Make Autumn the Time to Review your Child Protection Arrangements

The whole leisure industry has been shocked by the recent press reports of the female ex-teacher who sexually attacked one hundred 4-7 year old boys and girls in caravan park public toilets and showers.  Now is the time, as the summer season draws to a close, for management to take stock and review their child protection arrangements. In these increasingly difficult economic times, it is vital that our industry remains attractive in the public eye.

The charity SAFEchild has developed this handy 10-point guide to help managers ensure that all staff remain alert and vigilant to prevent such incidents in the future:

1. All staff should have the child protection policy and know who to refer any concerns to
2. “Lost child “ procedures should be practised by all staff at regular intervals
3. Child protection training should be renewed every 3 years and be part of staff induction
4. Clear signage about photography/videoing should be displayed in sensitive areas such as changing areas
5. All public toilet and changing room areas should be regularly cleaned and checked for damage and possible spy holes
6. All staff should be vigilant and challenge any adults who loiter in, or near, any areas where children may be unaccompanied: including toilets, changing rooms and play areas
7. Staff should be alert to any adults who are watching activities but do not appear to be with any children
8. Any isolated and hard to supervise areas should be routinely patrolled
9. Complaints from customers about the behaviour of other guests should always be taken seriously
10. Always call the police immediately if a crime may have been committed, dial 999 in an emergency

As a PPA member you are entitled to the following discounts from SAFEchild's services:

• SME membership (defined as having 10 or less full time employees) reduces from £95 to £85 per annum. Membership allows access to a comprehensive toolkit of template policies and procedures, which you can quickly adopt, an online review of you practises, regular updates on child protection issues and email support.
• PPA members who join SAFEchild will be able to access the SAFEchild online training courses at £16.75 per course, a saving of £10.75 per course.

SAFEchild also offers a full consultancy service.  If you would like to know more now about what you can do to safeguard children and your business simply visit www.safechild.co.uk... If you are a PPA member- find out more about SAFEchild on the members only section of the website (click here)