Hiring out our facilities and premises

320. Where we hire or rent out our facilities/premises to organisations or individuals (for example to community groups, sports associations, and service providers to run community or extra-curricular activities) we will ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to keep children safe.

321. When services or activities are provided by us, under our own direct supervision or management, our own arrangements for child protection will apply. However, where services or activities are provided separately by another body this is not necessarily the case. We will therefore seek assurance that the body concerned has appropriate safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures in place including inspecting these; and ensure that there are arrangements in place to liaise with us on these matters where appropriate. We will also ensure safeguarding requirements are included in any transfer of control agreement (i.e. lease or hire agreement), as a condition of use and occupation of the premises; and that failure to comply with this may lead to termination of the agreement.

322. The guidance on Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings details the safeguarding arrangements that schools and colleges should expect these providers to have in place.

323. In any event where we feel there is reputational risk to our organisation, we will withdraw from any hire agreement of our premises. We will ensure the hirer acknowledges that our school/college has a duty under Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 in the exercise of its functions to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” (the “Prevent Duty”). We will ensure the hirer uses our premises in such a way as to satisfy the Prevent Duty. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure our premises are not used by any groups or speakers in support of any extremist ideology.