Policy No: 52. Health and Safety Work Experience/Apprenticeships

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1 Policy No: 52 Health and Safety Work Experience/Apprenticeships

2 Health and Safety Work Experience Policy 1. AIM 1.1 To define procedures for Epping Forest College staff, students and work placement providers involved in the arrangement of work experience/practical training. 1.2 To ensure that Health, Safety and Welfare requirements are met. 1.3 To ensure that the arrangements for work experience meet the specific criteria of awarding bodies where appropriate. 2. OBJECTIVES 2.1 To maintain a central database of work placement providers. 2.2 To identify specific programmes where work experience is mandatory in order for students to obtain their qualifications. 2.3 To assess the suitability of each work placement and ensure that Health & Safety Standards (HASS) are met. 2.4 To ensure that the Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy is adhered to. 2.5 To match students with suitable placements. 2.6 To ensure that students, work placement providers, lecturers and pastoral tutors are fully briefed on work experience procedures. 2.7 To monitor and evaluate the quality of the work experience programme. 3. POLICY Epping Forest College is committed to provide its students appropriate opportunities to engage in work experience in order to support a high quality learning experience. The College is equally committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all learners. This is especially important when they are engaged in work experience activities with employers or voluntary organisations. All placement providers are required to comply with Health & Safety Standards as defined by the Skills Funding Agency, the College s Safeguarding and Vulnerable Adults Policy and the College s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy. The College will not put students at risk by placing them in work situations where standards are not satisfactory.

3 4. THE 5 OUTCOMES The College aims to extend The 5 Outcomes into work experience activities. These activities will contribute to the learner: Being healthy; Staying safe; Enjoying & achieving; Making a positive contribution; and Achieving economic well-being. 5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 5.1 Work Experience Organiser, Childcare Placement Officer Find suitable placements. Follow procedures to arrange placements. Ensure Health & Safety Standards are met. Complete documentation required. Refer any problems or issues to line manager/course tutor/pastoral tutor as appropriate. 5.2 LECTURERS Assist the Organiser/Childcare Placement Officer and the Health & Social Care Placement Officer in the preparation of students for work experience. Produce learning objectives for each programme. Monitor students during work experience and arrange placement visits. 5.3 HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE COMMITTEE To include work experience in College Health & Safety audit systems. Provide support & guidance to staff on Health & Safety issues. 5.4 HUMAN RESOURCES To ensure staff carrying out work placement Health & Safety checks are trained to ENTO Unit D standard. 5.5 STUDENTS Attend preparation for work experience sessions in College, including Health and Safety training. Arrange an interview at least 2 weeks before the placement commences Return copies of Work Placement Agreement and HASS form to College prior to placement NB Placements cannot proceed unless this documentation is returned. Treat employers records and working practices with confidentiality and respect. Comply with employer s Health & Safety policy

4 6. PROCEDURE FOR HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE ASPECTS OF WORK EXPERIENCE This procedure applies to any work experience placement associated in any way with the College and its learners, including: Existing placement providers held on the Work Placement database New placements identified by College staff Placements found by students themselves Placements for students in their family business Placements with voluntary organisations The procedure is supported by resource packs for both students and placement providers. 7. PLACEMENT HEALTH & SAFETY CHECKS All placement providers must comply with Health and Safety Standards (HASS) as defined by the Skills Funding Agency. Before students are placed, all placement providers must be visited by a competent member of staff and HASS form completed. HASS form is recorded on Work Placement database & any action points reviewed. HASS forms are monitored and up-dated in the timescale appropriate to the occupational area, depending on the level of risk. Standard 10 must be completed for each individual learner to take into account any special needs or other circumstances, including any disability and/or medical/health condition. 8. PREPARATION OF STUDENTS 8.1 Students must have Health, Safety & Welfare training and, where appropriate, should complete the Health & Safety unit for their curriculum area before undertaking work experience. Recommended resources to be used with students: Be Safe booklet (available from SFA) Check it out video risk assessment for young people on work placement produced by the HSE Induction for Learner on Work Placement checklist 8.2 All students must arrange an interview before the placement starts. Students must complete a Work Placement Agreement form with the placement provider a interview. White copy to be retained by the provider, yellow and pink copies to be returned to College for tutor and organiser/ Childcare Placement Officer and the Health and Social Care Placement Officer and green copy to be retained by student.

5 9. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PLACEMENT PROVIDER 9.1 All placement providers must comply with Health and Safety Standards (HASS) as defined by the Skills Funding Agency, as far as is reasonably practicable. Information packs for providers include the following information: Epping Forest College Mission Statement Epping Forest College Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy Health & Safety Policy Induction for Learner on Work Placement checklist Prohibition and Restrictions for Learners General procedures Information for employers on the Skills Funding Agency health and safety Standards for learners A Pocket Guide to Supervising (SFA) Health & Safety Aide Memoir (SFA) Placement Providers (HSE) The Right Start (HSE) 9.2 Employers must undertake a young person s risk assessment for students who are under 18 and share it with the student. 9.3 Employers must provide a thorough induction for students, including health, safety and welfare. 9.4 Students must have a nominated supervisor and arrangements should be in place for cover if the supervisor is absent. 9.5 Students must be provided with all required protective clothing and equipment free of charge. 9.6 Students must not be asked to operate machinery/equipment, undertake tasks or work in areas that are unsuitable for their age or level of experience. 9.7 Student appraisal and quality questionnaire to be completed by employers at the end of each placement. 10. MONITORING OF STUDENTS ON WORK EXPERIENCE 10.1 The level of monitoring may depend on a range of factors including: Awarding bodies requirements Length of placement: Block placement of 1-3 weeks telephone call by lecturer in first 2/3 days & 1 visit

6 Extended placements minimum of 1 visit per term Ability of student and/or any special needs or other circumstances, including any disability and/or medical/health condition All visits should be arranged in advance by telephone & visiting staff should be known to the student Visiting staff are responsible for recording monitoring visits and completing appropriate documentation, including quality questionnaire Any issues identified during monitoring must be addressed immediately If the student is considered to be at risk for any reason, the placement must be terminated with immediate effect Students complete quality questionnaire on return to College and any Health, Safety and Welfare issues are addressed by Work Experience Co-ordinator/Childcare Placement Officer/Health and Social Care Placement Officer Apprenticeships Workplace health and safety check: Appropriate qualified person to carry out a health and safety check of the workplace and complete HASS form agreeing an action plan for any improvements/ changes if necessary. Where the apprentice has any special needs or other circumstances, including any disability and/or medical/health condition these must be taken into account in assessing risk. Employer must provide a copy of current employer s liability insurance certificate. Workplace to be subject to an annual health and safety visit (or sooner if there is a significant change to the workplace) Assessors will: Visit the apprentice in the workplace at least once every eight weeks. Check progress on any health and safety action plan in place. Report on any relevant health and safety issues/incidents since last visit.

7 Report on any safeguarding issues that have arisen since last visit. Remove any apprentices from the workplace where there is significant and immediate risk Apprenticeship delivery staff/administrators will Ensure that employers understand their obligations and responsibilities in relation to ensuring the health and safety and safeguarding of apprentices in their employ including adherence to relevant College policies. Ensure that apprentices are aware of their rights and responsibilities with regard to their safety and well-being and that they know who they should contact if they have any concerns. Ensure that no apprenticeship is started until health and safety checks are satisfactorily completed. Record liability insurance renewal dates and request copies of new certificates on those dates. Monitor and evidence adherence to any agreed health and safety action plan. Respond appropriately to any issues raised by Assessor reports following workplace visits. 11. QUALITY MONITORING Quality questionnaires completed by students, employers and visiting lecturers to be collated annually by organisers for each curriculum area & results circulated to Senior Management Team, Quality Manager, Heads of Departments, Programme Area Managers and curriculum teams. Programme reviews to include work experience where appropriate. 12. MONITORING AND REVIEW The Deputy Principal (Interim) has ultimate responsibility for this procedure and to this end will keep this overarching policy under review. Given the complexity of the issues contained within this Policy, however, it is to be expected that those managers responsible for individual procedures and aspects of the Policy will also monitor relevant aspects of its implementation and will advise the Deputy Principal (Interim) if changes need to be made to the Policy as a result. In any event, the Policy will be systematically reviewed at least every three years.