Guest
I believe that there is eerything you would need to write already written in the Thematic Review : working with young people in the community, which has in section 8 - the following-
8.1 Youth instructor recruitment and training template
We had the responsibility of developing selection and training procedures so that agreed national standards can be produced. The framework for this is given below and further development will be carried out based on this model. We hope that this will be the role of the FSYTA. It will be one of the main aims listed in their business plan and will be developed within the wider consultative structure available to them through the National Community Fire Safety Centre. When completed it will also become a section of the community fire safety toolbox.
8.1.1 Youth leaders and instructors
Both these titles refer to people who will work with young people within the Fire Service. Theywill need the same qualities and develop the same expertise to carry out the work successfully. They may be employees of a fire brigade or people from the community without a previous connection who offer their help. They will all be ‘volunteers’ in the sense that they agree to and want to be involved in youth work (the term does not have any meaning related to how they are rewarded). Leaders will have the responsibility for planning and running activities, including managing them and making sure that agreed policy is followed by everyone involved in the work with young people. Instructors will help leaders by carrying out the activities and may carry out any tasks given to them. The Fire and Rescue Service working with young people in the community. It is important that people who are responsible for choosing volunteers, who will have the responsibility for the delivery of youth training, take great care in selecting the right people. Their suitability to undertake this type of work – on a paid or unpaid basis – should be checked using the normal brigade system for employing staff. As these posts will involve working with children or young people, good practice says that any appointment must depend on:
• The disclosure process of the Criminal Records Bureau.
• Provision of a suitable reference for the applicant’s suitability to work with children or young people.
• A properly structured interview by at least two people.
• An agreement by the applicant to have relevant training.
• Completion of a suitable probationary period, during which his or her performance is assessed.
The applicant for any post should have a job description and should recognise the responsibilities and limits associated with the work they are being asked to do.
The main qualities needed are:
• Fairness.
• Respect for the individual.
• The ability to communicate with young people.
Other qualities needed are:
• Patience and understanding.
• Optimism.
• A sense of humour.
The key to the success of any work with young people is the desire to improve their lives and maintain the positive relationships and activities that achieve this.
8.1.2 Training for youth leaders and instructors
Volunteers who work with young people should be provided with relevant training to give them the skills needed to successfully carry out their role. It will usually be necessary to provide the training in a number of phases. These can be divided into three stages, initial, advanced and enhanced. The lists provided below are not complete and are a guide only.
8.1.3 Initial skills
All instructors must take this stage before work starts. This includes the basic skills needed to start a scheme successfully:
• Child protection
• Child development
• Fairness and equality
• Health, safety and welfare
• Risk assessment
• First aid
• General supervision of young people
• Drill ground supervision
• Manual handling
8.1.4 Advanced skills
This training is essential for all leaders and desirable for instructors as part of their progression training. They should start it as soon as possible after finishing the initial stage:
• Principles of youth work
• Dealing with challenging behaviour
• Listening skills
• Training methods
• Programme planning
• Programme content
• Administration
• Keeping accounts
8.1.5 Enhanced skills
The training provided under this heading is designed to further improve how schemes are run and provide refresher and updated training:
• Training assessor qualification
• Adventures activities and legal responsibilities
• Planning expeditions
• First aid (specific to adventures activities)
• Creating links with other organisations
The training provided should be relevant to the role instructors have, and not all instructors will have to have all training. Some of the areas will have been covered in other training, and consideration should be given to the qualifications and experience they already have. At the enhanced level, not all instructors will need all the skills covered. The time needed to provide training to instructors will vary. It will depend on the type of scheme and activities. We expect that the initial stage would be one week’s training for those candidates who need all the areas, that the advanced skills stage would take the same time, and that the enhanced training would depend on the needs of individual schemes.
In addition see the Fire & Rescue Service Manual - Youth Training and Development section 3.2 on competenceof trainers.
Hopefully these do it all.
