| |
Policies - Young People's Protection
1) Statement
of policy
It is the policy of the elected Shadow Councillors, Past Shadow
Councillors and the Management Committee of Fermanagh Shadow
Youth Council to safeguard the welfare of all young people by
protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional harm.
2) Selection of staff and volunteers
Every effort will be made to ensure that staff and volunteers
are committed to this policy. Two references will be sought
from non- family and a criminal records check will be done before
all staff and voluntary workers are engaged. On application
forms staff and volunteers will be asked about their interests
and any voluntary activities in which they are involved.
Staff will be selected after an interview where a current or
past Shadow Councillor, Member of the Management Committee and
appropriate officer of Fermanagh District Council should be
present.
Volunteer staff will be screened by Fermanagh Voluntary Bureau
and then informally interviewed by the Project Worker or Management
Committee to check that the nature of voluntary work will suit
them.
The Management Committee in consultation with Shadow Councillors
past and present will select duties assigned to volunteers.
3) Encouraging self protection
Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors will be encouraged
to feel that their safety as outlined by the policy statement
is of paramount importance.
They will be encouraged to tell the Project Worker/ a member
of the Management Committee if they feel threatened in any way
and their complaints will be taken seriously.
If a Shadow Councillor/ Past Shadow Councillor feels nervous
about speaking directly to the Project Worker/member of the
Management Committee they can communicate through a third party
(eg) parent, teacher, friend.
Complaints will be dealt with as outlined in the document "Procedure
for dealing with complaints of harassment."
4) Conduct of staff and volunteers
As a general rule staff and volunteers will not
a) Spend excessive amounts of time alone with young people away
from others.
b) Take young people alone in a car on journeys, however short
c) Take young people to their home.
(Where occasions arise where it is unavoidable that these things
do happen, they should only occur with the full knowledge and
consent of somebody in charge of the organisation or the young
person's parents.)
5) Interaction between staff/volunteers and young people
Staff and volunteers should never
a) Engage in rough physical games including horseplay, apart
from structured sports activities
b) Engage in sexually provocative games
c) Allow or engage inappropriate touching of any form
d) Allow young people to use inappropriate langrage unchallenged
e) Make sexually suggestive comments about or to a young person
even in fun
f) Let allegations a young person makes go unchallenged or unrecorded
g) Do things of a personal nature for young people which they
can do themselves
6) Personal care
It may sometimes be necessary for staff and volunteers to do
things of a personal nature for young people, particularly if
they have disabilities.
These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding
and consent of parents.
In an emergency situation which requires this type of help,
parents should be fully informed.
In such situations it is important that all staff and volunteers
are sensitive to the young person and undertake personal care
tasks with the utmost discretion.
7) Organisation of Shadow Council/Past Shadow Councillor
meetings, visiting tutors and speakers.
Young people will be informed of the day, date, venue, starting
time and finishing time of all meetings and should seek permission
from parents to attend. There will always be at least one adult
member of the management committee present at meetings and it
is their responsibility to ensure the safety of those attending
the meeting.
8) Organisation of meetings with other agencies
Where Shadow Councillors are invited to attend meetings organised
by other agencies every effort will be made by the Management
Committee to ensure the credibility of the organisation.
The Project Worker will clarify the day, date and venue of the
meeting and a starting and finishing time. Where necessary a
sketch map will be sought. Organisations will be given guidelines
on how best to involve or consult Shadow Councillors.
At least two Shadow Councillors should attend any meeting.
A named contact will be sought to welcome Shadow Councillors
and introduce them to others at the meeting.Where possible,
a Past Shadow Councillor/ member of the Management Committee
will also attend the meeting. Young people should always seek
parental consent before going to a meeting and fully inform
parents/ guardians of meeting arrangements.
WHERE IT IS SUSPECTED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT INFORMING PARENTS
OF MEETINGS DIRECT CONTACT/CONSENT OF PARENTS WILL BE SOUGHT
BY THE PROJECT WORKER AT ALL TIMES
Whilst every effort is made to keep meetings out of school/college
hours, where a meeting opportunity arises within such times
and parental consent is given it is the parent's responsibility
to inform the school/college of the reason for absence, ideally
ahead of time.
9) Planned journeys, visits, conferences and residentials
Where a particular project involves long distance travel or
overnight stays, Shadow Councillors/ Past Shadow Councillors
over the age of eighteen will be considered in the first instance.
For young people, written parental consent will be sought for
involvement in any planned journeys, visits, conferences or
residentials where they involve an overnight stay or travel
outside Fermanagh.
The Project Worker/a Member of the Management Committee will
be present on these overnight or distance trips where young
people are attending, and it will be their responsibility to
ensure that they are safe.
Parents will be given full information about a trip, including
details of the programme of events and activities in which young
people may be engaged.
The Project Worker/member of the Management committee will ensure
that any workers, volunteers or leaders are competent.
The Project Worker/ member of the Management Committee should
know at all times where young people are and what they are doing.
Any potentially dangerous activity will have constant adult
supervision.
Dangerous behaviour by young people ( eg) acting against instructions
given by leaders/ supervisors, drinking, drug taking, or any
action which endangers the physical, sexual or emotional well-being
of themselves or others) will not be tolerated and parents may
be contacted to collect their children if the organisers feel
it is necessary.
10) Adult/ young person ratios for journey's, visits, conferences
and residentials
These may vary depending on
- The number of participants in the group
- The nature of the site/ venue
- The activities to be undertaken
Young person's protection policy contd
- The nature of any disabilities of the people involved
- The needs of each young person
Efforts will be made by the Project Worker/ Management Committee
to ensure that each individual adult knows the responsibilities
he/she is expected to bear.
Ideally there should always be at least two adults present,
one male and one female, one of whom is a member of the management
committee.
As a general rule there should be one adult for every ten young
people.
11) Non-recommended activities
Occasionally information is forwarded about meetings, journeys,
visits, conferences and residentials, which the Project Worker/
a Member of the Management Committee can't attend. If the Management
committee feels that the opportunity is genuine,details may
be forwarded to Shadow Councillors to discuss with their parents.
Enquiries will be made by the Project Worker/Management committee
on the management of non-recommended activities. Parents/ Shadow
Councillors /Past Shadow Councillors will be informed of extent
and nature of any checks made.
It will be made clear that the Project Worker/ Management
Committee of the Shadow Council will not be responsible for
the
activity and that any arrangements to participate in it will
be
between parents and the organisers.
12) Review
The Management Committee, in consultation with Shadow Councillors,
Past Shadow Councillors and parents, will regularly review this
policy.
|
 |
|
|
|
