Children,Young People and Work Experience
Work Experience

Work Experience

Staff bringing Children into the Workplace

This guidance is to help Managers decide the arrangements that need to be in place when a young person is to be involved in BBC work activities. For example each year children of 15 and above are asked by their schools to find placements for work experience. Work experience requests should be directed through the HR department.

The following should help you draw up risk assessments, supervision arrangements and training plans. It is important to have these in place before the child arrives and must be given in writing to the child's parent or guardian.

The essential questions at the planning stage are:

What are the hazards associated with the intended work?

Is the work allocated to the child appropriate for their age and ability? Who will assess this?

Are current risk assessment and existing controls suitable and sufficient in view of a child's presence? Is a review required?

What induction will be given to the child? E.g.

where they can go
what they are allowed to do
where they are not allowed to go and do
what to do in an emergency
who is in charge of them while they are working.

Will they need any further training?

What information will be given?

What are the arrangements for supervising the child, bearing in mind that no BBC staff may be put in a 'caring' role?

How will any change in arrangements and risk assessment be communicated to others involved?

Most work experience at the BBC involves office work. The attached checklist may be used as a planning tool and record of the action identified and taken. If the children are going to be involved in other work then look at relevant risk assessments and consider the difference that the presence of a child makes.

Close supervision is the key. The supervision needs to be by someone who has experience of children particularly as it is rare for a child or young person to admit a task is too great for them and may be reluctant to ask too many questions for fear of looking stupid.

We will also need to make sure that we follow the child protection arrangements so that members of staff are not left in sole charge of a child in a caring position.

There is really helpful information relating to work experience on the BBC HR Direct site.

Children,Young People and Work Experience Work Experience

Children,Young People and Work Experience
Work Experience