Policies

Please download this Keeping Children Safe Government policy which comes into force on 1st September 2023, read it carefully and keep for future reference.

What is the status of this guidance for Keeping Children Safe ? This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education (the department) issued under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002, the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, and the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015. Schools and colleges in England must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. For the purposes of this guidance children includes everyone under the age of 18.

What school and college staff should look out for:

• Any child may benefit from early help, but all school and college staff should be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:
• is disabled and has specific additional needs;
• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory Education, Health and Care Plan);
• is a young carer;
• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups;
• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home;
• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation;
• is at risk of being radicalised or exploited;
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues and domestic abuse;
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves; has returned home to their family from care; and
• is a privately fostered child.

Together keeping children safe.

About this guidance – This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education on the application of:

• The Childcare (Disqualification) and Childcare (Early Years Provision Free of Charge) (Extended Entitlement) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (“the 2018 Regulations”)

• Obligations under the Childcare Act 2006 in schools.

Schools and local authorities must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under:

• Section 175, of the Education Act 2002;

• Paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 1 to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014; and

• Paragraph 3 of the Schedule to the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 2011

Download the complete The Childcare (Disqualification) Policy

Recruitment and vetting processes are very important to us. We guarantee that all staff we supply have been cleared for work according to DfE guidance. In addition to our recruitment and vetting procedures, we carry out a face to face interview with all our supply staff.  Also, we ensure they have signed up to ‘my pledge’ to maintain our established standards.

You can read the DfE guidance for maintained schools and academies in England here. It is applies to school leaders, school staff and governing bodies. In addition it also applies local authorities academy trusts.

It will help with managing staffing and employment issues, and making decisions. It replaces the statutory guidance from 2009, ‘Guidance on managing staff in schools’.

To read more about Teacher Status Checks on the government’s website, click here.

Operam Education Group take  all their policies and procedures very seriously. We see policies as frameworks that clearly outline all our business’s methods and practices. We feel it helps us promote consistency, transparency and compliance. It helps us adhere to laws and legislation. Ultimately, it ensures safe practices for all, especially for the safeguarding and protection of children.

We assess applicants’ suitability for positions which are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order. This involves using criminal record checks. Consequently, the checks are processed through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Importantly, Operam Education Group complies fully with the code of practice.  Operam Education Group treat all applicants for positions fairly during the recruitment process.

We do not discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.

We can only ask an individual to provide details of convictions and cautions that we are legally entitled to know about.  This can be a DBS certificate at either standard or enhanced level. (Also, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 as amended, and where appropriate Police Act Regulations as amended).

Operam Education Group can only ask an individual about convictions and cautions that are not protected. We are committed to the fair treatment of its staff. We are also committed to the fair treatment of potential staff or users of its services. This is regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.

Operam Education Group has a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders. This is made available to all DBS applicants at the start of the recruitment process.

The safety of children and young people is paramount, and Operam Education Group is committed to implementing the Disclosure and Barring (DBS) procedures and arrangements.  We will comply with the DBS Code of Practice and National Care Standards guidance regarding the correct handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Certificates.

The DBS (formerly the CRB Agency) was set up by the Home Office to improve access to the criminal record checks for employment related purposes and to help organisations make safer recruitment decisions; this applies to staff with access to children under 18 years of age, vulnerable adults or other positions of trust that fall within the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  The CRB and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) both became part of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in December 2012.

Please download our DBS Policy.

Government DBS Code of Practice.

Who Needs a DBS check? Barred list checks can only be carried out on those who are engaging in regulated activity. The definition of ‘regulated activity’ includes where individuals:

• Are responsible, on a regular basis, for teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children; or
• Carry out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly where that work provides an opportunity for contact with children; or
• Engage in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once.

This concise summary lists who needs a DBS check and recommendations for an enhanced check.

Download DBS Who Needs One

Source: Keeping Children Safe in Education, GOV.UK – DfE

We ensure that all records are kept in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. Extra care is taken with all sensitive and personal data. For example, information captured in the Equal Opportunities Form, CVs and our Customer Relationship Management system.

We are not required to keep the original of all documents. Copies will be stored electronically (and are not alterable). All copies of original documents are verified to confirm that we have seen the original. Where the document contains a photograph of the individual, we also confirm that the document provided is a true likeness to the individual.

Download here

The purpose of this Training Policy is to control the activities associated with the training of Operam Education Group staff to more adequately be able to perform the duties required of them.

This procedure establishes the responsibilities and describes the activities associated with the recording of the qualifications and experience of staff and the instigation of any specific training requirements for staff to enable them to more adequately perform the duties required of them and/or expand their expertise to the benefit of Operam Education Group and its customers.

Please feel free to download our Training Policy.

Importantly, our Allegations Policy gives details of what action we will take when concerns are raised with us. Above all, any concerns raised with us will be viewed alongside other appropriate policies. Consequently, these will include our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, Complaints Policy, Safer Recruitment policy and Whistleblowing policy. Furthermore, this policy applies to anyone employed by us including our Directors, staff, and anyone registered with us as a candidate.

Our policies ensure that candidates and staff understand that it is their responsibility to protect children and vulnerable adults. Our code of conduct gives you guidance on what behaviour is expected when on placement to fulfil that responsibility. All agencies have a joint responsibility to ensure that they work together to protect children and adults from harm.

Concerns

Firstly, a concern may be raised against an adult which suggests that they may be a risk to a child. This includes people who may behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child. Secondly, it includes if someone has possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child. In addition, it includes if someone has behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm. It can include if a person is seen as having behaved or may have behaved in a way that suggests they are unsuitable to work with children.

This policy gives details of what action we will take when such concerns are raised with us and should be raised alongside our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, Complaints Policy, Safer Recruitment policy and Whistleblowing policy.

Policy Download here

Operam Education Group (OEG) is committed to providing a high level of service to our customers. If you do not receive satisfaction from us, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint, please contact the manager of your local branch by phone in the first instance so that we can try to resolve your complaint informally.

At this stage, if this does not resolve your complaint please then contact; Sharon Bullock, Chief Operating Officer. You can write to her at: Operam Education Group Ltd, Unit 1, Paramount Business Park, Wilson Road, Liverpool, L36 6AW.

STEPS

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain the details set out. You can expect to receive this acknowledgement within 5 days of us receiving your complaint.
2. We will record your complaint in our central register.
3. The investigation into your complaint will then commence
4. Where applicable the Chief Operating Officer will then invite you to meet her to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.
5. The Chief Operating Officer will then write to you with her investigation outcome and any resolution to resolve the matter. By no later than 20 working days of the acknowledgement of your complaint to her.
6. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) of which OEG is a member by email: complaints@apsco.orgIf we must change any of the time scales above, we will let you know and explain why.

Policy Download here

The Company is a recruitment business which provides work-finding services to its clients and work-seekers. The Company must process personal data (including sensitive personal data) so that it can provide these services – in doing so, the Company acts as a data controller.

You may give your personal details to the Company directly, such as on an application or registration form or via our website, or we may collect them from another source such as a jobs board. The Company must have a legal basis for processing your personal data. For the purposes of providing you with work-finding services and/or information relating to roles relevant to you we will only use your personal data in accordance with this privacy statement. At all times we will comply with current data protection laws.

Download our Privacy Policy.

We are happy to share our GDPR statement with our supply teaching staff. Please read the below statement.

1.1. Firstly, OEG and its brands (“we”, “our”, “us”, “the Company”) takes its obligations under GDPR and applicable data privacy law seriously. We process Personal Data of our candidates, clients, employees, workers and other third parties.

1.2. Scope

1.3. We recognise that the correct and lawful treatment of Personal Data will maintain confidence in the organisation. Additionally it will provide for successful business operations. Protecting the confidentiality and integrity of Personal Data is a critical responsibility that we take seriously at all times.

1.4. The DPO is responsible for overseeing our Data Protection Policy and, as applicable, developing Related Policies and Privacy Guidelines. That post is held by Jill Schofield who can be contacted by emailing OEG.

1.5. Personal data protection principles.

We adhere to the principles relating to Processing of Personal Data set out in the GDPR which require Personal Data to be:

1. Processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner (Lawfulness, Fairness and Transparency).
2. Collected only for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes (Purpose Limitation).
3. Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which it is Processed (Data Minimisation).
4. Accurate and where necessary kept up to date (Accuracy).
5. Not kept in a form which permits identification of Data Subjects for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data is Processed (Storage Limitation).
6. Processed in a manner that ensures its security using appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect against unauthorised or unlawful Processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage (Security, Integrity and Confidentiality).
7. Not transferred to another country without appropriate safeguards being in place (Transfer Limitation).
8. Made available to Data Subjects and Data Subjects allowed to exercise certain rights in relation to their Personal Data (Data Subject’s Rights and Requests).

   Download here.