Safety and wellbeing

In short

• Before you travel, we check our partners and the venue, and you get an info pack with contacts, the programme and safety rules.
• During the activity there is always someone you can talk to, a 24/7 emergency contact and a first aider nearby.
• We check in with you every day, and you can share concerns anonymously.
• If anyone is at risk, we act immediately and confidentially.
• After the project we check how you are doing, especially if things were hard.

Your safety and wellbeing matter more to us than any programme or schedule. These are the commitments we make for every youth exchange and training course, based on the Erasmus+ quality standards and good practice in youth work. They apply to participants and team members alike.

When we send you to an activity hosted by a partner organisation, the host runs the venue and the programme. In that case these commitments apply to the parts our own team takes part in, and to anything we state explicitly in the info pack for that project.

Before the activity

We check our partners

• We make sure every partner organisation is genuine and reliable, and shares our values and our approach to keeping people safe.
• We sign a partnership agreement with each partner that sets out the aims of the project, who does what, our shared commitment to participants' safety and welfare, and how we communicate in an emergency.
• We exchange child and vulnerable adult protection policies with our partners and agree to apply the highest standard among the countries involved.

We check where you will stay

• We carry out a risk assessment of the accommodation and activity sites, ideally during a planning visit before the activity.
• We confirm the venue follows local health and safety rules.
• We make sure that:
  • sleeping arrangements are safe, clean and appropriate for each gender;
  • participants under 18 sleep in separate rooms by gender;
  • you have somewhere safe to keep your belongings and medication.
• We have a written contract with the accommodation provider that covers safety, hygiene and emergencies.
• We note accessibility information for participants with disabilities or specific needs.

We prepare you

• Our selection process is open and transparent (see our Selection Procedure).
• If you are under 18, we need written consent from your parent or guardian.
• We ask you to fill in a participant form with your emergency contact, health and allergy information, dietary or accessibility needs and any other relevant information. We store it confidentially.
• We check that every participant and team member has suitable travel, health and accident insurance.
• You receive an information pack with:
  • contact details for us, the host organisation and local emergency numbers;
  • an overview of the programme;
  • the code of conduct and group rules;
  • health and safety guidelines.

We prepare our leaders

• We appoint a lead group leader, who is responsible for overall safety and for making decisions.
• We aim for a balance of genders and ages among group leaders.
• Every leader:
  • has completed a background check where this applies;
  • understands their duty of care (their responsibility to look after you);
  • is trained in first aid, or can reach a first aider at any time;
  • has a clear role and daily schedule.
• We brief leaders on emergency procedures, safeguarding and inclusion, and we expect them to build trust, respect and open communication with you.

We plan the programme with safety in mind

• We assess the risks of every activity, including outdoor and intercultural ones, and plan how to reduce them.
• Activities that need specialist skills, such as water or adventure sports, are led by qualified instructors.
• Free time is planned, with clear boundaries and a supervision plan.
• Every day includes time to reflect and talk about how things are going.
• We have backup plans for bad weather, illness or travel problems.

We are ready for emergencies

• There is a 24/7 emergency contact chain in both your home country and the host country.
• We have a crisis plan that covers evacuation, medical emergencies, how incidents are reported and how we communicate inside and outside the group.
• There is a first aid kit, and we know who is responsible for it.
• We keep an emergency fund for unexpected costs.

During the activity

When you arrive

We start with a welcome and orientation session where you:

• meet the team and the other participants;
• go through the programme and practical details;
• learn the safety, emergency and communication procedures;
• talk about cultural differences and what behaviour is expected;
• receive your Help Me card and the contact numbers;
• agree the group rules and your responsibilities together.

There is a central information point or notice board with updates, contacts and announcements.

Support every day

• There is a welfare officer or support person available throughout the activity, someone whose job is to look out for your wellbeing. We introduce this person during the preparatory meetings and again in the group meetings at the start of each activity.
• You are paired with a buddy, so everyone has someone looking out for them.
• Group leaders check in with participants every day.
• Leaders meet every day to review safety, practical matters and how everyone is doing.
• We record every incident, even small ones, so we can learn from them.
• Leaders always know where participants are, including during free time.
• If you are struggling emotionally, we listen without judgement and, if needed, help you find professional support.

Protecting young people

• We take every concern seriously and act immediately if we suspect abuse or neglect.
• We follow the stricter child protection rules of the two countries involved (home or host).
• If needed, we:
  • remove the young person from danger;
  • contact the designated safeguarding person;
  • inform the partner organisation and the authorities when required;
  • record the facts objectively and confidentially.
• We make sure team members dealing with sensitive cases also get emotional and professional support.

How to report a concern is explained in our Code of Conduct.

Your voice in the group

• We involve all participants in decisions.
• We hold feedback sessions, daily or in the middle of the week, to check how comfortable you are and how the accommodation and meals are working.
• Participants with fewer opportunities (young people who face barriers such as low income, disability or living in a remote area) get extra mentoring or help if they need it.
• We use creative methods, such as art, journaling and photography, to reflect on the experience.
• There is an anonymous feedback box for comments and concerns you would rather not share in person.

After the activity

• We hold a final evaluation with partners, leaders and participants about what worked well, what could be better and how risks were managed.
• We write up the findings in a final safety and wellbeing report.
• All personal and incident information is archived confidentially.
• We use what we learn to improve our risk planning, leader training and future projects.
• We share lessons learned with partners and future leaders.
• We check in on participants' wellbeing after the project, especially anyone who faced difficulties.

Questions?

Write to us at [email protected].