The Prince S Trustpolicies

The Prince’s TrustPolicies

March 2012

Following the integration of Fairbridge and The Prince’s Trust, all policies have been reviewed and re-written. This document summarises The Prince’s Trust revised young peoplepolicies. There are 15 new policies and a new Referral Formwhich replaces the ‘OXO’ form and includes additional information.

Delivery Partners will continue to use their own policies but, as before, should check that these at least meet the standards of The Prince’s Trust policies. The full policies are available to Delivery Partners on the partners’ webpages on:

Key Information

• These policies are for all Prince’s Trust staff working with young people. Delivery Partners will use their own policies but should check that these at least meet the standards of The Prince’s Trust policies.

• These policies come into effect across The Prince’s Trust from 1 April 2012. All Delivery Partners are asked to ensure they have read and familiarised themselves with the policies as soon as possible, and at least by 31 May 2012.

• The policies exist to help our staff, Delivery Partners and volunteers to offer the best possible service to young people. The new policies are more consistent and significantly shorter than previous policies. Whilst some policies are new, others remain very similar to previous policies. The summary above explains the key information.

• The new Referral Form replaces the OXO form and includes questions on disability, family situation, addiction, learning needs, offending background and other information. The new form will ensure we are in a position to provide the best possible support to young people with complex needs.

• Training required as a consequence of these policies, for example, Mental Health First Aid will be introduced for all delivery staff, including those at Delivery Partners. All programme and volunteer training is being reviewed in light of the new policies. Full training needs for working with young people will be assessed on an ongoing basis by The Trust’s Accreditation and Training team.

Feedback

• We are keen to ensure the policies remain up to date. We will be reviewing this new set of policies in six months time. Thereafter they will be reviewed in March and re-issued in April each year.
• Please send your comments to .

Summary of Policies

Pre-Programme Policies

Confidentiality / Anything that a young person chooses to share with a member of staff or volunteer must be treated with the utmost respect. Staff and volunteers are not allowed to ‘keep secrets’. Anything shared of a serious nature (including something which puts themselves /others at risk) has to be shared with other staff members.
Consent / The Trust must seek parental consent for all young people (including young volunteers) aged under 16. If parental consent is unavailable this can also be obtained from the legally responsible adult. For young people aged 16-17, The Trust should still seek parental consent, but if this is not possibleand where the young person is considered capable of taking responsibility for themselves, they can sign on their own behalf. Parental consent is not required for young people aged 18 and over.
Medicaland Next of Kin / Every young person on our direct delivery programmes must provide relevant medical information about any condition or medication that could affect their participation or wellbeing whilst on the programme. They must also provide next of kin details. The only exceptions are Development Awards and Community Cash Awards, when a partner organisation is involved. Delivery Partners managing our indirect delivery of programmes should collect this information and hold it on file. For programmes longer than 3 months, this should be reviewed and updated quarterly.
Referral Form / The new Referral Form replaces the OXO form and includes questions on disability, family situation, addiction, learning needs, offending background and other information.

Working with our client group

Working with Offenders / We will endeavour to work with young people who have committed any offence (including serious crimes) to support them into or towards education, training or employment unless the risks cannot be mitigated against through our procedures. The decision not to support a young person should only be taken as a last resort and should be made with the approval of the Head of Operations or Regional/Country Director. A risk assessment must be carried out if the young person has committed an offence for: serious violent offence, sexual offences, offences against children or arson.
Working with Young People with Mental Health Needs (new policy) / The Trust will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that young people with mental health needs are able to participate in programmes. All staff working with young people must attend Mental Health First Aid Training. Direct delivery staff should take appropriate action to support young people with mental health needs during programme delivery. This policy provides guidance on what action to take if a young person is experiencing a mental health episode, is threatening violence, having a panic attack, self harming or is suicidal.
Working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers / The Prince’s Trust will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers who are eligible for Trust support are able to participate in programmes. We will not seek to influence an asylum application decision. All staff are responsible for ensuring that they offer inclusive services to young refugees and asylum seekers, within UK law.
Diversity/Inclusion Policy (new policy) / The Trust is committed to ensuring fairness and recognises the need for diversity and inclusion within its programmes. The Trust will anticipate the majority of reasonable adjustments to ensure that all young people are recruited fairly onto Trust programmes and can participate fully. Bullying or harassment of young people on Trust programmes will not be tolerated. Line managers must ensure that all staff have completed the compulsory e-learning diversity training on TrustNet and have the opportunity to attend the Equality and Diversity training if appropriate

Programme Delivery Policies

Weapons / No weapons are allowed on The Prince’s Trust programmes. Staff, volunteers and secondees must not put themselves in harm’s way. Staff, volunteers and secondees cannot undertake searches, even if invited to do so - an unlawful search may constitute an assault.
Drugs and Alcohol / Anyone participating on a Prince’s Trust programme must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Individuals under medical supervision who are drug/alcohol dependent will be dealt with on a case by case basis. Staff are not permitted to administer prescribed drugs to young people.
Exclusion / Excluding young people (either temporarily or permanently) from our programmes must be a last resort and must only be taken when all other measures and steps to safeguard other young people, staff, volunteers or the young people themselves have failed
Sexual Health and Intimate Relationships / It is not permitted for staff, secondees, volunteers or people on work or study placements to form sexual or inappropriate relationships with Prince’s Trust young people. The ‘no sex’ on programmes and residentials applies to both staff and young people. If appropriately trained, staff working directly with young people should give clear and up-to-date and non-judgemental information concerning safer sex.
Working with Challenging Behaviour / Risk assessments should be carried out on all young people who are deemed at risk of violent/aggressive behaviour. Staff should take all necessary steps to avoid a situation arising. Personal intervention should be used as a last resort and staff must ensure they do not use any form of physical force that could be construed as assault. Staff who do not conform to this policy may be subject to disciplinary action or criminal prosecution. Personal intervention should not be used at any point as a means of punishment. Staff may use personal intervention only where a young person is going to directly harm or significantly injure themselves or other people. All incidents must be reported.

Post Programme Policies

Providing supporting statements to young people (new policy) / Staff may provide factual and dated verbal and written statements for young people, including open testimonials (‘to whom it may concern’). Requests to volunteers for a Prince’s Trust reference should be referred to their Trust contact. Volunteers may provide references in an individual capacity if desired. References for young people involved in criminal proceedings or an asylum claim must follow a standard response.

General Policies

Smoke free / Smoking is not permitted in any enclosed or substantially enclosed Trust premises, or premises being used for Trust activities, including Trust vehicles. Staff must not purchase tobacco or related products for young people under 18. Staff must not offer/accept cigarettes to or from young people under the age of 18. Where possible, under 18s should be encouraged not to smoke. Where possible staff are not to smoke in front of young people.
Personal safety and lone working / The Trust will not tolerate violence, aggression or abuse and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff, secondees, volunteers and young people are safe. No member of staff or secondee will ever undertake an initial or other visit to a young person in their home unless: a risk assessment has been completed; and the assessment has been viewed and authorised by their line manager. No volunteers will ever undertake home visits – whether to the young person’s home or their own. The Trust will ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to identify the whereabouts of staff and secondees whilst on Trust business. All incidents/accidents/near misses will be formally reported, recorded and followed up appropriately. Any member of staff, secondee or volunteer who has experienced violence or aggression in the course of their work will be offered appropriate aftercare.

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