Summary of the Appropriate Conductwhen dealing with Young People/Children involved in LSU activities (for Volunteers ONLY)

Please see the LSUChild Protection Policy for full details.

(Team leaders should ensure they have read the full Policy)

  • Treat everyone with equal respect, whether staff or young person

•Respect the right of young people to privacy

•Be aware that you are a role model for young people and a representative of the Institution within which you are working

•Discourage negative attitudes or behaviour (e.g. ridicule, physical bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia etc.) and encourage young people to challenge such behaviour appropriately, or ask you for help

•Make clear through your actions and words that young people have a right to respectful and non-violent relations with others

•Let management staff deal with discipline

•Be aware that it is never acceptable that a young person tries to hurt another young person

To avoid any misunderstanding of your intentions or action, you should:

•Avoid any physical contact with the young people except in the context of games or exercise, which belong to work, and are being supervised with other staff

•Plan your activities so that they involve more than one person, or take place within sight and hearing of others

•Ensure that you are never left alone with a young person

•Never agree to meet or make contact with a young person outside the designated hours and location of the placement

•Do not make suggestive remarks or gestures, or jokes with a sexual content within the hearing or sight of young people

•Do not give any personal details to young people like email addresses or mobile phone numbers or facebook!

•Bluetooth functionality must be switched off at all times whilst working with young people (there is the chance the information could be downloaded to their phones from yours and vice versa)

•Cameras phones must not be used. Photographs should be taken ONLY using the cameras supplied by the project staff for the event

•Staff and volunteers will refrain from alcohol or other impairing drug consumption for 12 hours before assuming responsibility for any children, and will refrain from consumption whilst responsible for any children

•Staff and volunteers will be expected to act with discretion with regards to their personal relationships and not expose children to inappropriate behaviour

•Staff and volunteers should never, even in fun:

•Do things of a personal nature for children that they can do themselves

•Show favouritism to any one child

•Issue or threaten any form of physical punishment

•You must refer what you have witnessed, reported or alleged. You must NOT investigate yourself.