Be conversant with and follow all existing controls on relevant Risk Assessments. Check the room(s) for any possible hazards before the meeting commences, and report any problems to the Bridge Centre team

• Keep and take a register at the start of the meeting so that all can be accounted for

• Be vigilant at all times

• Never be alone in a closed space with a child, young person or vulnerable adult

• Always carry your CCPAS pocket guide for reference

• Attend ongoing safeguarding training, including ‘Creating Safer Space’ and 'Advanced Creating Space' as relevant to your role and responsibility

• Report anything that you are concerned about in relation to the safeguarding of those in your care. This must be done in a timely manner.

• Ensure you are conversant with the designated fire procedure for the area of the building you are using

• If a volunteer is absent and staffing levels fall below the minimum a non DBS person can help but must not be left on their own with children and young adults (under 18).

Little Bridges

• Parents and carers are given a welcome letter explaining that they are responsible for their own child or children. They receive a copy of the fire procedure and the name of the First Aider.

• New parents sign a registration form. It states their child is the parent’s/carer’s responsibility, asks about allergies and for permission to take photographs. The forms are kept by the FSS manager.

• A notice in the room states, ‘Your child is your responsibility’

• Leaders and helpers keep the thoroughfare clear of games and toys

• Hot drinks must be served in lidded cups and kept out of reach from children

• Parents and carers must escort their child/ren to the toilet

• No leader or helper is to be left alone with a child.

All toys and equipment are to be safe and well-maintained.

Sunday Crèche

• The crèche is an unstaffed place for 'Stay and Play' offered to parents or guardians of young children aged 0-3. There is no supervising staff member on duty at the crèche. Parents and guardians are therefore required to stay with their child whilst they are using the facility.

All children under the age of 5 is signed in and out of their activities by a guardian over the age of 18

• This guardian must be the one who returns to collect the child at the end of the Potters Kids session

• If required, children can be accompanied to the toilet by a supervising Potters Kids volunteer, who has been DBS checked and is over 18. Should the child require help, the volunteer would go into the cubicle to help. If the child is deemed able to manage on their own then they may go into the cubicle without supervision but the door would not be locked. Children are to use the toilets adjacent to the function suite. A helper or leader must always alert another helper if assisting a child to use the facilities.

• Appropriate ratio of staff to children is maintained at all times in accordance with guidelines

• Registration sheets are completed for all new children

• No helper is left alone with a child

• Parents and carers are sent for if their child shows signs of becoming distressed or unwell.

• Appropriate ratio of staff to children is maintained at all times in accordance with guidelines

• Children are accompanied to the toilet by the supervising Potters Kids volunteer, who has been DBS checked and is over 18. If the child is deemed able to manage on their own then they may go into the cubicle without supervision but the door is kept unlocked. Children are to use the toilets adjacent to the function suite. A helper or leader must always alert another helper if assisting a child to use the facilities

• Registration sheets are completed for all new children

• No leader or helper is left alone with a child

• Parents and carers are sent for if their child shows signs of becoming distressed or unwell

• A register is kept and taken at the start of the meeting so that all can be accounted for

• Appropriate ratio of staff to children is maintained at all times in accordance with guidelines

• Registration sheets are completed for all new children

• No leader or helper is left alone with a child

• Parents and carers are sent for if their child shows signs of becoming distressed or unwell

• Children are to tell a leader when they need to visit the toilet and a leader should maintain vigilance for their return. They are to use the facility nearest to the coffee lounge (Sunday evenings), which is the accessible toilet adjacent to the auditorium.

Good practice for leaders dealing with young people (under the age of 18) of the opposite sex and of the same sex

• When using Facebook / other social media, youth team members should not use the ‘Chat’ function. All correspondence should be as public as possible. Youth team members (Leaders and helpers) must not ‘private message’ members of Potters Youth under any circumstances. Social media communication (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X) should only be on the main church / youth pages.

• No private one – to- one situations to take place. Make sure other adults can see you.

• When giving lifts, youth team members must not be alone with someone of the opposite sex. If lifts are given to many young people, the parents of the last child in the car should be notified prior to the situation occurring with the youth team member seeking permission from the parents to give their child a lift. No under 18 of the opposite sex to the driver must sit in the front passenger seat

• If you are to spend time with an under 18 of the same sex outside of youth group events then their parents must be made aware and you must send a text to another youth leader to let them know.

• If you are made aware of any pastoral issues regarding someone in the Youth Group then inform the appropriate leader as soon as is reasonable to do so.

• You cannot promise confidentiality to any young person. All safeguarding concerns must be dealt with through the correct channels. Leaders / helpers must not request updates on the outcomes of a situation.

• Team members follow all guidelines on fire procedure and first aid procedure

• All under 16 team members are to serve alongside another team member (over 18).

• Team members are advised to get help if someone is distressed and to stay in a public place where others can see them

• Ushers must check that aisles and fire exits are kept clear

• Team members are to be vigilant at all times

• Leaders follow all guidelines on fire procedure and first aid procedure

• A register is kept and taken at the start of the group so that all can be accounted for

• The team member knows the person to be visited or has made contact before the visit. All visits and contacts should be recorded on ChurchSuite or shared with the staff team.

• Team members visit a person of the same sex or ensure it's a visiting team and not 1-2-1

• If appropriate they will meet in a public place (coffee shop / Bridge Centre etc)

• All team members follow pastoral care guidelines and must attend annual training and updates