Keeping our young people safe

St John Ambulance takes child protection extremely seriously and we have comprehensive procedures in place which apply to all activities within the organisation.

We ensure that Criminal Records Bureau checks are made, references taken up and a declaration signed by every applicant before they are allowed to work with or supervise children in St John Ambulance.

Our handbook, Working safely with young people, covers a whole range of issues from risk assessments of child related activities to a number of training and awareness initiatives, combating bullying and much more. All members who work with children must follow the policies laid out in this document. The organisation will take action against anyone not following these principles.

We train all our adults in best practice and take any measures required to strengthen and improve existing practice. We monitor and audit units to make sure they are in line with current practice and pay announced and unannounced visits to ensure units are working within policy.

We believe in a society where every young person has the opportunity to make a real difference in their community, to speak out on what matters to them and to help others in need of support and development. We teach our young people about self protection; we make all our young people aware of what they should and should not expect from the adults they interact with. We make sure parents, children and young people know how to voice their concerns and obtain help if they are unhappy or worried about anything.

The organisation is regularly reviewing and updating policies to provide fresh guidance on legislative changes, the advances in technology and increased expectations of society. Keeping young people safe will always be of paramount importance to us.