I am a Contractor

Safeguarding is of the utmost importance and must be ensured at all times.  DBE Services wants to ensure that schools are confident that all relevant and necessary safeguarding practices are in place and adhered to, whilst ensuring that all servicing and repair work can be carried out quickly and effectively.

We therefore recommend that:

1. The school only allows contractors on to the school site if they were expecting them.  If anyone arrives that the school is not expecting then they should be turned away.
2. All contractors wear branded clothing to help identify contractors as they arrive and whilst they are on site.
3. All contractors are issued with visitor badges when they arrive and they are informed of any local safeguarding/fire evacuation procedures etc. and provide them with a copy of the asbestos register (if you have any asbestos).
4. All contractors carry a photo identity badge which also carries, where applicable, the individuals DBS number.
5. As far as possible, all contractors are supervised whilst they are on site
6. As far as possible, contractors only work in areas where there is no access to children
7. The school is reasonable in terms of ensuring access to site for contractors.

For all contractors on our approved list we check relevant insurances, professional qualifications and memberships and that they carry out relevant employment checks on all their employees.  However, contractors, like any other individual, can only apply for a standard or enhanced DBS if they are carrying out a regulated activity as set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 as amended by the protection of Freedoms Act 2012. As contractors are providing temporary services within a school defined as “infrequently” by the Acts they are not eligible to have DBS checks.

The DBE Services office is open between 8am and 5pm every week day, so please call us between those times, or drop an email to info@dbeservices.co.uk which we will pick up between those office hours.

If you need something urgent outside office hours with regards your boiler, then before calling DBE Services Out of Hours number you should call your boiler servicing company.  It is highly recommended that you keep their contact details close to your boiler so that if your boiler does stop working then you will be able to contact them quickly.

This can be found on the front of the panel or on the list here.   

The DBE Services office is open between 8am and 5pm every week day, so please call us between those times, or drop an email to info@dbeservices.co.uk which we will pick up between those office hours.

If you need something urgent outside office hours with regards your intruder alarm then you should call your intruder alarm servicing company.

This can be found on the front of the panel or on the list here.

The out of hours emergency number cannot help with alarm issues as they do not have the necessary engineer codes.

The DBE Services office is open between 8am and 5pm every week day, so please call us between those times, or drop an email to info@dbeservices.co.uk which we will pick up between those office hours.

If you need something urgent outside office hours with regards your fire alarm then you should call your fire alarm servicing company.

This can be found on the front of the panel or on the list here.

The out of hours emergency number cannot help with alarm issues as they do not have the necessary engineer codes.

Should the fire alarm system be out of action for any period of time the decision lies with the school regarding closures or continued opening of site. If in any doubt, or for further guidance please contact the local fire station and the local fire officer will be able to provide local advice as they are the definitive body and can enforce any decisions regarding closure of school or the decision to remain open.

As long as the school can demonstrate diligence and management of the decision to remain open, i.e. to tighten up procedures and how they are used in the building and can evidence the works are essential this should provide satisfactory as long as there is no immediate risk.

It would be advisable to take the following steps to ensure the above is demonstrated ;

• To review the fire risk assessment and make to make judgments of what school would do in the meantime of the fire alarm being out of action, if a fire did break out.
• To devise an internal telephone system procedure within school in the event of the discovery of a fire and to alert the rest of the building. This contact and procedural information should be displayed on the wall making it fully visible.
• Run a fire drill within school without the alarm, i.e. shout “fire , fire” and telephone the office to alert staff.
• Email summary or send a note round to all staff with instruction in the event of a fire.
• Possibly consider using an old school manual hand bell to raise the alarm in event of a fire.

The nature of reactive calls is that contractors must recover the cost of their time in responding to your needs. Their time spent in travel and any investigations on site, in addition to replacing parts, are legitimate costs but their rates will also need to cover travel expenses and office overhead costs to provide the service we expect. Depending on the type of work, you will be also be paying for people that are qualified which often doesn’t come cheap. Costs can be more expensive as contractors are called on at short notice and with it not being part of a capital project. If you still consider the costs to be excessive, however, please raise the matter with the team at DBE Services.

We expect contractors to fit parts that are of a recommended industry standard, suitable in a school setting and have the necessary guarantees. They can often cost more than domestic fittings that are more readily available by retailers. Also, please bear in mind that there is an overhead cost for the contractor to order and purchase parts on your behalf. In some instances, contractors may agree to fit parts that you have purchased yourself but it is likely they will not warrant the work and if the part is faulty you would be liable for any additional labour cost to fit a replacement. If you still consider the costs to be excessive, however, please raise the matter with the team at DBE Services.

Given the nature of reactive calls that require a speedy response, it is not always possible to get local contractors to every school. You are part of the DBE Services family of schools and we try to evenly spread the work across the region with a small number of contractors we can rely on so we can balance the speed of response with value for money for everyone – so in some instances, contractor will have to travel some distance to meet your needs. If you still consider that there is a better and more local contractor then please let the team at DBE Services know so we can vet their suitability, costs, qualifications, and insurances. We are always on the lookout for new contractors to help serve our schools – please point them towards our website.

We make it clear to contractors that they need to make appointments for visits with each school to suit you, however, it is not always reasonably possible for contractors to work outside of a normal working day or at weekends. Also, please bear in mind that contractors are likely to charge more if they did which we would resist as we try always to get value for money for schools. Visits during the school day may mean checking DBS certificates of operatives or escorting contractors at all times and we do understand that this can be disruptive, but we ask schools to make reasonable allowances when making appointments with contractors. Your assistance will enable your school to remain safe and compliant in a timely manner. Please also bear in mind, that as we serve 000s of schools within the DBE Services family, there would be a lack of available contractors to only visit outside of school hours. If there remains concern about your own circumstances or special needs of the school, then, of course, please speak to one of our team and we will do our best to make suitable arrangements with contractors.