School Community Work

Insurance for school community work arrangements

Public liability insurance

The Departments Public Insurance extends to school activities that take place off school premises, provided that the school is organising the activity.

The Department’s public liability insurance applies when the Department, its employees or volunteers are legally liable for claims for:

• death or injury of people who are not employees or volunteers (WorkSafe covers employees and volunteers)
• death or injury during school activities on and outside school premises, provided that the school is organising the activity or is responsible for supervising students
• damage to or destruction of other people’s property
• injury or damage to third parties caused through student negligence during work experience or structured workplace learning

The Department’s public liability insurance does not provide cover:

• for external providers or managers of external facilities against any liability that these providers/managers may incur
• where there is no legal liability to do so for accidental injury to or damage to property of students or members of the public

For further information, refer to: Insurance for Schools.

You may also wish to contact the Department’s Insurance Unit on (03) 9637 5355 for further advice concerning public liability insurance.

WorkSafe insurance

Section 5.6.2(2) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) provides that:

If a volunteer student worker suffers personal injury arising out of or in the course of approved community work the:

a) worker is entitled to be paid compensation

b) worker’s partner or any child or dependant of the worker is entitled to be paid compensation, if the worker dies.

The Department has insurance to cover this eventuality.