A SNAPSHOT OF CLIENT QUERIES

We’ve picked a few of the most interesting questions we’ve dealt with since our last issue, which may be useful if you ever find yourself in a similar situation at your school.

Query: I’ve been asked to undertake a risk assessment for a headteacher at our school who has a child who is also at the school. Is this something you can help me with please?

While there are no universal, specific guidelines prohibiting teachers from having their children attend the same school, many schools have policies in place to address potential conflicts of interest and ensure the child's well-being. These policies often emphasize the importance of clearly separating the teacher's roles as a parent and as an educator, and may include considerations regarding class assignments and communication with other parents and staff.

There should be a clear distinction between the teacher's responsibilities as a parent and as an educator, ensuring that the child's welfare is not compromised by their parent's position at the school, and fostering open communication between the teacher, their child, and the relevant staff members. Potential issues, such as whether a teacher can teach their own child, are often addressed through school policies designed to maintain fairness and objectivity.

Social dynamics can also present challenges, with teachers needing to set clear boundaries to prevent any perceived favouritism among their child's peers. In emergency situations, teachers must prioritise the safety of all students, including their own, and avoid any actions that might disrupt the overall safety protocol. Local authority policies or individual school guidelines may further influence how these situations are managed.

Overall, while strict regulations may not always be in place, teachers must be mindful of potential conflicts of interest, prioritise their child's well-being, and maintain clear boundaries between their personal and professional lives.

Should a risk assessment be drawn up, the school should consider using the SAFE method:

• Staff - the staff or individual capacity or capability or competence;

• Activities - suitable trained staff for delivering the activities, suitable supervision, location, etc;

• Facilities - Access and egress - is it safe or free from obstruction etc; and

• Equipment - fit for purpose and safe to use

Currently, there is very little government guidance regarding the safety of water butts in schools. Most natural water sources contain the legionella bacteria; however, the bacterium will multiply in warm water conditions, above 20oC. In warm weather, many water butts will provide the perfect conditions for legionella to grow. The water butt will warm up in the sun, allowing the water inside to reach a higher temperature than would normally be the case, creating an ideal environment for bacterial growth.

The main danger when using contaminated water is that it may be released in the form of spray or aerosol, which could then easily be inhaled. Using a hosepipe to get the water out of a butt produces thousands of bacteria in each cubic metre of air. In contrast, using a watering can to take water out of the water butt, produced only a small number of airborne bacteria.

General safety tips:

• Don’t leave full hoses lying in the sun, as warm water can encourage bacteria;

• Avoid using water from butts when the water temperature exceeds 20°C;

• Use water from butts with a watering can—don’t connect them to hosepipes or sprinklers;

• Clean water butts at least once a year;

• Consider insulating water butts to help keep the temperature below 20°C;

• When opening bags of compost or potting mix, keep your face away to avoid inhaling dust;

• Avoid storing compost or potting soil in greenhouses, as high temperatures can promote bacterial growth;

• Wear a dust mask when turning compost heaps to reduce inhalation risk; and

• After using garden hoses, drain out any remaining water.

There is some good advice on the RHS website: https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-jobs/water-collecting-storing-and-using

Query: Please can I enquire about whether you would advise schools not to have water butts as part of environmental practice due to the risk of legionella? I think it is sensible to save water and this is what gardeners do on a regular basis.

Query: We have a Year 11 student whose father lives separately and she doesn’t see him. However, he does have parental responsibility and is listed as a primary guardian on our system. I am aware that the student can refuse to share data with him should he ask for access to it (SAR etc) but can a student of this age also ask to remove him from all communications sent out by the school? Or does his Parental Responsibility mean that we can’t remove him unless he asks to stop having communications himself?

If the child is Gillick competent then they must abide by their request, but in order to decide this they should convene a meeting and record their decision. Handsam recommends that at least 2 to 3 professionals are present to make a minuted decision and that these are people who know the child, for example the head teacher, relevant head of year, class teacher, pastoral lead, etc. The discussion must not refer to anything to do with issues regarding the father, merely whether the chid is Gillick Competent.

Definition of Gillick Competency:

A child is considered Gillick competent if they have the "understanding and intelligence to understand fully what is proposed," enabling them to make informed decisions about their own care.