Safeguarding
This safeguarding policy notice is for this website, www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk and served by Science Made Simple Ltd. Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
DBS checks and our safeguarding policy
Science Made Simple is committed to the wellbeing and safety of children. All employees who have contact with children have undergone enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, although for most of our engagements this isn’t legally necessary.
Supervised or unsupervised?
It is the policy of Science Made Simple that our presenters are not left alone with children during presentations. If the sole teacher, or all teachers need to leave the room for any reason, they should not do so until a suitable replacement has been found (please read our Terms & Conditions of Business for further detail).
This is to protect the children, teacher and presenter. Thus all of our presentations can be classified as supervised, and therefore do not fall under the definition of ‘regulated activity’, for which a DBS certificate is actually needed.
What is a Regulated Activity?
The HM Government Regulated Activity in relation to Children’s new definition of regulated activity (i.e. work that a barred person must not do) in relation to children comprises, in summary:
(i) unsupervised activities: teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children, or provide advice/guidance on well-being, or drive a vehicle only for children;
(ii) work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact: e.g. schools, children’s homes, childcare premises.
Not work by supervised volunteers.
Work under (i) or (ii) is regulated activity only if done regularly. In the same document regularly is defined as:
Teaching, training or instruction of children, carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more often), or on 4 or more days in a 30-day period, or overnight.
DBS checks and the law
When one of our employees is DBS checked, the employee receives a copy of the disclosure form. We ask our employee for the disclosure number, date and name of the counter signatory and we keep a record of that information but we cannot by law keep a copy of the disclosure form.
On visits to schools, or for any other engagement with children, our employees will carry proof of identity.
It is against data protection laws for us to insist that our employees carry their Enhanced DBS certificates. You, the school, have no right in law to demand to see their certificate, copy it or in any other way scrutinise it. It is a breach of data protection laws for any third party to request to see the employee’s form.
Schools wanting proof that our employees have been checked can ask us for written confirmation in advance of the visit.
Science Made Simple therefore kindly requests that, as a condition of the booking process, the booker ensures that staff (e.g. those on reception desk, at the school or venue) are made aware of the laws. If your school or venue has rules in place that directly conflict with this stipulation, it is the booker’s responsibility to ensure that this is communicated to Science Made Simple during the booking process.
If the full conditions of entry to your school are not communicated to us in advance and our employees are refused entry on the grounds of not showing their DBS certificate, we reserve the right to invoice at full cost and according to the booking made.
If you have any questions about the DBS process or our policies please get in touch.
