The Duke of Edinburgh s Award in Wokingham Open Centre s. Guide for Parents & Participants

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1 The Duke of Edinburgh s Award in Wokingham Open Centre s Guide for Parents & Participants Introduction: The Duke of Edinburgh s Award is a well-established programme of challenges open to all young people aged The programme is broadly aimed at involving young people within their community and assisting with their personal development by helping them to succeed in challenges they have chosen themselves from a wide range available in the DofE Handbook and on the DofE website ( There are three levels of DofE: Bronze, Silver & Gold and young people are encouraged to progress through the Awards although it is possible to go directly into higher levels of the DofE at certain ages (15yrs for Silver, 16yrs for Gold). Missing a level will incur a time penalty. The DofE has been operating in the UK for over 50 years and has expanded to operate in 60 countries around the world under various affiliated DofE programmes, ranging from the Henry the Navigator Award in Portugal to the Source of the Nile in Uganda. In recent years there has been a tremendous growth in the DofE in the UK, limited mainly by the lack of adult volunteers should you be interested in assisting with the DofE, please contact the leader of your son/daughter s DofE group or the Wokingham DofE Office at Wokingham Youth Centre: DofE office, Wokingham Youth Centre, 35, Reading Road, Wokingham RG41 1EG. Telephone DofE@wokingham.gov.uk Programme not an Organisation: The DofE is not an organisation but a programme of challenges which can be operated anywhere there are adults willing to make it available to young people, and young people willing to take up the challenge. Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) along with other organisations such as Girlguiding and the Scout Association hold Operating Licenses allowing them to deliver the DofE. All holders of Operating Licenses have the responsibility for ensuring that it is offered in a safe and positive manner within the spirit and philosophy of the DofE, though each will have their own systems and procedures. Some of the aforementioned organisations with their own Operating License have in the Wokingham area opted to operate the DofE under WBC s Operating License. The front page of the record book and any subsequent medical/consent forms for DofE activities will state clearly the responsible authority. Your son/daughter has shown interest in joining the DofE through the WBC Operating License, which is organised through the Wokingham Targeted Youth Support Service (TYSS), part of the Children s Services Department. The TYSS is responsible for the DofE in youth centres, schools, colleges, community groups, and some voluntary organisations throughout the Borough. There may be times when he/she is working with DofE participants from another License Holder, particularly if he/she is a

2 member of a youth organisation offering the DofE in these cases you should be clear which License Holder is taking responsibility. (See section on Insurance.) Entry into the DofE: All participants need to complete a Participant Enrolment form and sign that they have read and understood this guide. These are available from DofE leaders. The DofE Leader will advise you of the registration fee (payable to Wokingham Borough Council) which should be returned with the Participant Enrolment Form to the leader. These are then sent to the DofE Administrator who enters the young person on edofe which is an interactive online system that helps young people manage their DofE programme and enables Leaders to monitor their progress. Accompanying the system is a Welcome Pack for participants. The Welcome Pack and information regarding access to edofe are usually sent to the DofE Leader for distribution to participants. Entry into the DofE is the date on which the applications are received at the DofE Office. Please note that only one activity undertaken prior to enrolment into the DofE may count if undertaken during the preceding three months, as long as the young person is of the required age (Bronze 14yrs, Silver 15yrs and Gold 16yrs). What is edofe? To achieve an Award, participants need to prove what activities they've been doing, show how they've progressed and met their goals set for each section. edofe is our online system that means participants can record their DofE programme and activities, and prove what they ve done in loads of different ways. The benefits of using edofe: Participants can easily select what they want to do for each section and get their Leader to approve it Participants can collect pictures about what they've done in a variety of formats - from jpeg photos or scans (of certificates, thank you letters etc), to blogs and voice recordings Assessors can submit evidence via our website or via voice message as well Leaders can view participants DofE pictures and approve them easily It's accessible 24/7, whenever participants want to check on their progress or add some evidence Participants get the latest DofE news and offers Participants have access to the FREE edofe Mapping system to create expedition maps! Participants can message and communicate with Their Leaders and other participants in their group Participants can't lose it At the end participants can create a personal Achievement Pack to keep their memories forever! What about child protection / safeguarding / data protection? As a minimum, an adult has to be DBS checked before they are given a username and password. Users of the system can only access information involving those staff/participants for whom they are directly responsible. All of the data is stored in the DofE data centre based in Milton Keynes. The edofe system backs up constantly and if one piece of equipment breaks down, there is secondary equipment that will instantly take over. No information is stored on an individual s computer and if a computer is lost or breaks down, none of the data is compromised. DofE Centres and Units: The DofE operates either from Open Award Centre s, open to all and generally situated in a Youth Centre, or through DofE Units based within a school or other organisation. These units are only open to members of the organisations concerned. Where these units are part of Wokingham Borough Council then Wokingham Borough Council rules and regulations apply. How long does it take? There is no real time limit when it comes to completing a DofE Award as long as the participant is under 25yrs when they complete all their activities. The minimum time anyone can complete a Bronze Award is

3 six months and it s usual to take a year upwards. A young person has to be at least 14½yrs before completing their Bronze Award, 15½ yrs before completing their Silver Award and 17yrs before completing their Gold. Participants need to give a regular commitment averaging at least 1 hour a week, to achieve an Award. Young people have to show persistence, commitment and personal development over a period of time. It s not something that can be achieved through a short burst of enthusiasm over one weekend. Participants can work for any of their four challenges at any time: some will choose to be working on two or more at the same time while others will undertake one at a time. There is absolutely no rush as the 25 th birthday is the upper limit for completing any level of DofE. Participants may start on a section of the next level prior to completing the previous one if they have reached the minimum age of entry for the next level, have registered for this level, have completed that section of the previous award and are not working on all three levels at the same time. What are the activities available? Leaders will generally assist the young people in finding activities they would like to do for their DofE often some will be hobbies in which the participants are currently involved. The national DofE website ( gives details of activities for all sections. The Expedition Section is usually organized through the DofE group although sometimes participants (especially at Gold level) will join up with young people from other DofE groups. To avoid any inappropriate activities being undertaken it is recommended that participants consult their DofE leader before commencing any activity. How much does it cost? The DofE has a registration fee as mentioned above and this cost is stated on the DofE registration form. The registration currently consists of a Welcome Pack for the level of DofE applied, and access to their own web page on edofe. If the participant proceeds to other levels of DofE it will be necessary to complete a registration form again and pay the registration fee for that level. The other costs fall broadly into those for activities and those for equipment. There is such a range of choice available to participants that most young people can find something that they'd like to do and something that they can afford without too many problems. The Volunteering section is often free, unless attending a course. The Skill and Physical Sections can vary enormously in cost depending on what is chosen. The Expedition Section does involve young people in paying towards the cost of campsite fees, food, the expenditure of organising and supervising the venture and sometimes fuel or costs such as public transport. There is also usually a cost of running each training session which must be attended. This is 80 per year but may be paid in installments where required. Equipment for expeditions can be borrowed from the WBC DofE stores for a small fee. DofE Leaders will be able to advise on what they have access to in their area and what equipment you may already have which is appropriate. There is such a range of outdoor equipment at a vast range of prices available in the shops these days that it would be easy to believe that only the latest most expensive equipment is required. In practice most participants will find that they have access to most of the equipment they need for the Bronze expedition through family and friends as expensive equipment is not needed at this level. If obtaining expedition equipment causes financial difficulties, please consult your DofE leader. It is not expected that the cost of any of the activities should prevent a young person from participating in the award. If there are financial difficulties, please approach the DofE leader who can advise on grants and awards that may be available.

4 How are leaders appointed? All DofE Leaders operating through the WBC Operating License will have been DBS checked as required by law for Local Authorities. Two references are also required. Each is responsible to a senior member of staff such as the DofE coordinator or DofE manager. How are instructors, supervisors and assessors appointed? Expedition section: All expeditions are approved by WBC. All expedition supervisors, instructors are appointed following safeguarding procedures outlined above. Expedition assessors for local expeditions are taken from the WBC assessors pool or appointed from neighbouring local authorities who follow similar safeguarding procedures and are then registered with WBC. When expeditions are out of the local area e.g. Dartmoor, assessors are organised from local expedition panels who know the area and who also have to adhere to similar safeguarding policies. All expedition assessors have to be appointed as Nationally Accredited DofE Assessors. Volunteering, Physical and Skill Sections: Where the participant attends a WBC or school organised activity (indicated by participant having to complete a WBC/school parental consent form) the responsibility for safety and management of that activity lies with WBC or the school. As a parent you may wish your son/daughter to take part in activities as part of their DofE by arrangement with other agencies such as voluntary organisations, commercial organisations or local groups e.g. a badminton club or guitar tutor. Any such arrangements are not covered by WBC s insurance and WBC does not vet these bodies, their staff or volunteers, or the standards of work they provide. If you do make such arrangements with a provider other than WBC, you are strongly advised to:- a) arrange private insurance cover for your son/daughter and/or b) seek written assurances from the provider with regard to safety standards, the qualifications and competencies of instructors, and the insurance cover in the event of a young person suffering an accident or loss during these activities. Instructors and assessors of hazardous activities (including the Expedition Section) must register with the DofE Office, which involves a DBS check, the provision of references and endorsed certificates covering the activities concerned DofE Leaders have a supply of these forms. Registered volunteers are then sent a copy of the current Wokingham Borough Council regulations and guidelines for the activities with which they have offered to assist. How safe is it? All approved activities (e.g. with WBC/school parental consent form) are undertaken within the current safety rules and regulations of WBC. Parents/legal guardians/participants aged 18+ are given information sheets about activities away from the DofE base e.g. expedition ventures and asked for their written consent as well as up-to-date medical information. The DofE has a very good safety record and safety is an aspect which is stressed on all leader training courses. If you have any questions or concerns, please check with the DofE Leader, the establishment responsible for the DofE group or the TYSS DofE Office if more appropriate. Expeditions: Your son/daughter will go through a training process and will only be allowed to go unescorted when the qualified leaders feel they are ready. All off site activities must go through an approval process which examines planning, staffing and risk assessments. Participants will usually undertake at least two independent expeditions at each level of the DofE. The groups are monitored at intervals to check on progress, by the expedition supervisor or by the assessor on their final expedition. The level of supervision will depend on the individual group, DofE level,

5 conditions and proximity of others. The expedition will include overnight camps supervised from a distance or remotely. Details will be supplied at the time consent is required. Depending on the nature of the group, camps may consist of mixed sexes but all tents will be of a single sex. Any questions should be referred initially towards the expedition supervisor/ instructor. Please note that where possible expedition dates are given out in advance. However, there can be times when these need to be changed. For example, where staffing levels are not sufficient, perhaps because someone is unavailable, or where participants are not thought to be ready for the expedition and require further training. Insurance: The Duke of Edinburgh s Award provides a basic personal accident insurance cover for all registered participants undertaking DofE activities. For TYSS activities, personal accident and property insurance is provided for expeditions through the WBC journey/trip insurance. Details can be obtained from the Wokingham DofE Office. Please note expedition equipment borrowed from equipment stores is not covered by separate insurance; therefore the full cost of repair/replacement may have to be met by the borrower. What happens if my son/daughter leaves the DofE group? Some participants will undertake sections of their award with more than one DofE unit/school or club. This applies especially to the expedition section. If a participant wishes to change units completely then the Wokingham DofE Office must be informed. Where participants change Operating Authorities due to e.g. moving out of the area, then the participant needs to inform their new Operating Authority of their edofe ID number. The Wokingham DofE Office can always provide advice on other DofE groups or DofE contacts wherever a participant may be moving. Anyone can drop out of the DofE at any time but providing they keep their edofe account up to date, they can come back into it again at any time providing they complete the level of award they are on before they are 25. What happens if the DofE group closes? In spite of everyone s best efforts sometimes a DofE group will close, often due to failure to recruit an appropriate volunteer leader when someone is moving on. In these cases the retiring leaders are asked to ensure that their DofE participants are notified of the situation and steered towards other local DofE groups if possible. Should you have any problems please contact the Wokingham DofE Office. Problems and Complaints: These should first be discussed with DofE Leaders and then if appropriate, with the DofE manager. The DofE Manager in the TYSS DofE Office will decide issues related to DofE requirements and WBC s Operating License policy. Other rules and regulations might change to reflect the culture of the organisation and inquiries should be directed to the group concerned. Please note: Parents and participants are asked to sign that they have read these guidelines as part of the registration process.