Information for Parents

When your son or daughter joins PGL, you'll no doubt be very proud of them and if they are moving away from home for the first time you may also be concerned that they will be safe and well and that they will look after themselves. 

At PGL we have over 50 years' worth of experience working with young adults and are fully aware that a happy workforce is a productive workforce and we make the wellbeing of our staff a top priority. Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions that parents and guardians put our way.

How do we / they stay in touch?

If you are worried about losing touch - don’t be. There are several ways of getting in touch with staff whilst they are working for PGL. Depending on where they are working it is likely that there are onsite payphones, access to the internet and fairly good mobile phone coverage. Some parents find it useful to invest in a cheap mobile phone that their son/daughter can take with them to PGL as this provides a direct route for updating them on all the latest news from home.

We ask that the centre's main telephone numbers are not used to contact staff unless it is an emergency. Your son/daughter will be given the postal address of the centre and as long as you mark down on your correspondence that it is “STAFF MAIL” it will safely get to them.  Remember, a letter, phone call or email from home can often be a welcome boost. Regular contact with home can really help some new staff to settle in to their new role and their new surroundings.

How often can they come home / or can we visit?

This will be entirely up to you and your son/daughter. All staff are entitled to paid holiday throughout the duration of their contract. Some choose to save this up and take blocks of time off (up to 2 weeks), whilst others will tend to take a few days off here and there. Please remember that holidays are granted subject to operational requirements so it is important that if you want them home for a special birthday, wedding or family holiday they put in their holiday request on centre ASAP. If you are keen to visit them, accommodation can usually be provided on site for a small charge, but at least two weeks' notice is required.

Can I visit them during their training?

Visiting is not normally encouraged during initial training because of the demands of the timetable and we are also keen to see how they work under their own initiative.

Can I contact them in an emergency?

Absolutely. All centres have main line telephones and a duty manager who is contactable 24 hours a day via a mobile phone. Once your son/daughter is based at a centre, they can request these emergency numbers.

What happens if they feel bullied or discriminated against?

At PGL, we take any such allegations seriously and our management team are trained to recognise and deal with the above. We have both informal and formal procedures in place to deal with such complaints as well as our PGL HONEST campaign for staff welfare. However, PGL managers are not trained counsellors so, where necessary, their role will be to point staff in the right direction of more specific help and provide as much support as possible.