Voluntary and community groups play an important role in providing services and activities for children, young people and adults.   In UK law, someone is a child until they are 18 years old. It is essential that the services and activities your group offers are as safe as they can be, and to ensure this, there is a need to have safeguards in place. 

Having safeguards in place will help your group protect children, young people and adults from harm and abuse as well as help staff and volunteers know what to do if they are worried or concerned about a child or adult. 

Protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities should be a governance priority for all charities.   The following is a link to guidance which will support trustees to put  systems in place that will protect all who come in contact with their organisation.

Welsh Government made an announcement last year saying that emergency legislation will ‘ease’ rules on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

This will not remove checks altogether, but allow a check from one organization to be used at another. This is intended to allow a greater number of people to volunteer more easily and to allow them to be more simply utilised in areas of greatest need.

WCVA has written a briefing paper (updated August 2020), highlighting what the voluntary sector needs to know about DBS checks as the COVID-19 crisis progresses.

The paper covers:

• The procedure behind basic checks
• Suggesting wording for a disclosure form
• Guidance when your new volunteers already have a DBS certificate
• How to view DBS certificates via videoconferencing software
• Formal and informal portable DBS checks
• Reminders for when first applying for a new check
• Guidance on adult first checks
• Some useful links

Internet safety settings: