Cambridge Student Community Action (SCA) recognises the importance of Child Protection, and undertakes to ensure that all our volunteers working with children on our projects are trained to recognise the signs of a child in distress, and to follow our agreed referral procedure. We believe that priority must be given to the safety and well-being of any child, and that our volunteers must share this belief.

SCA value our volunteers highly, and are committed to providing training, guidance and support for them at all times. The following guidelines are intended to safeguard the welfare of both the child and volunteer.

Volunteer Guidelines

Volunteers must ensure that they do not place themselves in a vulnerable position by being alone with a child in isolated or inappropriate circumstances. They should stay where other people are aware of them. Volunteers must not take a child back to their room alone.

Volunteers must not allow friends/acquaintances etc. to accompany them with the child if they are not registered with SCA to work with children, and have completed our screening process.

If a child implies, or tells a volunteer that they are, or have been, “at risk”, the volunteer must explain the implications of this disclosure to the child. The volunteer must make it clear to the child that someone else will be told, and that appropriate action will be taken. The volunteer must never agree to keep such a disclosure secret, but must be careful not to alarm the child. The safety and wellbeing of the child is of paramount importance, and the volunteer must act accordingly.

Any concerns about the welfare of the child must be reported as soon as possible to one of SCA’s office workers, or to an SCA Trustee. It essential to keep any concerns confidential – volunteers must not discuss the situation with anyone other than an SCA worker or Trustee. Emergency telephone numbers are issued to volunteers to enable them to make immediate contact with an appropriate person.

A signed written report must be given as soon as possible to SCA giving listing the:

• date
• child’s name
• child’s age
• child’s address
• volunteer’s name
• volunteer’s address
• description of cause for concern
• any action taken

Once the SCA office staff or an SCA trustee has been informed, no further action is to be taken by the volunteer unless explicitly requested by them, or other professional persons (police, social workers etc.). Responsibility for further action lies with SCA.

Guidelines For SCA Office Staff And Trustees

It is the responsibility of SCA’s office staff and/or Trustees to deal appropriately with any reported concerns of volunteers regarding possible abuse of children they come into contact with.

Before contacting any outside agency, the situation should be discussed by SCA office staff and their Line Manager, and a course of action agreed upon. If the Line Manager is not available, any other Senior member of the SCA Employment Group should be consulted.

If appropriate, contact should be made initially with the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the child concerned, or with the organisation through which contact with the child was initially made (school, club, social worker etc.).

Advice can be sought from social workers without any names being disclosed, but responsibility for ensuring that appropriate investigations are undertaken, and the child protected, remain with SCA until the child’s details are passed to the Social Services Department, Police or NSPCC.