Animals on College Premises Policy

As a general rule, Ashbourne does not allow animals on the College premises. Ashbourne will only consider allowing animals on site as a support to a student or member of staff with health or disability issues.

When allowing an animal on the College premises we will consider a number of key factors:
a) Allergies of students/member of staff.
b) The fact that some students/member of staff may be scared of the animal.
c) General Health and Safety issues related to having an animal on site.

When this issue is raised, Ashbourne’s Health and Safety Team will meet together. The Health and Safety Team will look at each situation on a case-by-case basis reviewing the risks involved before making a decision. As made clear above, the default position of the College is not to permit animals on site. The Health and Safety Officer may invite other members of staff/students to attend the meeting if appropriate. The Officer will delegate tasks appropriately

If a student/staff brings an animal onto Ashbourne’s premises, without prior consent from the Health and Safety Officer, they will be politely asked to remove the animal from the premises with immediate effect.

The Admissions Team and Events Team are responsible for ensuring that correspondence related to arranging viewings or interviews at the College includes reference to Ashbourne’s Animals on College Premises Policy. The Head of Administration will ensure that the policy has been circulated to all members of staff and that all members of the Operations Team have been briefed on this policy.

Responsibilities if an animal is permitted on site
The Health and Safety Officer bears overall responsible for when an animal is allowed on site. The Officer will ensure that:

• The animal(s) brought onto site is/are supervised at all times.
• The animal(s) provided is/are fully trained and from reputable providers.

The Facilities Team will be responsible for:

• Ensuring that logistical precautions are taken (e.g. laying down a protective sheeting).
• Food and water is supplied for the animals.
• A risk assessment has been completed.

The Head of Administration will ensure that:

• An email is sent out informing students and staff about the animal being on site. The email should request that students or staff who may have an issue with an animal coming on site, e.g. fear, allergy or aversion, inform the Head of Administration immediately so that necessary precautions may be taken.
• In cases where students/staff who do have a fear/allergy of animals are scheduled to be in the same building as the animal, the Head of Administration will reschedule their classes.

Note that students are not permitted to miss or leave class to meet the animals.
Any concerns with regard to this policy should be raised with the Health and Safety Officer. In the event the Officer is unavailable, concerns should be referred to either of the deputies.