Placement Policy and ProcedurePre-school Learning Alliance programme

Review July 2015

In vocational training at level 2 and above, learners must practice their skills and use their knowledge in the real work environment.

At recruitment to the training programme vocational learners can be:

Already in employment, and planning to use this situation as her/his practice experience

Not in employment, but with the agreement of a workplace to host her/his practice experience as a volunteer.

Not in employment with no suitable a workplace to host her/his practice experience, as a volunteer yet agreed.

The safeguarding needs of learners aged 16-18 years, learning with the Alliance as part of a study programme with work experience will be met.

This policy aims to ensure that all work-based practice experience is effective in developing learners’ knowledge and skills and those learners and employers/hosts have a mutually positive professional relationship.

Information about placements

It is vital that employment or voluntary placements are secured as early as possible. InsuranceEmployers are required to hold Employers Liability insurance. There is an agreement among the UK insurance industry that people on work experience will be regarded as employees by all UK insurers and covered by Employers Liability policies.

All Pre-school Learning Alliance/RSA setting insurance policies included employer liability insurance which covers people on work experience.

Clear expectationsSeveral serious case reviews of recent years have indicated the importance of childcare settings making clear their expectations about the behaviour of staff and volunteers.

It is the settingswhere: sound procedures are followed, and there is a good level of professional

dialogue between staff,

where children are likely to be safeguarded most effectively.

Criminal Records Bureau checks / Disclosure and Barring ServiceAn enhanced CRB checks cost £44 per person. The Disclosure and Barring service update system will mean that this check only needs to be carried out once. Learners who work or who wish to work in the childcare or health and social care sectors are strongly advised to register for the DBS Update service. This service costs £13 per year (2013) and allows employers or potential employers to access a person’s check online.

Instructions are given on the website https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-serviceand should be followed carefully.

Settings must ensure that adults looking after children, or having unsupervised access to them, are suitable to do so.

Employed learners must follow their settings’ arrangements.

Not employed learners will be helped to obtain CRB and strongly encouraged to sign-up to the DBS update service.

Learners must have a satisfactory DBS/CRB check in place at the start of a work placement. Voluntary work practice experience cannot begin until this is resolved.

DBS/CRB checks can take several weeks to process. If the start of a work placement is held up because a check is not available this will impact on progress and could hinder the learner’s timely completion.

After four weeks learners who have yet to secure employment or volunteering placement will be required to withdraw from study.

The DBS update service was set up in 2013. It is becoming one of the normal range of ways of checking a person’s suitability.

Specific legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (p.16)

These are:“3.9 Providers must ensure that people looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their roles. Providers must have effective systems in place to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises), are suitable.

3.10 Ofsted is responsible for checking the suitability of childminders and of persons living or working on a childminder’s premises, including obtaining enhanced criminal records

Review July 2015

checks and barred list checks. Providers other than childminders must obtain an enhanced criminal records disclosure in respect of every person aged 16 and over who:

works directly with children; lives on the premises on which the

childcare is provided; and/or works on the premises on which the

childcare is provided (unless they do not work on the part of the premises where the childcare takes place, or do not work there at times when children are present).

3.11 Providers must tell staff that they are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment at the setting). Providers must not allow people whose suitability has not been checked, including through a criminal records check, to have unsupervised contact with children being cared for.

[Learners must also follow this requirement]

3.12 Providers other than childminders must record information about staff qualifications and the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed (including the criminal records disclosure, reference number, the date a disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it). For childminders the relevant information will be kept by Ofsted.

3.13 Providers must also meet their responsibilities under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.”

Young people“3.28 Only those aged 17 or over may be included in ratios (and staff under 17 should be supervised at all times). Learners on long term placements and volunteers (aged 17 or over) may be included if the provider is satisfied that they are competent and responsible.”At the beginning of their period of study a representative of the Alliance (often the tutor

or assessor) will visit a setting hosting a young learner (aged under 18 year) to establish good partnership communications with the setting manager and mentor.

RatiosA learner on a short term placement should not be counted in the staffing ratios. However, where a volunteer is working for a substantial period of time in the same setting, for example, during their period of study, it would be reasonable to include them in ratios, if they are considered competent.

Insurance“3.62 Providers must carry public liability insurance.”

Setting induction and policiesFrom 3.18 “Providers must ensure that all staff receive induction training to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Induction training must include information about emergency evacuation procedures, safeguarding, child protection, the provider’s equality policy, and health and safety issues.”

Children firstSettings must always put the needs of the children and families they serve first. Learners working at the settings must not hinder the setting’s essential work.

Co-operationThe Alliance expects settings to: co-operate with learners’ tutors and

assessors in order to help learners to fulfil the requirements of their course of study.

communicate a positive message to learners about the value of qualifications and training.

ensure that learners on work practice experience whether employed or volunteers are engaged in bona fide early years work that relates to their training, and provides the necessary background understanding of children's development and activities.

Review July 2015

Establishing work-based practice experience

The learner is employed in a suitable settingEmployment arrangements of each learner will be explored during the interview and enrolment process. A learner must have a realistic opportunity to practice and demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Employers are encouraged to attend information sessions. Alliance staff will be in contact employers.

Information about the nature of the practice experience needed by a learner will be shared with the employer (handout, letter to employer, Becoming a workplace mentor booklet).

Placement Information with contact details, record of CRB/DBS check and information about the learner given as their personal statement will be provided to the host workplace.

Liaison with a learner’s employer will include:

Arrangements to send employer feedback on a learner’s progress, and final outcome;

Information about how the employer can contact a responsible person at the Alliance;

Information about how the Alliance can contact a responsible person at the workplace;

Health and Safety information about the workplace;

Inclusion arrangements, particularly for a learner with learning difficulties or disabilities;

Insurance arrangements;

CRB/DBS arrangements;

The learneris not employed, but has agreement of a workplace to host her/his practice experience as a volunteer.

Workplace practice experience arrangements of each potential learner are explored during the interview and enrolment process. A learner must have a realistic opportunity to practice and demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the workplace. Normal working times should be discussed and expectations of punctuality and reliability.

Where a learner has the agreement host workplace a member of their staff would be encouraged to attend the information sessions. Alliance staff will be in contact host workplaces staff.

Information about the nature of the practice experience needed by a learner will be shared with the host workplace (handout, letter to employer, Becoming a workplace mentor booklet). Agreement to enable the learner to do this must be confirmed as part of the recruitment process. If this cannot be agreement an alternative placement/s will be needed by the learner.

Placement Information with contact details, record of CRB/DBS check and information about the learner given as their personal statement will be provided to the host workplace.

Liaison with a learner’s host workplace will include:

Review July 2015

Arrangements to send host workplace feedback on a learner’s progress, and final outcome;

Information about how the host workplace can contact a responsible person at the Alliance;

Information about how the Alliance can contact a responsible person at the workplace;

Information about the setting’s most recent Ofsted inspection;

Health and Safety information about the workplace;

Inclusion arrangements, particularly for a learner with learning difficulties or disabilities;

Insurance arrangements; CRB/DBS arrangements;

The learner is not employed and has not yet found a workplace to host her/his practice experience, as a volunteer.It is vital that a learner in this position finds a workplace to host her/his practice experience as soon as possible. Recruitment and teaching staff may assist, and local contacts may be able to help.

If,after a period of four weeks from the start of the course,a learner is not able to find a workplace to host her/his practice experience the learner should withdraw.

A learner must have a realistic opportunity to practice and demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the workplace, over a reasonable period of time. A late start to placement threatens the likelihood of their success.

Once a host has been found normal liaison arrangements must come into place, as listed above.

Review July 2015

During study

It is helpful if course tutor, assessor, learner and host communicate well during the period of study and placement. There will be face-to-face opportunities, for example during assessment visits to the workplace.

If the placement wishes a regular update on a learner’s progress can be sent to an employer or host’s confidential email address.

If at any time there are concerns about the learner, their well-being, study, attendance and progress any of the parties involved should be in contact.

Meetings will be arranged where an open discussion would help to resolve issues.

If a learner decides to withdraw from the course a letter confirming this fact will be sent to the employer or placement host.

After the course end date

At the end of the course a letter will be sent to the employer or placement host confirming the outcome of the learner’s study.

Feedback from employers and host placements is welcomed and valued.

Review July 2015