| Date Created | Date 1st Review Date | Date Reviewed | Version | Next Review Date |
| February 2024 | February 2025 | 1 | ||
| February 2025 | 2 | February 2026 |
Policy Statement
Work experience provides a number of benefits for children and young people. It enables students to learn about the world of work in a real-life working environment. With this in mind Egham Park School is supportive of students from other schools and colleges that are wishing to undertake their work experience here. When we accept work experience students they will be inducted, supervised and safeguarded whilst on their work placements with us.
Information Prior to acceptance
It is the responsibility of the Business and Compliance Manager to ensure that the school receives adequate information on prospective work experience students prior to them being accepted as suitable candidates to work with our pupils. Pupil safeguarding must be at the forefront of every decision made with regards to accepting students.
Process of requesting a Work Experience placement
An initial request for a work experience placement should be submitted via email and then confirmed on the school/colleges own system. Once received, availability will be checked. On completion and once all safeguarding obligations are met an offer of work experience will be confirmed. The student will be required to meet with the Business and Compliance Manager prior to placement, whereby an induction, tour of the school, work experience code of conduct and any necessary policies will be provided. The student must also provide photo ID.
Health and Safety of Work Experience Students
As a placement provider, we have primary responsibility for the health and safety of the student during their placement and will be managing any significant risks. Under health and safety law, work experience students are our employees and as such are treated no differently from any other employee. Work experience students are covered by our existing liability insurance policy.
A risk assessment for work experience students has been completed and is available on request. It is mandatory that students are given and sign our work experience code of conduct to show that they have understood and will abide by this advice.
• Whilst on placement, providers should:
o Ensure the student receives adequate induction, training and health and safety including first aid instructions at the start of the placement/first day (Business and Compliance Manager)
o Safeguarding procedures and reporting (DSL/DDSL)
o Nominate a mentor/‘buddy’ to work with the student
o Ensure students are made aware of the work activities involved and any associated significant risks
o Ensure that students know who has day to day responsibility at the workplace for supervising them, and who (if different) has overall responsibility for their health and safety
o To ensure that they provide adequate supervision
o Ensure students are informed of any prohibited activities/areas in the workplace
o To notify parents and to inform the school/college as soon as practicable of any incident/accident involving the student
o Ensure that students are informed of the fire safety arrangements on their first day
Safeguarding
Any students on work placement with Egham Park school will not be left alone at any time, they will be supervised by a member of staff. With this said there will be no need for a DBS to be carried out as the placement is short term and they will be supervised at all times. A risk assessment is in place for this. The student will have regular check ins and be asked to report any concerns to the DSL or principal immediately.
Our Safeguarding Responsibilities
The placement provider should take account of the young person’s social as well as physical welfare during the placement and the HSE have produced guidance on the specific factors to consider. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, an employer has a responsibility to ensure that young people employed by them are not exposed to risk due to:
• lack of experience
• being unaware of existing or potential risks and/or
• lack of maturity
The placement provider should also do all they can to ensure their relationship with young people on work experience are appropriate to their age, religion and gender, and do not give rise to comment or speculation. All attitude, behaviour and language require careful thought and consideration. Students will be made aware of the schools Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)/Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL) on the first day of placement.
Reporting Accidents during Work Experience
Placement providers have a responsibility to report all accidents to students that are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 to the HSE. Placement providers must notify immediately the parent/guardian and school/college of any incident/accident involving a student. We should also inform the student’s school/college who will investigate the incident and report it to the council’s Health & Safety team following the incident reporting procedure. We should also complete our own incident reports following our usual protocols.
Statutory Obligations
Egham Park School agrees to observe all relevant current legislation, in particular that relating to Health and Safety, and legislation in respect of Sex Discrimination, Equality and Discrimination, Race Relations, Disability and the Children Act & Safeguarding.