Teaching under 18-year olds in an adult class

The BWY Child Protection Policy states that anyone working with children/young persons under the age of 18 must hold a current Enhanced Disclosure certificate if the young person’s parent, or another adult acting in loco parentis, is NOT present in the teaching room. Parents may have every good intention of being present each week, but circumstances could be that a particular week they cannot attend with the young person.

You need to decide whether to hold an ED for such circumstances or whether you don’t accept the young person into the class under such conditions. It would be advisable to have these conditions agreed and signed by both the parent and the young person in advance of such a situation arising. (Keep a signed copy on your files.) Details on obtaining an Enhanced Disclosure downloaded on the main Child Protection and Equity page.

The Wheel has developed an Agreement/Consent Form which you may wish to use as a template to amend to suit your own circumstances. (See main page to download form). (Grateful thanks are extended to the BWY teacher who provided the outline for the form.)