Do we really know the person who sits in the corner office, the spiritual leader in the pulpit, the coach of a sport’s team, the babysitter? We all may have secrets, a past that haunts us, or a skeleton in our closet however some of those secrets, pasts, and skeletons are more dangerous than others. |
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After this many years, we will never have 100% guarantee that there will not be a predator among us that we are not aware of. However, there are critical steps we can take to minimize the risk and to recognize the signs of someone who could bring harm to children, youth and adults, and also bring harm to the organization. |
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Join Melodie for our special interest webinar in February to gain greater understanding of screening and identifying the predators among us.
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FAQ: Why can’t Plan to Protect®
do Vulnerable Sector Checks?...
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A vulnerable sector check is an enhanced criminal record check used to verify if an individual has a record suspension (formerly pardon) for sex offences. People who volunteer or have jobs where they are in positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons can be asked to obtain a vulnerable sector check. Accurately referred to as Vulnerable Sector Search/Check (VSS), federal policy prescribes that these checks can only be initiated by the Canadian police service where the applicant lives. |
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The Parole Board does not allow third party providers of Criminal Record Checks to gain access to information on individuals that have been pardoned for sexual crimes. Therefore, we cannot do them. With that said, Canada no longer grants these pardons. We recommend that the first time you do background screening on staff and volunteers you send them to the local police station for a Vulnerable Sector Check. For renewals or young adults born after February 1986 we recommend you use our screening platform. Suspensions of this nature have not been granted since March 13, 2012.
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Please note: If potentially relevant, locally-held information is located, the applicant will be referred to their local police service for further investigation and/or fingerprinting. The applicant's local police service will review any discovered materials for relevance to the application. ONLY police services may authorize the release of locally held police information.
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The Six Worst Child Safety Habits
and How to Replace Them!
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We are grateful for the work of KidCheck. This article was first published as a blog on the KidCheck website. |
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A habit is an acquired pattern or routine behavior that when repeated consistently becomes almost involuntary. We are all creatures of habit. Perhaps you’ve never considered that most of what you do in a day consists of habits. |
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Much like good habits, which keep us focused, productive, and closer to our goals, bad habits can disrupt, waste time, and jeopardize the health and safety of your organization. The questions are, why do we continue to engage in bad habits? What can we do about them? |
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For organizations focused on improving child safety, bad habits are typically caused by two factors – false assumptions and pressure. Bad safety habits are often attributed to feeling overwhelmed, understaffed, and pressured to make a good impression or keep people happy by not inconveniencing them. Recognizing the cause of bad safety habits is essential to overcoming or replacing them with better ones. |
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CLICK HERE to learn some of the worst child safety habits and how to change them.
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Check out our Training in February!
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February 9, 2023
12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time
Special Interest Webinar
Screening - Who? What? Where? When? Why?
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During our Deeper Dive series of seminars in 2023, we will showcase our updated Plan to Protect® manual, best practices, and standard of care that every organization serving the vulnerable sector should embrace.
In this webinar, we will unpack what you need to know to meet insurance requirements for training and equip your staff and volunteers to safeguard your people.
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February 7, 2023
12:30pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time
Learn the basics and standard of Plan to Protect. This is a complimentary webinar. Register to participate LIVE with Q&A time, or to receive access to an instant replay.
for details and registration.
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February 7, 2022
7:30pm - 9:00pm Eastern Time
We have modified our Plan to Protect® Orientation training for Board Members and Trustees.
for details and registration.
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February 23, 2023
8:00pm - 9:30pm Eastern Time
Great for individuals and groups who need to be refreshed in Plan to Protect® policies and procedures.
for details and registration.
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February 25, 2023
1:00pm - 3:30pm Eastern Time
Join us for this two hour orientation training covering awareness of abuse, prevention, reporting and response and so much more!
for details and registration.
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Serious About Safety is back!
Join us from March 20 - 25
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Our next Serious About Safety event is a five-day LIVE launch drawing from best practices from our...
Plan to Protect® A Safeguarding Guide for Children, Youth and Adults.
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Our free, 5-day Live Masterclass will teach you the five simple steps to identify risks and implement a strategy to prevent abuse and protect children, youth and vulnerable adults. We will also gain a greater perspective on what we should be genuinely focussing on for accountability and long-term safeguarding!
For the fourth time, we are capturing the highlights of the Plan to Protect® certification training, our best practices and standards and unveiling them in this 5 day launch.
The theme for this session is...
"Laser Focus on Safeguarding."
12:00 pm EST each day Melodie and the team will be live on both Facebook and Instagram to teach. The session will be recorded and available to review in the group during the launch.
Invite your team...
Invite your Networks, Teams, Board Members ...
For the first time get everyone on the same page!
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How do we measure
leadership buy-in?
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We are often asked how organizations demonstrate that they are serious about safety. When we asked our Plan to Protect® Seal of Excellence recipients what their leaders have done, here are their responses:
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“Safety is a top priority (physical, emotional and spiritual safety). Our Leadership has a mission and vision statement in place that values all participants.” |
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Another said “There is a budget line for safety including Plan to Protect® membership, professional development for our leaders, criminal record checks, and training.”
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“The Board has an annual calendar and on the calendar, they include reviewing policies and procedures, and taking the Plan to Protect® Training for Board Members and Trustees."
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“Leadership calls for a policy audit to be done annually to check on compliance. If gaps are found or areas where there has not been compliance leadership sets targets and timelines to address the short fall identified in the policy audit.” |
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Another means of demonstrating leadership buy-in is when leaders role model integrity and appropriate boundaries in their own lives and actions. Policies and procedures are not below them. They too are accountable to the policies and procedures of the organization. They attend and are attentive during training sessions. They will be willing to take a strong stand against any form of misconduct and abuse and follow progressive steps of discipline. When allegations are lodged against them, they will willingly step aside while an investigation takes place, as painful as that is. |
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Leaders, live by example and role model the behaviours that they want their followers to adhere to. This is the kind of leader we all want to follow.
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February Special: Savings of $100 |
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Purchase a Plan to Protect® Basic Membership during the month of February and receive 25% off our foundational certification course Plan to Protect® Administrator/Leader Certification Course. This represents more than a $100 savings.
Note:
You may qualify for a discount on your membership fees also.
No other discounts apply to the course registration.
The invoice for the membership and training must be paid by February 28, 2023.
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