Nature of the Service

Dizzy Heights operates an open-access youth work provision. Our youth clubs are voluntary attendance settings and are not intended to provide a custodial, school-style or continuous childcare service.

Subject to parental authorisation, individual safeguarding considerations and any agreed alternative arrangements, young people may arrive at and leave our open-access sessions independently.

Independent Arrival and Departure

As part of the registration process, parents and carers are required to acknowledge our Open Door Policy and provide consent for independent travel to and from youth sessions.

Parents and carers acknowledge and understand that:

• Their child is authorised to travel independently to and from the youth club, without being accompanied or collected by a parent, carer or member of Dizzy Heights staff.
• Separate parental consent is requested regarding whether their child has permission to leave and return to the youth club independently during a session, including before the advertised finishing time.
• Attendance at an open-access youth club does not guarantee that their child will remain at the venue for the full duration of the session.
• Dizzy Heights does not ordinarily provide supervision, transport, escorting or routine monitoring of young people during their independent journeys to or from the youth club.
• Parents and carers are responsible for assessing whether their child has the maturity, independence and ability to travel safely, and for establishing appropriate travel arrangements, boundaries and expectations with their child.
• Parents and carers remain responsible for providing guidance and setting expectations concerning their child’s behaviour and conduct outside the youth club, including while travelling to and from sessions.

Parental Permission to Leave During Sessions

During registration through EEQU, parents and carers are required to indicate whether they give permission for their young person to leave and return to youth sessions independently at any time.

Parents and carers must select either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

Where permission is granted (‘Yes’):

The young person may leave and return to the youth club independently during a session without routinely notifying staff or obtaining further permission, subject to any individual safeguarding arrangements.

Where permission is not granted (‘No’):

• The young person is not authorised by their parent or carer to leave independently during the session.
• Where parental permission to leave during a session is not granted, this does not create an expectation or guarantee that Dizzy Heights staff will prevent the young person from leaving or ensure they remain on site. This consent is used to determine whether staff should notify parents or carers through EEQU if they become aware that the young person has chosen to leave, alongside any necessary safeguarding action.
• As Dizzy Heights staff become aware that the young person has left the session, they will notify the parent or carer through EEQU.
• Dizzy Heights staff cannot physically restrain young people from leaving should they choose to, therefore cannot guarantee that a young person will remain on site during advertised times. 
• The absence of parental permission does not mean that Dizzy Heights operates a custodial or continuous supervision arrangement. Staff will continue to respond appropriately to any identified safeguarding concerns in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.
• Where a young person’s individual needs require additional supervision or specific departure arrangements, these should be discussed with Dizzy Heights in advance to establish whether suitable arrangements can be accommodated.

Behaviour and Conduct Outside the Youth Club

Dizzy Heights does not ordinarily supervise young people in the wider community before their arrival or following their departure from an open-access youth club.

Parents and carers acknowledge that they are responsible for addressing their child’s behaviour and conduct during independent travel, including interactions with members of the public, use of public transport, compliance with road safety rules and behaviour in public places.

Dizzy Heights is not ordinarily responsible for independently undertaken activities, journeys or conduct outside its organised provision where such matters are not caused by a breach of duty on the part of Dizzy Heights.

Where behaviour outside the youth club is brought to our attention and raises safeguarding concerns, threatens the welfare of others or affects the safe operation of our service, Dizzy Heights may take appropriate action in accordance with its safeguarding and behaviour policies.

Supervision and Safeguarding

Dizzy Heights provides appropriate supervision during a young person’s participation in activities delivered by the organisation, in accordance with the nature of the provision and applicable safeguarding responsibilities.

Routine supervision under the open-access arrangement normally ends when the young person leaves the youth club and is no longer participating in a Dizzy Heights-organised activity.

However, Dizzy Heights retains its applicable legal duties, including safeguarding responsibilities and duties arising from its own acts or omissions. Staff will respond appropriately where they know or reasonably suspect that a young person is at risk of harm.

Where a young person leaves a session without parental permission and staff become aware of their departure, the parent or carer will be notified through EEQU. Where there are additional safeguarding concerns, staff will take appropriate further action, which may include direct parental contact, recording the concern or escalating it in accordance with safeguarding procedures.

Dizzy Heights will continue to review its arrangements and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, while maintaining the accessibility, independence and principles of open-access youth work.