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)

Urdd Gobaith Cymru works closely, through an agreement with the WCVA Criminal Record Unit, as an user of their ‘e-Bulk’ service. (on-line disclosure checks)

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 5 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.