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A REVIEW OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN SCOTLAND: Partner Document to the Interim Report
SECTION 6 PUPIL WELFARE AND SUPPORT
6.1 The Scottish Executive published in March 2004 its national, multi-agency framework for standards for child protection 42, which translated the Charter for Protecting Children and Young People into practice. The framework was sent to schools and further education colleges. We expect its content to be reflected in their procedures and actions.
6.2 As we reported in paragraph 2.7, we have been asked to produce national guidelines on 'best practice' in relation to a number of important matters, including issues about the application of colleges' duty of care to pupils. We have established a sub-group of the school/college review group and invited staff from the school and further education sectors, Careers Scotland, Trade Unions, NUS Scotland as well as the sectors' representative organisations, to join the group and prepare such guidelines. The group will develop a model Partnership Agreement for schools, education authorities and further education colleges. It will also develop a model 'Pupil Charter', which will spell out pupils' rights and responsibilities arising from their enrolment as further education students.
6.3 Other issues for the group include:
- national model criteria for considering full-time further education college attendance for pupils below S5;
- management of pupil enrolments, including selection;
- exchange of information between schools and further education colleges, including issues arising from the application of data protection legislation;
- place of school age pupils in wider college life;
- school and college libraries;
- communication with parents/carers;
- health and safety;
- risk assessments;
- regularity of disclosure checks;
- campus safety;
- referral documentation;
- pupil representation;
- induction arrangements;
- administration of medication in emergency circumstances;
- recording of pupil achievements and attainments and their communication;
- anti-bullying policies; and
- monitoring and evaluation of collaboration.
6.4 In considering best practice guidelines the sub-group will have regard to the operational needs of further education colleges, and in particular the need to maintain colleges' role as centres of voluntary learning for adults.
Disclosure of Further Education College Staff
6.5 As a matter of best practice, further education colleges require new staff to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure 43. Best practice also requires that colleges do not place staff without an Enhanced Disclosure in a position which involves regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of a person or persons under 18 or vulnerable adults. Enhanced checks cannot by law be made of adult learners unless the adult was studying for entry into one of the excepted professions listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order (SSI 2003/231). This will continue. The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 will introduce a new regime for individuals considered unsuitable to work with children. Although this legislation is not yet in force, the sub-group will have regard to this new regime when preparing its guidelines.
6.6 Although not strictly a matter arising from school/college collaboration because it stems from colleges teaching persons under 18 or vulnerable adults, we consider that we should articulate here our initial views on best practice for the disclosure of further education college staff. We are minded to recommend that it is best practice that in every further education college where persons under 18 or vulnerable adults are taught, all staff (at whatever level in the organisation) should be actively encouraged to undergo voluntary Enhanced Disclosure, subject to the rights of the individual employee concerned, in particular any employment rights. The working group developing best practice guidelines will consider how regularly such disclosure should occur.
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