Reporting: Responding to Allegations of Abuse
Staff and volunteers at the YSO (Youth-Serving Organization) should be proficient in discussing abuse and responding to disclosures of abuse. YSO…
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Home / Screening & Hiring / Screening Toolbox: Observation of the Applicant & Home Assessment
When possible, it can be informative to observe an applicant in your environment with the child(ren) and youth you serve, to look for potential red flags. If this is done pre-hire, and before the background checks are complete, make sure the individual is supervised and monitored at all times by current (cleared) staff. If there are behaviors, actions, or statements that are concerning, do not ignore them. While it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem, it may be a potential issue that needs further observation or inquiry.
For certain positions such as respite providers, tutors, or mentors that involve children and youth meeting with staff in their homes, it’s especially important to immediately discuss concerns, reiterate the child safety policies of your organization, and be clear that your Code of Conduct is taken seriously and strictly enforced when it comes to the safety of children and youth you serve. In addition, depending on the mission of your organization, you may need to assess an applicant’s home environment. For example, a home assessment would be essential for a mentoring program where youth meet with mentors at their homes, but may be irrelevant and inappropriate for other organizations, such as overnight camps or afterschool programs.
Reporting
Staff and volunteers at the YSO (Youth-Serving Organization) should be proficient in discussing abuse and responding to disclosures of abuse. YSO…
Training
Effective abuse prevention training provides learners with new information, knowledge, and skills. Your leadership is critical to the ways in which…
Sustainability
Long-term organizational change is a process of continuous review, evaluation, and communication. It includes regularly examining what is working…
Safe Environments
Safe Environment Strategies: Access Complementing the physical aspects of safety are the procedural aspects of safety and security, and how…
Safe Environments
Safe Environments should be created by having clear sight lines, proper staff-to-child ratios, and safety standards for off-site personnel and…
Policies & Procedures
No matter how large or small a youth-serving organization is, or what services it provides, every organization shares the desire to keep…
Reporting
You can help protect the children you serve by maintaining an environment that prioritizes both preventing child abuse before it occurs and—since…
Safe Environments
Creating a safe environment starts with assessing your youth-serving organization’s situation and the physical spaces you use for programming and…
Sustainability
Change Can Be a Challenge “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” So said the famed poet Robert Burns after ploughing his fields…
Code of Conduct
Every YSO has certain risks associated with its activities, functions, and responsibilities—and thinking about those risks is an important part of…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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