Jesus Youth JY UK Safeguarding
Section 9

Recurring Programmes & Standing Consent

Standing consent model, renewal, per-session requirements, and joining mid-year.

9. Recurring Programmes & Standing Consent

Many Jesus Youth activities run on a recurring basis — weekly under-18 prayer meetings, biweekly small groups, monthly youth gatherings, term-long courses, online weekly sessions. Asking parents to sign a fresh consent form every week is impractical and produces lower compliance. Instead, use a Standing Consent model with the safeguards below.

A single Standing Consent Form, valid for a defined period (recommended one programme year, e.g. September → August, or 12 months from signing), covering:

  • Regular participation in the named recurring programme
  • Standard activities described in writing (prayer, talks, discussion groups, refreshments, indoor games, etc.)
  • The standard venue(s) and standard online platform(s)
  • The standard adult leadership team (named, with changes communicated)
  • Standard time/day pattern (e.g. “every Friday 7–9pm during term”)
  • Emergency medical consent
  • Media consent (with granular opt-ins)
  • Two emergency contacts and medical/dietary information
  • Off-site trips, residentials, retreats, or anything overnight
  • Activities outside the standard description (e.g. swimming, climbing, transport in volunteer cars)
  • A new venue not listed on the original form
  • A change of platform for online (e.g. moving from Zoom to Discord)
  • Any session being recorded or live-streamed
  • Significant changes to the leadership team (e.g. a new lead leader)

For these, issue an event-specific top-up consent referencing the standing consent already on file.

9.3 Renewal & review

  • Standing consent expires after 12 months — automatic renewal is not acceptable; parents must re-sign annually
  • DSL or programme lead sends a renewal pack before expiry, including any changes since last year
  • Mid-year update mechanism: parents notified of leader changes, venue changes, or material changes within 14 days
  • Parents can withdraw consent at any time in writing (email is acceptable); take effect immediately

9.4 What you still do per session

Standing consent removes the paperwork per session but not the safeguarding per session. For every session:

  • Attendance register (signed in / signed out for in-person; screenshot/log for online)
  • Confirm ratios (§6.4) before starting
  • Confirm at least two DBS-cleared adults present
  • Risk assessment — done once for the programme, but reviewed termly (every 3 months) and re-done if the venue, activities, or participant profile changes
  • First aider identified for in-person sessions
  • Incident log open and accessible
  • Note any absences of regular attendees (welfare check if pattern emerges)

9.5 Records to keep for each recurring programme

Per programme:

  • Standing consent forms (one per child, current year)
  • Programme description (activities, venue, time, leadership team) — version-controlled
  • Programme-level risk assessment (with termly review dates)
  • Leadership team list with DBS log references
  • Termly leader meeting minutes (review of concerns, ratios, attendance trends)

Per session:

  • Attendance register
  • Incident notes (if any)
  • For online: saved chat, participant log, recording (if consent + needed)

9.6 Joining mid-year

When a new young person wants to join an established recurring programme:

  • Provide programme description and consent pack to parent
  • Parent signs standing consent before first attendance
  • Young person signs Code of Conduct before first attendance
  • “Trial” attendance only with consent already on file — no “come along this week and we’ll get the form next time”

9.7 Aging out / aging in

  • 18th birthday: programme lead notes change; young person becomes adult attendee or moves to next-stage activity. Update records.
  • Joining at 11+ (transitioning from children’s to youth programme): full consent pack, including new age-appropriate Code of Conduct.