EOTC External Providers and Contractors
St Joseph's School may use external providers and/or contractors to support the delivery of our EOTC programme. We keep records of approved external providers and contractors we use regularly. We share relevant medical, health, and support needs information about participants with external providers and contractors to allow them to manage health and safety effectively. Information is shared according to our privacy policy and procedures. See Privacy.
External providers
St Joseph's School may use external providers to provide an EOTC service to the school (e.g. school camp providers, tourism operators, sport providers). As a 
PCBU, external providers operate under their own safety management system and we coordinate with them as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (s 34).
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 defines and outlines the health and safety responsibilities of different types of duty holders within a workplace.
A PCBU is a "person conducting a business or undertaking". At St Joseph's School, the whole board is the PCBU, including the principal. If events, activities, or services involve more than one PCBU, then PCBUs work together to establish responsibilities and actions for health and safety.
Engaging an external provider
When engaging an external provider:
- For adventure activities, we check that the provider is registered with WorkSafe – see the Adventure activity operators' register
. - For operators not providing adventure activities (and therefore not registered with WorkSafe), we ask for details of their safety management systems, including staff competency and experience, risk management processes, and emergency preparedness and safety record.
We require external providers to sign an agreement that clarifies who is responsible for implementing and supervising all health and safety measures. The agreement takes into account whether the event is on school grounds or off site and includes information from the school and the external provider regarding the event (e.g. supervision, risk, emergency procedures, and relevant student information).
Once the external provider is engaged, we:
- communicate with the provider before, during, and after the event
- consult about managing shared risk and ensuring safety measures are not duplicated and there aren't any gaps
- work with the provider to ensure the best possible experience for all students, including those with individual support plans
- support the provider appropriately during the event/activity
- monitor the provider’s actions to ensure they are doing what has been agreed
- reserve the right to stop any event or activity conducted by an external provider for safety or other reasons.
External contractors
St Joseph's School may use external contractors to provide additional expertise to deliver an EOTC activity, event, or programme. In this situation, the school is the PCBU and the contractor is a worker and they become like any other staff member. The contractor works within the school safety management system. When selecting a contractor, we match the scope of the intended EOTC activity with the person's competency and qualifications and we carry out checks to ensure their suitability.
The Health and Safety at Work Act defines different types of duty holders within a workplace, including schools. The Act outlines health and safety responsibilities for each type of duty holder.
Duty holder
|
School role
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PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking)
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Board, including the principal
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Officers
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Individual board members, including the principal
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Workers
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Employees, including teachers and non-teaching staff, volunteer workers, and contractors
|
Other people at the workplace
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Students, visitors, parents, whānau, and casual volunteers
|
Once the contractor is engaged, St Joseph's School:
- requires the contractor to sign an agreement (e.g. individual employment agreement or contract for services) that clarifies responsibilities and expectations
- provides induction appropriate to their role
- gives the contractor appropriate information regarding the event, risk they may be exposed to, emergency procedures, relevant student information, and their role in the supervision structure
- informs the contractor that they have the right to stop any event or activity for safety or other concerns.
Related policies
Legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Resources
: Term 4 2024, Term 1 2024, Term 1 2021, Term 1 2019
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