External Service Providers Information

Requesting access to students and agreements with schools

The primary purpose of schools, under the Education Act 1990, is to deliver the curriculum to all students. The NSW Department of Education (the department) recognises that externally funded service providers have a role in delivering services to children and young people with additional health, disability and wellbeing needs that support their participation in school. In some circumstances it may be appropriate for these services to be delivered at school. The department has established processes to support schools to meet legislative and policy requirements when considering whether to grant access to an externally funded provider to deliver its services to students on school premises and during school hours. Decisions around whether to provide access to externally funded providers are a matter for the school principal, based on whether it is in the best educational interests of the student, and considering the school’s duty of care towards all staff and students.

Principals have discretion to grant or not grant school access to an external provider, taking into consideration:

• the impact of the service on curriculum requirements and the student’s participation in learning activities,

• the extent to which the service supports the student’s learning needs or enhances access to education,

• the impact of the service on other students and/or the operations of the school.

Before services begin

Child protection and other training

Before a provider can deliver a service to students in a school, the provider must demonstrate that it has the necessary checks, protections and training in place.

These include completing the department’s Mandatory Child Protection Training, or a suitable alternative training program delivered by the provider for its staff.

How to access the department’s child protection training

The department’s Mandatory Child Protection Training is free and available publicly on the MyPL page of the department’s website. External provider staff first need to register as a ‘community member’ on MyPL and create a login ID and password to access the training. Once successfully registered on MyPL, select the ‘browse learning’ tab, and use the search facility to locate ‘child protection’ training. A certificate is awarded upon completion of the training, which can be provided as evidence that the training has been undertaken.

Where providers deliver their own child protection training, the provider will need to sign the External Provider Engagement Agreement, which confirms that this training covers the following content:

• child protection mandatory reporting and professional conduct legal responsibilities

• recognising child abuse and neglect indicators • understanding reporting processes for suspected risk of significant harm

• acceptable and unacceptable practice in: - care and discipline of children - - provider and child relationships interactions with children with identified needs.

A school may also require provider staff to complete specific health training depending on the type of the service, the level of supervision needed, or health care needs of the student (e.g. first aid, CPR, ASCIA anaphylaxis training).

Consent to share information In line with privacy legislation

Schools will seek the consent of parents and carers to allow the school to share relevant student information with the provider. To further ensure compliance with privacy legislation, the External Provider Engagement Agreement stipulates that a provider must also seek the consent of the parent/carer to share service delivery information with the school (template form attached to the Agreement).  Providers will be required to give schools an update at the conclusion of each service, detailing what took place during the service (template form attached to the Agreement). This is to ensure that the service aligns with the student’s education goals.

Specific Site Information

-            Service providers must remain in line of sight of classroom teacher at all times

-            Services must be provided in the classroom

-            Meetings with teachers must be made outside of teaching time

-            No filming or photography

-            Therapy reports must be emailed to the school email within 48 hours of session

-            Therapists must complete a site induction prior to the commencement of therapy

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