Safety

Safety

Safety is our number one priority. We understand the anxiety and nerves over sending your young person to an overnight programme and we work hard all year to make sure that our programmes are fun, action-packed and safe. We ensure all of our staff are fully trained with strong experience in youth development. We only accept the highest standard from our staff, activities and location.

Accreditation

We are a fully accredited Summer Camp. Our programme and processes were thoroughly assessed and accredited in 2014, 2019, 2022, & 2024 by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). 

Staff

• Staff to young person ratio is approximately 1:4
• Staff hiring - all of our staff undergo a rigorous application process so we only hire the most qualified, experienced and passionate staff
• Background check - every staff member goes through a full background disclosure and reference check
• All of our staff partake in a fully comprehensive week-long staff orientation programme

Health

• First aid facilities and fully qualified individuals are available 24 hours a day
• Parents are notified right away in case of any injury or illness

Activities & Risk Assessments

• All of our activities have undergone a thorough risk assessment

Emergency Procedures

• We have a full emergency procedures policy
• All staff members are fully trained in emergency procedures
• All young people practice an emergency procedure drill on day one

Supervision

Of course - young people on The Teen Leadership Challenge will be fully supervised, looked after & supported by our caring & experienced staff. Our staff will be around the young people, running activities and guiding them throughout their stay. 

There will be two 'siesta periods' in the afternoon (that are around one hour each) where young people will be given the independence to go grab a coffee at the on-site cafe, have a game of footy, grab a snack from the on-site shop or hang out with friends. As it is a campus university, everything is in close walking distance and young people can only go to pre-arranged places. We will always make sure young people are safe, looked after and supported and for the vast majority of their time, they will be around our staff. 

Homesickness

We have over 20 years of experience running summer camps and we fully appreciate and understand that being away from home can be a daunting experience. We ensure that every young person is welcomed into a positive and friendly environment. 

Every teen is treated as an individual - every worry, concern and problem is listened to by their own counsellors. We make a concerted effort to look out for young people who are struggling to adjust and give them extra attention and advice to help. 

If a camper is homesick, our counsellors are trained to:

• Speak to the young person and listen to their feelings
• Find out what they are enjoying so far and who they have enjoyed spending time with
• Find out what they are looking forward to or why they signed up for The Teen Leadership Challenge
• Encourage the young person to spend more time with their friends and tell them about all the fun activities coming up
• Encourage the young person to speak to their parents about how they feel
• Keep a closer eye on the young person for the duration of their stay at The Teen Leadership Challenge

Safeguarding

The safeguarding of children and teenagers is of paramount concern to the International Summer Camp UK. We take the responsibility of looking after children extremely seriously. Above fun, friendship and everything else great that we do, safety and safeguarding are of the highest importance.

We run a full safeguarding training session during our staff orientation week. We talk through our safeguarding policies and procedures and make sure everyone is clear on them.

Our safeguarding policies are fully up to date and passed the BAC accreditation process in  2014, 2019, 2022, & 2024