Safeguarding: are you prepared for the Summer holidays?
Flaming June is nearly behind us. Glastonbury is being dismantled. The Summer Solstice has passed. This can only mean one thing: summer has officially started.
As we approach the summer holidays, any organisation that offers holiday courses, or activities with children and young people, will need to ensure their safeguarding processes are up-to-date and robust.
Guidance for holiday clubs
According to the Out of School Alliance, you will need to ensure you are covered for the following:
- Ofsted Registration. The Out of School Alliance advise that even if a company or organisation is already registered, they may need to let Ofsted know that they will be increasing the number of hours and number of weeks they are open.
- Staff ratios. Organisations may need to follow specific staff ratios depending on the activities they provide and the targeted age group.
- DBS checks. Summer is a key time when many temporary staff will be recruited. All additional temporary staff must undergo the same safe recruitment procedures as permanent staff - DBS checks, references, employment history, identity verification, etc. This applies to voluntary helpers as well as to paid staff. It is important to ensure that all organisations leave sufficient time for the DBS check to be completed before any new member of staff is due to start work.
- Policies and procedures. Most existing policies and procedures will probably be equally applicable to the holiday club, but organisations will need to ensure that no issues specific to the holiday club have been overlooked, and amend them if necessary.
- Insurance. It is important to ensure any holiday club has adequate and appropriate insurance cover.
- Food. Strictly speaking, an organisationshould register with their local authority as a 'food business' if they are planning to serve food.
EduCare can help
As the UK's leading provider of online Safeguarding and Duty of Care training, our EduCare for Sport® e-Learning service will help any organisation ensure all staff are fully trained and understand what is expected of them to remain compliant. The service combines multiple training courses together with a robust reporting suite that evidences learning to inspectors.
The service is competitively priced and offers a comprehensive range of courses that will help you fulfil all your Duty of Care obligations, including the following and many more:
Child Protection in Sport & Active Leisure
Encouraging children and young people to participate in sport or physical activity has countless benefits, ranging from improved physical and mental health to promoting friendships and building confidence. Voluntary organisations, and public and private sector providers play an important role. Anybody involved in organising, delivering or supervising sport and active leisure activities has a responsibility for child protection.
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Safer Recruitment
This course on safer recruitment looks at what you need to do to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults from unsuitable people who might apply to join your organisation.
Read moreChild Protection in Sport & Active Leisure
This course will help to raise your awareness of abuse and neglect, to recognise early signs that might indicate a problem and show you how to take action if you know or suspect that a child or young person needs help.
This CPD training and is also endorsed by Kidscape and Family Lives who are leading experts in child protection.
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- child development
- categories of child abuse
- responding to abuse and creating a safe environment
Safer Recruitment
This four module course delivers four CPD hours and comprehensively covers:
- the four key stages of the recruitment process
- pre-recruitment planning and what must be in place before you advertise your post
- rejecting candidates and meeting the right ones
- obtaining the correct checks and references, including what's required from a DBS check
- post-recruitment activities, including observation and supervision.
Food Hygiene and Safety
This Food Hygiene & Safety course is specifically designed for those who prepare and handle food.
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First Aid Essentials
First Aid Essentials aims to give the confidence needed to react in an incident when someone urgently needs help.
Read moreFood Hygiene and Safety
This four module course delivers five CPD hours and comprehensively covers:
- how bacteria can cause food-borne illness
- recognising high risk foods and food allergies
- contamination and food spoilages and how to control it
- effective hygiene
- the importance of storage
- HACCP and the law
First Aid Essentials
This three module course delivers three CPD hours and comprehensively covers:
- providing basic life support
- how to react in life threatening situations
- how to deal with someone who is choking, drowning, seizing, bleeding or having an allergic reaction
- what to do if somebody has a broken bone or experienced a burn
- how to handle day-to-day incidents such as nose bleeds, insect bites, stings, sprains and strains and sunburn
