Part 5b

In part 5a I outlined some codes of practice/ regulations that I believe guide the setting in which I work and also the professional community to which I am familiar.

After doing some research and looking into the documents that are held at my place of work and sources that are available in my professional community, I have been able to establish the codes of practice/ regulations that steer the ethical framework.

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION BY LINE MANAGER (SIOBHAN DUNNE) TO INCLUDE THE COLLEGE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THIS PART OF THE MODULE.

Equality and Diversity

Working as practitioner in the education sector, equality and diversity is at the forefront of everything I do, whether I am assisting someone with something technical or delivering a lesson. When I first interviewed for my job as a Media Technician and as a Media Lecturer the majority of the questions were equality and diversity based, asking me how I was going to make sure that every learner benefits from a unit and is achieving what is required from the delivery of lessons.

It is essential that the students at the beginning of each academic year complete a diagnostics test to assess their individual abilities, as well as establish whether they are visual, audible or kinaesthetic learners. The results will then contribute the way the schemes of work/ lessons plans are developed in order to cater for each learners needs.

If a student has a learning difficulty/ medical condition that may impact on their work and they require extra help within the classroom, there are teaching support workers that will be allocated to the student/ set of students in order to assist them.

Pen portraits will also be completed in order to establish what is required for each learner with the need for extra help; this will always be readily available in each class in case a situation occurs with the learner. This is also used as a form of evidence that the learner is gaining the relevant help that is required within the classroom.

It is not just learning difficulties/ medical issues that need to be dealt with within the education sector and equality and diversity. It is also different ethnicities, sexualities and religion. The college I work for on a regular basis set up activities that celebrate these, for example, there is a whole week of the year that celebrates diversity, where different activities from a variety of cultures, religions and sexualities take place in order to educate and celebrate these.

There are many documents provided by the college I work for, outlining the importance of equality and diversity and what is required. There are also blank forms that are used to complete the relevant materials to indentify learner’s needs.

The college policy states the following about equality and diversity:

Hertford Regional College is committed to social cohesion and recognises the benefits that diversity brings to the organisation and the wider community it serves. The Single Equality Scheme is a public commitment to fulfil the legal duties placed on the College as it aims to promote equal opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination in service delivery and employment.

The purpose of the Equality Act 2010 is to replace existing anti-discrimination laws with a single act. It simplifies the law, removing inconsistencies and makes it easier for people to understand and comply with it. It also strengthens the law in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality. The Act applies to all organisations that provide a service to the public or a section of the public (service providers). It also applies to anyone who sells goods or provides facilities.

The Act protects people from discrimination on the basis of „protected characteristics‟ (previously called grounds). The relevant characteristics are:

·         Disability

·         Gender Reassignment

·         Race

·         Age

·         Sex

·         Sexual Orientation

·         Religion or Belief

·         Marriage and Civil Partnership

·         Pregnancy and Maternity

Through this scheme the College seeks to:

·         Provide the workforce, learners and partner organisations (including suppliers and employers who provide work experience opportunities for learners) with a clear statement of our intent on equality matters

·         Implement the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) with one comprehensive scheme of good practice for the treatment of its staff, learners and other members of the College community

·         Eliminate any discrimination in criteria set for admission to courses by unfair treatment with regard to access to facilities, services or other benefits or by any other unfavourable treatment of a learner

·         Eliminate any discrimination in criteria set for the recruitment and employment of staff

·         Highlight current legislation on equality to tackle discrimination

·         Make the members of the College community aware of the Scheme and their responsibilities to promote choice, opportunity and progression for all learners and staff in accordance with the law

·         Create a working and study environment underpinned by fair and equitable practices and procedures in which all members of the College community can feel comfortable

·         Ensure this scheme is supported by other relevant College policies and procedures.

Safeguarding

Hertford Regional College has a policy in place that is committed to safeguarding their staff, students and visitors.

As we deal with students on a daily basis and on regular occasions have visitors entering the college for talks with the students or even to use the facilities it is essential that these policies and procedures are followed. The college offers training on safeguarding that has to be updated yearly and this goes towards staff development.

I have looked further into the PDF which is provided to all staff and it states the following about the aims of the policy:

“ -To Provide protection for the children or vulnerable adults at Hertford Regional College

  -To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on the procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a student may be experiencing, or be at risk of harm”

This is a major code of practice that must be followed consistently throughout my working life at the college. There is a duty of care towards the students and also a duty of care to all visitors that come to the college. For managers at the college, they have a duty of care to their staff as well as the students and visitors, however, if any other member of staff notices that a colleague may be at risk then the safe guarding policies and procedures must be followed.

It states in the PDF that the college acts in accordance with the following legislation guidance:

·         The Children Act 1989-

·         The Care Standards Act 2000

·         The Education Act 2002

·         The Children Act 2004

·         Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education 2007 (Guidance

·         document)

·         Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

·         Vetting and Barring Scheme 2009.

The college also has a statement of the policy explaining what the understanding of the safe welfare of the learners and also the confidentiality of learners and also what the college does to ensure safeguarding practices are followed.

The College recognises that:

·         The welfare of children or vulnerable adults is paramount

·         All students have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

·         Working in partnership with students and other agencies is essential in

·         promoting a safe learning environment.

We will seek to safeguard children or vulnerable adults by:

·         Valuing them, listening to them and respecting them

·         Actively promoting safeguarding through procedures, a code of conduct and

·         information for staff and volunteers

·         Recruiting staff safely

·         Sharing information about concerns with agencies that need it, and involving

·         students and their parents/carers appropriately.

The college also has a full procedure which staff should follow in order to follow safeguarding such as, how to identify someone at risk, what protocol should be followed and how to record incidents. This procedure is also outlined within the PDF. (I have copied and pasted the procedures below).

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS PROCEDURE

1.    Designated Senior Persons

The College will have at least two Designated Senior Persons for Safeguarding. The

current Designated Senior Persons for Safeguarding are:

Jane Alford Vice-Principal Planning and Development 01992 411555

jalford@hrc.ac.uk

Corinne Prickett Learner Services Manager 01992 411379 cprickett@hrc.ac.uk

If they are unavailable contact Aamir Butt 01992 411899 abutt@hrc.ac.uk

It is the role of the Designated Senior Person to:-

·         Ensure that the College operates within the legislative framework and

·         recommended guidance

·         Ensure that appropriate promotion, training and support is provided to all staff

·         Develop effective working relationships with other agencies and services

·         Decide whether to take further action about specific concerns (e.g. refer to

·         Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Children Schools and Families)

·         Liaise with HCC Children Schools and Families and Social Care teams over

·         suspected cases of abuse

·         Ensure that accurate records relating to individual students are kept separate

·         from the academic files in a secure place and marked ‘Strictly Confidential’

·         Submit reports to and ensure the College attendance at child protection

·         conferences if appropriate

·         Ensure that the College effectively monitors students about whom there are

·         concerns

·         Provide guidance to parents, students and staff about obtaining suitable

·         support

·         Produce an annual report to the Board of the Corporation and HCC.

2.    How the College actively promotes safeguarding

·         The College has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and

·         Procedure

·         The College has designated persons for safeguarding

·         Safeguarding guides summarising the College Policy and Procedures are

·         available in staff, student, parent/carer and employer versions on staffnet, with

·         the student version on studentnet

·         Students are made aware of what to do if there are safeguarding issues via

·         PowerPoint, induction information, studentnet and plasma screens

·         All staff attend safeguarding training every three years

·         All Managers have completed the LSIS online safeguarding training

3.    Process of referral

If any member of staff is concerned about suspected abuse or safeguarding issues

of a child or vulnerable adult he or she must inform the Designated Senior Person

(DSP).

The member of staff must record information regarding the concerns on the same

day. The record must be a clear, precise, factual account of the observations.

The Designated Senior Person will decide whether the concerns should be referred

to HCC Children Schools and Families. If it is decided to make a referral to Children

Schools and Families this may be done with prior discussion with the parents, unless

to do so would place the child at further risk of harm, or it is not deemed appropriate

at this stage.

Particular attention will be paid to the attendance and development of any child or

vulnerable adult about whom the College has concerns, or who has been identified

as being the subject of a Protection Plan (formally referred to as the Child Protection

register) and a written record will be kept.

If a student who is/or has been the subject of a Protection Plan changes College, the

Designated Senior Person will inform the social worker responsible for the case and

transfer the appropriate records to the Designated Senior Person at the receiving

College in a secure manner, and separate from the students’ academic file.

4.     When to be concerned

All staff and volunteers should be concerned about a child or vulnerable adult if he or

she:

·         Has any injury which is not typical of the bumps and scrapes normally

·         associated with accidental injury

·         Frequently has unexplained injuries (even when apparently reasonable

·         explanations are given)

·         Gives confused or conflicting explanations about how injuries were sustained.

·         Exhibits significant changes in behaviour, performance or attitude.

·         Discloses an experience in which he or she may have been abused or

·         harmed.

5.     Dealing with a disclosure:

If a child or vulnerable adult discloses information, the member of staff should follow

the following guidelines:

·         Do not promise confidentiality

·         Take what is being said seriously and find out the facts

·         Do not ask leading questions or carry out an investigation

·         Tell the student what you have to do next (which is to let any relevant people

·         know so that the student can receive help and support)

·         Write a report

6.     Report of Disclosure

The report needs to include:

·         Who the student is

·         Date time and place of disclosure

·         What was said, (using the students words)

·         If you can see any injuries, this needs to be included

·         Send your report to the DSP within 24 hours

If the student is at risk of immediate significant harm, contact the Police.

Safeguarding is an essential regulation that has to be followed and steers the ethical framework within Hertford Regional College.

Health and Safety

Throughout my working life health and safety policies and procedures have to be followed. This is an essential code of practice/ regulation that also has to be followed within my professional community.

When teaching I have to make sure that health and safety is outlined to the students, due to the nature of what I am teaching this is essential. Everything that I deliver to the students are practical workshops, therefore  I need to make sure that they follow the health and safety procedures to do with the following:

• ·         Setting up equipment safely
• ·         Wire Management
• ·         Using lighting equipment safely
• ·         Managing the working area correctly, for example, if we are using the television studio make sure that all of the relevant fire exits are clear and make sure that there is always a safe entrance and exit to the working area
• ·         Evacuation procedures, also in the event of a fire
• ·         Manual handling: the students will always be required to carry heavy equipment, therefore they will always need to know how to do this safely

All of these health and safety regulations are ones that I also have to follow when working in my professional community. This allows me the knowledge to make sure the students have an understanding.

If the students are taken either on field trips, on location shoots or are even using the college facilities to film, I am required to make sure that all of the relevant risk assessments are done for each activity/ event. This is even followed if I do a screening of their work in the auditorium within the college.

The college has a document that outlines the scope and purpose of health and safety within the workplace. It states:

 The Board of the Corporation and the Senior Leadership Team are committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, students, visitors, contractors and other persons having access to our premises.

Health and safety is an integral part of the College’s learning and work activities. Heads of Department and Service Managers will take all reasonably practicable steps within their departments to ensure:

·         That health and safety risks are properly assessed and take into account the specific risks and duty of care to young and vulnerable learners (including those below the age of consent).

·         Safe systems of work are devised and implemented.

·         Staff, learners and others are given adequate information, instruction, training and supervision in order to conduct their work and studies safely.

·         That those with specific health and safety responsibilities (eg. Safety Coordinators, Fire Marshals, First Aiders, Risk Assessors etc) are given appropriate training and are allocated sufficient time to perform the role.

Compliance with all relevant safety legislation achieves the minimum safety standards we must all strive to achieve and it is the College’s intention to introduce any industry/best practice safety standards to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of everyone involved.

We are also wholly committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of students under the supervision of approved employer organisations whilst learning away from college premises under various Apprenticeships, Work Experience and Work Placement programmes.

The codes of practice/ regulations I have talked about in this part are similar to the ones I spoke about in part 5a; however they are a lot more in depth. I have been able to consult the college policies and procedures about these therefore being able to develop from my original ideas.

Most of the codes of practice/ regulations in part 5a still stand as they are generally common knowledge within the industry so in this task I decided to develop on the main policies that steer the framework of Hertford Regional College.

Personally I feel that all of these policies and procedures are set in order to guide you in the right direction in order to follow them, however there will always be slightly different ways that they will be followed and different ways of integrating them into the curriculum, however the same outcome should always be met.