Good Practice Guide for Instructors and Volunteers

You can reduce potential abuse situations and help to protect staff and volunteers from false allegations being made by promoting good practice.

YOU SHOULD AVOID:

¨      spending excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.

¨      taking children alone in a car on journeys, however short.

¨      taking children to your home.

Where any of these are unavoidable, ensure they only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the organisation or the child’s parents.

YOU SHOULD:

¨      Design training exercises that are within the ability of the individual child.

¨      Never engage in physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.

¨      Never allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form.

¨      Never allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

¨      Never make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun.

¨      Never let allegations go unchallenged or unrecorded – always act.

¨      Never do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves.

However, it may be sometimes necessary for you to do things of a personal nature for children, particularly if they are very young or disabled.  These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and consent of parents.  In an emergency situation, which requires this kind of help, parents should be fully informed.  In such situations, it is important to ensure all staff are sensitive to the child and undertake personal care tasks with the utmost discretion.

In addition, medical consent should be obtained in the event where medication or treatment is required to be administered in the absence of the parent/guardian; this includes hospitalisation.  Appendix 2 (Medical Consent Form) is available from the Training Principal for parents/guardians to provide the necessary consent.