Aims

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I. To provide activities for children and young people to help them develop from childhood into adulthood and to provide support

for them.

II. To enable the children to express themselves.

III. To assist the children in integrating into the community.

IV. To help children/young people appreciate the diversity of their cultures

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The Risk to Children:

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Nearly every child grows up in a safe and happy environment and it is important not to exaggerate or overestimate the danger, nevertheless, there are situations where children need protection including.

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• Sexual abuse

• Grooming

• Physical and emotional abuse or neglect.

• Domestic violence

• Inappropriate supervision by staff, volunteers.

• Bullying, cyber bullying, acts of violence and aggression within youth centres or schools

• Victimisation

• Self-harm

• Unsafe environment & activities

• Crime and drugs

• Exploitation

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Safeguarding Children at Event and Activities

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1. There are three kinds of events or activities:

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I. Those open to adult & children of all ages

II. Those for children accompanied by a “parent”

III. Those for unaccompanied children which are sometimes run alongside other events or activities.

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2. At events and activities open to all ages, children under 16 must accompanied throughout by an adult over the age of 18, who not only brings the child but also takes the child home again afterwards. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.

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3. At events and activities for children accompanied by “parents” children under 16 must be supervised through the event by an adult over age of 18 who not only brings the child to the event but also takes the child home again afterwards. . If a lone adult brings more than one child, then the children will have to stay together, so that one adult can supervise them. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile phone number of one of their parents.

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4. At events and activities for unaccompanied children, children under the age of 16 must be enrolled by a responsible adult before they left with the event leader. The enrolment must record the child’s name, age, and address and the names and addresses of the child’s parents and the telephone number of one of their parents.

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5. Both events and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions when Dream Chaser Youth Club will be providing a service.

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Discloser and Barring

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I. Dream Chaser Youth Club offers the following activities for children, football, netball and basketball.

II. Some of the our activities may therefore require adult participants or adult leader to undergo DBS check and or police check under safeguarding vulnerable groups Act 2006. The required level of checking (if any) will broadly reflect the degree and frequency of

unsupervised access given to other people’ children.

III. The boar will take very seriously any allegation of impropriate on the part of any member of Dream Chaser Youth Club. A member of Dream Chaser Youth Club who discovers anything amiss should get in touch immediately with the following person. Safeguard lead officer Ms Asha Ali Rage 07473436637.

IV. The board will review the allegation and likely risk to children and, if appropriate will consider banning the member from future events or revoking his/her membership or both, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Dream Chaser Youth Club.

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Healthy and Safety aspect of safeguarding children

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I. Before starting any events for unaccompanied children and young people, the board will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Parents and children will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks. The board will keep record of all risk assessments.

II. Sufficient adults must be present at any events or activates for unaccompanied children and young people to enable one adult to deal with any emergency while another adult supervise the children and young children not directly affected by the emergency.

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Policy on the prevention of bullying

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Dream Chaser Youth Club will not tolerate the bullying of the children, either by adults or by other children. If any incident of child-on-child-bullying should arise at Dream Chaser Youth Club’s event and activities, those involved will be separated immediately and the parents of the child involved will be asked to deal with the matter. The Board will review all incidents of child-on-child- bullying and assess the likely future risk to children, if appropriate, the Board will consider banning a child from future events, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Dream Chaser Youth Club.

 

Allegations of adult bullying children will be dealt with under rule and procedures of Dream Chaser Youth Club.

 

Managing behaviour, discipline and acceptable restraint

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I. Adult supervising children at Dream Chaser Youth Club events must never use any form of corporal punishment, if physical restraint is absolutely necessary to prevent injuries to any other children or person or to prevent serious damage to property, then the minimum
necessary restraint may be used, but for that purpose only.
II. Unacceptable behaviour at Dream Chaser Youth Club facilities, event and activities for unaccompanied children will generally be stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group the miscreants will be suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.
III. Dream Chaser Youth Club may apply a further disciplinary sanction namely the banning of a child from one or more future events, over the following 18 months. Any such sanction would be determined and applied by the following officer Mr Mohamed Mohamoud.
IV. Apparent who is aggravated by this ban may appeal to Dream Chaser Youth Club who will; hear the views of all relevant persons. This decision of Dream Chaser Youth Club is the final. Any such appeals should be made to and will be determined by the following officer Ms Asha Ali Rage.

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Other policies:

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This safeguarding policy should be read together with the following policies.

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I. Health & Safety Policy
II. Data Protection Policy
III. Recruitment and selection Policy
IV. Disciplinary Policy
V. Background check policy
VI. Lone working policy
VII. Child Protection policy

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Legal Frame work

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This policy has been drawn up in accordance with the following:

I. Child Act 1989
II. United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
III. General Data Protection Regulation
IV. Human Rights Act 1998
V. Sexual Offences Act 2003
VI. Children Act 2004
VII. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
VIII. Protection of Freedom Act 2012
IX. Children and Families Act 2014
X. Special Education Need and Disability (SEND) code of practice- Guidance on the Special educational Need and Disability (SEND)
system for children and young people aged 0-25
XI. Information Sharing Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services
XII. Working together to safeguarding Child Act 2017.

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The Dream Chaser Youth Club values young people and children as being a vital part of the organisation and desires to see them grow, mature and be challenged in a healthy and safe environment.

 

The name of the child protection officer for the group will be displayed in the minutes dated 20/04/2018, and a copy of this child protection policy will be kept with the Ms Asha Ali rage, chairlady of Dream Chaser Youth Club.

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Organisation

1. Each child and young person should be formally registered within the group. The information includes an information/consent form which their parent/guardian must complete. These forms have vital information about health and emergency contacts and should be kept securely and brought to each session. (see Appendix B).

2. Attendance register: a register should be kept for each session.

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For activities for under 8s, which run for more than two hours in any one day, OR if you run a holiday club for six or more days a year, you must register the activity. To register, contact your local Social Services Office and ask for the local Day Centre adviser. The law assumes that registration will be granted unless there are good reasons why it should not be.

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Child Protection Representative

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The Dream Chaser Youth Club has appointed a child protection representative, Ms Asha Ali Rage (0047473436637) on 20/04/2018. If any worker has any child safety concerns, they should discuss them with her. She will take on the following responsibilities:

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I. Ensuring that the policy is being put into practice;
II. Being the first point of contact for child protection issues;
III. Keeping a record of any concerns expressed about child protection issues;
IV. Bringing any child protection concerns to the notice of the Management Committee and contacting the Local Authority if appropriate;
V. Ensuring that paid staff and volunteers are given appropriate supervision;
VI. Ensuring that everyone involved with the organisation is aware of the identity of the Child Protection Representative.

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The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it is meeting its aims.

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Trips/Outings

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I. When organising a trip/outing make sure a trip/outing slip is completed. This includes details about the trip and a section for parents to give their consent. These slips must be returned before the event takes place and must be brought on the trip with the completed group information/consent forms. (If a group information/consent form has not already been completed for a child or young person, then it will need to be completed).

II. Ensure that there is adequate insurance for the work and activities.

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Personal/Personnel Safety

I. A group of children or young people under sixteen should not be left unattended at any time.
II. Avoid being alone with an individual child or young person for a long time. If there is a need to be alone with a child or young person (e.g. first aid or he/she is distressed) make sure that another worker knows where you are and why.

III. At no time should a volunteer or worker from any external organisation arrange to meet a young person away from the activity without someone else being there.

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• As such meetings should be planned and have the approval of a member of the Committee (this must be someone other than the organiser themselves).

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• Teenage assistants should always be supervised.

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Child Safety

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I. Make sure that the area you are using for activities is fit for the purpose, e.g. remove furniture, which could cause injury in energetic games.
II. Make sure that all workers and assistants know

• Where the emergency phone is and how to operate it

• 
  Where the first aid kit is

• Who is responsible for First Aid and how to record accidents or injuries in the incident book

• What to do in the event of a fire or other emergency

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III. Once a year there should be a fire practice
IV. Do not let children go home without an adult unless the parent has specifically said thy may do so. Never let a child go with another adult unless the parent has informed you that this will happen.
V. If private cars are used for an outing, the drivers must be approved by the committee, be properly insured, have rested before driving, and should have clean licenses. There should always be at least one other responsible person (16 or over) in each vehicle. All vehicles should be fitted with full seatbelts, not just lap belts. Full seatbelts should always be used.

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Under normal circumstances, workers should only give a lift home to a young person from group activities if the parents of the young person have specifically asked for them to do so. (If workers are asked to give a young person or child a lift home, they are not obliged to do so, it is left to their discretion).

 

In the case of trips or outings, it should be made clear if workers’ cars will be used and where the children or young people will be returned to.

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New Workers

Workers and assistants are by far the most valuable resource the group has for working with young people. When recruiting and selecting paid workers and volunteers the following steps will be taken:

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I. Completion of an application form;
II. An interview by three people from the Committee, who will take the final decision;
III. Identifying reasons for gaps in employment, and other inconsistencies in the application;
IV. Checking of the applicants’ identity (passport, driving license, etc);
V. Taking up references prior to the person starting work;
VI. Ensuring criminal record checks have been carried out through relevant local agencies approved by the Criminal Records Bureau;
VII. Taking appropriate advice before employing someone with a criminal record;
VIII. Allowing no unaccompanied access to children until all of the above have been completed;
IX. A probationary period of 3 months for new paid workers and volunteers;
X. On-going supervision of paid workers and volunteers;
XI. Ensuring good practice is followed in working with children and young people by providing appropriate training and guidance;
XII. A nominated child Protection representative on the Management Committee.

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Training

It is a great benefit if workers undertake regular training for this type of work. The committee should keep workers informed of relevant courses.

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What is child protection?

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Child protection is the response to the different ways in which a young person’s or child’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual health are damaged by the actions of another person.

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What you should do

I. Listen to the child/young person
II. Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone
III. Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone
IV. Take whatever is said to you seriously and help the child/young person to trust his/her own feelings. Take notes of exactly what is said to you avoiding assumptions and conjecture.

V. It is note the role of the worker to investigate any allegations (this would contaminate evidence if a situation went to court). Any disclosure by a child/young person must be reported to the named child protection officer.
VI. Speak immediately to the Local Authority or NSPCC for further advice and guidance.

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What you should not do

I. Project workers/volunteers should not begin investigating the matter themselves.
II. Do not discuss the matter with anyone except the correct people in authority.
III. Do not form your own opinions and decide to do nothing.

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Things to say or do:

 

• ‘What you are telling me is very important’

• This is not your fault’

• ‘I am sorry that this has happened/is happening’

• ‘You were right to tell someone’

• What you are telling me should not be happening to you and I will find out the best way to help you’

• Make notes soon after the event. Try to write down exactly what the young person or child said. Avoid assumptions or conjecture.

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Things not to say or do:

 

• Do not ask leading questions – Why? How? What?

• Do not say ‘Are you sure?’

• Do not show your own emotions e.g., shock/disbelief.

• Do not make false promises.

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Appendix 3

Reporting allegations or suspicions of abuse.

 

If you have any concerns about a child/young person being abused, you should inform the designated person named below.

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Organisation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Job/role: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Contact details of senior lead of Dream Chaser Youth Club safeguard child protection officer:

Dream Chaser Youth Club nominated lead Safeguarding Child policy officer: Ms Asha Ali Rage (Founder & Chairlady)
Phone: 00447473436637
Email: asha25rage@outlook.com

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Important contacts outside the organisation

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Birmingham City Council Administration Safeguarding Children Board

Monday to Thursday: 8:45am to 5:15pm
Friday: 8:45am to 4:15pm

Telephone: 0121 303 1888

Emergency out-of-hours. Telephone: 0121 675 4806

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Important contacts:

1. West Midlands Police (101 in an emergency dial 999)
2. Victim Support (0845 30 30 900)
3. Stechford Police Station ( 03451135000)
4. Rape Crisis (0808 802 9999)
5. NHS non-emergency number (111)
6. NHS England (0300 311 2233)
7. Force Married Unit (0207 008 0151)
8. National Domestic Violence (0808 2000 247)
9. Crime Stoppers (0800 555 111)
10. Anti-social behaviour (0121 303 111)
11. NSPCC Tel: 0844 892 1026 Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

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12. NSPCC Child Protection Helpline (24 hours): To report or discuss concerns about a child’s welfare. Tel: 0808 800 5000 or text phone: 0800 056 0566 or email: help@nspcc.org.uk. Child line Tel: 0800 1111

13. NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit is a joint NSPCC/Sport England initiative. It provides an accreditation scheme for national governing bodies and county sports partnerships; provides advice and training to a range of sport and leisure organisations and has produced a range of child protection resources for training and child protection policy development: including Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport (NSPCC and Sport England, 2), and Safe Sport Away (ASA and NSPCC 2001). Tel: 0116 234 7278 Website: www.thecpsu.org.uk

14. Save The Children. Tel: 020 7012 6400 Freephone: 0800 814 8148
Website: www.savethechildren.org.uk

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15. Child Exploitation Online & Protection Centre (CEOP)

Confidential recording sheet

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Organisation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Name of person reporting: …………………………………………………………………………………
Name of child/young person: ……………………………………………………………………………..
Age and date of birth: ……………………………………………………………………………………….

Ethnicity: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Religion: ………………………………………First language: ………………………………………
Disability: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Parent’s/carer’s name(s): …………………………………………………………………………………

Home address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Tel: ……………………………………………..

Are you reporting your own concerns or someone else’s? Please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Give a brief description of what has prompted the concerns – include date, time and an outline of specific incidents.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Any physical signs? Behaviour signs? Indirect signs?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Have you spoken to the child/young person? If so, what was said?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Have you spoken to the parent(s)/carer(s)? If so, what was said?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Has a specific person been alleged to be the abuser? If so, please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Have you consulted anyone else? Please give details.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of person reported to: ………………………………………………………………………………
Date of reporting: ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Signature of person reporting: ……………………………………………………………………………
Today’s date: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Action taken: …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Notes
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Policy agreed on behalf of the management committee on 04/01/2023