Recruitment selection of vulnerable and safeguarding children

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, North West Kent College should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear North West Kent College,

1. I would like to know your policies and procedures to protect students from other students that have had a brush with the law (criminal record etc.), risk or known risk to other children or previously expelled from other schools or colleges

2. Please tell me the age range you enrol students. For the remainder of the request please breakdown statistics in two categories, up to age of 17, and 18 and over.

3. Please tell me the enrolment process and written policy for children that are
a) Considered vulnerable (mental health issues etc.) or registered disabled?

b) Been in trouble with the law at any age prior to initial enrolment?

c) Have autism, Asperger’s or ADHD

4. Do the answers of Q3 change in relation to age (i.e. different policy when the child reaches18) if so I would like to know what they are.

5. What is your policy and procedures on bullying (verbal or violent) of another student by a student that has a criminal record, risk or known risk to other children or previously expelled from other schools or colleges. Please tell me if the policy changes due to age of student.

6. How long do preliminary checks take on students to ensure safety of other students prior to enrolment? Please list what checks are undertaken.

7. With regards to students that have a criminal record risk or known risk to other children or previously expelled from other schools or colleges:-
a) Can these children apply and enrol themselves for courses, if so how many have enrolled themselves in the last two years? How many children have been rejected / accepted to attend your college. At what age range do they need a parent or guardian to sign any college forms such as applications?

b) Do the students have to declare to the college that they are known offenders etc. prior to enrolment? If so, how many have disclosed / failed to disclose any previous criminal history or suspension to your college?

c) Does the application to enrol have to be through outside agencies, if so please list all agencies that have made referrals to you college within the last two years, itemising number of students per agency and applications accepted / rejected to attend your college (please supply data for 2 years)

d) If enrolment has to be through outside agencies, or the outside agency has made the application does the agency have a legal obligation to declare that the student, for example, is known to any agency such as the police?

Yours faithfully,

D Speller

Kerrie Francis,

To D Speller

 

I write further to your FOI request for and have provided the answers to
your questions below.

 

I believe this satisfies our obligations under the FOI Act.

 

Regards

Kerrie Francis

HR Manager

 

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From: D Speller <[1][FOI #455380 email]>
Sent: Friday, January 5, 2018 9:50:16 PM
To: Yolanda Hughes
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Recruitment selection of
vulnerable and safeguarding children

 

Dear North West Kent College,

1. I would like to know your policies and procedures to protect students
from other students that have had a brush with the law (criminal record
etc.), risk or known risk to other children or previously expelled from
other schools or colleges 

At enrolment all learners are asked to indicate if they have any criminal
convictions or pending convictions.  If yes, they are interviewed by the
Inclusion and Support Manager who completes a disclosure form with the
learner.  The disclosure form is discussed with staff within the
curriculum area applied for before deciding if enrolment can be completed
or not.  Learners have to provide reference from previous school/college
prior to an offer being made.

2. Please tell me the age range you enrol students.  For the remainder of
the request please breakdown statistics in two categories, up to age of
17, and 18 and over.

16 upwards, there is no upper age limit.  We do not breakdown this
information into age categories so we cannot provide information in this
format.

3. Please tell me the enrolment process and written policy for children
that are
a) Considered vulnerable (mental health issues etc.) or registered
disabled?

Learners self declare at application stage if they have mental health
issues or registered disabled.

b) Been in trouble with the law at any age prior to initial enrolment?

Please see answer 1 above.

c) Have autism, Asperger’s or ADHD

Learners self declare at application stage.

4. Do the answers of Q3 change in relation to age (i.e. different policy
when the child reaches18) if so I would like to know what they are.  

No change in relation to age. 

5. What is your policy and procedures on bullying (verbal or violent) of
another student by a student that has a criminal record, risk or known
risk to other children or previously expelled from other schools or
colleges.  Please tell me if the policy changes due to age of student.

College Anti Bullying Policy would be used to address any incident of
reported bullying.

No change in relation to age. 

6. How long do preliminary checks take on students to ensure safety of
other students prior to enrolment?  Please list what checks are
undertaken.

Learner’ ID, personal details and previous qualifications are checked and
confirmed at enrolment.  Learners would not be enrolled without these
checks.

7.  With regards to students that have a criminal record risk or known
risk to other children or previously expelled from other schools or
colleges:-
a) Can these children apply and enrol themselves for courses, if so how
many have enrolled themselves in the last two years?  How many children
have been rejected / accepted to attend your college.  At what age range
do they need a parent or guardian to sign any college forms such as
applications?

Learners with previous convictions can apply and enrolment would be
dependent on the outcome of the disclosure (as described in question 1). 

Disclosures recorded are not specific to convictions only.  Data is
recorded by disclosure which includes details of investigations, cautions,
warnings and convictions etc.  We cannot separate this information to
answer the second part of the question.  

Learners need a parent or guardian to sign any college forms if they are
under the age of 16.

b) Do the students have to declare to the college that they are known
offenders etc. prior to enrolment?  If so, how many have disclosed /
failed to disclose any previous criminal history or suspension to your
college?

Learners do have to declare to the college that they are known offenders
etc. prior to enrolment.

 

Disclosures recorded are not specific to convictions only.  Data is
recorded by disclosure which includes details of investigations, cautions,
warnings and convictions etc.  We cannot separate this information to
answer the second part of the question.  

c) Does the application to enrol have to be through outside agencies, if
so please list all agencies that have made referrals to you college within
the last two years, itemising number of students per agency and
applications accepted / rejected to attend your college (please supply
data for 2 years)

All applications must be made and signed by the individual learner,
applications are not made by outside agencies.

d) If enrolment has to be through outside agencies, or the outside agency
has made the application does the agency have a legal obligation to
declare that the student, for example, is known to any agency such as the
police?

N/A

Yours faithfully,

D Speller

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