Flanders extends criminal record requirement to volunteers working with youth
Volunteers who work with young people in Flanders will have to submit an extract from their criminal record. The Flemish government approved the measure on Friday. Until now, the obligation only applied to people working professionally with minors.
At present, some sectors in Flanders are still exempt from the requirement of providing a criminal record. Only organisations active in youth work and poverty relief made use of that exception. A survey of more than 500 organisations nevertheless showed that 60 percent wanted the rule to apply to volunteers as well.
The Flemish government has now decided that organisations must check the criminal records of their staff and volunteers every three years. However, an exception will remain in place for volunteers under the age of 20, as criminal records for this age group are almost always blank, and it would otherwise place an excessive administrative burden on youth organisations.
Worries about costs and workload
Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen, the largest scouting federation in Belgium, says it broadly supports the government’s decision. "As a youth movement, we are certainly concerned about the integrity, and the emotional and physical safety of children and young people," spokesperson Jan Van Reusel said. "That is why we are committed to a healthy group climate with clear guidelines."
However, the organisation is concerned about the administrative burden if groups must register extracts from all volunteers aged over 20. "This could mean a heavy additional workload for our group leaders without necessarily improving safety," Van Reusel warned. It is also unclear who will shoulder the extra costs, the spokesperson added.
The Flemish government is also introducing a more lenient arrangement for student teachers. Currently, trainees often have to apply for several criminal record extracts per year, whenever they receive a new placement. Under the new rules, one check per academic year will suffice.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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