Work Placement Pack
Although the main duty to ensure the health and safety of young people rests with the work placement provider, the Delivery Partner has a responsibility to ensure young people on work experience, are not placed in a work environment where they are exposed to significant risks to their health and safety.
As the organiser you need to be reasonably satisfied that placement providers have systems in place that ensure the health, safety and welfare, of the young person and take reasonable measures to ensure that work placment providers have the competence to manage health and safety in relation to the placement.
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Before agreeing a work placement with an organisation, the following letter and forms or your Delivery Partners’ own versions be sent to the organisation, primarily to outline the health and safety responsibilities of the organisation but also to provide additional guidance.
Contents:
Work Placement Agreement Letter
Health & Safety Checklist
Health & Safety Induction Checklist
Child Protection Guidance
Work Experience Reference
The Work Placement Agreement Letter needs amending before it is sent to the organisation.
[Organisation Address]
[Date]
Dear [Name of Work Placement Provider]
Thank you for agreeing to provide a work placement for [name of young person] for [two] weeks beginning [date].
Background Information
Team is a full-time 12-week personal development programme which aims to increase confidence, motivation and skills and as a result enable young people to move into employment, education, training, volunteering or apprenticeships.
Benefits of Work Placements for young people
Developing workplace skills, both specific and general
Helping to make an informed decision about which area of work might suit them
Gaining current experience to add to their CV and a reference
We hope your organisation will also benefit from:
The opportunity to assist the local community, thereby demonstrating social responsibility
Offering a development opportunity to current employees as ‘buddies’
Accessing a potential new recruit
The opportunity for PR- successes will make local ‘good news stories’
And, an extra pair of hands
Support from [Name of Delivery Partner]
[Name of Delivery Partner]is responsible for recruiting the young person for the placement, and providing the ongoing support at the end of the placement. In this capacity, we will undertake the following:
We will recruit young people that we feel are suitable for the placement. We will organise an interview with the placement provider, so that a decision can be made about their suitability.
We will profile any young person we send on a placement and pass on information we think is appropriate concerning any potential risks, which the young person may present.
We will provide advice and guidance on any preventative measures that could be taken to address any such risks.
If you would like further information about how to structure your work placement visit the Work Inspiration Campaign website for information, advice, guidance and resources
What does your organisation need to do?
Since your organisation will be responsible for the young person during the work placement, please could you confirm the following:
You have sufficient PLI (a minimum of £5 million) and Employers Liability Insurance.
You understand that you have specific responsibilities for the Health, Safety and Welfare of the young person whilst they are on the placement.
You have read the enclosed ‘Placement Health and Safety Checklist’ and are happy for us to arrange to visit you to go through this form. Please have copies of the relevant documents available for this visit.
You will give the young person a thorough induction in Health & Safety, going through the enclosed ‘Induction Checklist for Placement Provider’.
You have read the enclosed document ‘Child Protection Guidance’, and agree to follow this guidance.
You will complete the enclosed ‘Work Placement Reference’ Form at the end of the placement.
Please find enclosed the following documents:
-Placement Health and Safety Checklist
-Induction Checklist for Placement Provider
-Child Protection Guidance for Placement Providers
-Example Work Placement Reference Form
Yours sincerely
Signed ______
On behalf of [Name of Delivery Partner]
Date:
Signed ______
On behalf of [full legal name of company]
Date:
Work Placement Health & Safety Checklist
Organisation NameWork Experience Supervisor Name
Job Title
Organisation Address
Telephone
- Do you have a written Health and Safety Policy?
- Does your organisation have a system for implementing this Policy?
- Does your organisation have a policy regarding Health and Safety training for people working within your undertaking?
- Will you provide all necessary health and safety training for the placement student?
- Is both employer and public liability insurance held?
- Do you have suitable insurances in place to cover any liability incurred by a placement student as a result of his/her duties?
- Is your organisation registered with the appropriate authority (HSE or Local Authority)
- Do you have appropriate systems and procedures in place for emergency evacuation, and fire safety, prevention and protection?
- Have there been risk assessments carried out on your work practices to identify possible risks and control measures for these (to both your employees and others affected by your undertaking)?
- Are risk assessments kept under regular review?
- Are the results of risk assessments implemented?
- Is first aid equipment provided and are records of first aid treatment kept?
- If required are trained first aiders available?
- Is there a formal procedure for reporting accidents and incidents in accordance with RIDDOR?
- Will you report back all recorded accidents or incidents involving the student?
- Do you have systems to help ensure and maintain a safe place of work, and adequate welfare facilities?
- Do you are appropriate systems and procedures in place for emergency evacuation, and fire safety , prevention and protection
- Who is your nominated contact for compliance with the requirement of health and safety legislation?
Signature / Date
Work Placement ProviderInduction Checklist for young people
On the first day of their work experience placement with you the young person should receive a thorough induction in Health and Safety. In order to ensure this please could you complete this document on Day 1 of the placement and indicate that you have covered all the areas which will be relevant to their placement. A copy must then be kept by the young person for their records.
Work Placement Supervisor NameOrganisation
Young Person’s Name
During the induction process we have covered: / Yes / No / N/A
Our legal responsibilities / / /
The young persons legal responsibilities / / /
Significant risks associated with their placement / / /
Control measures for any risks relevant to the placement / / /
Our health and safety policy and systems / / /
Our fire and emergency arrangements / / /
What the young person should do if they have an accident/incident / / /
Prohibitions, rules do’s and don’t’s / / /
Who will be supervising them during their placement / / /
Information on the safe use of equipment or hazardous substances / / /
Manual handling hazards and protective measures / / /
Date of completion
Supervisor
Signature / Print Name
Young Person
Signature / Print Name
Child Protection Guidance for Work Placement Providers
[Name of Delivery Partner]works with the ‘hardest to reach’ young people, many of whom are vulnerable. It is therefore important to be aware of potentially difficult situations. By following the simple guidance outlined below it should be possible to ensure that the placement is in a secure and productive environment for both the provider and the young person.
1)TouchThere may be occasions when you need to touch a young person (eg. When you are guiding them in carrying out a technical operation) but these should be kept to a minimum.
2)Behaviour
Whilst it is important to reassure a young person who may be nervous in a new placement and reliant on your guidance, you should avoid being over familiar. Never permit ‘horseplay’, which may cause embarrassment or fear.
3)Environment
Where possible avoid being on your own in an isolated or closed environment with a young person.
4)Travel
Ensure that there is a known destination and check-in times with a third party in situations where a young person will be travelling alone with an adult during the placement. It is a good idea to make available a mobile phone (or equivalent) in such situations.
5)Mentor
Those placed immediately in charge of young people should be competent in their work-role, mature in their attitudes, and yet, at the same time, be at ease with them.
6)Disclosure
Occasionally young people may disclose confidential information to a work colleague that gives rise to concern for their physical or emotional safety. In such situations you should speak to your line manager and share your concern with the Prince's Trust support worker.
7)Disqualification
You are reminded that you are required by law to protect children from harm and that any employees are required, under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act, to declare that they are disqualified from working with children.
Work Placement Reference
Young person’s name:______
Placement Provider’s name:______
Contact name:______
Address:______
______
Date of placement:From ______To ______
Could you please provide feedback about the time spent by the person named above with your organisation. Please briefly describe the activities that he/she was involved with during the placement:
Please rate their performance by ticking the appropriate boxes:
Excellent
/Good
/Satisfactory
/Poor
Reliability
Hard Work
Team Work
CommunicationOverall performance
Please provide any additional comments regarding the time spent on placement with your organisation, in particular with reference to the skills above and any vocational skills that have been developed:
Signed: ______Date: ______
Position: ______
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