Carers Policy

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Policy Statement: 1:1 Carers at Forest School Sessions

 

Title: Inclusion & 1:1 Support Policy

 

Purpose:

To clarify our approach to welcoming children who may require 1:1 support or carers during Forest School sessions, while maintaining safe, inclusive, and sustainable practices.

 

1:1 Carer Attendance Policy

 

We are committed to inclusive practice and value every child’s right to outdoor learning and play. However, due to the nature of our environment and session format, we must prioritise the safety, safeguarding, and wellbeing of all participants.

 

We therefore operate the following policy:

• 1:1 carers (parents, guardians, SEN support workers, etc.) are only permitted to attend sessions where this has been pre-arranged and risk-assessed by the Forest School Leader.

• We accept 1:1 carers only during our designated SEN-friendly sessions or when specific reasonable adjustments are agreed in advance.

• We do not permit walk-in or unplanned attendance of 1:1 carers at mainstream sessions, to protect the safety and integrity of our group experience.

 

 Safeguarding & DBS Requirements

 

If a 1:1 carer is approved to attend:

• They must provide evidence of a valid Enhanced DBS check.

• They are required to sign our code of conduct and risk agreement.

• They must never be left unsupervised with any child other than the one they support.

• They do not count toward our adult-to-child ratios and must not lead activities.

 

 Equality & Reasonable Adjustments

 

In line with the Equality Act 2010:

• We consider all requests for 1:1 support in line with health & safety, safeguarding, and the reasonable adjustments framework.

• If we are unable to meet a child’s needs safely in a mainstream session, we will offer:

  • A place in a SEN-friendly session,

  • A private booking option (where available),

  • Or signposting to appropriate partner organisations.

 

Contact

 

For all 1:1 support or accessibility enquiries, please email: therainbowforestschool@outlook.com