Safeguarding Information for Student Leaders
What are the Safeguarding Requirements for my Project?
If your project involves regularly working with children or young people, volunteers must complete the following checks and training:
- DBS check
- Safeguarding training (Child Protection Fundamentals)
- Certificate of Conduct: If volunteers have lived outside the UK for a continuous period of 6 months or more in the past 5 years they also need to obtain a criminal record check from the country(ies) where they have lived during that period, in addition to a DBS check. We call this a Certificate of Good Conduct, but the name varies from country to country.
If your project runs one-off sessions with children and young people and will be fully supervised by an appropriate staff member from a school or community organisation, volunteers must complete the Safeguarding training (Child Protection Fundamentals) but may not be required to complete a DBS check or Certificate of Good Conduct.
You must speak to the WV office to confirm requirements for your project.
The Safeguarding Processes and Deadlines
1. Volunteer Details
For student-led projects that require safeguarding, Project Leaders should collate a list of 'Committed Volunteers'.
WV cannot process DBS checks for every student that has expressed an interest in your project. Project Leaders must be able to show that volunteers have demonstrated a certain level of commitment before we carry out these processes e.g. attending a project training session or regularly attending volunteer meetings. Please keep track of attendance by logging hours in the portal.
The details of all 'Committed Volunteers' must be updated by the deadline below.
DEADLINE: 10pm on Wednesday 5th November (week 5 - Term 1) - 'Committed Volunteers' details up to date.
2. Information Sent to Volunteers
Please keep in touch with the WV Office and let them know when your list of 'Committed Volunteers' is ready.
When you details are up to date the WV staff will send an email to each volunteer which will contain information, links and instructions on how to complete the checks and the Safeguarding Fundamentals training.
Links will be sent out to volunteers Thursday 6th and Friday 7th November (week 5 - Term 1)
A 'Final Volunteers List' will be created in the portal where Project Leaders will be able to track volunteer status.
3. Volunteers Complete Checks and Training
Volunteers must complete the online DBS application form and submit their ID documents, obtain Certificates of Good Conduct if required and complete the online Safeguarding training. These processes can take place simultaneously, but must be completed by the set deadlines.
- DBS application process
- Certificate of Good Conduct application process
- Safeguarding Fundamentals training link is shared by the WV office
DEADLINES:
Complete Safeguarding Fundamentals Training - 10pm Wednesday 26th November 2025 (week 8 - Term 1)
Complete DBS application and submit ID documents - 10pm on Wednesday 26th November 2025 (week 8 - Term 1)
Submit completed Certificates of Good Conduct - Wednesday 14th January 2026 (week 1 - Term 2)
4. Project Leader Updates
Project Leaders will be able to keep track of their volunteer's progress via the portal. The status will change colour as the volunteer completes each step of the process - Red, Amber and Green.
Please keep in touch with your volunteers during this time and encourage them to complete all of the necessary steps by the specified deadlines.
There is no such thing as a silly question. If you receive any queries, please pass them on to the WV staff volunteers@warwick.ac.uk .
5. Ready to go?
Please ensure that all of your volunteers have completed all of the safeguarding requirements before volunteering activities begin and have received the hard copy of their DBS certificate in the post.
Volunteers must take the original copy of their DBS certificate to show the school or community partner at their first volunteering session.
Project Leader Responsibilities
The WV staff team are responsible for ensuring that a volunteer has all the necessary background checks and has completed the required training before they volunteer, but as a Project Leader your role is to work closely with the WV office to manage the progress of volunteers’ checks.
For student-led projects, it is the Project Leaders responsibility to ensure that ALL VOLUNTEERS have the required checks and training BEFORE they volunteer on the project.
If you notice that someone who has not completed all of the required checks and training has volunteered you should report this to the WV office immediately!