volunteer screening susan j. hendricken manager parks and recreation city of charlottetown
TRANSCRIPT
Volunteer Screening
SUSAN J. HENDRICKEN
Manager
Parks and Recreation
City of Charlottetown
FIRST STEP
PUTTING THE CHILDREN FIRST
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION OF ISSUEBACKGROUNDER FOR POLICYROADBLOCKSBECOMING PROACTIVEACCESSING USEFUL RESOURCES
BECOMING PROACTIVE
COACHING CERTIFICATION
VOLUNTEER SCREENING
EDUCATING PARENTS
JOB DESCRIPTIONSCODE OF ETHICS
Being Reactive
Addressing the issue after the fact…closing the barn doors after the horses get out….setting yourself up for liability out of negligence and most importantly …… a child may have already been harmed!!!
Purpose of Screening
To implement a preventative measure to assist organizations in successfully recruiting appropriate leaders for our resident youth.
To reduce the liability or element of risk to both the City and volunteer based organizations in the matter of recruitment of volunteers.
To act in a proactive manner to protect children involved in sport, recognizing the significant role a coach can play in a child’s physical, social and emotional development
Procedure
SDA delivers form to potential volunteerWaiver/Consent Form optionalSDA submits completed forms to PolicePolice return checked forms to SDA or
volunteer (if waiver not signed)Master List created of all volunteers and
screening results at P&R DEP’T
Confidentiality
One person in SDA assigned task of receiving completed forms
Same person assigned to address anything relevant that shows up on a form
Forms destroyed after or kept under lock and key in a central place
Roadblocks
Human Rights StanceLevel of Police
involvement in process
Paperwork for SDAFrequencyConfidentiality
Nothing is ever full proof!
Never been fingerprinted and/or photographed - no readout
Under the age of 18
Volunteer reserves the right not to submit the report….but should then be declared ineligible to coach/volunteer
What is Unacceptable??
Activities under Narcotics Control Act
Food and Drug Act (i.e..trafficking magic mushrooms prescription drugs)
Criminal code Offences (i.e. assault, weapons,theft and fraud and impaired driving)
Outline
IssueBackgrounder for PolicyPurpose of ScreeningProcedureRoadblocksProceeding from here
Background
Municipalities and Parks and Recreation Departments, in particular, play a key role in ensuring that Recreation and Sport is a
safe place for children in every sense of the word.
The Big Picture
Action steps for parentsBoundary setting by SDATalk it up.. Silence is the #1 enemy hereRecognize many forms of abuse…
emotional ,physical, sexual, and neglectUse of resources available - MARS