woodlands school volunteer and work experience handbook€¦ · volunteer and work experience...

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Woodlands School Volunteer and Work Experience Handbook

To be reviewed: Summer 2018

Volunteer and Work Experience Handbook

Woodlands School, Blackpool Updated 08/11/11

Table of Contents Welcome to Woodlands School .................................................................................................................. 2 Equal Opportunities Policy ......................................................................................................................... 2 What You Can Offer ................................................................................................................................... 2 We Offer You... .......................................................................................................................................... 2 We Expect You… ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Volunteer Support ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Volunteer Training ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Reviewing Your Voluntary Activities ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Available Time And Commitment ............................................................................................................... 4 Ceasing To Be A Volunteer .......................................................................................................................... 4 Our School ................................................................................................................................................. 4 School Organisation ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Our Daily Routine ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Continuing Professional Development ........................................................................................................ 5 Working with Other Professionals .............................................................................................................. 5 Personal Absence ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Specialist Nursing Service in School ............................................................................................................ 6 Safety in School .......................................................................................................................................... 6 In Case of Fire ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Incident and Emergency Procedures ........................................................................................................... 8 Accidents Out Of School ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Seizures ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Medical and Health Care ............................................................................................................................ 9 Pupil Behaviour ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Child Protection ............................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Social Networking ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Emergency School Closure ......................................................................................................................... 10 Whistleblowing Policy ............................................................................................................................... 11 Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.


O:\My Documents\POLICIES\VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK 2017.doc

Welcome to Woodlands School The aim of this handbook is not only to help new volunteers/work experience students follow the daily routines of our school but also to give them a point of reference when any queries should arise. It has been developed to give volunteers/work experience students information relating to volunteering and an induction to policies that everyone must be aware of.

New volunteers/work experience students are encouraged to read through this handbook but it may be useful for refreshing our memories or finding out the policies and procedures we follow. For any further advice or information relating to volunteering please see a member of the Pastoral Team or a member of the Senior Leadership Team

The Woodlands mission statement is:

‘Together We Raise Aspirations for Lifelong Learning”

We recognise that volunteers/work experience students make a valuable contribution to our services. They play a distinctive and complementary role alongside staff, by undertaking activities for the benefit of our pupils. We value the involvement of volunteers/work experience students in our work because they reflect the interests, needs and resources of the children and young people we support and bring a unique perspective to our work. We believe the personal experience you will gain from this volunteering/work experience role will also have a positive effect on your own well-being. We strive to provide a diverse and inclusive experience for all.

Equal Opportunities Policy Woodlands School adheres to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy. We aim to recruit and support volunteers/work experience students from all backgrounds, of different ages (over 19 years old) and with different interests to help us to meet the needs of our children and young people. We welcome people from all sections of the community. It is intended that nobody shall receive less favourable treatment on the basis of sex, marital status, race, colour, disability or any other condition or requirement that cannot be shown to be justifiable.

What You Can Offer Share your skills, knowledge and friendship with our community. If you are patient, reliable and have a genuine interest in children and young people with learning difficulties you have much to offer us.

We Offer You...

Free training - induction and relevant on-going training

The chance to share and gain skills and experience

Individual and group support



The chance to meet new people

Flexibility as to when you volunteer

Chances to build on your volunteering role

We Expect You…

to be responsible and have an open mind and friendly attitude to all those you come into contact with while volunteering

adopt the principles of our Equal Opportunities policy

to be reliable and to give some commitment to supporting our children and young people

to follow Woodlands School policies and procedures, including confidentiality and health and safety

to inform us of any concerns or suggestions

to enjoy your experience volunteering with us

Volunteer Support Volunteers/work experience students are responsible to Woodlands School Leadership Team for their activities as a volunteer. Your class teacher will offer useful advice about the tasks that you have been asked to undertake, and you should feel free to raise any queries about your role and duties. Where any activities are undertaken outside of agreed arrangements then Woodlands School can accept no responsibility for any consequences arising from such activity. Volunteers/work experience students are insured only for carrying out activities that are agreed as part of their volunteering role.

Volunteer Training Volunteers/work experience students need to have some basic knowledge and understanding

of:

the work of Woodlands School

the nature of their role

the specific tasks they are to undertake



policies and procedures they must follow

health and safety, for example, action to be taken in the event of fire or accidents and any good practice.

All of the above will be given as part of induction, or offered regularly whilst you are working with us. You will be given the chance to take part in any useful training. Together with regular support this will help you to develop your confidence and understanding of the children and young people who you will be working with. Any request by you for training, that would help you as a volunteer, should be given to the School Business Manager

Available Time and Commitment You should agree with the amount of time you can commit to volunteer/work for us. Reliability is usually more important than the number of hours. As far as possible, you should make a commitment to be available at certain times and to give us notice if you cannot be available, for example, because of holidays. This will allow us to provide cover in your absence.

Ceasing To Be A Volunteer Everyone’s circumstances change. People move house, change jobs, start college, or perhaps as a result of poor health are unable to continue with their commitment as a volunteer. Whatever the reason, you should notify your mentor.

Our School The children and young people who attend Woodlands are at the heart of the school - the focus of everything we do. Our pupils have a wide range of learning needs including severe, profound and complex learning difficulties and many have a broad range of additional special educational needs including hearing or visual impairments, epilepsy or other health conditions and autistic spectrum disorder. We are committed to creating a happy caring school that provides a safe, secure and supportive environment in which everyone feels valued, listened to and can thrive. We believe in paying meticulous attention to ensuring that each individual’s personal development and well being are at the centre of what the school does and this engenders an extremely positive ethos that every child matters. This commitment to personalised learning enables an “I can achieve” belief and an optimistic view of every individual’s ability to reach their potential regardless of their needs. Woodlands School has a range of appropriate resources; the most valuable being a dedicated, mutually supportive, well trained staff team who offer individual expertise and support for each of our exceptional pupils.



The dedication and stability of an experienced staff facilitates a willingness to always seek ways to further improve their own practice and be innovative in their approaches to their work to ensure outstanding learning and teaching. We believe that by working in partnership with parents, governors and other stakeholders we create a feeling of a common purpose with children and young people at the core of our extended outward looking school Woodlands School is an innovative and exciting place to be and we would be delighted to welcome you to visit us to experience this for yourself.

Our Daily Routine

08.30 Teachers and Teaching Assistant Level 3s in class

08.50 Teaching Assistant Level 2s in class

Pupils in class

Any messages from parents written in the passenger assistant’s

books should be brought to the attention of members of staff.

If passenger assistants bring children’s medication in from home,

it should be handed to the School Nurse. Special bags are

provided for medication. Under no circumstances should drugs

be left in children’s bags or left unattended in classrooms or the

medical room.

Pupils transferred in to specialist seating in the therapy room.

11:45– 13:15 Lunch

13.15 Assembly

15:00 Pupils dismissed from class

Continuing Professional Development

Details of courses and other training activities are displayed in the staffroom. If you are

interested in taking part in a course then please ask a member of the Pastoral Team or a

member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Working with Other Professionals

As a school we work closely with colleagues from many other disciplines, including health

professionals, and it is most important that all agencies work together to help meet the needs

of our pupils. Whilst we seek to work in close co-operation we need to be aware of each

agency’s responsibilities together with our role as educationalists. When working in a

multidisciplinary context volunteers/work experience students should be aware of issues such

as confidentiality and our own professional responsibilities. If you are in any doubt about

supporting a pupil to enable another professional to carry out their role, divulging information



or discussing educational practice, please do not do so until you have spoken to a senior

member of staff.

Many educational agencies employed by the Local Authority work with pupils in school,

including peripatetic teachers of the hearing and visually impaired, the Physical, Sensory and

Complex Needs (P.S.C.) support service, educational psychologists, and others.

Health professionals employed by the Primary Care Trust who work with pupils in school

include the school nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language

therapist and therapists’ aides.

Personal Absence If you are unable to come in to school please contact school by telephone as soon as possible so that arrangements can be put in place. If you are absent from placement on 3 or more occasions the Senior Leadership Team will consider cancelling/postponing your placement and will inform your course provider.

Specialist Nursing Service in School We have a specialist nursing adviser who supervises and supports nurses in school. Our nurse in school works across Woodlands and Pear Tree School. We also have a full time Nursing Assistant in school. Nurses and Nursing Assistants have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and a clear prioritisation schedule so they can allocate their time according to need. They, like us, have a very hectic schedule with lots going on behind the scenes in order that clinics and other priorities run smoothly alongside their direct work with children. First Aid for Pupils In school all first aid should be managed by class staff, there are staff in most classes who have undertaken the paediatric first aid course and if needed teachers can seek the assistance of the nominated first aider – Anna Hodgkiss. The exception to this rule would be a head injury. The school nursing team would like us to still consult with them where an accident has resulted in a head injury. Nursing should be consulted at the time of the bump, not at a later time during the day so that the child can be monitored.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones should be switched off during working hours except for emergencies and

during your personal breaks.

Safety in School

Pupils

Our pupils require a very high level of supervision and staffing. Staff need to be alert and

aware of all pupils activities at all times. The Headteacher and/or Deputy Headteacher or a



designated person are available at all times and should be informed or consulted if any

problems arise or if staff are unsure what to do.

Pupils are generally encouraged to become more independent in the classroom, within school

and the wider community. Staff should take care to ensure that;

the demands being made upon the pupils are reasonable,

they are aware of pupils whereabouts by providing varying levels of discrete supervision

they are aware of any specific activities being undertaken by pupils as part of their learning

their colleagues are aware of particular circumstances relating to the nature of specific

activities pupils may be pursuing as part of their learning.

Health and Safety

Woodlands School takes the health and safety of our staff and volunteers/work experience

students very seriously. If you have any concerns please speak to a member of the SLT. A copy

of the Occupational Health and Safety manual can be found in the school office.

All staff and volunteers/work experience students are responsible for health and safety in

school. They need to ensure that any faults are reported in writing using the health and safety

proforma kept in the office so that they may be logged and rectified. Any concerns regarding

health and safety should be brought to the attention of the Head teacher, Deputy

Headteacher, Site Supervisor or the school’s health and safety representative.

Signing in/out of school

Volunteers/work experience students leaving and entering the building must sign in on the

volunteer register at Reception

Security

All staff and volunteers/work experience students wear ID badges/access fobs that allow them access to the school building and specific rooms in school during the working day. Beyond the working day access to all rooms, including classrooms, is via a fob access.

All visitors must report to the main office where they will be asked to sign the visitor’s book and wear an identification badge and if appropriate given a fob ID which gives them access to relevant rooms in school.

Visitor fobs are checked at the end of each day and those that have not been returned are removed from the system.

Staff/Volunteers/work experience students must inform the school office if ID badges or fobs are lost or stolen so that the fobs can be removed from the access system.

Vehicles on Site/Parking

Car parking is limited on site. Cars must be parked in designated areas.

In Case of Fire



The complex nature of the school building and the needs of our pupils greatly increase the risk

factors involved in the event of a fire. Fire drills are therefore held on a regular basis. The Fire

Service monitors evacuation times and they also check fire precautions and equipment.

All members of staff, students and volunteers/work experience students must be aware of the

fire regulations. These are displayed in all areas of the school and detail evacuation

procedures and assembly points. Specific exit points and assembly areas are detailed on fire

evacuation notices located on the back of classroom doors. Staff should follow the green and

white arrows displayed in the corridors, which identify the quickest escape route.

If the fire alarm sounds (a loud siren) staff must ensure that pupils are evacuated via the

nearest fire exit. Staff and pupils should then make their way to their designated assembly

point assuming the route is safe. At the assembly point a designated senior staff member will

bring class registers for an immediate roll call. Staff should report if all pupils are present, or

the known location of any pupils not present, to senior staff. You should remain in your area

and you must not re-enter the school building until instructed to do so. Senior staff will check

the whereabouts of any pupils unaccounted for.

A number of outside gates have padlocks. A member of staff from each classroom as well as

the SLT holds a key which will work on any of the padlocks on the school grounds.

Other Alarms

The school is protected by an intruder alarm system. This may go off on occasions, as

technicians often have to work on or test the system. This alarm is a bell type alarm and

sounds different from the fire alarm. Do not worry if you hear this alarm but check with a

senior member of staff if you are unsure.

All rooms that pupils use have clearly labelled alarms; if you hear this alarm (a series of beeps)

check on the location of the emergency on the panel opposite the main door and go to the

identified area as someone may need assistance. This panel is also connected to the leisure

services alarm system in the pool.

Further details may be found in the Health and Safety Policy

Statement of Policy on Smoking Woodlands School is a Healthy School and achieved Healthy Schools status in December 2006. It recognises that its staff act as role-models for pupils in all aspects of school life, including health promotion and acknowledges that breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke is both a public health hazard and welfare issue. This school acknowledges that breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke is both a public health hazard and welfare issue. Therefore, we follow an agreed no smoking policy.

Incident and Emergency Procedures



If you witness an incident or are concerned about a child please report this as soon as

possible to a member of staff.

Seizures

Care plans for pupils with epilepsy are kept in the medical room for trips out of school. When

a major seizure occurs;

stay calm, ensure the pupil cannot injure himself/herself on toys or furniture,

make the pupil as comfortable as possible by loosening any tight clothing

let the pupil come out of the seizure, he/she may need to lie quietly or go to sleep

afterwards.

the child should be placed in the recovery position by turning him/her on his/her side and

flexing the arms and legs.

ensure that the airway is open and the child is breathing normally.

if the seizure continues send someone for the nurse .

in all cases note the time when the seizure started, if the seizure continues then the nurse

may decide to administer medication or send for an ambulance (see emergency procedures

regarding admission to Victoria Hospital).

In many cases details of pupils seizures are recorded and closely monitored. Please ensure

details are recorded and that relevant staff and parents are informed.

Medical and Health Care

The nurse and the health care assistant are based in the medical room though they work

throughout school. Their line manager provides input at pupil’s homes. The nurse administers

drugs, looks after the general health of the pupils (and staff) and she attends to First Aid

needs, pupils who have seizures or accidents. She decides if children need to go to A&E or if

they need an ambulance or need to go home (if ill). In general if there are any queries about a

pupil‘s health, staff should consult the nurse, particularly if a child is ill, has an accident or is

having a major fit. The nurse also co-ordinates medicals which are held regularly in school.

The school’s medical officers, paediatricians and other consultants see all pupils on a routine

basis.

A physiotherapist and an occupational therapist work with pupils throughout the school and

their aides carry out specified programmes under their guidance. The therapists also work

with and advise staff and co-ordinate the provision of aids and adaptations such as

wheelchairs, boots, standing frames, walking frames. They also provide support for the pupils

in their homes including assessments regarding any adaptations, which may be requested by

parents.

Speech therapists work with groups or individual pupils in class or in an individual teaching

room. All these therapists work closely with and provide advice to school staff.



Collaborative therapy reviews are held on a regular basis and parents are invited to attend.

Wherever possible, class teachers attend for part of these reviews.

Pupil Behaviour

We aim to support learners to manage their own behaviour to enable them and others to

access learning and ordinary life, to reduce / stop harm to self or others and to adopt the best

possible practice by adhering to a set of principles and values and by ongoing, honest

assessment.

All pupils who display challenging behaviours will have a behaviour support plan. This is made

available to all staff/volunteers/work experience students working with the student.

Please see the Behaviour Policy for further information.

Pupil Concern Forms

If you have any concerns about a child please inform the Headteacher, who is the Senior

Designated Person in school for child protection.

Please see the Child Protection Policy for further information.

Social Networking

The use of social networking sites in school is not permitted and staff/volunteers/work

experience students should also be aware that, whilst using these sites outside of school,

discussions re school activities/pupils/parents/colleagues is not acceptable and they should

note that information they share through social networking applications, even if they are on

private spaces, are still subject to copyright, data protection and Freedom of Information

legislation, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 as well as other legislation.

Please see Woodlands E-Safety Policy for further information

Emergency School Closure

In the event that school is closed due to adverse weather conditions, the closure will be

broadcast on:

BBC Radio Lancashire frequency 95.5 FM

Red Rose frequency 97.4 FM.

Wave frequency 96.5 FM

Please ensure you have given a mobile number to the office as in the event of a school closure

you will be contacted via text message

We will also leave a message on the school website, Twitter and Facebook



Whistleblowing Policy Employees are often the first to realise that there may be something seriously wrong at work. However, they may not express their concerns because they feel that speaking up would be disloyal to their colleagues or to the School. They may also fear bullying, harassment or victimisation. In these circumstances it may be easier to ignore the concern rather than report what may just be a suspicion of malpractice. Woodlands School has adopted Blackpool Council’s Whistleblowing Policy which is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, professionalism and accountability. In line with that commitment we expect employees, and others that we deal with, who have serious concerns about any aspect of our work, to come forward and voice those concerns. This document makes it clear that employees can do so without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination or disadvantage. Anyone who raises a concern is protected by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 which is incorporated into the Employment Rights Act 1996. The Whistleblowing Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees to raise serious concerns within the school rather than overlooking a problem or `blowing the whistle' outside. Remember, a whistleblower is a witness, not a complainant. The Policy applies to all employees and those contractors working for the school on its premises, for example, volunteers/work experience students, supply staff. The holding of any data in connection with this procedure will comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. The Policy has been discussed with the relevant trade unions. The Policy is available from the school office and in the staff room.

To be reviewed: Summer 2018