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1. Supervision RequirementsIt's a Community Effort
The project is a non profit voluntary organisation and could not function without the hard work and dedication of the Committee members and supervisors which comprise parents within the community who volunteer their time to ensure that as many children as possible can be involved in the project. For insurance and child safeguarding purposes an appropriate adult-child ratio must be adhered to at each activity. The rules dictate that we must have an adult supervisor for every 8 children on an activity. If sufficient supervisors are not available we may be forced to cancel some activities. Please play your part in making this year's project as successful as the previous years! In order to enroll your child a time commitment of 2 periods of supervision per family over the course of the two weeks is required from you. These may be on the same day or over two different days. Supervision Slots You sign up for Supervision slots at the end of in-person enrollment (which takes place in the hall a number of weeks after online registration). We try to assign you to the activities that suit you and your child, but it is a first come first served approach and all activities have to be adequately supervised. Remember, you will not be asked to deliver any activity (we leave that to the experts) and in addition each activity will be attended by a committee member so no prior knowledge is required! All parent supervisors must be Garda vetted and have completed Child Protection training. Even if you are Garda vetted for some other organisation or for your work, you must go through the process for the Summer Project. Renewal is once every 5 years thereafter for Garda Vetting and once every 3 years for Child Protection training. 2. Garda VettingThe summer project is required to comply with National Child Protection Procedures, which came into effect on 1st September 2006. These guidelines require that any adult (over 18) volunteering with the project is required to have Garda clearance (valid for 5 years). Crosscare support the delivery of the Garda vetting process and the child protection training. Ad hoc inspections take place by various agencies during our activities and we must be able to produce the required confirmations on request. How do I get Garda Vetted by Crosscare? You must download and complete the documents below and present your documentation to the Crosscare rep in person at St Pius School on a date to be communicated. To help you complete your application please read the following Crosscare Guide. Please download and complete these forms. 1 Volunteer Application Form 2 Garda Vetting Invitation Form (NVB1) 3 Character Reference Form Number 1 4 Character Reference Form Number 2 5 Reference Document: 100 point Identifier Check 6 2 forms of ID - copy and original One ID must be photo ID The second ID must contain proof of address e.g utility bill BRING BOTH ORIGINAL AND COPIES OF IDS, WE CANNOT COPY THESE FOR YOU ON THE NIGHT OF GARDA VETTING You must present your documents in person, only the named person on the documents can attend. If you cannot attend at this time you must make alternative arrangements to meet with Crosscare at another location or at their office in Clonliffe Road. Please note that the Crosscare Guide outlines that the personal references need to be someone you have known for at least a year and cannot be accepted from Family, Friends or Neighbours. The application will be returned if you use any of these people as your references. Some suggestions for personal references include: work colleague, employer, doctor, sports club members and coaches, local business/shop owner. Referees will be checked by Crosscare so please provide a phone number where the person can be reached easily (preferably mobile number) to help speed up this part of the process, particularly if the referee is a teacher. Once your application is processed by Crosscare you will be then contacted by the Diocese by email to complete the Garda Vetting Form NVB2 online. This must be done within 10 days of receipt. This sample Completed Garda Vetting Form NVB2 may be of some help when completing the online form. The Crosscare contact for Garda Vetting is: Deborah Brannigan, tel: 086 1301575. NB: When you complete the process you will receive a letter by post from Crosscare. Please send a copy/photo of this letter to the Summer Project Child Safeguarding Co-ordinator. 3. Child Safety TrainingIn addition to Garda vetting the National Child Protection Procedures require that all supervisors complete a Child Protection Training Course This is delivered by Crosscare and is valid for 3 years.
The Summer Project Child Safeguarding Co-ordinator will contact you to advise the dates of the Child Protection training. You must attend in person to obtain your training certificate. NB: When you complete the training you will receive a certificate from Crosscare. Please send a copy/photo of this cert to the Summer Project Child Safeguarding Co-ordinator. 4.Individualised Supervision NeedsThe Summer Project aims to provide an inclusive and safe environment for children to experience activities they may not have experienced before.
If your child requires additional supports during school activities it is important that you include this information on registration and our Health and Safety Officer will be in contact with you so that we can work out how best to support your child. This may require a dedicated guardian to accompany your child, particularly at activities that take place outside of school. All information provided will be in full confidence. The Summer Project provides a great variety of activities and scheduling but this may be an unsettling environment for some children. In the main the Summer Project supervisors are volunteer parents who are not trained to deal with medical/behavioural issues. Therefore some additional attention may be required which we hope you can assist us with to ensure your child's safety and in the best interest of all the children. 4. Further Information On SupervisionFor each activity, a committee member acts as Lead Supervisor. They will send you a message approx 2 days in advance of your supervision slot.....please respond promptly that you are still available. In the event that you can no longer attend your scheduled activity please find another person who is able to swap with you and send us an email (summerprojectstpius@gmail.com) with the details of the swap so that we can update our list for the Lead Supervisor. Supervisor numbers are scheduled to meet the minimum 8:1 child : adult ratio so if you can't attend it is vital you find a replacement. Committee members are involved in multiple activities so we'd appreciate it if you can find a non-committee member to fill in for you. On the same note please don't send children to activities that they aren't enrolled in as we may already have a wait list and/or we may not have sufficient supervisors if the numbers increase, even by one or two. On the day of Supervision Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the activity to be briefed by your Lead Supervisor who will assign tasks as required. Supervisors should wear a High Viz jacket at all times. This consistency helps children (and adults) and reduces the chaos particularly at the larger events. Tick each child as present on the Activity Roll List as they arrive and cross off the same tick when they child departs. Once all have arrived take headcount and make sure it tallies with the numbers on the list. Make sure to note if a child is taken home earlier or taken in a car by a parent driving. If a child wishes to leave an event early the parent must be contacted. The parent should be asked to send a text to the Lead Supervisor stating that the child has permission to leave early. Ensure 2 adults are always present when taking children to toilets etc. At the cinema, children of all ages should be accompanied to the toilets. You may have to roll up your sleeves at times and give the kids a hand at an activity. Each year the Summer Project has a theme, as supervisor you’re asked to watch out for instances of this theme being demonstrated and share it with the Lead Supervisor so that it can be recognised. Ensure you implement all of the Child Safety training provided to you by Crosscare and note the Code of Good Practice provided by Crosscare. Most of all on the Supervision front please enjoy being part of your child's activity, make new friends yourself but keep a watchful eye! |