The National Boarding Standards were the result of three years' work by the National Boarding Standards Committee. The Committee was convened by the Independent Schools Council and the Boarding Schools' Association to draw up a set of national standards for boarding to be submitted to the Government in response to the Care Standards Bill. This submission was made in June 2000.
The GOVERNMENT VERSION designed for use from April 2002 by the National Care Standards Commission, the new regulatory body for all residential organisations, was published by the Department for Health in March 2002 and can be accessed by clicking here.
For those who are not able to download the Standards, a paper copy of the Standards is obtainable from:-
www.the-stationery-office.co.uk
The National Boarding Standards cover the full range of welfare, health and policy issues. They are the product of a unique Committee, convened jointly by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA), which brought together all the independent school associations along with representatives of state boarding schools, social services inspectors, OFSTED, the two Government departments (Education and Health) with responsibilities for child welfare, Service Children's Education, and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) - the inspection arm of ISC.
Three years of work produced an agreed set of minimum standards for sound practice in independent and state boarding schools. The Government Version of the Standards contained no substantive changes. Thus, the National Committee, which developed the standards, reflected true partnership and can feel gratified by the way this exercise was undertaken and the positive response of schools to the Standards.
The new National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools to come into effect from September 2010
Ministers have agreed to revisions to the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools to come into effect from September 2010. The welfare standards are minimum standards, in the sense that they provide minimum standards below which no school is expected to fall in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of boarders. Many schools already meet these standards or exceed them.
SO WHAT HAS CHANGED?
Obviously we would advise Heads to review the new standards carefully for themselves, and reflect on whether their school would now receive a favourable inspection report were boarding welfare inspectors to be referring to the new document.
But 40 of the standards have not changed at all. BSA would therefore suggest that Heads and Heads of Boarding should look in particular at:
· Standard 2.1 – specific reference to DfE ‘Safe to Learn’ guidance
· Standard 2.2 – new reference to electronic/’cyber’ bullying
· Standard 2A is completely new, and has six bullet points. The Outcome: Boarders have access to information about the safer use of electronic means of communication and are adequately safeguarded from potential harm.
· Standard 3.1 – new reference to LSCBs, current regulations and any other guidance
· Standard 3.5 – For all staff, refresher training every three years
· Standard 3.6 – For CPO, refresher training every two years
· Standard 5.5 – ‘serious complaints’ has been changed to ‘all complaints’
· Standard 5.8 is new – how boarders’ parents may appeal against a school decision
· Standard 6.2 – ‘economic’ has been added to ‘Personal, social, health’ education, though the list of topics has not been changed
· Standard 10.3 is new – asks for ‘broadly similar standards’ of accommodation for all boarders, but specifically says ‘This standard does not prevent a school carrying out a rolling programme of repairs and improvements to accommodation over a number of years.’ Does demand that all accommodation must ‘nevertheless at least be compliant with Standards 40 – 48.’
· Standard 11 – has lost old 11.6, probably because now covered in 2A
· Standard 13 – prefects now have ‘or equivalents’
· Standard 13.4 – new final line – ‘Prefects know how to act if they hear allegations of abuse.’
· Standard 15.1 – new first sentence regarding having an appropriate first aid policy.
· Standard 15.3 – Requires annual verification by school of nurse’s registration with NMC
· Standard 15.5 – optician added to previous list of doctor, dentist.
· Standard 15.11 – boarders self-medicating are assessed as fit to do so by medical staff. This standard now also demands a school policy on self-medicating.
· Standard 15.12 and 13 now allow ‘electronic’ records
· Standard 15.12 has lost the sentence about a senior member of staff overseeing records.
· Standard 15.15 is new, and replaces that sentence – clarifying the requirement that ‘procedures and policies relating to boarders’ health care, the provision of that care and the maintenance of non NHS records are regularly monitored by an appropriate designated member of staff.’
· Standard 15.14 has a new last sentence referring to a boarders’ right to be considered ‘Gillick-competent’.
· Standard 19.1 – tries to deal with the conflict between a boarders’ right to privacy and the school’s need to detect abuse/bullying/unsafe practice – 19.1 makes this point.
· Standard 19.3 – school must be able to demonstrate that boarders have opportunity for private contact with parents even if child has no access to mobile phone.
· Standard 22 – guardians appointed by the school must have a satisfactory CRB before being able to work ‘unsupervised.’
· Standard 30.3 – a change from pupils having to be in age appropriate groupings, and from ‘only older boarders in senior age schools being permitted to leave school site alone,’ to ‘Boarders and staff confirm that boarders leaving the school site without staff are, in the staff’s view, old enough to be out without adult supervision.
· Standard 30.5 – new final sentence – regarding children having access to newspapers and other media, ‘The wishes of boarders and parents/carers are considered in providing these media.’
· Standard 38 – arguably the most difficult Standard, and the one causing most problems for schools and inspectors in the last couple of years. The original has ten bullet points, and one of those has a further nine bullet points of its own. It is worth really familiarising yourself with changes here.
· Old Standard 38.1 was the one which demanded ‘checks through the Criminal Records Bureau checking system with a satisfactory outcome’. This original Standard has gone. The new 38.1 is the equivalent of old 38.2, but has reduced its nine bullet points to five. Read carefully.
· 38.2 now says ‘With the exception of CRB disclosures, the checks in standard 38.1 must be completed before a person takes up the position. In the case of CRB Disclosures, the certificate must be obtained before, or as soon as practicable after, appointment. Until the check is satisfactorily completed, the individual should be appropriately supervised.’
· Standard 38.3 now requires that ‘Recruitment of all staff is additionally subject to safe recruitment practices as detailed in ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ guidance.’ This requirement will simplify the statement of the Standard, but reminds Heads to follow the guidance referred to.
IN SHORT
Standard 2A is brand new, to tackle electronic and cyber bullying. Standard 38 has been altered considerably. These, perhaps, are the big ones to scrutinise.
Other changes may be a little less dramatic, and will matter in some schools more than others, but Standard 5, referring to all complaints needing to be recorded in writing, and needing to include in the complaints procedure details of how to appeal against a decision, for instance – these are serious points, not to be missed.
In short, there probably is no substitute for careful scrutiny of the new standards, with a colleague reading aloud from the old standards, to be sure that a school is well equipped for the next phase of boarding inspection and is keeping up to date with the revisions before any second attempt is made to re-write the standards completely.
Hilary Moriarty
August 2010 |
