gathered and concerns and/or issues raised are followed up and resolved.

Educational Establishment/ Employer/ EBP-SW/ Parent/Carer/ Learner

E5B Employers contribute to end of the placement reviews in discussion with the learner to record achievements and areas for development.

Employer/ Learner

E5C Learner debriefings take place to review the extent to which learning aims have been met, employability skills developed and to make links back to curriculum subjects.

Educational Establishment/ Learner

E5D Employers are given feedback about the outcome of the placement including the extent to which learning aims were met, employability skills developed and any other results.

Educational Establishment/ Learner

E5E Evaluation outcomes from schools and colleges, learners and employers are used as part of review processes to inform the next cycle of business planning.


E5F Positive work experience achievements are celebrated within the school, with employers, and with parents and carers

Educational Establishment/ Employer/ EBP-SW / Parent/Carer/ Learner

E5G Good practice is identified during the process of review and shared with partner organisations.

Educational Establishment/ EBP-SW


SYSTEMS & PROCESSES Criteria Responsibility

E6A Educational establishment and EBP-SW work together to forecast learner demand and to help plan placements throughout the year in order to make best use of the placements available.

Educational Establishment /EBP-SW

E6B Employers are provided with timetables and schedules for Educational Establishment work experience programmes

Educational Establishment /EBP-SW

E6C Systems and procedures are in place to ensure effective communication between work experience co-ordinators and others involved in work experience within the school/college.


E6D Processes are in place to match learners to placements that meet their learning needs, capabilities and the practicalities of getting to and from the placement.


E6E There is a robust system to manage the approval of placements in terms of health, safety and learner welfare.

Educational Establishment/EBP-SW

E6F Systems are in place to check and record that all learners have received a briefing, including health and safety, prior to placements commencing.


E6G Safeguarding systems and procedures are in place and where appropriate DBS checks undertaken in line with national guidance.

Educational Establishment/ EBP -SW

E6H Systems and procedures are in place to investigate any accidents or incidents in accordance with health, safety and welfare assessment for work experience placements.


E6I Processes are in place to ensure that employers understand the risk assessment requirements and where the learner is under the minimum school leaving age these are communicated to the parents.


E6J Systems and procedures are in place to handle, record and process feedback and complaints from employers and others involved.

Educational Establishment/ Employers/EBP-SW

E6K Systems and procedures are in place to review the quality of Education Business Partnership Organisation used to support work experience is to the satisfaction of the Educational Establishment


E6L Marketing and promotional materials are effective and well utilised. Educational Establishment/ Employer/ EBP-SW

Appendix D - Sample work experience activity timeline Every school will deliver their work experience programme to suit their needs. Below is suggested time line based on work experience happening in week 52. The information has been taken from best practice from schools and colleges across the South West. This timeline does not purport to be an exhaustive guide.

Week Activity How

1 Inform parents and/or carers of work experience Letter

3 Launch work experience to parents and/or carers Parent Evening

4 Launch work experience to students – including process for educational establishment

Assembly

5-6 Inform students of how to access WEBVIEW and issue placement forms

Tutor/lesson sessions

6 Ensure all parties are aware of the deadlines for paperwork

Web site/parent letter

6-10 Identify SEN students and work with them to find a suitable placement

Meeting

10-20 Preparation programme for support in finding placements (these dates could be variable according to curriculum)

Tutor work/enterprise days

Continual Enter information onto WEBVIEW as it is received and monitor the system for queries and concerns

IT

15-30 Inform tutors of progress of students and provide list of those without a placement (every two weeks)

Spread sheets to Tutors

20-45 Run drop in sessions for students to attend that haven’t got a placement identified

Meetings/drop in sessions

30 Suggested deadline date for students to submit all out of area placements

Information

34-35 Suggested deadline date for students to submit all placements

Information

36 EBP-SW deadline date for placements out of area in London

Information

40 EBP-SW deadline date for placements out of area (not London)

Information

42 Pass all placements through safeguarding officer to ensure all issues are identified

Meeting

42 Identify staff that will be undertaking the student visits and allocate to placements

Administration

45 EBP-SW deadline date for placements within EBP-SW operations area

Information

46 Undertake Duty of Care briefing to Students including health and safety

Tutor/assembly

50 Issue job descriptions & work books (diaries) to students for all confirmed placements and suggest that students contact employers for last minute guidance

Issue paperwork & Information

50 Brief visiting staff on expectations of their visit and issue the visit paperwork

Meeting & issue paperwork

51 Ensure all students have job descriptions, including the late placements

Monitor

52 Placement commences Information

52 Undertake visits to students Information

53 Undertake debriefing session Tutor/assembly/enterprise day


Appendix E - Finding a suitable work experience placement Finding placements can be challenging in this current economic market. Education establishments have access to

WEBVIEW, a database of employers that have previously hosted and agreed to be contacted regarding work

experience. Educational establishments can provide access to this database to learners, by issuing an individual or

generic PIN number.

Employers on the database have not committed to taking a student but agreed to be contacted for the purpose of

work experience. Work experience placement information is entered by Education Business Partnership-South

West, the information is correct at the time entering and current at the time of the last student attending.

Educational establishment should inform Education Business Partnership-South West about any changes to contact

details or informed of employers no longer wishing to participate in work experience. To support the use of

WEBVIEW guides are available; please request a copy from one of offices if required.

Education Business Partnership-South West recommends that to ensure work experience is reflective of the ‘real

world’ education establishments should encourage students to apply for work experience placements direct to the

employer. If the placement is listed on WEBVIEW then the student should read the placement requirements to

ensure the application is in line with the employer’s requirements.

Students do not have to choose a placement from the database but should be encouraged to research and apply to

employers outside of the database. Students should be encouraged to seek an interview with the employer to

explore how their learning aspirations and interests will be met.

Once a placement has been processed and confirmed, WEBVIEW allows both students and education

establishments to print a copy of the job description to be shared with parents/carers.

Education establishments are responsible for ensuring students are placed in appropriate placements that that

meet their individual learning objectives, aspirations, physical ability and are within their emotional/behavioural

capability. When reviewing a placement for a learner, it is important to identify safeguarding issues and support a

learner in their application process by providing the placement provider with sufficient background information to

enable them to support the learner effectively.10 All placements should be checked by the SENCO11 and the person

responsible for safeguarding within the education establishment.

10 Health Declaration Form See Appendix E. 11 Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.


Appendix F - Safeguarding-Disclosure and Baring Service check (DBS) The statutory obligations regarding Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are set out in Keeping Children Safe

in Education, the statutory guidance on safeguarding from the Department for Education (DfE), which came into

effect in April 2014. It states that in some circumstances DBS checks should be considered for Pre 16 work

placements. It explains that the educational establishment decides what checks are necessary and makes this

decision after considering the circumstances, including the nature of supervision and the frequency of the activity.

Education Business Partnership-South West takes safeguarding seriously and reviews this with the employer.

During the Duty of Care visit the Work Experience Liaison Officer (WELO) discusses safeguarding information and

issues guidance. The WELO will review with the employer the duties of the student and various members of staff

who they will come into contact with. A recommendation will be made regarding as to whether a DBS check should

be considered, this will depend on the location of the student, the amount of time the student will be in a solitary

one-to-one working environment and if there is a residential element to the placement. This information will be

passed to the educational establishment for them to make a final decision whether a DBS check will be undertaken.

Such a decision will depend on an assessment of the overall potential risks posed to the student and will take into

account any systems in place to minimise these risks. Additional consideration for a DBS check should be given if

the student is identified as vulnerable for educational, medical, behavioural or home circumstance reasons. It is the

educational establishment’s responsibility to undertake the DBS check. It should be noted that in most cases

where a student is on 'block' work experience DBS checks will not be required.

Appendix G - EBP-SW Work Experience Geographical Operational Area

Appendix H - Sample Visitor Form The staff visit is an essential part of the Work Experience programme. It helps to ensure the quality of the experience by giving support, security and encouragement to the student and provides the opportunity to thank the employer. It also establishes business links with the employer that the school can use in support of the curriculum. It is recommended that these visits are recorded for audit purposes. A master copy of the visitor form is available as a mail merge document on WEBVIEW


Staff Visit Form

The staff visit is an essential part of the Work Experience programme. It helps to ensure the quality of the experience by giving support, security and encouragement to the student and provides the opportunity to thank the employer.

Name of Student: Tutor Group: Placement Dates: Contact Name: Telephone number: Company Name:

Address: EMPLOYER - FEEDBACK

COMMENTS

Has the student good attendance and time keeping

Does the student show interest and is confident to ask questions

Does the student undertake tasks after training

Employer comments

STUDENT FEEDBACK

Was the student given a Health and Safety Induction?

Was the student told about risks or prohibited areas?

Does the student know where the first aid box is?

Does the job description match the work the student is doing?

Is the student happy with the level of supervision?

Students comments

GENERAL FEEDBACK

Were you happy with the general environment that the student was working in?

Has the student been issued with all required PPE?

Comments

Signed Date

Staff Name (please print) Position


Appendix J - Sample accident/incident form It is vital that Education Business Partnership-South West is told of all incidents/accidents so that students/educational establishments and employers can be supported to ensure the best possible opportunities for young people. Education Business Partnership-South West needs to be given information so that the investigation can commence. The following form can be found on WEBVIEW


EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT ACCIDENT / INCIDENT PROCEDURE & FORM

It is vital that Education Business Partnership-South West is told of all incidents so that learners/educational establishments and employers can be supported to ensure the best possible opportunities for young people. The following outlines the procedure that needs to be followed.

On hearing about an incident/accident inform EBP-SW immediately, either by phone or email with a brief outline.

Complete the Incident form and Email to EBP-SW at all the following addresses as soon as possible after the incident has been reported.

o [email protected] o [email protected] o [email protected]

Where the incident/accident is allegedly due to the fault of the employer, provide a report from the student in their own language as to what happened. This can be emailed or faxed

Provide EBP-SW with the employer and parent agreement forms

Keep EBP-SW informed of any developments This form should be completed for any accident or incident that happens to learners whilst they are on placement. It is vital that EBP-SW is told of all incidents.

INCIDENT/ACCIDENT FORM

Name of Student:

Date of Birth

School:

Date & time report received

Reported by: Position: Organisation:

Reported to : Position: Organisation:

Placement / Company Name & Address:

Accident /Incident Details

Date & time incident happened:

Description

FURTHER DETAILS

Was the student taken to hospital (give details)

If Yes Was the student kept in overnight

Was the incident/accident reported to the Police

If Yes please provide incident number

Are you aware of any further police action

mailto:[email protected]




Contact Details

Exeter Office Education Business Partnership – South West Fourth Floor

Little Queen Street

Exeter

EX4 3LJ

Tel: 01392 215501 Fax: 01392 215348 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ebp-sw.org

Melksham Office Education Business Partnership – South West 25a High Street

Melksham

Wiltshire

SN12 6JY

Tel: 01225 707817

Fax: 01225 705942

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.EBP-S.org

Launceston Office CSW Group Tamar Business Park

Pennygillam Industrial Estate

Launceston

Cornwall

PL15 7ED

Telephone: 01566 777672

Email: [email protected] Website: www.cswgroup.co.uk

Education Business Partnership-South West: Work Experience Staff Alex Ledbrooke Education Business Partnership-South West Manager

Julie Hall Work Experience Adviser

Jackie Lee Work Experience Team Leader (South- Exeter)

Emma Day Work Experience Team Leader (North- Melksham)

© Careers South West Ltd 2015


http://www.ebp-sw.org/


http://www.ebp-s.org/


Documents

Education Business Partnership South Westwiltshire.learnaboutwork.org/docs/EBP-SW Work Experience...Education Business Partnership-South West provides a service which helps schools