Innovate Dorset Ltd

    Attendance Policy


    1. Scope of Policy
    2. Attendance 
    3. Non-Attendance
    4. Process for Mentors once Non-Attendance has been confirmed
    5. Repeated Non-Attendance
    6. Emotional-Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
    7. Company Cancellation Policy and Procedures
    8. Sessions Cancelled in Advance
    9. Sessions Not Cancelled in Advance
    10. Sessions Cancelled - Mentors 
    11. Schools

    1.    Scope of Policy

    This Policy outlines what the procedures are for attendance and non-attendance of children and young people in tutoring and/or mentoring sessions provided as a part of Innovate Dorset Ltd. alternative education provision. All staff, to whom it is relevant, will be trained on the procedures for registering attendance and non-attendance of a session during their Induction.

    2.    Attendance

    This applies to all staff collecting YP.

    As per the current Company procedure, the member of staff collecting the YP for tutoring and/or mentoring sessions is to confirm the YP’s non-attendance both in the Innovate Attendance Teams Chat and in the YP’s session report on TeamDesk by marking the session as 'cancelled'.

    If the YP is attending the session then staff are to mark 'session in progress' on the YPs session report as soon as they have collected the YP.

    • A session report will be green on TeamDesk when a YP has attended and completed their session and the report has been filled out by the staff member. This will then be checked by Operational Support by Friday of that week, ready for reports to be sent to referring agencies the following Monday.

     3.    Non-Attendance. This applies to all staff collecting YP.


    As per the current Company procedure, the member of staff collecting the YP for tutoring and/or mentoring sessions is to confirm the YP’s non-attendance both in the Innovate Attendance Teams Chat and in the YP’s session report on TeamDesk before the end of the session (as specified in the member of staff’s contracted working hours).

    • A session report will be red on TeamDesk if it is confirmed as cancelled; the job card should specify the reason for the non-attendance. This will be checked by Operational Support.
    • The reason for the non-attendance must be specified accurately, both in the reason recorded drop down list, and the ‘(cancelled) reason’ note box.

    A non-attendance is confirmed via the following process:

    The collecting member of staff is to knock on the door of the YP’s registered home address (or afore-agreed upon collection address, if different).
    1. If there is no answer, the member of staff is to knock again.
      • Members of the mentoring staff who are collecting a YP for a one-to-one session are to wait for 30 minutes before knocking again.
        1. Staff are to wait at least 20 minutes after the scheduled session start time. If they are not showing up/refusing to attend their session, then they are to go away and come back 30 minutes later, if they have no other YP to pick up.
      • If tutoring and mentoring staff have either another YP in the car already, or are collecting other YP, they are to wait for no longer than five minutes after the scheduled session start time.
    2. If there is no answer, the member of staff is to call the parents/carers of the YP to see where the YP is.
    3. If there is no answer from the parents/carers, the member of staff is to call the YP.
    4. If there is no further information on the location of the YP, the member of staff is to take a photo of the front door and post it in the Innovate Team Attendance Chat.
      • This photo will, therefore, be time, date and location stamped; this confirms that the member of staff attempted to pick up the YP.
    5. Member of staff to post a 'sorry we missed you' card through the door.
    6. The member of staff is to leave the premises.
    7. The member of staff is to declare that the YP has not attended their session on TeamDesk by writing this in the YP’s session report, and specify the reason for their non-attendance.

    If a YP is at their agreed collection location and is refusing to engage, the worker must try to encourage the YP to come out on their session. 

    NB: This process applies if the collecting member of staff has arrived on the property to collect the YP. If the collecting member of staff has not arrived on the property and the Administration office has been informed of the YP’s non-attendance less than 48 hours in advance, they are to follow the procedures under the section Company Cancellation Policy and Procedures below.

    4.    Process for Mentors once Non-Attendance has been confirmed

    If a Mentor no longer has a session, due to cancellation (see Non Attendance above), and they have no other young person in the car already, or to collect, then they must contact their manager to see if they are needed elsewhere.  If they are not needed elsewhere, the Mentor must return to their hub.

    5.    Repeated Non-Attendance

    If a YP repeatedly misses sessions, the following process will occur:

    1. After three missed confirmed non-attendances over the term, TeamDesk sends a notification to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The DSL reviews the reasons for the missed sessions to investigate further.
    2. The DSL will be alerted to any subsequent absences after the third non-attendance during the term, even if the YP attends some sessions.
    3. The DSL is to monitor, review and assess the reasons for the absences throughout the term and decide whether the health, welfare and safety of the YP is at risk. If this is a concern, then the DSL is to assess the situation and decide who to consult, in reference to the Company Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.
    For known serial non-attenders:

    • Staff are to attempt to engage serial non-attenders unless there are risks associated with going to the agreed collection point which could put staff in an unsafe situation. This is to be agreed with the staff member's line manager and reported to the referring agencies.
    • Staff are encouraged to use their own discernment on how to ensure the YP who is a known serial non-attender engages, and what processes they will follow to ensure this. It is acknowledged that this is often dependent on the YP and context. This process, however, is to be included in the YP’s session report and/or reported to the member of staff’s line manager.
    • If necessary, the DSL and the Tutoring Team Manager will contact the YP’s case worker to report their non-attendance.

    6.    Emotional-Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

    For YP who avoid school and attending sessions for reasons of emotional-based avoidance and/or those who are serial non-attenders, the Company will work in collaboration with the YP, the YP’s family, and any other relevant agencies connected to the health, safety and welfare of the YP to ascertain the reasons for the YP’s absences and ways of supporting the YP and strategies to encourage their involvement and attendance.

    Relevant staff will also receive training on EBSA, so support for these YP can be handled sensitively and with understanding.

    7.    Company Cancellation Policy and Procedures

    The authority who referred the YP to the Company is to be informed via Innovate Dorset's weekly reports of the YP’s non-attendance. The Administration Office will take telephone calls from referring agencies who require regular attendance and welfare checks and inform them of any non-attendance.

    8.    Sessions Cancelled in Advance

    For a session to be classified as ‘cancelled in advance’ (labelled as ‘office informed’ on TeamDesk for the reason recorded for missing a session), the office must be informed of a cancellation, either via telephone or email, a minimum of 48 hours in advance of the session.

    • When the Administration office has been informed of the cancellation, the member of staff who received the call or email is to upload evidence of the cancellation (either upload the email or make a note of the call) on the TeamDesk job card and sign it off.
    • The session will be marked for the reason cancelled.
      • The reason for the non-attendance must be specified accurately, both in the reason recorded drop down list, and the ‘(cancelled) reason’ note box.
    • These sessions will not be charged by the Company.
      • If the YP is ill, for the Company not to charge for the session, the Company must be informed of the YP’s illness a minimum of 48 hours prior to the session. If the Company is informed less than 48 hours from the last episode of sickness, the employee is to refer to the section Sessions Not Cancelled in Advance below.

    9.    Sessions Not Cancelled in Advance

    For a session to be classified as ‘not cancelled in advance’ (labelled as ‘office not informed’ on TeamDesk for the reason recorded for missing a session), the administration office must be informed of a cancellation, either via telephone or email, less than 48 hours in advance of the session.

    • Such cancellations must occur before the member of staff arrives at the agreed collection point (if the member of staff has arrived, refer to the Non-Attendance section above).
    • Such cancellations can include the YP being ill or not wishing to attend the session.
    • When the Administration office has been informed of the cancellation, the member of staff who received the call or email is to upload evidence of the cancellation (either by uploading the email or making a note of the call) on the TeamDesk job card and sign it off.
    • The session will be marked as cancelled for the reason stated.
      • The reason for the non-attendance must be specified accurately, both in the reason recorded drop-down list and the ‘(cancelled) reason’ note box.
    • These sessions will be charged by the Company.


    If an employee is ill, and the Company has been given less than 48 hours' notice of the employee’s illness, we will endeavour to do our best to assign another employee to the session. However, if it is not possible to assign another employee to the session, the Company will not charge for the missed session. 

    10.    Schools

    Schools that have students accessing the Company’s alternative education provision are to adhere to the Company Attendance Policy.


    CONTROL SHEETVersion Number: 1Author: Penelope Faithfull
    Attendance Policy
    Approved by: Kevin TatchellDate of Review: 10th November 2025Reviewed by: Vanessa Phillips
    Next Review Date: 10th November 2026