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Useful LinksBackchat Newsletter - Issue 102 - April 2008
At long last we have a good news story about Disclosure. Last time we told you that we were due to meet the Minister, Adam Ingram, to discuss a new interpretation of the child protection legislation that identified any “normal duties” that took place within a school, including Parent Council and PTA meetings, as “childcare” and subject to disclosure checks.
We already had a statement from Fiona Hyslop making it clear that this was not the Government’s policy intention and this position was re-emphasised by Adam Ingram. Our meeting with him was very constructive and he has moved quickly to address the situation. A Government spokesperson has told us, “The aim is to lay an amendment in Parliament for approval, subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, by the summer recess”. The amendment would “exclude from childcare position and enhanced disclosure members of Parent Councils/PTAs and other parental representative groups meeting in schools (or colleges) on a regular basis”. Obviously, Parent Council/PTA members will still require disclosure checks if they undertake childcare activities as commonly understood i.e. run regular clubs or classes for children. As before, one-off and occasional participation in such activities is not deemed a “normal duty” and so is also exempt from checking. This means you can continue to recruit volunteers to help out on an ad hoc basis.
When and if the changes are approved by the Scottish Parliament, we will prepare a new guidance leaflet that explains the position on disclosure.
SPTC 60th Anniversary Conference - More good news
Plans for our 60th anniversary conference are now falling into place and we are delighted to tell you that the Minister, Adam Ingram, has agreed to be the main speaker. We have also managed to arrange to hold it in the Scottish Parliament building. We are now working on organising tours of the building for delegates, but give us time!
The date for this unmissable event is Saturday, 8th November. Full booking information will be sent in September, but put the date in your diary now. Space will be limited so, if you want to be sure of a place, be ready to book early. We will work on a first come, first served, basis.
We’re having a bouncy castle at our summer fayre which we are supervising ourselves. Do we need extra insurance?
Your basic public liability insurance covers you for incidents that occur as a result of negligence and/or decision-making, for example if you allow too many children on the bouncy castle at once. You are not liable for anything that happens as part of the normal activity e.g. one of the children lands badly and sprains their ankle in the process. You do need to check with the supplier, as you may find you are liable for material damage to the equipment. If that is so, we can provide short-term all risks insurance.
We would like to organise a family barbecue at the end of term. Do we need health and safety certificates?
No, this is not a requirement of your membership/ insurance. However, you do not want any accidents so you should plan the event with safety in mind. The actual barbecue should be kept quite separate from those attending the event and should never be left unattended; cooking should be done only by named and competent adults. As for the food, it is important to ensure that any uncooked food is kept cold and quite separate from cooked food which in turn should be properly cooked.
One of our parents has offered to bring her pony in for our summer fete. Are we covered for this?
If the parent is providing the pony free of charge, then the PTA/Parent Council can charge for the pony rides and would be covered by their normal insurance. However, if you are hiring the services/animal from a stable, then you must ensure that they have their own public liability insurance.
My Parent Council are not intending to organise any fundraising events but would like to arrange some workshops for parents. Surely we don’t need insurance for non-risky events like this?
At any event that is open to the public it is possible for someone to suffer an accident that is the result of the organisers’ negligence. For example, there was an occasion when some liquid was spilt on the floor, it was not cleared up properly and a visitor slipped, went skidding forward and smashed her elbow. She had a successful claim against the organisers of the event.
We have recently been approached by other schools wishing to borrow our disco equipment. We have all risks insurance with SPTC; would this cover others to use it?
If you hire/loan equipment to another group then they would have to get short-term all risks insurance to cover any damage to it. Your all risks insurance as well as your public liability insurance (like your own house contents insurance) is not transferable.
My Parent Council would like to set up a walking bus. Are we insured for this through our SPTC membership/insurance?
It’s great that you want to promote walking to school. Your main responsibility for a walking bus is supervision, particularly when it comes to crossing roads, and this is covered by your insurance. Any accidents that happen because of a fault by a car or van driver would be covered under normal vehicle insurance.
TIP: Why not ask your School Travel Co-ordinator for a copy of the free 30 minute DVD, “Healthier Routes” produced by SUSTRANS. It gives advice and information on how to put together a school travel plan. The DVD highlights the work of eight schools across Scotland and has practical resources with ideas about key discussion points and exercises to do with the children. To order a copy, contact your School Travel Co-ordinator or go to www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk for more information.
We would like to hold an Auction of Promises which will involve people making bids for such things as a trip in someone’s classic car, babysitting and a week’s worth of ironing. One parent has offered rock climbing lessons (he is a qualified instructor). What happens in the event of an accident when the promise is carried out? Does this fall under our insurance?
This sounds like a brilliant event; I’m sure you’ll get lots of bids for the ironing!
Under your public liability insurance, everyone that is offering a service becomes an agent of the Parent Council/PTA and will therefore come under your cover. However, there is a “hierarchy” of insurance with different parties liable for different things. This means that anything involving motor vehicles will fall under the owner’s motor insurance. But, if the wonderful person doing all that ironing burns a hole in someone’s best blouse, then this will be covered by the insurance subject to the excess. Even the rock climbing course is covered as the instructor is qualified although you must do a proper risk assessment.
We are organising a major fundraising event to buy some new playground activities. We have been offered the use of quad bikes (including safety equipment) and would like to know whether our public liability insurance covers this?
You are covered for using the quad bikes in the school grounds, but if you took them on the public highway, then they would be subject to road traffic regulation. When planning this event, it is important to think of safety and ensure that the area for the quad bikes is cordoned off and properly supervised. You don’t want a three-year-old visitor wandering in front of one and then suffering injury.
We want to hold an event at the village hall. Are we covered for events that don’t take place in the school?
The short answer is “Yes”. The insurance does not restrict you in terms of place or time so you can have a midsummer, midnight murder mystery in the Church Hall, if you want!
Remember, if your Parent Council is an SPTC associate member, this does not include insurance.
The kids’ food campaign
Parents are increasingly concerned about the way junk food is being marketed to children. The Westminster Government has taken steps to protect younger children. Now there is a chance to take this further. The Westminster Parliament is considering legislation - The Food Products (Marketing) Bill - that will require more responsible marketing by companies. The campaigning consumers’ group Which? is trying to organise support for this measure and asks that as many people as possible contact their Westminster MP with their concerns. The timescale is tight - the next vote is on 25th April - but even if you miss this vote, there will still be time to pass on your views. For more information on the kids’ food campaign go to www.which.co.uk/kidsfood
Changes to Backchat
SPTC has always printed Backchat in-house and for many years we have used a risograph. This is more efficient than a photocopier for runs of 20 plus copies (and we regularly print 10,000 copies of Backchat). It is also cheaper, much faster and, because it is a cold process, the copies emerge flat and easy to fold. However, our much loved old “riso” recently reached the end of its working life – it had printed over a million copies – so we went shopping for a new one. Technology has moved on and, this time, we were able to buy a machine that could print two colours at once (huge excitement in the office – we are easily pleased!) We are now experimenting with colour and layout and would be really grateful for any feedback.
A4 and electronic versions of Backchat
Some of you have noticed that we no longer include the black and white A4 version of Backchat. The original purpose of this was to provide a version that was easy to photocopy for wider distribution. However, we now send an electronic version to everyone who has given us an email address and the feedback is that people find this a better way for wider distribution.
- If you don’t get the electronic version and would like to, please provide us with your email address, school and postcode (so that we can be sure to attach your details to the right record).
- If you would like to continue getting the A4 version, please contact us and we will post one out.
Backchat is always posted on our website www.sptc.info as soon as it is sent out.
Changes to the Website
We would also like feedback on the new format of our website which has similarly undergone a makeover. The aim is to make it more modern and easier to use with a very clear menu and drop down boxes. The content remains the same and will be kept up-to-date exactly as before.
Fashion Show with a difference
Secondary schools have often found fashion shows the best way to get parents in and to raise money. They are also very popular with pupils who enjoy their moment of fame on the catwalk. The normal format is for pupils to approach well-known High Street shops, borrow the clothes, then put on a fashion display with bright lights and added music. However, we recently heard of a different take on this tried and tested formula; the youngsters went to Oxfam shops and bought outfits, which they then altered creatively through the use of scarves, belts and beads – and that was just the boys! They gave free rein to their imaginations and the results were stunning – enough to make Stella McCartney worry! At the end of the show, the outfits were auctioned and the result was a generous sum of money for Oxfam. The fashion show was part of a Third World awareness-raising evening; all refreshments were Fairtrade and there were other Oxfam products available for sale. The turnout from family and friends was fantastic – the local councillor even got in on the act.
Safe Teenage Drivers Campaign
Many parents of teenagers worry about drugs, alcohol and street violence and yet in Scotland, it is road crashes that are the leading cause of death for 15-24 year-olds. Did you know that one in five teenagers has a crash in their first year of driving or that the presence of one passenger doubles the risk? The PTA at Banchory Academy decided to take matters into their own hands and, after much research and with the support of the school, the new Parent Council and Grampian Police, the parents produced a guide to encourage safe driving which includes an overview of statistics (pretty scary stuff), advice on how to help improve road safety for your teenager and a “Parent-Teenager Safe Driving Contract” – a guideline to set boundaries for you and your child as they learn to drive safely. This contract spells out everything from vehicle usage and financial responsibility to the number of passengers and the prohibition of the use of alcohol and drugs. If a teenager wants to use the family car or one that is part-owned by parents, then the deal is: no contract = no car! You can download the guide and contract from the school website at: www.banchoryacademy.co.uk and go to resources.
Internet Safety Workshop
We recently heard from a Parent Council; they’d been approached by several parents at their school worried by the amount of time their children spent on the Internet and what they were getting up to. The Parent Council organised an open evening for all the parents and negotiated the use of several computers in the school. With the help of pupils, parents were shown the delights of social networking sites like FaceBook and Bebo. There was a talk from the school’s IT expert about good use of the Internet but also about some of the dangers including identity theft and accessing unwanted material and a presentation about how to use the Internet for research – useful websites, plagiarism and not believing everything you read!
Useful Websites
We’re full of good news this time round and have recently come across two very useful websites.
The first is for those about to embark on the horrors of SQA exams.
Learning and Teaching Scotland has created a section which offers support materials for teachers, parents and pupils preparing for exams. It includes
- a Sunday Herald exam guide 2008
- the 2008 exam timetable
- past questions
- an interactive study skills resource
- Guide to National Qualifications
- popular revision resources
To find all this and more go to www.ltscotland.org.uk and, using the Online Service Directory, click on National Qualifications.
The second website is more about fun. It’s an extension of the Young Scot initiative and it is designed to tell young people aged 12 to 26 what is on where. It gives information on:
- getting active
- entertainment
- creative and cultural events
- getting involved
- volunteering
- learning
It’s a one-stop shop for the whole country. The activity section covers basketball in Argyll to karate in Edinburgh. The entertainment section covers cinema as well as gigs. Get browsing, even if you’re a little more than 26 years-old! The address is: www.youngscotwow.org
Email: sptc@sptc.info Web site: www.sptc.info