Organizing a children's event

Martyn Payne

On your marks:

So you are planning a special event for children or maybe a holiday club. Great! But there are a few things that you ought to consider before you get going. Don’t panic though! These things are in place not to stop you from doing it but to help you do this important work more safely and responsibly.

Get set:

Read through the following list with your team and decide on who will take responsibility for each aspect of the event and who will check out those things that you are unsure about.

Go!

Here are some guidelines for events involving children.

Ask to see your local church or diocesan/district Child Protection Policy. Work within its guidelines. CRB forms will need to be signed and references provided, if this hasn’t already been organized by your church. The CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) information line is: 0870-9090844

Be aware of the recommended ratio of adults to children. A minimum of 1 adult for 8 children is advised for children aged 8+. There should be more adults if the children are younger or if the activity is away from the premises.

Children should always be accompanied if for some reason they have to leave the group; however, male leaders should not take girls to the toilet.

Do not take responsibility for children without written permission from parents/guardians. Pre-registration forms are recommended which include contact telephone numbers and any medical information.

Exits & entrances to the venue should be stewarded and all those who are leaders should be clearly identified in some way so that children know who is ‘safe’.

First-aid qualification should be held by at least one adult leader for every 50 children at the event. Accidents should be recorded and reported to the person in overall charge.

General simple safety rules should be clearly set out, especially concerning movement about the building, refreshments, going to the toilet and being quiet for important announcements.

Have a designated overall leader for the event, who takes final responsibility for safety, security and any pastoral issues that may arise.

Insurance for the event should be checked. This should be covered by the local church (through EIG Parishguard for example). The Local Authority needs to be informed only if the event includes 8 year olds and under for more than 2 hours a day on 6 or more days a year.

Junior leaders (under 18) should not be left in charge of any activity or workshop involving children.

Now you are ready to launch into action! Let us know how you get on.

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