Risk Management
Under pressure
The hidden cost of underinsurance: David Collard explains how failing to maintain accurate buildings valuations can leave schools struggling to survive in the event of property damage and suggests some measures to take
It is easy to allow the risk of a serious incident affecting school buildings to slip to the back of the mind – to tell oneself the chances that anything serious happening at your school are remote.
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The silent assassin
A focus on the presence of asbestos in schools is highlighting the hidden dangers of this deadly condition. Jacquie O’Neill reveals the alarming statistics and sets out a strategic plan on how to manage the risks
It is estimated that more than 75 per cent of state schools contain asbestos. While no figures exist for independent schools, it is safe to assume that any school built or refurbished between 1945 and the mid-1980s contains some form of asbestos. It has been known for years that exposure to asbestos can prove deadly. Lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lung) are the three main diseases caused by it. These diseases, which can take years to develop, have no cure.
Injured parties
Schools that support pupils who suffer serious, life-changing injuries should not rely solely on liability insurance claims, which are often beset by uncertainty. David Collard highlights the key issues to consider
A serious injury to a pupil is every school’s worst nightmare. Sadly, however, incidents and accidents leading to serious, life-changing injury happen – despite best efforts to provide a safe environment for pupils. Unfortunately, that focus on prevention can be problem in its own right.
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When going extracurricular...
The economics of recent years for organisations has been one of a traditional recessionary market, a focus on cost-cutting and core activities. Does the education model follow the same patterns and is tradition right for today? Greg Davies reports
Call it H&S, welfare, support or care, in most organisations it is seen as a secondary function, after the core activities. Having been described earlier this year as a “monster” by Government and viewed as a burden, what place should H&S occupy in our places of work and education?
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Work ethics
Apart from capital projects, the cost centre that yields the biggest savings is teachers’ salaries, which amounts to 42-55 per cent of general fees. To control these costs, carry out a staff audit, write David and Helen Belchamber
Schools are labour-intensive and, with a few exceptions, teachers are the most highly paid members of staff; they also carry the largest mark-up, in terms of the employer’s pension and NI contributions (an add-on of 26 per cent, as at December 2010).
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Getting personal
Independent schools keep too much personal information about their employees, say John Richardson and Sharon Liburd. Here, they clarify the legal and moral requirements to protect both the school and its staff
Have you ever had skin rashes, varicose veins, hay fever, period or prostate problems? These are just some of the questions independent school employers ask their staff.
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Back to basics
Lord Young of Graffham's eagerly awaited report on health and safety entitled Common Sense, Common Safety was published on 15 October 2010. Tabitha Cave and Natalie Andrews report
In the report Lord Young sets out his aims: "To free businesses from unnecessary bureaucratic burdens and the fear of having to pay out unjustified damages claimed and legal fees" and to apply "common sense, not just to compensation, but to everyday decisions once again".
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Home thoughts from abroad
Julie Booth looks at how tighter rules on overseas student visas will affect the independent school sector and reviews how technology can help support admissions from abroad
The Government has prioritised an overhaul of the UK's immigration policy in an effort to minimise abuse after the level of non-EU students coming to the UK rose by more than 75,000 in the 12 months to March 2010. Indeed, student visas for Nepal, northern India and Bangladesh were suspended earlier this year following a huge increase in applications.
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The silent assassin
The HSE and local authorities are making asbestos management in independent schools a priority for 2010, since the sector is less advanced in its planning than the maintained sector. Sharon Liburd reports
Schools are under a legal obligation to manage asbestos. They must, as part of their health and safety policies and procedures, have a written policy that spells out how they do so. In the last 25 years, at least 178 teachers have died from mesothelioma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, which is linked to asbestos exposure.
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Raise the roof
A fundamental obligation on the trustees of a school charity is to safeguard the property of the charity. A key part of that will involve arranging sufficient insurance cover. Jon Taylor reports on Charity Commission guidance
The Charity Commission for England and Wales provides information on the classes of insurance available to charity trustees (Guidance Note CC49) and the factors that trustees should consider when considering insurance.
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Defence mechanisms
Violence in the classrooms and playgrounds of schools is all too common. Noel Walsh reports on how schools can fully protect their reputation, staff and pupils through implementing effective risk management
Teachers are complaining of a lack of care from their employers and law enforcement agencies in protecting them from violence in school. A survey undertaken by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers reveals that 87 per cent of staff have dealt with disruptive pupils over the past year; more than 200 have made claims on their personal insurance policies for injuries sustained. Two out of three of all assaults in schools were against adults. It is against this background that schools must consider how they tackle this important workplace issue, not just for the wellbeing of staff, but to protect their reputation.
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Covering the bases
One of the side effects of the economic difficulties over the last 18 months is an increased awareness of, and appetite for, business continuity planning. Jon Taylor reports on why it is always better to be safe than sorry
Aside from the economy, other external factors such as increased scrutiny from regulators and financial backers have also provided an impetus for greater preparedness for the unexpected. The possibility of a pandemic has brought sharply into focus the need for businesses, including schools, to contemplate the many potential “what if?” scenarios.
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Panic stations
Governments around the world have spent billions of dollars on research to establish effective protocols to cope with the next expected human influenza pandemic. Jon Taylor explains what schools can do to protect their business
The outbreaks of avian flu in 2005, and SARS before that, have focused the attention of the public on the possible social and economic consequences of pandemic flu, even before the more recent emergence of swine flu.
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When things get personal
Accidental falls and trips in the playground may seem innocuous, but they can lead to serious injuries that have a huge impact on the child, the family and the school. Jon Taylor reports on how to cover eventualities
In the UK, 360,000 children are injured at school every year (source: Child Accident Prevention Trust). Accidental
injury is also one of the biggest single causes of death for children over the age of one. There is no automatic right to compensation when a child is injured at school, nor is there any automatic legal recourse.
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In sickness and in health
Staff absences can prove costly unless the school is covered, writes Rob Thomas
A survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) in 2008 found that teachers in the UK were absent from their jobs for an average of 7.8 days last year. Further insight into the CIPD figures reveals that the average cost of an absent teacher per year is £581. This puts staff absence as a priority within financial planning.
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Telling tales
In the event of a crisis, schools must be quick to manage the inevitable media intrusion. Unless handled carefully and actively, you risk allowing your school’s exposure to turn into a media disaster, writes Alistair Macdonald
Earlier this year, a respected independent school in the north of England rebuffed media enquiries when details of a new teacher’s former career emerged on the internet. A deafening silence from the headmaster and governors only served to intrigue and fascinate those in the media feeding-frenzy.
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On the road
New legislation raises the penalties for schools that have not adequately taken into account health and safety issues involving minibuses or where an employee’s car is used on school business, writes Roger Ashman
The Corporate Manslaughter Act came into effect in April 2008. In the event that a serious road accident occurs with one of your school’s minibuses and results in a death, then the police will review how the school’s occupational road risk has been managed.
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Flood light
Much has been said about the possible adverse effects on insurance premiums in the wake of the floods that affected certain parts of the UK this summer. David Collard takes a closer look at the figures
The UK’s flood defences seemed unprepared for the volume of water that poured down on places such as Tewkesbury and areas along the upper Thames, and some commentators say that the insurance companies were also caught unawares.
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Auditing hygiene standards
A new programme has been devised to improve hygiene in schools
School hygiene has never been more important, with viruses such as E. coli, norovirus and swine flu all posing a serious threat to a school's health every day. It is estimated that 100,000 people a week catch norovirus, but this can be reduced, with studies showing that regular and appropriate hand-cleaning and drying can cut infection in children.
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School sport
With the new rugby season under way, many sports teachers are expressing concern over exposure to litigation from accidents on the field. By David Collard
Sport and the law rarely make happy companions, particularly when a devastating injury occurs. The courts have had to grapple with how the law of negligence should be applied to sporting cases, particularly for contact sports, played at a fast pace by skilled individuals.
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Games of chance
Injuries will always occur on school playing fields. Add the compensation culture to the mix and schools have a number of challenges to tackle. Being aware of what can go wrong is critical, writes David Collard
When rugby union was still an amateur game, injuries to players were seen as an unfortunate element of a very physical sport. Rugby injuries that occurred at school were no exception. Nowadays, however, with the improved treatment of career-threatening injuries becoming commonplace, it is thankfully rare to hear about a player having to give up the game. For example, a player with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture can now expect to be back playing after six to nine months’ rehabilitation. Ten years ago, the same rupture may well have ended a career.
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In good health?
Schools often come unstuck with their risk assessment of health and safety management, with the possibility of prosecution by the HSE. Mark Carter sets out the five essential steps to help you comply with the legislation
Step 1 – define who is responsible
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places overall responsibility for health and safety with the employer.
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Ski trips
Skiing trips pose risks in unforeseeable ways. By David Collard
More than one million Britons will be skiing or snowboarding abroad this season and 1 in 20 of them will make an accident or injury claim on their insurance. On average, this means that one person on every school ski trip will suffer an injury.
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Getting away from it all
The imprisonment of a teacher following the death of a pupil in 2002 appeared to signal the end for school trips. But detailed risk management preparations are the key to their survival, says David Collard
In May 2002, ten-year-old Max Palmer drowned while taking part in an activity known as ‘plunge pooling’, in the waters of the Glenridding Beck in the Lake District. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has just published its report into the case which resulted in geography teacher, Paul Ellis, being sent to prison. Mr Ellis was in charge of the trip and pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court.
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In full feather
Disasters have the potential to strike at any moment, leaving little or no time for an effective response. David Collard urges schools to take steps now to prepare a strategy for mitigating the effects of a potential bird flu pandemic
Governments are spending billions of dollars on virology and vaccine research to establish effective protocols to cope with the next human influenza pandemic.
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Disaster planning: procedures
How should a school effectively manage a crisis? By Robert Bell
All schools, from time to time, will have an emergency. This could range from a small incident affecting only the school itself, for example a minor gas leak or the death of a pupil, which could become a major media event that grabs national and international headlines.
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The plan of action
Many schools are aware of the effects that an emergency could have on their community. There is, however, a lack of consistency in the information and resources available to them, write Robert Bell and Alison Ingleby
A number of schools and local authorities are producing excellent work locally; what is lacking is a sound national framework. There are two projects currently under development that will provide national guidance for schools on emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
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Safety first
All schools take risk and emergency management seriously, but many find school safety a daunting challenge. Dr John Twigg provides a conceptual framework to help your school prepare for unforeseen eventualities
Schools need to acquire a range of technical skills for emergency management. They are faced with a multiplicity of guidelines and official regulations, and as society becomes more risk-averse they are under pressure to minimise risks to their pupils and staff. It is easy for school leaders to feel overwhelmed by all of this.
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Keep your head covered
When an unforeseen accident befalls a headteacher, leaving the school temporarily adrift, the governing body can be forced into crisis management. Mike Davis advises key person insurance to guard against the fall-out
If you walk into any headteacher’s office, you will be confronted by many items that the school has insured: desk, chairs, carpet, curtains, IT equipment, china tea service, even the sports trophy sitting proudly on display. But what of one of the governing body’s most important employees? Unless the school has specific loans outstanding where the lender has specified that the school must take out insurance on the headteacher, it is unlikely that the school will have key person cover in place.
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