Requests and pre-placement procedure

Requests

  • Requests for work experience placements should be made 12 weeks prior to your chosen work experience week and no later than 8 weeks: any requests made after this date will receive less priority and may therefore be unattainable. Charter will strive to confirm placements at least four weeks in advance of their commencement (however at busy times this can be reduced due to pressure of demand for placements). Requests for work experience received with less than 4 weeks notice will not be considered.
  • Due to the volume of requests and placements processed throughout the year, staff are not permitted to take requests by phone. Requests must be received in writing,email or via website.
  • Charter will endeavour to locate placements for all work experience required. However, we must stress that a request does not automatically denote that a placement has been found. Those weeks prior to and immediately after, half term and holidays, are chosen by a large number of schools, therefore the amount of placements you may receive will be less during this period, than at quieter times. There are particular weeks close to Halloween and in Jan – March when DEMANDalways outstrips SUPPLY of placements particularly in certain sectors – please note that there will be disappointment as all placements are split equitably between all schools.
  • Charter does not accept requests from students or parents, rather we liase directly with Careers Teachers and Employers. If you ask parents to arrange work experience and they contact us about any of our companies we will refer them back to the school. This only wastes valuable time for all parties. In particular it causes annoyance to the parents who have been asked to arrange the work experience themselves by the school and then find that they have to then go back to the school.
  • Placement requests should be relevant for each student i.e.relevant to subjects of study.
  • A number of placements do have special requirements, Charter will advise if age limits apply or if an application form is appropriate. See leaflet detailing limitations.
  • Pre-arranged placements should not occur, however if they do we require 3 weeks’ notice to confirm them, particularly as some organisations such as Belfast City Council and Belfast Health & Social Care Trust should receive their paper work between 5-10 working days in advance.
  • For special needs students, schools must advise Charter if a student has special needs in order that the employer can make any necessary arrangements or take into consideration when considering requests.
  • Some of the Health Trusts have indemnity forms for signing, we will be clarifying at the start of the academic year if these are still valid and seeking copies of your new Education Authority paper work where appropriate. Employers will then send signed Indemnities directly back to your school. Indemnities should be made out in consideration of the appropriate employer, not Charter and must be completed as directed.
  • Charter will provide job descriptions detailing all aspects of the placement, and a Student Evaluation form which must be completed by the student and returned to Charter on completion of the placement.
During the work placement
  • Schools must be in session for the entirety of the placement. Charter does not offer work experience over holidays or whilst the school is not in session. Please be reminded that Education Authority policy states, “Work Experience must not be undertaken during Easter, summer and Christmas vacations.” Any exceptions require staff available in the schools for Duty of Care (only applies to pre-arranged we do not request during this period).
  • Schools must report any cancellations, problems or alterations to arrangements to Charter as far in advance as possible.
  • It is important that during each week of the placement, a designated teacher with knowledge of the placements ongoing must be in attendance at the school. Please note that Charter does not take any responsibility for students’ welfare: duty of care still lies with the School. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that they have followed CCMS or Education Authority Policy.
  • Finally, students must abide by all Health & Safety Regulations and respect the confidentiality of the Employer.
  • Charter will inform the school of any problems reported to us by the employer eg should a student not turn up to the placement.
Post placement
  • Students are required to fill in an evaluation form and return to Charter as soon as possible (failure to do so will result in Charter refusing to offer future placements, until all student feedback forms have been returned). Charter is constantly striving to improve the quality of placements available to young people and therefore student and school feedback is vital. Likewise, if the school has any complaints or observations they should be directed to both Charter and the Employer.
  • Charter will forward to schools evaluation forms that have been completed by the employer.