Volunteer Screening SUSAN J. HENDRICKEN Manager Parks and Recreation City of Charlottetown

FIRST STEP §PUTTING THE CHILDREN FIRST

OUTLINE §INTRODUCTION OF ISSUE §BACKGROUNDER FOR POLICY §ROADBLOCKS §BECOMING PROACTIVE §ACCESSING USEFUL RESOURCES

BECOMING PROACTIVE §COACHING CERTIFICATION §VOLUNTEER SCREENING §EDUCATING PARENTS §JOB DESCRIPTIONS §CODE 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 volunteer §Waiver/Consent Form optional §SDA submits completed forms to Police §Police 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 Stance §Level of Police involvement in process §Paperwork for SDA §Frequency §Confidentiality

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 §Issue §Backgrounder for Policy §Purpose of Screening §Procedure §Roadblocks §Proceeding 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 parents §Boundary setting by SDA §Talk it up.. Silence is the #1 enemy here §Recognize many forms of abuse…emotional,physical, sexual, and neglect §Use of resources available - MARS