Handsam Reminders
In the hustle and bustle of other responsibilities, you may have overlooked some articles from Compliance Matters Issue 33. Below are some of the things making the news in the world of compliance in spring 2022.
New Workplace Menopause Policy
This policy template is to be used as a set of guidelines for organisations to follow in order to achieve compliance with equality and health and safety legislation. It will help schools and academies to make decisions and achieve healthy outcomes regarding staff members experiencing menopausal symptoms.
Handsam's menopause policy is written as a guide for workplace representatives. It should be agreed upon through proper consultation with recognised trade unions and stakeholders and modified to suit individual workplaces and employees. Menopause is a normal stage of life that usually occurs around the age of 50 whereby menstrual periods stop and the production of oestrogen decreases. An estimated 13 million people are living with menopause in the UK, including women, trans people and intersex people. People from these communities may have experiences that differ due to a variety of factors, but ‘people who menstruate’ also require consideration in this policy.
IICSA Residential Schools Investigation
This investigation focused on residential schools in both the state and independent sector and explored how schools and other agencies responded to allegations of sexual abuse by school staff and addressed broad questions of school culture, governance, leadership, training and recruitment. The chilling, 224-page report chronicles cases of abuse in Chetham's School of Music, The Yehudi Menuhin School, Wells Cathedral School, Clifton College and The Purcell School for Young Musicians among others. The introduction to the report, states: "The instances of the sexual abuse of children presented in this report will shock and horrify. They represent the antithesis of everything that a school should be. For many victims and survivors, the impacts have been profound and lifelong."
Online Images: Protection and Removal
Social media is a great place for young people to share photos with each other – showing what they’ve been up to, commemorating special occasions, and sharing special memories. Unfortunately, there have been documented cases of people scouring social media profiles to find photographs of children and young people in school uniforms to post in private groups that seemingly have sexual child abuse connotations. There have even been incidents where photographs of people who are now adults have had old photos from when they were in school taken from their social media pages and posted on these types of groups. Beware of the words “transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license.” This means that Facebook can license your content to others for free without obtaining any other approval from you.
New Guidance For Rebated Fuel
As of 1 April 2022, rebated diesel (known as red diesel) and rebated biofuels are no longer allowed to be used as they were previously. You will only be able to use rebated fuel for specific purposes when using certain machines, vehicles, vessels and appliances. The rebated fuels affected by these changes are:
- Rebated diesel;
- Rebated Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)
- Rebated biodiesel and bioblend;
- Kerosene taxed at the rebated diesel rate; and
- Fuel substitutes
Meet the Abuser
Marilyn Hawes writes: Wherever there are children, there is always the risk of employing someone with ill intent. Abusers deliberately choose a profession or workplace which places them amongst children. Many with whom I have spoken, chose their careers at 16 – in professions that meant working with children. These people are arrogant, brazen and groom in plain sight. However, they are also charismatic, charming and understanding around children. Of course, because they make children their business. They will single out their targets, but first, groom the adults who care for the child. We’re not talking about abduction, but clever, well-honed acts of duplicity.
Effective Management of Student Level Data Across a Family of Schools
Present government policy continues to promote the creation of larger multi-academy trusts and with this comes greater challenges
School leaders must ensure that their systems and processes are fit for purpose in promoting the best possible student outcomes whilst also being efficient and cost effective. Here Martin Cain provides some practical advice for MAT leaders to ensure that their assessment and data tracking systems are simple, workload friendly and make an effective contribution to the development of impact-driven teaching and learning strategies