Do I need additional insurance?

Your existing employers' liability insurance policy will cover work placements, provided your insurer is a member of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) or Lloyds, so you do no need to get any additional insurance if you take on work experience students.

For many insurers, a definition of who's to be treated as an 'employee' would include: 

• Any person employed under a contract of service or apprenticeship 
• People on work experience schemes, for example students 

If you have any doubts, please check with your insurer. 

If you don’t currently require employers' liability insurance but intend to take on a work placement, discuss the situation with your insurer to check you have adequate insurance cover. In the unlikely event they are unable to provide the cover you need, then you can find a wealth of other quality insurance providers by looking through the membership of the Association of British Insurers or by searching the Lloyds market database of insurance providers.

The Health and Safety Executive also provides the following guidance on how to manage risks to children on farms: 

• Preventing accidents to children on farms 
• What a good farm looks like