Volunteer Helpers in School Policy

Volunteer

Policy, Guidelines and Agreement

Document Management:

Policy adopted: Autumn 2016

Date of next review : Autumn 2018(Board)

Responsible Officer: Director of Operations

Source: Hertfordshire County Council

VOLUNTEER POLICY

Thank you for your interest in volunteering. We value our volunteers and we hope your time will be an enjoyable experience for you and that you will feel part of the academy during your volunteering. We know that most of our volunteers will be parents, carers, grandparents or relatives of children in the academy but not all are so in the policy, guidelines and agreement we will call you all volunteers.

Our overriding concern is for the safety and security of the children in our care. This policy, guidelines and agreement aredesigned to ensure that the children benefit from as much help and support as necessary while being ensured of the best security possible.

There are two main ways of helping:

a) Occasional support: e.g. at sports events or trips. These are individual events

and generally parents/volunteers only commit themselves to one or two occasions.

b) Regular support: this is when parents/volunteers offer regular weekly support to the

academy for an agreed period of time.

Volunteersworking alongside the teachers help the academy in a number of ways by:

• Supporting individual pupils within classrooms
• Hearing pupils read
• Helping with classroom organisation
• Helping with supervision of children on academy visits
• Helping with group work
• Helping with art or other practical subjects (cooking, gardening, sewing etc)
• Sharing books
• Working on the computer
• Playing games
• Topic related studies
• Coming with us on visits
• Sometimes just being there is what is needed!

Safeguarding Checks

In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2016) all staff and volunteers will be required to undergo the following checks:

• Identity
• Right to work (paid or unpaid) in the UK

Volunteers requiring an Enhanced Disclosure

It is also The Blyth Quays Trust policy to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for all staff employed by the Trust and for volunteers who have regular contact with children. All academies need to hold a register of the checks undertaken. Therefore in order for you to work in the academy as a volunteer you may need to complete a DBS online check, if you require a check we will help you get the process started. Please don’t let this put you off and be assured that all information will be treated in the strictest confidence and that these checks are done only in the best interests and safety of the children.

DBScheck will be obtained for all volunteers who:-

• work directly and regularly (once a week or more) or intensively (four or more times in a thirty day period) or overnight (2am – 6am) with children
• are in roles which involve caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of pupils
• are members of the Local Governing Board

The Headteacher has the authority not to accept the help of volunteers if he or she believes that it is not in the best interest of the children.

Volunteers not requiring an Enhanced Disclosure

Volunteers or parents who accompany staff and children on one-off outings or trips that do not involve overnight stays.

Those who help out at specific events e.g. fairs, etc who do not have unsupervised access to children.

Confidentiality

It is very important that all staff, parent volunteers and other adults working in the academy work to a policy of confidentiality. You may see children struggling with work, be upset or misbehaving or hear/see other information concerning a child while you are with us in the academy.

It is vital that you do not share anything about specific children with friends or family or a child’s parent if you know them. The teachers here have the responsibility of informing parents of any concerns about a child.

Volunteers working in classrooms do so on the understanding that they support the teaching staff and will not pass opinion on such matters as discipline or teaching styles outside the academy.

We recognise that staff and parents need to be confident about volunteers in the academy therefore all volunteers will need to consent to anagreement about confidentiality and conduct. Volunteers are asked to sign the ‘Volunteer Agreement,’ a copy of which will be kept in the academy.

Deployment of Parent Volunteers

It is the policy of the Trust to ask parents who volunteer on a regular basis, wherever possible, not to support in their own child’s classroom, as this can be distracting for the child and perhaps potentially place the class teacher in a difficult situation. Volunteers will be asked to support in classes where there is the most need for individual support.

Mobile phones

Volunteers MUST follow the school’s policy on the use of mobile phones.

Security

It is important for academy security and fire regulations that all staff, visitors andvolunteers to the academy can be identified and located at all times and we ask you to follow the simple routine of :-

a) Signing in and out when coming into and leaving the premises

b) Wearing the Visitor badge we give you at all times whilst in the academy.

Insurance

Volunteers are insured for the same activities as teachers. The academy policy is available for

you to see in the academy office. Please read it and ask the teacher with whom you work if

you are unsure about anything. Basically, as long as you follow the guidelines in this booklet

you will be covered by the academy insurance policy for most ordinary occurrences.

If you transport children either in your own transport or in school transport you will need

to be certain that your insurance policy or that of the academy covers you. Please check with

the academy office or your teacher.

Volunteering and Benefits

The rules about claiming state benefits such as job seekers allowance orsickness benefit whilst volunteering change sometimes and your local council for voluntary service (CVS - number in the local telephone directory) will be able to offer you straightforward advice if you have any doubts. The CVS is not government department.

References

Occasionally, volunteers ask the academy to provide a written reference when they are seeking employment. We stipulate a minimum qualifying period of three months attendance of regular volunteering (e.g. once a week) before we feel able to provide a work-based reference. We believe that this is fair to both prospective employers and candidates.

Monitoring and Review

The day to day monitoring of this policy is the responsibility for the Headteacher and Leadership Team. The Headteacher will report to the Local Governing Boardannually on the number of parent volunteers in the academy and summarising their value and impact in supporting children’s learning.

This policy will be reviewed by the Trust on a 2 year cycle or earlier if necessary.

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

Thank you again for volunteering in the academy

We value our volunteers and we hope that you will enjoy working with us. We haveproduced this guide to help you feel comfortable working in the academy and we hope that youwill also feel able to ask any questions as they arise.

The points of contact for volunteers in the academy are as follows:

• the class teacher you work with
• the academy office
• the Headteacher

The Do’s:

• It is vital to encourage the children to talk about what they are doing in order to support them in using the correct vocabulary.
• There is no rush. We give the children plenty of time to complete a task and they will often need to return to it over several occasions.
• Always encourage the children to do things for themselves. It is important that they are independent and although they need help and supervision, the end result should always be their own work. We expect children to try everything themselves before we help them. Please don’t be tempted to do the work for them!
• The learning that goes on while the children are doing an activity is often much more important than the end product!
• When playing games with the children, try and encourage the idea of taking turns, sharing and being a good loser. The real joy of a game is the taking part!
• Afterwards, if time allows, it is very helpful if you can talk to the teacher about how the activity went and how you got on.
• Please ask if there is anything that you are not sure about or if you need help.

The Don’ts:

• Never be left in sole charge of a child.
• Take responsibility for all or some of the class.
• Change very young children or supervise them changing.
• Supervise children engaged in PE or other specialist activities.
• Take the children off the academy site without a teacher in charge.
• Please don’t have favourites - it is important that all children in the academy are given equal time and attention.
• Please do not lift, carry or move a child in any way.
• Please do not administer First Aid to children whilst you are volunteering in the academy. A number of staff hold certificates for paediatric first aid and first aid at work. Please talk to the class teacher in the first instance if a child has a bump etc.

The responsibility for the health and welfare of the children remains with the class teacher at all times and Health and Safety Regulations will prevent you undertaking some types of activities, these Regulations are available for you to read if you wish. Some activities will expose you to unnecessary risks and teachers supervising your work should ensure that this does not happen. For example, never be left alone with a child or children. You should be clear about your responsibilities and your role at the academy, if in doubt check!

Conduct

We expect all members of the academy community to be polite, courteous and self -disciplined. The same rules apply to staff, children and volunteers working in the academy. Please discuss problems with the teacher or Headteacher. The teachers in the academy are expected to act “in loco parentis” — this means inplace of the parents. They are responsible for the children whilst they are in the academy. Remember children watch us and follow our example!

• Never get into an argument with children or adults, teachers are trained to deal withproblem situations and they are paid to take responsibility.
• Never tell off a child. The aademy has a behaviour policy which children are expected to follow. As a volunteer you are not expected to discipline children. If there is a problem then tell the teacher straight away.
• The only time we would expect any adult to intervene is to prevent a child hurting themselves or another child. Do this by telling them quietly and firmly to stop.
• Avoid physically restraining a child unless they will damage another child or themselves and do this with great care.
• Never shout at a child.
• Never hit a child.
• Never threaten to hit or manhandle a child.

• Read the academy policy on behaviour and anti -bullying.

If a child does or tells you something that causes you concern, please tell the class teacher or Headteacher as soon as possible after the disclosure in an appropriate setting so that others cannot overhear.

Housekeeping

• Tea / Coffee arrangements

If you are in the academy over the break period, there are tea and coffee making facilities in the staffroom which you are welcome to use. There may be a charge for tea and coffee.

• Photocopier / Laminator

You may be asked to use these machines to support the class teacher in preparing resources. Please ask in the academy office if you are unsure of how to use them!

• Fire alarm

If the fire alarm sounds, please make your way safely to the nearest exit, guiding the child you are working with if away from the main class area.

FINALLY....

You will have opportunities to discuss how you feel about your volunteering with theteacher responsible for you but if you are unhappy in the meantime please tell us!Please do not just leave. If it is work or other problems one of us will be pleased to listenand help if we can. It’s the least we can do in return for your valuable time andcommitment!

We regard youas a friend and member of our team. We have a professional duty to you - just as we haveto all members of staff ~ to make your time with us happy and fulfilling.

VOLUNTEERS

GUIDELINES FOR ACADEMY STAFF

We all agree that volunteers in the academy can make a great difference to children’s work. It also gives parents a chance to be involved in the life of the academy. The following pointsshould be followed so that all helpers are aware of their role and the academy can makemaximum benefit of their help for the pupils.

1. ALL volunteers* must undergo safeguarding checks in order to ensure that the children are protected. If you are approached by a prospective volunteer contact the academy office so that they can complete a Volunteer Interest form.

2. Volunteers are given a copy of the Volunteer policy, guidelines and agreement, thisincludes notes about confidentiality and references to the academy behaviour policy. Arecord is kept of volunteers who have received them, so that we know ifpeople have received a copy in the past. Please familiarise yourself with the Volunteer policy, guidelines and agreement.

3. All volunteers should be reminded to sign in and out of the academy, and to wear a visitorsbadge for the duration of their visit.

6. Make sure that you take time to explain the learning objectives and outcomes sothat volunteers feel confident about what they are doing.

7. Don’t ask volunteers to do things they are not happy with. Some prefer to helpwith practical tasks while others do not. Take time to find out what they are happydoing, it makes the working relationship much more productive and means that theywill keep coming back!

8. If you have a concern about a volunteer, in the first instance a quiet word may resolvethe issue – usually it is just a case of not knowing. For more serious issues teachersshould inform the Headteacher.

* The only exceptions to this will be those who visit the cademy for a short period only and who will be supervised by a member of staff AT ALL TIMES. Please consult the Headteacher before making such arrangements.

GUIDANCE FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS FOR TRIPS

These guidance notes have been written in conjunction with the academy’s policy on off-site visits. If you have any questions about a trip, please see the class teacher. We do appreciate your help on trips – it would be difficult to organise visits outside the academy without parent volunteers.

• Parents may not always have their own child in their group.
• The teacher will give parent helpers a list of children for whom they are responsible.
• All children are told that they must stay with their group and the group adult at all times.
• If the trip involves a coach journey, please help the children in your group put on their seatbelts. Children may not be not allowed to eat or drink on the coaches, please check. The teacher has sick bucket/bags, if needed.
• The teacher is responsible for ALL first aid and medication.
• The teacher sets and leads the rules, routines and expectations for the day.
• Please help the teacher by ensuring your group follows all instructions e.g. when to eat and drink.
• If there is a medical or other emergency, let the teacher know immediately. The teacher is responsible for contacting the academy and associated parents in emergency situations.
• If you need to leave your group for any reason, e.g. to take a child to the toilet, please inform another adult.
• Parent volunteers are asked to keep the same degree of confidentiality on visits as in the academy. If you have any queries or problems concerning the trip, please direct these in the first instance to the teacher, or if you would rather, the Headteacher on return from the trip.
  

VOLUNTEERAGREEMENT

Please read and sign the document below to confirm your agreement with the following expectations as a volunteer:

As an academy we agree to:

• Explain your tasks/jobs carefully so that you are clear about what we would like you to do with the children
• Share the academy behaviour and ethos policy with you to help you understand how we manage behaviour
• Ensure that the children you work with behave and work well
• Treat you with the highest respect and care
• Share relevant information about the children you are working with
• Let you know in advance the overall plan for the day and let you know if this changes!
• Treat anything you tell us with confidentiality
• We agree not to ask you to:

Deal with difficult or challenging behaviour