Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers The Process for Work Experience Approval We work with Dudley Education Business Partnership Work Experience Team who are a part of Dudley LA People Directorate supporting schools and colleges to manage health, safety and welfare arrangements for Work Experience Our Governing Body along with the Local Authority have a ‘duty of care’ to our students and to the Borough wide 6000+ placements undertaken annually have been checked for health, safety and welfare suitability. Most of the Dudley schools use the centrally approved database for work experience placements – the web based database contains approximately 5000 approved companies for work experience
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers The Process for Work Experience Approval Health, safety and welfare checks with placement providers are carried out on behalf of our students by competent/qualified and experienced H&S personnel. Sign up to a Wex Agreement Are subject to a check for H&S provision All companies: Adopt a Are subject to a Safeguarding check of their Policy for Work premises Experience
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers Students undertaking their WEx need the approval of 3 principal partners ie. School/College, Employer and Parent/Carer. To facilitate this process a set of paperwork and actions is designed and generated to gain the consent of all involved. School/College Parent/Carer Employer Placements will not go ahead until all components are complete
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers Some Potential Problems Out of Borough Placements: These placements can bring an added set of complexities and delays in approving all is OK to allow the placement to proceed; 1. The EBP is reliant on other organisations to carry out checks on our behalf; 2. Finding organisations local to the employer willing to undertake the verification of Health,Safety, Welfare and Insurance arrangements can take time; 3. Experience suggests that not every external agency treats these requests with the same priority as do our own; 4. Some external agencies will make a charge for this work (up to £290 has been known to be asked) . Most of the West Mids will not make a charge but those further afield routinely do so. 5. Monitoring out of Borough placements can be time consuming and expensive where visits are required.
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers Some Potential Problems Employer Liability Insurance(ELI): ELI is essential for all placements. Companies who do not hold ELI will not be approved unless it is a family business employing close family members only – is not limited by guarantee and the student is also a close family member. Young Person’s Safeguarding All companies are required to have a Wex Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy. It can be their own or one adopted from the EBP that have recieved approval from Dudley Safeguarding Board. Disclosure & Barring Service checks will be recommended by the EBP where such safeguarding measures are considered to be required. The School/College in consultation with a Parent/Carer will the make a decision to proceed.
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers Important Dates and Deadlines To allow enough time for the School/College and EBP to complete all necessary checks/paperwork/reporting, students need to have identified their placement opportunity at least 12 weeks in advance of the placement date. This timescale also allows time to find alternative placements in the event of cancellation or non H&S/ELI compliance.
Work Experience Briefing for Parents/Carers A Parents Guide This leaflet provides good advice and helpful guidance about many aspects of a student work placement.
Recommend
More recommend
