Staff Suitability

[Guest]

I wonder if someone could help me with a form.

I was looking through the new breakdown of Ofsted comments on the home page.

I think we are ok on most things but it did give me a few ideas, most of which probably involve a new form - doesn't everything!!

One of the things was regularly checking that staff :

 

"declare all matters which may affect their suitability to work with children and evolve systems to assure this"

 

Can you tell me how you do this and/or what questions should you be asking about this?

Thank you in advance.

Jane x

[Guest]

This has come up on the forum before and it prompted me to devise the form attatched below that was partly inspired (i.e. stolen ) from a sample posted on here and partly from the OFsted health declaration form. I gave it out at the end of 2009 and intend to resend it out every year.

 

At the end of the day it means relying on people's honesty but I can't see that we can do anything else. At least it shows that it's something we're aware of.

 

Hope it's useful.

 

RR

Self_Declaration_fitness_form_for_FSF.doc

Edited January 31, 2010 by Guest

[Cait]

Yes, that looks familiar - but what are we meant to actually DO with the returned data? One of my staff's asthma has become a lot worse and she's on loads of medication; so she fills it in and I say........ what? 'Oh, that's a shame, you'd better look for a different job?' I must stress that I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, I really, really want to know

 

edit to add ours.

 

 

PS - I quite like your permission for first aid bit and I think I'll add it on ours, LJW

staff_health_declaration.pdf

Edited January 31, 2010 by Cait

[Guest]

Gosh ReaderRabbit! That's very comprehensive but I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable about presenting that to my staff.... are we really allowed to ask some of those questions and, as you say, how do we know the responses are true? I do accept that our setting may be very different from yours and this may be just right for you. Sorry, not trying to criticise.

 

I have recently redesigned our staff contact/registration form which I gave to everyone at the beginning of January and intend to update annually (things like emergency contact details and mobile phone no's change regularly don't they?).

 

Take a look and see if it fits the bill Jane.

Staff_reg_and_health_dec_form.doc

[Guest]

cait I get what you mean about what should you do with the info received. We do have to remember that as much as we work in close teams we are still running businesses (even those of us in committee run charities)and we are employing people to do a job of work and we need people capable of doing what they're paid for.

 

With regard to your employee with the asthma problem well as long as it's not affecting her job then it's not a real issue but once it starts causing her to have lots of time off then it does become a capability issue. There's some really useful info here about dealing with absence and sickness http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/actio...p;r.t=RESOURCES

 

LJW I know what you mean about it seeming intrusive but there is nothing in there that isn't the Ofsted Health Declaration Form that leaders have to complete. If we are talking about meeting the standards that OFsted require then I personally think that we should apply the same rules to everyone. Again it comes down to recognising that we are professionals and as long as the questions are asked of everyone (with no bias given to gender, ethnicity, age etc) then it's perfectly lawful to ask them. Although of course it must be agreed in advance who will actually see the responses and the trust must be there that the information given will be kept confidential.

 

No offence taken by the way and I hope I haven't come across as bolshy and hard nosed. But I do passionately believe that no one will take us seriously as a sector unless we present outselves as professionals who can stand up to rigorous scrutiny (whilst still keeping the balance of being inclusive and friendly too - not easy I know ).

 

RR

[Guest]

I have sent out my staff forms for this year but will use yours next time Reader Rabbit, I have had to deal with a huge health issue in the past, if I had had such a comprehensive form as yours I would have had evidence to support me when dealing with the situation.

 

Once bitten twice shy!!!

 

Julie

[Guest]

Thank you all so much.

Jane x

[Stargrower]

Wow - thanks as always for all the information and examples. More work to do!

Beehive

[Inge]

could I suggest that some of these are put into the resource library so they are easy to find again... I find they often get seen in a post and then trying to find it again is not always easy.. if in the library they can be found again...

 

Inge

[Guest jenpercy]

If you have the information, you can write to a person's doctor to ask if the schizophrenia will affect their work with children and what adjustments you would have to make to enable them to do their job. The law says that you have to make reasonable adjustments for someone who has a disability, (eg mental health issues). If you feel that you cannot make those adjustments, get advice from for example, the legal team attached to your insurers. Gather evidence about any events at work that show that the ilness affectstheir work etc.

[Guest]

"declare all matters which may affect their suitability to work with children and evolve systems to assure this"

 

I have never before interpreted this statement as applying to health issues - but perhaps I need to think again!

 

I simply interpreted it as ensuring that they are suitable from the safeguarding children angle. I talked to an Ofsted inspector recently who said she would simply look for evidence that the staff were aware that they must report to the setting management if they are involved with the Police or social services. She suggested simply having a statement for staff to sign annually (perhaps on the bottom of their appraisal form) that they are aware of their responsibility to do this.

 

Gruffalo2