AllparticipantsmustcheckwiththeirCentreCo-ordinatororAreaCo-ordinator
regardingtheactivitytheymaywishtoundertakefortheirDofEProgramme.Failureto
seekauthorisationfortheactivitymaynullifytheinsurancecoverandlegalprotection.
CanaParticipantChangeDofECentre?
ThereisnoproblemifayoungpersonwishestotransferfromoneDofECentretoanother.Inthis
casetheparticipantmustinformtheirCentreCo-ordinatortoensuretheirrecordsareaccurate.
TheWelcomePackincludesasectionthatshouldbecompletedshouldaparticipanttransferto
anotherOperatingAuthority.
SourcesofSupport
WestSussexDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardprovidesanetworkofsupportforDofECentresandyoung
peoplethroughateamofAreaCo-ordinators.ThecontactdetailsofyourlocalAreaCo-ordinatoris
indicatedwithinaWelcomePackissuedbyWestSussexDukeofEdinburgh’sAward.Inadditionthe
CountyDofEManagerisavailableforadvicebycontactingtheCountyDofEOffice.
WhatHappensifaDofECentreCloses?
Inspiteofeveryone’sbesteffortssometimesaDofECentremayclose,oftenduetochangesin
circumstancesoftheleadershipandthefailuretorecruitanappropriateCentreCo-ordinatortothe
centrebeforethechangesoccur.InthiscaseparticipantsaresteeredtowardsotherDofECentres
andareencouragedtomaintaincontactwiththeirAreaCo-ordinatorandtheCountyDofEOffice.
ProblemsorComplaints
InthefirstinstanceaproblemoracomplaintshouldbediscussedwiththeCentreCo-ordinator,and
then,ifappropriatewiththeirLineManager.TheCountyDofEManagerwilldecideonmatters
relatedtotheDofErequirementsandthedeliveryoftheprogrammeundertheWestSussexCounty
CouncilLicence.YouwillalsofindaComplaintsandCommentsCardintheWelcomePackifyouso
wishtouseit.
FurtherInformation
PleasecontacttheCountyProjects and PartnershipsManagerasfollows:
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAward,West Sussex Young People’s Service,
2nd Floor - The Grange, CountyHall,Chichester,WestSussex,PO191RF
E-mail:
WSCC/DOE/D6
WestSussexDukeofEdinburgh’sAward
AGuideforParentsandCarers
Theinformationinthisguideisintendedtoprovideimportantinformationforparents/carersof
participantsundertakingtheirDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardadministeredbyWestSussexCounty
Council.
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardProgramme
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardisawellestablishedprogrammeofchallengesopentoyoungpeople
aged14to25yearsold.TheDofEisnotanorganisationbutaprogrammeofchallengingleisureand
freetime(non-workorcurriculumtime)activitiestoaidinayoungperson’spersonaldevelopment.
TheDofEisflexibletomeettheneedsoftheindividualandisachievablebyallyoungpeople.
ThechallengesforeachleveloftheDofE(Bronze,SilverandGold)arebasedonactivitiesthata
youngpersonwishestoundertakefromarangedescribedincurrentDofELiteratureorat
DofEParticipantsareencouragedtoprogressthroughthestagesoftheDofE,althoughitispossible
tojoinasadirectentrantatSilverorGoldaslongastheymeettheagerequirementsof15and16
respectively.
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardoperatesafranchisesystemtolicenceOperatingAuthoritiesto
delivertheDofEtoyoungpeople.West Sussex Young People’sService(YPS), aspartofWestSussexCountyCouncil,managesTheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardinWestSussex
andisresponsibleforallaspectsofthedeliveryoftheDofEProgrammeinSchools,Community
Colleges,YouthWings/Centres,OpenDofECentresandindependentorganisations.Other
OperatingAuthoritiesexistintheCountytodelivertheDofEProgrammeforyoungpeoplewithin
theirorganisationandthusassumeresponsibilityfortheirownactivities.
EntrytoTheDukeofEdinburgh’sAward
DofEParticipantspurchaseaWelcomePackandeDofELicencefromanOperatingAuthoritywhich
actsastheirofficialentrytotheprogramme.Todothis,participantsneedtocompleteaWelcome
PackApplicationformavailablefromtheirDofECentreCo-ordinator,AreaCo-ordinatororCounty
DofEOffice.
ParentsorCarersofyoungpeopleunder18yearsoldarerequiredtosignthe
statementofindemnityontheparticipant’sapplicationforminordertogivetheir
approvalfortheparticipationoftheiryoungpersontoundertaketheirDukeof
Edinburgh’sAward.
TheCentreCo-ordinatororAreaCo-ordinatorwillthenforwardtheapplicationformtothe
CountyDofEOfficeinorderthatayoungperson’sentrytotheprogrammecanbeofficially
recorded.AWelcomePackandeDofEaccountismadeouttotheyoungpersonregisteringand
returnedtotheCentreCo-ordinatororAreaCo-ordinatorfordistribution.
TheofficialdateofentrytotheDofEisthedatethattheapplicationformwassigned.
“AMarathon,NotaSprint”
TheachievementofaDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardisbasedonthecommitmentoftheindividual.A
youngpersonhasuntiltheir25thbirthdaytocompletetheirDofEAward.Inrealitythetimerequired
tocompleteaDofEAwardvarieswiththeactivityandtheothercommitmentsthataparticipant
experiences.TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardstatesthattheearliestanAwardcanbeachievedisas
HowAreDofELeadersAppointed?
Yourattentionisdrawntothisimportantinformation.
CentreCo-ordinatorsoperatingthroughregisteredWestSussexCountyCouncilCentreswillbe
appointedbytheHeadofEstablishment,suchastheHeadTeachersorSeniorYouthWorker.The
CountyDofEManageractsastheHeadofEstablishmentforOpenDofECentresoperatingonbehalf
oftheCountyCouncil.
NationallegislationrequiresLocalAuthoritiestoensureappropriatechecksareinplacetoascertain
whetheranadultisappropriatetoworkwithyoungpeoplethisincludescheckingtherecordsof
offencesandcautionsofanyonewhohassubstantialunsupervisedaccesstoyoungpeoplethrough
activitiesoftheCountyCouncil.Assuch:
follows:
Bronze14½yrs
Silver–BronzeAwardHolder15½yrs
Silver–DirectEntrant16yrs
Gold–SilverAwardHolder17yrs
Gold–DirectEntrant17½yrs
allleadersandvolunteersofregisteredDofECentreswillhavereceiveddisclosureas
requiredbylawandtheprocedureforemploymentonbehalfofWestSussexCounty
Council;
whereaDofELeaderputsanadultincontactwithaparticipantthenwewould
requirethatadulttocompleteaCRBcheckandberegisteredwiththeCountyDofE
Officepriortoundertakingunsupervisedworkwithyoungpeople.
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardisintendedtobeflexibleandmanagedaroundimportant
commitmentsthatyoungpeopleexperience.Forexample,itisnotunusualforayoungpersonto
returntotheirDofEprogrammeafterabreakduetoexaminations.
WhatActivitiesareAvailable?
TherearefoursectionsofTheDukeofEdinburgh’sAward,fiveatGold,theseare;
Volunteering–toencourageservicetoindividualsandtothecommunity.
Skills–toencouragethediscoveryanddevelopmentofpracticalandsocialskillsandpersonal
interest.
Physical–toencourageparticipationandimprovementinphysicalactivity.
Expedition–toencourageaspiritofadventureanddiscovery.
ResidentialProject(Goldonly)–tobroadenyoungpeople’sexperiencethroughinvolvement
withothersinaresidentialsetting.
AparticipantisencouragedtochoosetheactivitiestheywishtoundertakefortheirDofE.The
choicesayoungpersonmaywishtomakewillbebasedontherealitiesoftheopportunitiesavailable
andtherelatedcoststobeincurred.ThecostsforcompletionoftheDofEremainstheresponsibility
oftheyoungpersonandhisorherparents/carers.Thereishowever,suchawiderangeofactivities
availablethatmostparticipantscanundertakeavariedDofEProgrammewithoutincurringhighcosts.
CentreCo-ordinators,AreaCo-ordinatorsandtheCountyDofEManagerwillprovidesupportand
informationforparticipantsregardingtheactivitiestheywishtoundertakefortheirDofE
programme.TheExpeditionSectionundertakenateachleveloftheDofEisusuallyorganisedthrough
theDofECentrealthoughopportunitiestojoinwithotherparticipantsdoexistasdoestheuseof
externalagencies.
TheCountyCouncildoesnotapproveorCRBcheckanadultthatiscontactedor
ispreviouslyknowntoayoungpersone.g.thecoachofalocalsportcluborafamily
friendwithparticularknowledgeorexpertiseinasubject.
Inthiscase,theparent/carerhastheresponsibilitytoensurethesuitabilityoftheadult
incontactwiththeiryoungperson.
HowareInstructors,SupervisorsandAssessorsforActivitiesAppointed?
CentreCo-ordinatorsaredelegatedtheresponsibilitytoapproveInstructors,Supervisorsand
Assessorsfornon-hazardousactivitiesundertakenbyparticipantswithintheirCentre.
AllInstructors,SupervisorsandAssessorsforhazardousactivitiesmustregisterwiththeWest
SussexCountyCouncilOutdoorEducationOffice.
CentreCo-ordinatorsandDofEStaffandvolunteersarerequiredtoattendtrainingcoursesto
supportthemintheirdeliveryoftheDofEProgrammeforyoungpeople.
Insurance
TheDukeofEdinburgh’sAwardprovidesabasicpersonalaccidentinsurancecoverforall
participantsinreceiptofaWelcomePackwhileundertakingapprovedactivityleadingtocompletion
oftheirDofE.WestSussexCountyCouncildoesnotautomaticallyprovidepersonalaccidentcover
forparticipantsintheestablishmentwhereaDofEGroupmaymeet.However,abasicaccident
insuranceandsomecoverforpropertyisprovidedforapprovedactivitiesawayfromtheDofEbase.
DetailscanbeobtainedfromtheCountyDofEOffice.