Risks - Child protection

Key4Life is committed to creating a safe environment in which young people can feel comfortable and secure while engaged in any of Key4Life’sprogrammes, training events or workshops. 

Staff and volunteers should be committed to:

• Treating children and young people with respect and dignity. 
• Always listening to what a child or young person is saying. 
• Valuing each child and young person. 
• Recognising the unique contribution each individual can make. 
• Encouraging and praising each child or young person. 

Staff and volunteers should endeavour to:

• Provide an example, which we would wish others to follow. 
• Use appropriate language with children and young people and challenge any inappropriate language used by a young person or child or an adult working with young people. 
• Respect a young person’s right to privacy. 

Staff and volunteers should:

• Not spend excessive amounts of time alone with children, away from others. 
• In the event of having to meet with an individual child or young person make every effort to keep this meeting as open as possible. 
• If privacy is needed, ensure that other staff are informed of the meeting and its whereabouts. 

Staff and volunteers should never:

• Engage in sexually provocative or rough physical games, including horseplay. 
• Do things of a personal nature for a child or a young person that they can do for themselves. If such an incident arises, for example, where a child or young person has limited mobility, Key4Lifestaff should seek a member of staff or parent to deal with such an incident. 
• Allow, or engage in, inappropriate touching of any kind. 

Staff and volunteers should:

• Be aware that someone might misinterpret our actions no matter how well intentioned. 
• Never draw any conclusions about others without checking the facts. 
• Never allow themselves to be drawn into inappropriate attention seeking situations such as tantrums or crushes. 
• Never exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues or make suggestive remarks or gestures about, or to a child or young person, even in fun. 
• Under Duty of Care good practice, the volunteer or staff member must recognise their individual responsibility to their own safety and that of others with whom they work. 

• Never guarantee absolute confidentiality, as Child Protection will always have precedence over any other issues. 
• Listen to the child, rather than question him or her directly. 
• Offer him / her reassurance without making promises, and take what the child says seriously. 
• Allow the child to speak without interruption. 
• Accept what is said – it is not your role to investigate or question. 
• Do not overreact. 
• Alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, while passing no judgment. 
• Advise that you will try to offer support, but that you must pass the information on. 
• Explain what you have to do and whom you have to tell. 
• Record the discussion accurately, as soon as possible after the event. Use the child’s words or explanations – do not translate into your own words, in case you have misconstrued what the child was trying to say. (see Contact form) 
• Contact the Key4LifeDesignated Person for advice/guidance. The Designated Person may then discuss the concern/suspicion with the relevant organisation, and, if appropriate, make a direct referral. 
• If either Designated Person is not available, or it is inappropriate to approach them, the volunteer/member of staff with the concern should make direct contact with the relevant organisation themselves. 
• Record any discussions or actions taken within 24 hours (Online Contact form). 

This to be available either from Mentor Supervisor or Coach for when big problems/issues arise which fall outside the experience/capabilities of the volunteer mentor. 

These may include; presenting trauma (from childhood experiences) or as a victim of gangs/crime, or experiences in prison), inability to overcome perceived obstacles in order to take action (phobias, high levels of anxiety), inability to change ‘risk’ behaviours (negative associates, substance misuse).