The Ramblers' policy and guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults were thoroughly revised in Autumn 2010 following an extensive consultation with volunteers. At the time we undertook to review the documents on at least an annual basis.
The first annual review has just been completed and, based on feedback received during the year, only very minor changes have been made.
The updated guidance can be found at
www.ramblers.org.uk/volunteer/safeguarding.
The most significant change is in enabling Areas and Groups to issue parental consent cards for young people aged 15-17 who want to join in Ramblers activities unaccompanied by a responsible adult.
Areas and Groups can now ask the safeguarding officer for a supply of application forms and blank cards and guidance on their use by emailing childandvulnerableadults@ramblers.org.uk or phoning 020 7339 8574.
In response to requests, we have added an example photo/media consent form to the appendices, and have also clarified that the policy and guidelines also apply in Scotland. Though Scottish law does contain some differences in age limits from the law in England and Wales, for the purposes of child protection the Scottish Government has made clear that people are considered children until they are 18, as in England and Wales.
Though the changes are minor, if you have a stored copy of previous guidance, please replace it with the latest version. Remember there are different documents for different audiences, and you only need to familiarise yourself with the documents that are most relevant to you.
If you have any questions, please email childandvulnerableadults@ramblers.org.uk.
