Guidance for groups with under 18 year old members
YHA has a child protection policy to ensure that young people and children are safe from harm while using YHA accommodation and on YHA activities. This policy guides YHA’s decision making in a wide variety of areas including allocating dormitory accommodation and suitability of staff and volunteers.
Affiliates are at liberty to decide whether they accept members under the age of 18, with their parents or without them. Groups who accept children and young people should develop their own child protection policies. Although some groups may decide not to have junior members they may still need a child protection policy if they organise events, which are open to members of the public, including children and young people.
A child protection policy should summarise how the group approaches the issue of safeguarding children and young people from harm and relate to specific practices and procedures that the group follows in its everyday activities. Although the issue of child protection is complex and can appear somewhat overwhelming there are sources of information and advice out that to help.
Every statutory local authority has an Area Child Protection Committee/Safeguarding Children Board, which are multi agency groups that ensure children and young people are kept safe and have their needs met. These committees are responsible for the development and distribution of procedures for everyone working with children within their area, including in health care, education and social services. The procedures developed are available to download and could be useful to groups. For example the Derbyshire procedures can be downloaded from the Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board (previously Derbyshire ACPC).
The NSPCC is the UK’s leading charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The website is predominantly geared towards providing advice to parents, children and young people however there is useful information in the Publications sections in particular. The leaflet “Have Fun: Be Safe” gives parents guidance on the suitability of organisations offering activities for children and young people and will help groups draw up a list of topics for their child protection policy.
Child Protection Helpline: 0808 8005000
Criminal Records Bureau Checks
YHA requires that all staff and registered volunteers undertake an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, which provides a comprehensive history of a person’s convictions and disbursements. This enables YHA to assess whether a person is suitable for working with children and young people.
YHA has not undertaken CRB checks for members of Hostelling and Local Groups, as they are not registered YHA volunteers (although some members may also volunteer for YHA in other capacities and have undergone a check). YHA is a Registered Body, which enables us to sign off completed CRB forms as complete before they are sent off to the Bureau. Due to the nature of our registration with the Bureau it is not possible for YHA to sign off CRB checks for other people or organisations.
The Bureau also operates a system of Umbrella Bodies, which are able to sign off checks for people who are not applying via a Registered Body. For example if you are self-employed and do not have an employer to undertake a check for you.
If groups feel that CRB checks for their committee members and leaders should be part of the group’s child protection procedures, they can approach a local Umbrella Body to get the checks done. Details of local Umbrella Bodies are available on the CRB website.
In general it is best practice for organisations to take out their own CRB check for an individual, instead of accepting a copy of a check undertaken by another organisation. However, the Bureau is investigating the possibility of organisations sharing checks and this would make the process simpler and easier for volunteers in local community groups.