Youth Protection

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Protecting your Children

We take our responsibility to your children under the terms of the Children Act 1989 very seriously. As Christians we support the good intentions of the Act and of the Home Office document “Safe from Harm”, and have observed the recommendations over a period of years. For the purposes of the Act all young people under 18 years are regarded as children.(Paragraph numbers which follow correspond with the recommendation numbers in ‘Safe from Harm’.)1. We have a policy on safeguarding the welfare of the children & young people in our charge at all times, as befits a Christian organisation. This is spelt out in detail in our Child Protection Policy.
2. We plan our camps so as to minimise situations where any one in our charge might be put at any unnecessary risk.
3 & 12. There is a system in place, made known to all in leadership roles at SCC, whereby campers may talk with an independent person and for dealing with the disclosure or discovery of abuse.
4, 5 & 6. We have no paid staff but all our volunteer workers are made aware of their primary responsibility for the care and protection of the campers at all times, not least when off site and in public places.
7, 8, 9 & 13. We request two detailed references for all our voluntary workers who will spend some time on site and who will have contact with the campers. We ask for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure Certificates for all adults working all week at camp. We provide basic training in the implications of the Act for all new workers and these safeguards provide an opportunity for the senior leaders to explore what experience and aptitudes such candidates have. We recruit only on the basis of personal recommendation from established practising Christians known to us through church connections. Members of the committee, in effect the senior management team, are on hand at all times to monitor all camp activities and those involved in them. Visitors to the site have to report on arrival, sign our visitors’ book and wear a visitor’s badge. The young people are briefed to notify camp staff if strangers or un-badged visitors appear.