Working with under 18s

At least one committee member from your society must attend a project drop in meeting with a Volunteering Coordinator. We recommend that the students who are most involved in leading on your Volunteering Project attend this drop in. This must be attended before project delivery begins.

This drop in will cover crucial content such as Project Planning Training, Theory of Change, Data Protection, how to ensure your volunteers are DBS checked and Safeguarding Trained and completing a risk assessment. We recommend that you try to attend this Drop in before attempting the other essential steps.

To book your drop in use the link below. Please also review our Volunteering Policy for more information on how to run your project.

Before starting any volunteering project, it is essential to complete project planning training and develop a Theory of Change.

Project planning training equips volunteers with the necessary guidance and steps to complete their Project effectively and safely.

A Theory of Change is a framework that helps volunteers and project leaders clearly define the problem they aim to address, the outcomes they hope to achieve, and the steps needed to get there.

Completing both the training and the Theory of Change ensures that each project has a clear direction, measurable goals, and a strategy for long-term success. These steps are required before launching your volunteering project.

Before you are permitted to start your project you must submit a high risk assessment via the Activities Dashboard which covers key areas such as data protection and safeguarding.

We recommend you attend a check in with a Coordinator prior to writing and submitting your risk assessment as, at this meeting, we will outline the best practice.

To submit your risk assessment please complete an Additional Activity Risk Assessment via the Activities Dashboard. We will aim to respond to your risk assessment within 12 working days, not including office closure days. We may request more detail be added to your risk assessment before we approve it, so keep this in mind before promising a start date for your project.

Project Roles are the way your volunteering project team is organised to ensure tasks are managed effectively and the project runs smoothly. The Volunteering Project Structures guide will help you structure your Project Team by outlining required and optional positions. Every team must have a Project Lead and at least one additional role from the provided list. While the Project Lead can take on multiple responsibilities, they should hold no more than three roles to ensure a fair distribution of work and strong team collaboration throughout the project.

Volunteers must be members of your student group, and we provide opportunities to support with Volunteer recruitment throughout the year, as well as guidance on how you are able to manage your volunteers.

Throughout your Volunteering Project, you can use our Volunteer Capture document to monitor volunteer data. Once this is completed, please provide this to KCLSU by emailing volunteering@kclsu.org

All students volunteering on your Widening Participation or Volunteering project and interacting, in any sense with under 18s or vulnerable adults must complete Safeguarding training, and have a valid DBS check before volunteering.

Working with under-18s includes any form of interaction, including email, online meetings, other written or verbal communication, and face-to-face contact.

All volunteers working with under-18s must complete the KCLSU Safeguarding Training every year before any volunteering can take place.
This training can be accessed below and must be completed in full in order to be approved to work with under-18s.

It is the responsibility of the Project Lead to ensure that all volunteers complete safeguarding training before they begin any activity involving under-18s. Volunteers who have not completed the required training must not engage with under-18s in any capacity.

If you are viewing this page because you need to report a safeguarding concern, you should use the Incident Reporting Form. This is the correct route for reporting concerns and ensures they are recorded and handled in line with safeguarding procedures.

All students volunteering on your Widening Participation or Volunteering project and interacting, in any sense with under 18s or vulnerable adults must complete Safeguarding training, and have a valid DBS check before volunteering.

All volunteers engaging with under-18s must hold a valid DBS certificate issued by KCLSU or King’s, including certificates obtained through an academic course.

DBS certificates must have been issued within the last three years. Certificates issued more than three years ago are only valid if the volunteer is registered with the DBS Update Service.

Copies of DBS certificates must be provided to the Project Lead, who is responsible for submitting them to the Volunteering Team for verification before any volunteering can take place.

KCLSU can provide free DBS checks for volunteer projects that have met with the Volunteering Team in advance to discuss their plans and safeguarding requirements. DBS checks will not be arranged without this prior meeting.

DBS certificates can take up to six weeks to be issued. Project Leads are responsible for planning ahead and ensuring all required checks are completed and verified before any volunteering activity involving under-18s begins.

Impact Reporting and Handovers are key to wrapping up your volunteering project effectively.

The Impact Report should briefly outline your goals, what you achieved, any challenges faced, and feedback or data collected. We would love for you to share your impact with us so that we can spotlight and share your successes!

Alongside this, a Project Handover with the incoming committee should also take place to ensure continuity. This will summarise key project details, key contacts, feedback and recommendations, to ensure that the project can continue to run in the following year.

Rewards and Recognition are an important part of the volunteering experience, designed to celebrate the time, effort, and impact volunteers contribute to their projects. This system acknowledges both individual and team achievements through a variety of formats:

• Monthly Awards
• KCLSU Awards
• Blogposts and Spotlights
• Volunteer Showcase
• Logging Hours and Volunteering Certificates
• Accreditation Scheme

Many student projects are very successful and your following years committee or membership may be interested in continuing them.

In order for your project to be formally recognised please follow the guidance below.

You can book in a drop-in session with a Volunteer Coordinator if you need any help or contact volunteering@kclsu.org.

• Conduct a handover meeting with the outgoing and incoming committee using the agenda below. Assign a Chair and Minute-taker to keep the meeting on track and send your meeting notes to volunteering@kclsu.org.
• Write a new Theory of Change and submit it to volunteering@kclsu.org.
• Write a new Risk Assessment and submit it via the Activities Dashboard.
• Once you have received confirmation from the Volunteer team that your project has been renewed your project can officially begin!