We understand the importance of doing all we can to keep children safe while they take part in activities.
All county council activities are run by appropriately trained members of staff whose backgrounds have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).
If you are taking part in other activities, which are run by other providers, you may wish to consider the following:
- Who runs the club, activity or service? Is it part of a larger organisation such as Scouts or locally organised? If it is locally organised, who funds and monitors the organisation?
- How do they employ and train their staff? For example, do leaders, staff and volunteers have CRB checks to make sure they can work safely with children? Do they check references?
- How many leaders or adult helpers and volunteers are there for each activity? (Normally there should be at least two adults present for any activity or meeting to operate safely). Many organisations have national governing bodies, which also provide quality information on staffing ratios and other aspects of the activity.
- How do they expect their staff and volunteers to behave towards children and young people? (This may be a written Code of Conduct for staff and volunteers so that everyone knows what standards of behaviour to expect. This might cover things such as physical contact with children, comforting children, accompanying children to toilets, addressing bullying, etc.)
- How does the organisation keep everyone safe while taking part in their activities? Is there a health and safety policy, a first aid kit, a qualified first aider and procedures for recording and notifying accidents? If there is an accident, what happens? Is the organisation insured?
- Do they get parents’ written permission before taking children and young people on outside visits, adventure activities and trips?
- Do they have a management committee that meets regularly? Are any local parents or young people on the management committee?
- Are they happy for parents, children and young people to visit, meet those in charge and see activities?
- How does the organisation deal with complaints? Is there a complaints procedure and how do they make people who attend aware of it?
Finally, try to speak to other people who have been to the club, activity or service you are thinking about going to. They can give you an idea about what it is really like.
If you have any concerns you can contact Cambridgeshire’s
Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB).