Organisers and Safeguarding Leads

Organisers & Safeguarding Leads

All activities organised by the Bahá’í community for children under the age of 18 years must fit into one or more of the following categories.

Organisers need to decide what category their activity fits in and must follow the requirements listed on the checklist further down this page. This is a quick reference guide for those who have attended safeguarding training – please refer to the Childcare Guidance for the detail.

If you are unsure, please consult with your Safeguarding Lead or the Office for Safeguarding Children (osc@bahai.org.uk).

* Note: a ‘checked’ adult refers to a person who has applied to work with children in activities organised by the Bahá’í community and has had various checks completed, including a DBS, PVG or AccessNI depending on where they live). Their name is then available to see on the approved tutors list.

An activity may overlap into more than one category. Here are some examples:

Summer School

Category A (parents responsible outside of sessions and overnight)

Category B (summer school providing activities for children)

Teaching Project

Category B (youth involved in teaching activities in a local park)

Category C (youth staying overnight in host family homes)

Junior Youth Camp

Category B (junior youth on a trip, walking to a local swimming pool)

Category C (camp held at the Bahá’í Training Centre)

2. Requirements for Safeguarding Children

The checklist below provides Organisers and Safeguarding Leads with the requirements needed for the three different types of activity. Each of these requirements are explained on the Childcare Guidance page along with downloadable forms that can be used.

*The term criminal records check covers all four nations: Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) for England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland for Scotland, and AccessNI for Northern Ireland.

3. Contact with Children Without a Criminal Records Check (updated 1/9/26)

It is against the law to allow a person who is barred from working with children to have contact with children. Therefore, all people aged 16 years and above working with children in activities organised by the Bahá’í community must have the appropriate criminal records check (i.e. a DBS, PVG or AccessNI check), and this check must be completed and confirmed by a Bahá’í Institution.

A person wanting to "teach, train, instruct, care for, or supervise children [aged under 18]" without a check should be supported to apply for the appropriate criminal records check as part of capacity and community building.

There is some flexibility to allow a person without a check to work with children subject to certain conditions and all apply:

1. Any person working with children as a 'helper' must be supervised by at least two other checked adults (e.g. supervised by the organiser and a teacher who would have checks).

2. A maximum of two 'helpers' per activity.

3. Their role as a ‘helper’ is explained to children, parents and adults as appropriate.

4. Their contact with children must be no more than 3 days in any 30-day period (this means their total contact with all the children they might be in contact with).

5. They are not allowed to have access to children overnight (specifically between 2am and 6am) in any venue.

6. They cannot make contact with children on any social media type platforms (e.g. text messages and access to personal information of children) or after the event itself.

(Note: the PVG scheme in Scotland does not allow non-checked people to have access to children so this guidance does not apply in Scotland).

Here are a few examples of the change in practice:

(a) A community children's class meets every two weeks. The organiser and one of the teachers both need and have criminal records checks. A new person wants to support as a 'helper'. This person does not need a check because they are working with children less that 3 times a month. However, they are encouraged and supported to get a check so that they can help with another children's class as well.

(b) Some parents offer to support with the cooking at a junior youth camp. Because the camp is overnight and these parents will have access to the junior youth's sleeping areas, they need a criminal records check before they are allowed to attend.

(c) A large youth conference with participants aged under and over 18 years takes place. The 15-18 year olds are given their own sleeping area which has lockable bedroom doors. All adults with criminal records checks are given a distinctive lanyard to wear which tells the 15-18 year olds that they can approach these people for support with any care needs.

4. Overnights Stay Permit

Safeguarding children is essential to delivering successful activities and place children at the centre of what we do. It is the intention of Level 3 training to understand the needs of children and how best to care for them when they are away from home. It is not possible to adequately safeguard children from harm in the context of poorly organised activities.

An ‘overnight stay’ is defined as any activity when a group of children remain in the care of a Bahá’í Institution overnight and will be at some point be sleeping (or at least provided with a bed). This guidance may not apply to some late-night activities if children are returning home to sleep (e.g. a Holy Day celebration).

It is the policy of the National Spiritual Assembly that all activities involving children (aged up to 18 years) staying away from home overnight to have at least TWO individuals complete Level 3 safeguarding children training. This training includes an assessment to be considered for a permit from the Office for Safeguarding Children.

The following points elaborate on the above policy:

Permit holders must be organisers of the main activity or part of the organising team. Organisers cannot delegate this responsibility to others.
At least two permit holders must be at the overnight activity (i.e. overnight). You may want more than two permit holders attending to avoid situations where there are unexpected changes to staffing resulting in there being no permit holders on-site, as the activity would have to be cancelled, and children returned home.
Cluster Safeguarding Leads need Level 2. Temporary Safeguarding Leads at overnight activities need Level 3 and can be counted as one of the Permit Holders as long as they are resident at the event.
The requirement for a minimum of two permit holders applies to overnight activities of up to 50 children aged under 18 years. An additional permit holder is required for every additional 50 under 18s. For example, a youth conference with 300 under 18s would require a minimum of seven permit holders who are in an organising capacity, including the registrar. (Note: this does not change the child to adult ratios for childcare explained in the safeguarding policy).
Permit holders are also required for other overnight activities when children are not in one venue. For example, if a number of youth were accommodated overnight in several people’s homes, permit holders would still be required to oversee each home and the arrangements put in place. Every resident of the home would of course require a criminal records check completed in advance of children staying with them.
People aged 21 and over can undertake this training and apply to take children away overnight. Those aged under 21 can still take part in this training to further their understanding and skills in safeguarding children when away from home.
The individual must already have experience of working with children in the age range they want to lead on an overnight activity. For example, a person organising a junior youth camp would already have experience as an animator and had already completed Level 2 safeguarding training to understand the overall safeguarding children policy.
An individual wishing to lead overnight activities with children need a recommendation from a Bahá’í Institution that they have first-hand experience of the person’s maturity, responsibility, care of children, leadership skills, and their attitude and personal qualities to lead this type of activity. Suitable support could come from members of Bahá’í Institutions or appointed co-ordinators. (Note: it would be irresponsible to recommend someone solely to encourage them to do something for their community).
Level 3 training will initially involve small groups of people discussing hypothetical safeguarding scenarios to check that they know what to do. It is envisaged that in the future when there are more people experienced in safeguarding children at overnight activities, that this training will include people being accompanied in this role.
The Office for Safeguarding Children will make the final decision on the issuing of a permit which lasts up to five years. If it is felt that an individual cannot take on the full requirements of this role, consultation with others will take place to consider any potential adjustments to a permit being given. For example, a person does not have enough experience and is instead given a permit for one or two overnight stays with conditions attached, including working alongside another person with a full permit to gain more experience.

Please contact the Office for Safeguarding Children if you wish to access the Level 3 training and apply for an overnight stays permit (osc@bahai.org.uk).