Child Supervision Policy

At Dice & Balls CIC, our priority is to provide a safe, welcoming, and well-managed environment for children, young people, families, volunteers, and staff.
This page explains how supervision works at the Hub and what parents and carers need to know before attending.

You can download the full policy here (PDF).

This policy takes effect immediately.

Why We Have This Policy

We host a wide range of activities, and many of them are not designed for children to attend without their parent or carer.
Clear supervision rules help us keep everyone safe and ensure staff and volunteers are never placed in unsuitable situations.

Supervision Rules by Age

Children Under 11

Children aged 10 and under must be supervised by a parent or responsible adult at all times while at the Hub.

This applies to:

  • Dungeons & Dragons

  • Drop-in gaming

  • Craft sessions

  • General Hub opening hours

  • Any event not specifically advertised as a drop-off session

Parents/carers remain responsible for:

  • Behaviour

  • Safety and wellbeing

  • Toilet trips

  • Ensuring their child stays within the Hub

Children under 11 cannot be left unsupervised under any circumstances.

Young People Aged 11–15

Young people aged 11–15 may attend certain sessions without a parent, but only when:

  1. The parent/carer has arranged this with us in advance

  2. Up-to-date parent/carer contact details are provided before the session

  3. The parent/carer remains reachable throughout the session

  4. The session is suitable for independent attendance

Dice & Balls CIC maintains a general duty of care, but:

  • We do not provide one-to-one supervision

  • Young people may come and go unless a parent requests otherwise

  • We may contact a parent/carer if the child needs support

We may require a parent to stay if:

  • Behaviour becomes unsafe

  • Additional support needs arise

  • The session is too busy for safe independent attendance

  • Staffing or volunteer capacity is limited

We reserve the right to refuse unsupervised attendance where safety requires it.

Holiday Clubs

Holiday Clubs are the only sessions designed for children to be dropped off.

These sessions require:

  • A completed registration form

  • Emergency contact details

  • Relevant medical or support information

Holiday Clubs are staffed by trained team members, including DBS-checked volunteers, and run to set ratios and safeguarding procedures.

Staff, Volunteers & DBS Information

To protect everyone:

  • Volunteers and session leaders must be informed in advance if children will be attending without parents

  • Children must never be left in the sole care of an unapproved or non-DBS-checked adult

  • Only DBS-checked staff/volunteers may take responsibility for children during drop-off sessions

  • We ensure no team member is placed in a situation they are not trained or prepared for

No Unexpected Drop-Offs

We cannot accept children being left without prior agreement.

If a child is left unexpectedly:

  • We will contact the parent/carer to return immediately

  • The child may not be able to remain in the session

This protects both the young people and our staff/volunteers.

Children With Additional Needs

We recognise that every child is different.
If your child may need extra support, please talk to us before attending so we can make sure the session is suitable and safe.

Questions or Concerns?

We are always happy to chat.
If you’re unsure whether a session is appropriate or you want to discuss your child’s needs, please speak to Zoe or Phire, or contact us through the usual channels.

Our aim is always to keep the Hub safe, supportive, and welcoming for everyone.