Children and Young People Protection Policy
Urdd Gobaith Cymru wishes to protect children from harm.
Urdd staff and volunteers accept and acknowledge their responsibility to promote child protection issues. We must ensure that our behaviour does not cause worry, or is in any danger of being misinterpreted. We have a responsibility to ensure that our children are protected from harm.
To report any safeguarding matters or concerns please contact the appropriate Designated Safeguarding Officer (from the list below) or email diogelu@urdd.org
Code of practice when working with children and young people
Staff and volunteer checks
Urdd Gobaith Cymru has a duty to ensure that there are child and young people safeguarding arrangements in place. It is a requirement that we employ staff who are suitable to work with children and young people. The same is true for our network of volunteers across Wales, ensuring that they are suitable for their volunteering role.
As part of our recruitment process – whether for paid staff or for volunteers – we will assess the nature of their responsibilities, and where appropriate arrange a disclosure check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
A secure central data base is kept of the following information of all Urdd disclosures; name, reference/ level of disclosure/ date/ duties. (See policy on handling DBS certificates)
The Urdd meets the cost of disclosure checks for staff. Disclosures for volunteers are free of charge when carrying out unpaid volunteer roles.
Staff Checks – Disclosure and Barring Service
Urdd Gobaith Cymru ensures that all staff, full time, part time and those on training, who are in the appropriate jobs and roles, to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check. On appointment, arrangements will be put in place to receive a check at a level appropriate to their role and duties. The aim is that the disclosure checks are completed before an individual starts their job.
It is the Urdd’s policy that staff disclosures are rechecked every 3 years, unless there is a reason for an earlier re-check e.g. a change in job roles and responsibilities that require a higher level of disclosure. Disclosure checks are free of charge for volunteers where they volunteer in an unpaid role.
Volunteers – Disclosure and Barring service
A number of volunteers are within roles that do not require a Disclosure and Barring Service check. However there are a significant percentage of volunteers that fulfil a role that has regular contact with children and young people, and the Urdd has a duty to ensure that they are suitable for such roles. The level of check will be dependent on their role and if they work with children and young people in an unsupervised role.
We will arrange the checks on volunteers dependent on their roles when they start volunteering with the Urdd.
Urdd will recheck volunteer’s disclosures every 5 years, unless there are is a reason for an earlier recheck e.g. a change in volunteer roles and responsibilities that require a higher level of disclosure.
Urdd Gobaith Cymru will working closely with the leaders of adrannau/branches and aelwydydd to ensure that the volunteer database is current and up to date and that all appropriate volunteers are DBS checked.
Complaint Policy
Urdd Gobaith Cymru aims to provide a high quality service to children and young people.
The Urdd provision is based on the voluntary engagement between young people and staff and volunteers.
We respect the views of young people, their requirements, interests and aspirations.
To continuously improve our provision and services, we welcome the views of members, parents/carers and the public on our provision and services.
Urdd Gobaith Cymru will make every effort to resolve complaints informally and in the spirit of co-operation. If after this there is a wish to present a written complaint, it must be formally noted that there is a wish to ‘present a complaint under the complaints procedure’
Following an investigation of a complaint, Urdd Gobaith Cymru will consider if there is a need to amend any policies and/or procedures.
Please note that there is a separated complaint procedure for competitive aspects of for the Urdd Eisteddfod, which is available in the Urdd National Eisteddfod Syllabus.
The Urdd Gobaith Cymru Complaint policy is available from the following places: - Leaders Handbook and Urdd Gobaith Cymru website.
If a member, parent/carer or a member of the public wish to make a complaint regarding the services provided by Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the following complaints procedure must be followed.
Privacy Policy
We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. To see our full privacy policy see below.
Current Privacy policy