Part of the Do's and don'ts – how to keep children and young people safe series.
Overnight stays involving children and young people should only occur with your organisation’s approval, and consent of each child or young person’s parent or carer.
Practices and behaviour during an overnight stay must be consistent with the practices and behaviour expected during the delivery of your sport at all other times.
Watch the overnight stays video
Do
- Obtain written consent prior to the overnight stay. Written approval could include electronic messaging formats such as email or SMS.
- Ensure children and young people are provided with privacy when bathing, toileting and dressing.
- Observe appropriate dress standards when children and young people are present – such as no exposure to nudity.
- Ensure the safety of children and young people is not compromised by inappropriate sleeping arrangements:
- An adult must not sleep alone in the same room as children or young people, unless they are the parent or have parental responsibility for those children and young people.
- Children and young people must not share a bed with an adult or another child or young person.
- Always allow children and young people to contact their parents or carers, or another adult, if they feel unsafe, uncomfortable, distressed, or for any other reason, during the stay.
- Enable parents or carers to contact their child or young person if required.
- Make sure there are appropriate levels of supervision. General rule is a minimum of 2 adults with a ratio of 1:8.
- Plan appropriate accommodation. If children or young people share a room, they should be the same age and gender and must not share beds.
- Plan for emergencies. If you need to administer first aid, do so only if you are qualified and in the presence of others or in an emergency.
- Ensure that if mixed-gender teams travel, they are always accompanied by a male and female chaperone
- Keep parents and carers informed and let them know:
- the aim of the trip
- destinations and venues
- competition/event details
- supervision levels
- accommodation details, including rooming configuration
- contact details
- roles and responsibilities of accompanying adults
- estimated time of arrival and departure.
- Keep children and young people informed and let them know:
- what’s expected of them
- roles and responsibilities of adults accompanying them
- their rights
- who to talk to if they have any concerns.
- Avoid being with a child or young person in an isolated or unobserved situation.
- Establish a two-deep leadership model when doing room checks, attending team meetings or other activities. Two-deep leadership is when 2 authorised adults should be present and observable by others, and interruptible environments should be maintained
Don't
- Expose children or young people to explicit images depicting adult (sexual) content, (for example, through movies, television, the internet or magazines).
- Leave children or young people under the supervision or protection of unauthorised persons such as accommodation staff or peers.
- Share a room, apartment or bed with a child or young person.
- Be alone in a room with a child or young person. If an adult presence is required, there should always be more than one child or young person in the room with the adult.
- Remove a child or young person’s clothing, even in an emergency, unless you have their permission and at least one other person is with you.
- Enter a child or young person’s room or invite them into your room when travelling.
- Do things of a personal nature for children or young people that they can do for themselves.
