My Motives are being doubted.........should I do this?

[Katymac]

Hi - sorry to hijack your "bit" but I need a bit of advice

You have all heard be whittering on about my nursery, well the tale goes on......

I have been approached by a local college who have adult with special needs. These guys (or gals)want to study horticulture/agriculture so they can get supported employment in a field that interests them.

They want to come to the nursery site for about 3 hrs a week (maybe 6 or 8 plus supervisors in the college minibus - they will have up-to-date CRB's) and design, plan, create & maintain the nursery grounds.

They had arranged this with another business who pulled out for H&S reasons.

I think it's a FAB idea. It's good for the children I will care for. It will be good for the students. It's great for the nursery as it is a link with the community.

I have been told I am putting publicity (there is none) before the safety of the children (not sure there is an issue - adults supervised, children supervised?)

So am I being short sighted or if this scheme is managed effectively will it be the success I anticipate?

?

[gess]

At ds3's nursery (ds3 doesn;t have SN) there has been a work experience student with learning difficulties there for the last 6 months. He recently won an award for his hard work- work experience student of the year I think. He has been brilliant. DS3's childminder sometimes has an adult with learning disabilities getting involved. I think its great.

Whoever said you weren't thinking of the safety of the children sounds like a bigot and you can tell them I said so. What on earth does he/she think the adults are going to do to the children? Sounds like complete and utter ignorance.

[Katymac]

Thanks - it is useful to know other nurseries have done something similar

[2shoes]

i can't see how the safety of the children will be compromised.

[geekgirl]

what a nasty attitude

they have a similar gardening scheme here and I think it's brilliant

[gess]

H&S? oh ffs. And meanwhile because of inclusion there's no bloody access to specialist schemes. I wish someone in Whitehall would wake up to the fact that inlcusion policies are actually excluding those with complex (esp learning) disabilities. Grrrr mutter, grumble.

[Katymac]

Well I am assuming (but I will check) that my employers liability Insurance will cover people with health problems (otherwise I'm stuffed basically as my current team is only 33% healthy )

I cannot see a risk to either adults or to the children everyone will be supervised

[gess]

ooh I've just thought ds1's ms nursery's insurance tried to charge the owner more because she had ds1. She went ballistic and changed insurers!

[Katymac]

How mean is that?

[UniSarah]

when our surestart centre has volunteers working on teh garden the kids don't use teh garden at teh same time, kids use play ground which is fenced from garden. So- kids can see gardening on regular bais, but only " join in" if its a suitably supervised planned activity for the kids.
Volunteer groups have built our wendy house, 2 round benches, a bug home, raised beds etc and planted apple trees. the kids have used teh raised beds to plant seeds and will be picking apples to eat at snack time in a few months.
Much routine gardening wouldn;t be suitable to have kids in garden when it happening- mowing etc. but kids don;t use garden 10 hours a day surely.