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Village Hall Support
Village halls play a crucial role in supporting strong, diverse, vibrant and inclusive community groups. By being part of the Network your hall will benefit from specialist services and discounts and for management committee members to be reassured they are working effectively and with robust policies and procedures with the assistance of our Village Hall Advisor Richard Timney- richardt@comfirst.org.uk.
Your membership gives you a “there when you need it” helpline service backed by Action for Communities in Rural England (ACRE), advice bulletins, networking opportunities and training events.
To become a member or to find out more about our Village Hall Service please email info@comfirst.org.uk
Latest Village Hall Support News!
Village Halls and Safeguarding
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We have had a few questions in the last month relating to safeguarding policies in village halls and for village hall volunteers.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility not just the committee member lead or the events organisers.
Village halls can be positive if they ask themselves:
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Does the village hall have a safeguarding policy?
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Does our committee offer a route to report problems and to discuss the policy?
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Do the minutes act as a record?
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Does the safeguarding nominee know where to report issues? (your local safeguarding board at the County Council)
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Does our hire agreement set out the responsibility of hirers?
We can help you with all the above matters if you contact richardt@comfirst.org.uk
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On DBS
Many of the roles that village hall volunteers carry out do not need a DBS check. You can have a look at the DBS eligibility guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance .
If your group’s activities qualify then we would advise that having volunteers DBS checked is a prudent safeguarding step.
There is, however, no legal requirement for you to have a DBS check and you can decide pragmatically that a volunteer’s DBS check for one organisation can be accepted in their village hall role.
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Regardless of whether you choose to have volunteers DBS checked, you should ensure your group follow simple, practical precautions such as working safely in pairs, keeping records of money spent and providing shopping receipts to safeguard all involved.
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A note on a village hall organised coffee mornings etc.
There is a reasonable expectation that vulnerable individuals will attend such events from time to time. It would be sensible if at least one person hold a DBS check. This person can then act as the person who takes Mildred to the loo or helps if she becomes disorientated.
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Further guidance and resources – richardt@comfirst.org.uk
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https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance
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An excellent guide from the Ann Craft Trust explains, what is my role in safeguarding