Child Protection Policy

Checking Procedure during major events and regular contact with children
Below is the checking procedure for those working with children and young people at the 2007 festival – as agreed by the trustees.

Volunteers and Staff Criteria

If volunteers and staff fulfil the following criteria they MUST have an enhanced CRB check before being allowed to work with children.

• They are a Gracedom enlisted volunteer
• They are working within an enclosed youth/children's space

      (i.e. where the parent has handed over responsibility for their child)

So this means:

• Children’s Team - inc gatekeepers
• The Mix Team - inc gatekeepers
• Humanic Teams - inc gatekeepers

In addition the following teams will also be checked:

• Trustees
• Staff
• Medical Team
• Pastoral Team
• Duty Child Protection Officers

Medical and Pastoral teams
The Medical Team must be checked as they are likely to be in regular close contact with those under 18 in a more intimate way, especially as the hospital is the point of delivery for lost and at risk children.

The Pastoral Team must be checked as they could come into contact with those children/young people who are in a vulnerable place on a one to one basis.

Volunteers - Checking Procedure

• GB CRB check

            Preferred (best-practice) option up to 31st May 2006

• Previous Enhanced Disclosure* - for working with children, less than 3 years old

            Second option for volunteers who join teams after 31st May

*Our recruiters will need to see the following

• The original certificate
• Identification – one of passport, drivers license or birth certificate
• 2 proofs of current address (utility bills etc no less than 3 months old)

If they do not have either a Gracedom CRB check or a previous enhanced disclosure they will not be allowed to work in the above teams. There will be no concessions.

Contributors Criteria - Who should be checked?

If contributors fulfil the following criteria they MUST have an enhanced CRB check before being allowed to work at the festival.

• They are a Gracedom enlisted contributor bought in to manage/run a particular event/workshop
• They are working within the Children’s Festival or The Mix

      (i.e. where the parent has handed over responsibility for their child)

Ad hoc contributions during the festival for those working in an enclosed youth or children’s area

In the Children’s Festival and The Mix contributors from other parts of the programme must not be pulled in ad hoc unless they are escorted into the area by one of the CRB checked team, accompanied by such a person at ALL times within the area and escorted out of the area in the same way.

As intimated above, the CRB no longer endorse the portability of disclosures, as best practice. However, below is a workable procedure that focuses on two types of contributor.

Individual Contributors - Checking Procedure

• GB CRB check

            Preferred (best-practice) option up to 31st May 2006

• Previous Enhanced Disclosure* - for working with children, less than 3 years old

            Second option for volunteers who join teams after 31st May

*Our recruiters will need to see the following

• The original certificate
• Identification – one of passport, drivers license or birth certificate
• 2 proofs of current address (utility bills etc no less than 3 months old)

If they do not have either a Gracedom CRB check or a previous Enhanced Disclosure they will not be allowed to work in the areas under our criteria. There will be no concessions.

Group Contributors - Checking Procedure

This covers all Associates working within the children's/youth area and any group commissioned to work extensively with children or young people.

 The Child Protection Administrator will need to receive from the team or group leader

• A signed statement*

*This must list their complete team coming and confirms that under their own group or company policy, each team member has had a recent Enhanced Disclosure relevant to working with children and young people.

This will clearly put the responsibility for ensuring people are checked onto the group or company.

*They will be asked to list separately anyone within their team who does not have an Enhanced Disclosure so we can make a decision on what to do next (i.e. ask them not to come; put in best practice staffing; check them ourselves).