Policies and procedures
Our Commitment to Safe, Inclusive and Accountable Practice
At Willowbank Education, Bee Free on the Farm and our sister sites, we are committed to providing safe, inclusive and high-quality alternative provision engagement services. The welfare, safety and individual needs of the children and young people we support are central to our practice.
We maintain a comprehensive framework of policies, procedures and operational arrangements that reflects the nature of our services, the environments in which we operate and the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to each organisation and site. Our approach is informed by relevant statutory guidance, Department for Education guidance for alternative provision, the non-school alternative provision voluntary national standards where applicable, and recognised safeguarding and professional practice.
We regularly review our policies and procedures to ensure they remain appropriate, effective and responsive to changes in legislation, guidance, risk and service delivery. Our commitment to robust practice does not imply that our engagement provision is a registered school or that school-specific statutory requirements apply to us where they do not.
Safeguarding and Welfare
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility across our services. We maintain safeguarding arrangements appropriate to our activities and work collaboratively with referring schools, local authorities, families and relevant professionals to support the safety and wellbeing of every young person.
Our safeguarding framework includes procedures for identifying, recording, reporting and responding to concerns; managing allegations and low-level concerns about adults; safer recruitment and appropriate suitability checks; staff and volunteer training; and escalation to relevant statutory agencies where required.
We ensure that safeguarding responsibilities, reporting routes and information-sharing arrangements are clearly understood by those involved in a young person’s programme. Concerns are managed in accordance with applicable law, guidance and our safeguarding procedures.
Health, Safety and Risk Management
Our outdoor and engagement activities are supported by proportionate health and safety arrangements, site-specific procedures and appropriate risk assessments. These consider the nature of the activity, the environment, staffing, equipment and the individual needs of participants.
We maintain procedures covering areas such as first aid, emergencies, fire safety, accidents and incidents, activity safety, supervision, transport where provided, and the management of relevant health or medical information. Activities are adapted, postponed or cancelled where necessary to maintain safe and appropriate provision.
Individual risk assessments and support arrangements are considered as part of the referral and programme-planning process, with information reviewed and updated where required.
Equality, Inclusion and Individual Needs
We are committed to fair and non-discriminatory practice and to meeting our obligations under the Equality Act 2010. We consider each young person’s needs individually and work with referring organisations, families and relevant professionals to identify appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.
Our procedures address equality, inclusion, SEND, behaviour support, accessibility and the management of individual needs. We recognise that participation may require different approaches, and we seek to remove unnecessary barriers while ensuring that provision remains safe, suitable and within our capacity and competence.
Admissions, Referrals and Commissioning
Every referral is considered individually to determine whether our provision is appropriate and able to meet the young person’s identified needs. Acceptance is subject to suitability, available capacity, appropriate staffing and resources, relevant risk assessment and agreement of the proposed programme.
Before a programme or placement is agreed, we work with the referring or commissioning organisation to establish the intended outcomes, attendance arrangements, safeguarding responsibilities, information-sharing requirements and any necessary individual support.
We provide a service-level agreement or other appropriate commissioning documentation setting out the agreed scope of provision, responsibilities, reporting arrangements, fees where applicable, and procedures for reviewing or ending the arrangement.
Our engagement services do not replace the statutory responsibilities of schools or local authorities. Responsibility for securing and overseeing suitable education remains with the relevant school or local authority in accordance with applicable legal duties. The respective responsibilities of all parties are clarified through the commissioning process.
Staff, Volunteers and Professional Standards
We maintain procedures for the recruitment, induction, training, supervision and management of staff and volunteers. Appropriate checks and suitability assessments are undertaken in accordance with the role, the nature of the activity and applicable legal requirements.
Staff and volunteers are expected to follow our safeguarding, conduct, health and safety, confidentiality and professional practice procedures. Training and supervision arrangements are reviewed to support safe and effective delivery across our sites.
Information Governance and Confidentiality
We handle personal information in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Our procedures address the lawful collection, use, storage, retention and sharing of information, with particular care given to children’s personal data and sensitive information.
Information is shared only where there is an appropriate lawful basis and a legitimate need to do so. We use proportionate security measures and agreed information-sharing arrangements to protect confidentiality while ensuring that relevant information can be shared with appropriate professionals when necessary to safeguard a child or support their welfare.
Data protection requirements do not prevent necessary and lawful safeguarding information sharing. Our Privacy Notice provides further information about how personal data is processed and the rights of individuals.
Secure Stakeholders Area
To support transparency, accountability and effective partnership working, referring schools, local authorities, commissioning bodies and other authorised professionals are provided with access to our password-protected Stakeholders Area.
The Stakeholders Area contains a suite of relevant policies, procedures and supporting documentation relating to Willowbank Education, Bee Free on the Farm and our sister sites. This enables authorised stakeholders to review the information required when considering, commissioning, monitoring or overseeing our services.
Access is restricted to appropriate individuals and organisations and is provided in connection with their professional responsibilities. Documents are maintained through our governance and review arrangements, with current versions made available as appropriate.
The Stakeholders Area is intended for professional documentation and does not replace agreed secure arrangements for sharing confidential young-person records, safeguarding information or other sensitive personal data.
Policy Documentation and Service-Level Agreements
Relevant policies and procedures are made available to referring and commissioning organisations as part of our referral and commissioning process. A service-level agreement or other appropriate written agreement is provided before the commencement of an agreed programme.
These documents establish a shared understanding of expectations, responsibilities and operational arrangements, including safeguarding, attendance, communication, reporting, risk management, information sharing and programme review.
We encourage referring professionals to review the documentation and raise any questions before a placement or programme is agreed. Where additional information is required, our team will provide clarification or arrange access to the relevant documents.
Complaints, Concerns and Continuous Improvement
We are committed to listening to feedback and responding appropriately to concerns and complaints. Our procedures provide clear routes for raising issues, including safeguarding concerns, complaints about service delivery and concerns relating to staff conduct.
We review incidents, feedback, complaints and operational practice to identify learning and improve the quality and safety of our services. Policies and procedures are reviewed periodically and updated when required by changes in legislation, guidance, risk or organisational practice.
Accessing Our Policies
Referring professionals, commissioners and authorised stakeholders who require access to our policies and procedures can contact our team to request access to the Stakeholders Area.
For policy enquiries, stakeholder access or further information, please email:
We are committed to open communication, professional accountability and working collaboratively to provide safe, appropriate and meaningful opportunities for children and young people across our services.
