Introductory Note to the Operational Guidelines

Code of Practice and Member's Charter

1.       Year Out Group's Code of Practice provides the basis for the standard of service expected of the Group's member organisations while the Member's Charter provides more detail. New members are required to demonstrate their ability to adhere to the Code and meet the requirements of the Member's Charter, while existing members are required annually to demonstrate that they continue to adhere to both.   Members provide a very wide range of programmes which fall into four main categories:

• Courses and cultural exchanges.
• Expeditions.
• Volunteering and
• Structured work placements.

2       In order to provide more detailed guidance for member organisations, Year Out Group has developed  a set of operational guidelines that are appropriate to the activities of that sector.

Operational Guidelines

3       Year Out Group was actively involved in the drafting of BS8848.  Year Out Group actively encourages all those that offer group activities to self assess those activities against BS8848 and many have done so.  Members offering independent placements of an adventurous nature overseas are encouraged to assess those programmes against BS8848.  All members offering activities overseas are expected to use BS8848 as a check list for their risk assessments.

[Note:  The British Standards Institute (BSI) does not permit the publication of individual standards on open websites.  The Parent's Guide to BS8848 provides a useful summary, while the operational guidelines for the Expedition sector provide a good indication of its content.  BS8848 can be accessed via your local library in UK or purchased direct from BSI.]

4       Long before BS8848 was introduced Year Out Group developed a series of operational guidelines that cover the four main areas of activity.  These are still in place for those members that have yet to adopt BS8848 or for whom BS8848 does not apply, e.g. those activities that do not take place overseas.  Each standard has four main sections:

a       Planning the Placement. Placements need to be planned in advance in order to meet, as closely as possible, the objectives of both the volunteer and the host organisation.

b       Monitoring the Placement. Each placement should be monitored whilst in progress.  Problems should be solved as they arise and emergencies met should they occur.

c Measure Satisfaction/Refine the Process. Procedures should be in place to measure the satisfaction gained from the placement by both the client and the host and to take corrective action as appropriate.

d Year Out Group members must be able to demonstrate how these standards are met.

5.      There is a large variety of programmes in each of these four sectors.  It has therefore been necessary to build in some flexibility to the Operational Guidelines that are set out on the following pages.  The Code of Practice and the Operational Guidelines show that all member organisations of Year Out Group recognise their responsibility toward all participants in their programmes.  The Year Out Group has set down a high level of operating guidelines, which have been enhanced by the requirement for members to apply BS8848 in as much detail as appropriate for their individual programmes.  Every member of the Year Out Group subscribes to these guidelines for their programmes and is constantly seeking to ensure that they are maintained.  Nonetheless some minimum levels of service are implied.

6.      The Operating Guidelines are set out on the following pages.

 

Revised January 2012

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