Child and Adult protection
Child and Adult protection policy ~ ‘Safe and Sound’
All Leaders and volunteers are required to complete a Criminal Records Bureau application before commencing any help given to the Scout Group. All adult training run by the Scout Association includes child and adult protection modules. All our leaders and helpers undertake a course of training ’Safe and Sound’ run by the Salvation Army and a correspondence course in child and adult protection issues with the NSPCC.
Young people first
It is the Policy of the Scout Association and the Salvation Army to safeguard the welfare of all memebers by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm.
Code of behaviour (‘Yellow card’ guidance)
Do put the young people first guidance into practice
Do treat everyone with respect
Do provide an example you wish others to follow
Do plan activities which involve more than one other person being present, or at least are within the sight or hearing of others
Do respect a young person’s right to personal privacy
Do have separate sleeping accomadation for leaders and young people
Do provide access for young people to talk about any concerns they may have
Do encourage young people and adults to feel comfortable and caring enough to point out attitudes and behaviour they don’t like
Do avoid situations that compromise your relationship with young people and are unacceptable within a relationship of trust (eg a sexual realtionship between a leader and a youth member over the age of consent)
Do remember that someone else may misinterpret your actions, no matter how well intentioned
Do recognise that caution is required even in sensative moments of counselling, such as when dealing with bullying, bereavement or abuse
Do NOT permit abusive peer activities (eg. initiation ceremonies, ridiculing, bullying)
Do NOT play physical contact games with young people
Do NOT have any inappropraite physical or verbal contact with others
Do NOT jump to conclusions about others without checking the facts
Do NOT allow yourself to be drawn into inappropriate attention seeking behaviour such as tantrums or crushes
Do NOT Show favouritism to any individual
Do NOT Make suggestive remarks or gestures, even in fun
Do NOT let suspicion, disclosure or allegations of abuse go unrecorded or unreported
Do NOT rely on your good name to protect you
Do NOT believe “It could never happen to me”
Bullying Policy statement
Bullying is not accepted in any form and will be dealt with in a robust and fair manner. We do not tolerate, condone or accept any form of bullying against children or adults. We do not encourage or tolerate any form of initiation ceremony.
Five Goals of the Group anti-bullying policy
To improve members self confidence
To promote good behaviour in the Group/Section
To improve the Group environment and make it a place where bullying is less likely to happen
To improve everyone’s awareness of bullying and its consequences
To make sure everyone is aware of the action that may be taken if bullying takes place Every section to annually include in its programme a section on anti-bullying ~ it may be appropriate to include as part of the work on promise and law. Obviously the level of presentation will vary from sections being made relevant to the differing age groups.
Procedure for dealing with suspected cases of bullying:
Bullying, when identified will be referred to the section leader of the section concerned Section leaders will take all reasonable steps to establish the cause of the incident(s) and those concerned It must be made plain to all parties that bullying and other forms of unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated within the Scout Group. All instances of bullying of young people or adults must be referred to the Group Scout Leader or if appropriate the deputy GSL and reported as a Safe and Sound Issue.Parents of young people believed to be involved must be informed at the earliest opportunity that such an issue has arisen. If deemed appropriate all parties (including parents) may be brought together by the section leader and Group Scout Leader to resolve the issue If appropriate the individuals concerned will be excluded from the Scout Group whilst the matter is fully investigated (This decision should be made by the section leader in consultation with the Group Scout Leader or in certain circumstances the Deputy GSL) In clearly proven cases of bullying the individual responsible may be permanently excluded from the Scout Group or temporarily excluded for a period agreed by the Group Scout Leader and the section leader.
Individuals will not be allowed more than one temporary exclusion for bullying except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Group Scout Leader.
