The University Trustee Board, last week, unanimously approved the continuation of the YUSU ran “Kids’ Camp”, after an overhaul of the project was presented to a board on Thursday night by student activities officer, Rhianna Kinchin.
Kinchin’s complete overhaul included a new “framework set by national standards”, a greater emphasis on the personal development of kids’ camp volunteers, and a “safer environment” which bans all alcohol on sight. The resounding 30 page overhaul was unanimously passed following a detailed presentation by Kinchin.
Although Kids’ Camp had its beginnings over 40 years ago, in recent history the scheme has had been at the centre of several embarrassing and controversial incidents.
In 2002 there was a nail biting minibus accident in which a vehicle, according to a YUSU document, “tipped off a cliff” – although nobody was injured. Additionally in 2008, a damaging letter was received from a child’s social worker accusing an individual of entering a child’s room in the night (although the child later denied this claim).
After each of these incidents, the trustee board continued to approve the running of Kids’ camp with little reform; one PhD student, who wished to remain anonymous, told Vision that this was due to a “weak trustee board that was much bigger and had greater politically bias than what the trustee board seems to be today”.
More recently in 2009, Kids’ Camp was at the centre of yet another incident in which the children were deemed by one ex-volunteer as “out of control”.
An email that Vision obtained, from the owner of the accommodation to YUSU confirms this, stating: “I very much regret that owing to the poor behaviour and lack of control of the children during both weeks during August I am not able to accept further bookings from you”.
This seems to have been the final straw for the current, much stronger trustee board, and a new proposal encompassing all necessary procedures and processes was deemed absolutely necessary.
Following Kinchin’s successful proposal, she commented: “I have dedicated many hours of work over the past months…transforming concerns raised by YUSU’s trustees, local professionals and the Kids’ Camp Working Group of volunteers into a practical, safe and exciting solution for running Kids’ Camp”.
When we quizzed Kinchin on why she felt her proposal would last so much longer than previous proposals, she told us that, her proposal was significant in that it “will control the risks of running a residential camp for kids that the Trustee Board have been concerned about.”. Kinchin further added that, “Local professionals in safeguarding children have been involved in working towards these big changes, and the Trustee Board is now confident that Kids’ Camp has been thoroughly reviewed and reconstructed.”
Summer Kid’s camp 2010 will therefore take place from the
23rd – 28th August (1st Week) and 28th August – 1st September (2nd Week).
Contact YUSU for more details on how to get involved.
This is really good, positive news and I’m personally delighted that the trustee board have chosen to accept the reformed document submitted by the Working Group as it’s been a lengthy and neccessary process and Rhianna’s really worked hard to make sure that, whilst there are some serious structural changes, the ethos of Camp will remain the same.
Just one thing I’d like to make clear, the claims from the staff at the previosu venue that there was a “lack of control” over the children this summer are, in my opinion and that of other volunteers on Camp, unfair and inaccurate on both the effort and professionalism of the volunteers on site and the behaviour of the children. Some of the main difficulties occured due to the unprofessionalism and rudeness of the campsites staff to both volunteers and, shockingly, to children during the week. Thankfully such issues will not crop up at the amazing new campsite in York.
Application forms are available from http://www.yusu.org/volunteering and there’ll be an information evening coming up in the next week or so. Get involved!
For once, I am not the anonymous PhD student quoted in this article.
I am shocked that these criteria were not in place in the first place?
The idea that students were given supervision of children without proper checks and procedures in place is extremely irresponsible. Any other organisation doing so would be in serious trouble.
Why was none of this brought up before this year? Yes it is nice that students give their time to this but the safety of the children must be the first consideration at all time.
David,
Most procedures were already in place, this overall has been to add new procedures that were not already in place and to satisfy the trustees that all risk had been removed (e.g. by employing a professional camp manager to run camp in the absence of the SDC position).
“The idea that students were given supervision of children without proper checks and procedures in place is extremely irresponsible.”
All volunteers were subject to enhanced CRB disclosures (the highest level of checking) so that statement is simply incorrect David.
“Why was none of this brought up before this year? Yes it is nice that students give their time to this but the safety of the children must be the first consideration at all time.”
That has ALWAYS been the primary consideration – hence the CRB checks and the comprehensive training delivered to volunteers (training which I must add has been deemed as excellent by the Safeguarding Children board)
There haven’t been massive risks in previous years – it just makes sense that with the change of circumstances, that have been coming alongside the new constitution and YUSU officer positions, there is a glance at how to improve it and ensure that all current trustees are fully satisfied that child safety (and volunteer safety) is the primary concern!
Having sat on the trustee board previously and having attended Kids Camp, I can say that it was at least as well-run as Nick suggests..!
hi i now nick i am jamie harrison amd i went to kids camp and nick cum to sey us at kids camp