Being part of Waymakers: our shared agreement

At Waymakers CIC, we’re building a community of mutual support, trust and curiosity. We ask that all facilitators, volunteers, parents and participants are prepared to share in our commitment to the values and safety principles as outlined in this document.

Our guiding values
Support us in upholding the guiding values of Waymakers. This includes:

  • Honouring our own and others’ needs and boundaries

  • Encouraging autonomy and curiosity in a collaborative environment and providing structure where it's wanted

  • Being aware of what we and others need to communicate well 

  • Supporting each other through mistakes and growth

  • Modelling consensual agreement

Safeguarding and Supervision

  • Parents, unless otherwise agreed, please make yourselves known to facilitators at drop off and pick up and share on the WhatsApp group if their child is going to absent.

  • Participants may sometimes be in a small group with one lead facilitator, but there will always be at least one other safeguarding-trained adult onsite with first aid procedures in place.

  • We will offer flexibility on presence of parents at sessions in response to needs but generally drop-off sessions are intended for children who feel ready for and want that type of setting.

  • We follow safer working practices and ensure that our team are DBS-checked and trained in safeguarding.

  • Any parents working directly with children either voluntarily or in a paid capacity will be appropriately supported and trained, for less formal involvement e.g. temporary settling in for Tinker Lab, parents are still asked to be aware of this shared agreement and relevant guidance on parent involvement.

  • In the event that a session has to be cancelled at short notice (e.g. due to facilitator sickness), this will be communicated by WhatsApp in the first instance so please ensure you are part of the relevant groups in the Waymakers WhatsApp community - please 'thumbs up' to indicate you have seen the message.

In Case of Emergency

  • In the event of a fire, accident, or evacuation, parents and young people will follow facilitator instructions to ensure everyone's safety (facilitators to ensure they are aware of locations of fire exists, meeting points and first aid supplies and keep track of headcounts and delegating check of toilets to another adult in the event of evacuation).

  • Parents onsite, whether as formal volunteers or accompanying their children, may be asked to assist in an emergency situation.

  • We regularly signpost and discuss our procedures so that all members of our community know what to do if something unexpected happens.

Arrivals

  • Our sessions work best when we balance individual needs with those of the wider group. Just as too much structure can be restrictive, too little can make it harder for young people to feel secure, connected and ready to participate. We aim to strike this balance flexibly, recognising that different young people thrive with different levels of support, predictability and freedom.

  • We know punctuality can sometimes be challenging, while others put considerable effort into arriving on time and appreciate sessions beginning as expected.

  • When possible, sessions will include a brief soft start (for our core groups this can be longer but for most Deep Dives that can be harder due to time contraints), giving young people time to settle in and prepare to engage. Facilitators will generally begin the main session at the advertised time, or shortly afterwards, once those present are ready.

  • We encourage families to arrive in time for the start of the session. However, we understand that occasional delays happen. Late arrivals are welcome, but the group may already have moved into activities or discussions and we may not be able to revisit what has been missed. Starting on time helps create a predictable and respectful experience for everyone.

  • If circumstances that day mean your young person arrives late and needs support to join the group, please stay briefly to help them settle and there will always be a friendly face to welcome you.

All our policies and guidance documents are available on this website. By being part of Waymakers, you agree to support your child(ren) in participating in line with these values and practices.

Thank you for co-creating this space with us.