Explainer: Unifrog's Placements tool FAQs (International schools)

The Unifrog Placements tool makes it easy to administer work experience, Virtual Work Experience (VWEX), work shadowing, internships - any time when a student has sustained direct contact with an employer. In this guide, we answer your most commonly asked questions about the tool.

Our Placements tool is the industry leader, used and loved by more than 2,500 schools and colleges; 500,000+ work experience placements have been administered from start to finish using the tool.
 

“The system is quite literally life-changing – thank you!”
Eugénie Pasco, Kingswood School

Here are your most frequently asked questions about the Placements tool, answered:

What is the Placements tool exactly?
 

At a basic level the Placements tool is a series of forms which need to be completed by specific people at specific times; when one person finishes their form, the system automatically messages the next person in the chain.

The tool gives teachers an at-a-glance view of the progress of each placement across multiple students, and makes it easy to chase when a placement is stuck at a particular stage.

When an employer is asked to host a student using the Placements tool, we invite them to join our Placements contacts database. If they say yes, teachers can ask them if they are up for hosting further students.

What does the tool help with?
 

The tool makes it easy:

• For students to get the ball rolling, then reflect on the placement afterwards;
• For the employer to plan a brilliant placement (we give them a little library of expert guides);
• For the employer to also follow and confirm that they follow best practices in:
  • Insurance;
  • Health and safety;
  • Risk Assessment;
  • Safeguarding;
  • Data protection (GDPR);
• For the parent/caregiver to agree to the placement and stay informed of what’s happening;
• For the school coordinators to have an overview of the whole process, across multiple students;
• For the school to build up a database of employers who have previously hosted placements, showing things like student ratings, the sector, and whether the employer is up for hosting virtual or in person placements. 

How does the tool help employers?

Employers who have hosted a placement before via Unifrog all the information about themselves and their organisation auto-filled (they can still edit this information if they want). 

Employers who are Unifrog partner organisations have more information auto-filled, including documents like their ELI certificate, and they also have the option to auto-fill placement-specific information (eg the start and end dates and the placement overview).

How does the Placements contacts database work?

The Placements contacts database is a Unifrog-wide database of people who are interested in hosting students for:

• In person work placements
• In person work placements lasting 20 days or more
• Virtual placements
• Apprenticeships
• Other opportunities (like assemblies or mentoring)

There are currently more than 40,000 people in the database, with more people joining every day. Teachers can search the database and can ask the people on it if they are up for hosting work experience for their students. Access to the database is included as part of the Placements tool. If you have a teacher login, you can read more about it here.

How much does the Placements tool cost?

The tool is an add-on for schools to the normal Unifrog package. For international schools the normal price is £200 (ex VAT). As usual with Unifrog, you don't pay any extra for training and support.
 

Has the tool been properly put to the test?

Yes. More than 2,500 schools/colleges now use it, with more starting every day. Over 500,000 work placements have been successfully administered through it.

Do people like it?

The really important thing is that it's popular with everyone involved: students, employers, parents/caregivers, and placement coordinators at schools/colleges.

It saves everyone time, and it helps students and employers to have more successful placements.

“It is a complete game changer. Thank you Unifrog!” Judith Crimes, Birchwood High School

“The whole process is so easy and hassle-free” Sweta Thakrar, Dr Challoner's School
 

Does Unifrog do Health & Safety checks for you?

No, Unifrog does not do Health & Safety checks for you. By asking questions of the student, the employer and the parent/caregiver, and in particular taking into account the characteristics of the student and of the workplace, the tool:

Can decide if the employer needs to answer further questions, and needs to provide more documentation (eg providing a Risk Assessment)

Can flag to school staff if a placement is higher risk - so possibly in need of further check

The tool also provides you with the centralised space where you can record documents and notes.

How can I see it in action? And how can I ask questions about it?

If you're already a Unifrog partner, please contact your Area Manager. If you want to get yourself clued up in advance, check out this guide on the tool (you'll need to login).

If you don’t work with us already, please request a demo here (we'll then set up a meeting with you), or call us on +4420 3372 5991. We would love to hear what sort of technical solution you are looking for, and what questions you have for us. 

Is it compliant with the GDPR?

Yes - we have built the tool with data protection law firmly in mind. For example, you'll see that our Privacy Policy fully deals with this new tool.

Does the system really work if the placement is not in the UK?

Yes, the confirmations and agreements between parties are binding regardless of the country where they are made.

We’ve been careful to make things work seamlessly for any country, for example in the tool the employer commits to complying with local data protection law and local covid guidelines, and we’ve built in various handy things like asking the employer what languages are spoken in the workplace.

What about Take Your Child to Work days?

We do not have a separate version of the Placements tool for Take Your Child to Work days, because the paperwork required for a parent to host their own child for work experience is exactly the same as for when a parent is not the employer.

The school retains a legal duty of care over the student during school hours, even if at the workplace the parent's child will be sitting right next to the parent.

On Unifrog's Placements tool, if the parent is also the employer:

• When the employer/parent is completing the Employer initial form, they can put their own email address as the Parent/Guardian email address;
• After completing the Employer initial form they will get a notification to complete the Parent / guardian agreement.

Can we use it for Virtual Work Experience (VWEX)? Or for volunteering placements?

Yes you can use the placements tool for Virtual Work Experience (VWEX), and for volunteering placements.

In the case of Virtual Work Experience (VWEX), the process is more simple than for in person placements, for example there is no parent/guardian agreement form, and no school permission form. There are some different safeguarding questions, for example the employer has to confirm they will comply with safety online best practice.