AIBU to be horrified and frightened by this?

[Bidgiegerr]

Actually, I know I'm not but I don't know what to do.

My friend is involved with a registered charity that does breaks for children from overseas. They pay the airfare, and they stay with host families. My friend is a host. She mentioned today that it's very easy to become a host family because the charity doesn't do any CRB (or whatever they're called now) checks, and don't ask about sleeping arrangements. The children are aged between about 6 and 17 and are in orphanages in their home country.

I felt sick at how vulnerable these children are, and also at how probably vulnerable my friend is too. She isn't sure what to do and lives the children that come to stay, she has the same ones each year, and so doesn't want to lose touch with them.

Their website is suitably vague, and there's a freetext search box on it. When I searched for things like "safeguard" or "protection" there's nothing. Not a word.

WWYD?

[Birdsgottafly]

""So because the orphanage has a relationship of sorts with the charity they can send kids over DBS free. I feel sick.""

No they can't.

The difference that the charity is not housing the children, unknown hosts are.

The orphanage can allow the charity to house the children, but the charity still has to comply with UK law.

The difference is the paper trail.

If, say one of the 13 year old girls came back pregnant, or another child with signs of abuse. The DBS would lead to identifying who they had stayed with.

If no DBS is in place, anyone could temporally rent a place and have a child.

Likewise the charity has a duty of care, so a young person, that is dangerous, baring in mind that child soldiers are forced to commit rapes, from the age of 11+, they won't be in the scheme.

We have very specific laws and policies around this.

[phantomnamechanger]

very true, hidden

however, at least complying with the DBS regs and having safeguarding policies and guidelines in place, shows that charities are taking things seriously and doing what they can, rather than just assuming people are the salt of the earth and would do nothing wrong

[hiddenhome]

Don't forget though that just because someone has a clean DBS check, it doesn't mean that they're necessarily okay, just that they haven't been convicted of child abuse

DBS checks are useful, but not cast iron.

[phantomnamechanger]

I'm really surprised by this. I work for a charity. All our trustees and our paid staff and volunteers who work with children and/or vulnerable adults, have to have DBS checks - and we have to tick to say they have them when we register the trustees names online, and we have to tick to say that all our centres have appropriate safeguarding policies. None of these involve residential care !

Then again DHs aunt has for many years hosted foreign students over to do an English course - and I'm not sure she has to be checked for that!

None of my DC will ever do an exchange to another family's home.

[Bidgiegerr]

Holy shit look at this:

"When are DBS checks not required?

The only exception to the requirement for DBS checks is in a situation where overseas parents accept the responsibility for the selection of the host family. This is a private arrangement between the two families and no check would be required as the school will not take responsibility for this arrangement.

In this situation a relationship will have been built up between the two families over time, perhaps through a pen-pal scheme for example, so that the overseas parents can make an informed choice about sending their child to stay with the host family. This will still apply even if the school introduced the two families originally."


So because the orphanage has a relationship of sorts with the charity they can send kids over DBS free. I feel sick.

[TiredFeet]

You should definitely report to the charity commission (charities regulator), and I would also think you should talk to nspcc and police really

[KnittedJimmyChoos]

Read an article recently that pedos and so on target charities abroad and even set them up and work in them as they know vulnerable children there....


yes its awful

[Mrsjayy]

I am not sure I do think if you are unnerved by this you have to check it out and get advice even for your own piece of mind

[Bidgiegerr]

So they could get away with no checks if they call it an exchange? How does that work?

[Mrsjayy]

Care commission in scotland thars who regulates charities

[BrucieTheShark]

…assuming it's in England or Wales

[BrucieTheShark]

Charity Commission are the people to contact.

[Bidgiegerr]

Omg Burdsgottafly! Why? Why would that be the case?

[Mrsjayy]

I think the school trips might be different its usually parents isnt it

[Bidgiegerr]

Mrsjayy

[Birdsgottafly]

Don't name the charity, it will just name change, or cover it's tracks, easy done if the whole thing is illegal and in certain countries.

You naming it will not stop this, that should be the aim.

Perhaps an ad campaign is needed in the media to inform people.

Like we have fostering ads etc.

Even on FB, it will stop anyone from pleading ignorance, to get away with what they may have been planning (not your friend OP).

I've no doubt that some of these children will be caught up in the illegal sex trade.

[Bidgiegerr]

Maybe that's it then - they don't need a check. But you'd think a charity would anyway wouldn't you?

[Mrsjayy]

Sorry

[Mrsjayy]

Is it a pipe or a pen op just to clear up the curiosity

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

They're not, it's just no-one has reported it yet.


So there isn't any kind of organisation that monitors charities? This wouldn't have been raised before they were granted charitable status? If so, that's disgraceful.

[greeneggsandjam]

Actually, thinking of it and reiterating what kim just said, when students come to stay with you on a school exchange from say France or Germany no one does a check on you or asks how many bedroom you have. However I think that as these are vulnerable children someone should at least be visiting the family beforehand to check to people/living arrangements out.

Maybe they do that but haven't listed all the info on their website? I just looked at a charity now doing it for Romania. No mention of any checks etc but maybe they tell you all about that when you contact them for more info?

[Birdsgottafly]

"" I'm shocked that a charity is allowed to operate like that these days""

They're not, it's just no-one has reported it yet.
Makes you wonder what has been happening to them, who have been shipped to whoever wants to get paid for the use of a child.

[Mrsjayy]

No dont name the charity not even a clue anyway this charity is breaking tye lawcif the uk all people who look after vulnerable children must be crb checked the charity might have some of their own to try and cover it but individuals must have it, contact nspcc give them the details