Life is inherently risky. There is only one
big risk you should avoid at all costs, and
that is the risk of doing nothing.
– Denis Waitley
YOU set the standard
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Personnel
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Who's working?
Are personnel trained?
Who's attending/participating?
Vulnerable Populations (more about this later)
Have liability release forms been completed (will apply to certain populations)?
Location
• Geographically
• Structurally
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What is the service (operations) and does it pose additional safety
concerns?
What are the Emergency Responses I need to know?
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•
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Weather
Hazard
Injury
Violence
Abuse Reporting
If you are participating in a Vanderbilt Sponsored Event or Activity, Vanderbilt can assist if an incident occurs .
 Minors
 Elderly
 Disabled
 Mentally
Ill
 Homeless
 Addicted
 Victimized
 Facing Poverty
 Displaced
 Marginalized
 Negative
 Positive
• Suspicious
• Trusting
• Fearful
• Optimism
• Mistrust
• Thankfulness
• Entitlement
• Relief
• Indifference
• Appreciation
• Over-trusting
• Grateful
• Defeat
• Change
• Pessimism
• Growth
• Hope

To better understand
• The scope of VU programs
that involve minors
• How personnel interact
with minors

To put into place
• Standards that improve
safety and protection of
minors
• An office responsible for
being a resource to those
programs serving minors
• Best practices for
interacting with minors

To improve
• Communication with
parents about what VU
does to prevent harm to
their children that
participate in VU programs
• The response if a case of
abuse is detected
• All personnel’s
understanding of how to
protect minors from harm
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•
•
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A minor is a person under 18
Program personnel are all
persons, including students,
volunteers, staff, and faculty
that participate in a VU
program involving minors.
Campus implications include
visitors in residence halls and
babysitting, tutoring, etc.
The Policy does NOT include
•
•
Single public events open to
the public and not targeted
toward children
Social functions that minors
attend with their parents
Reporting Procedures AND Required Compliance AND the
Definition and Detection of Abuse AND The Code of Conduct when
Working with Minors
Find it on the Risk Management Website or the VU Human Resources
Website
Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403
“Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any
child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or
physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm
is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that is has been caused by
brutality, abuse, or neglect or that, on the basis of available information,
reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect.”
TN DCS Reporting Hotline 877-237-0004
---------------------------------------------------------VU also requires internal reporting to Risk Management 615-936-0660
or the University Hotline 866-783-2287
 P – Prevent situations that increase vulnerability
 O – Observe the child(ren) and all others around
 M – Manage a great program
 Policy requirements:
• Register (if applicable)
• Clear volunteers with a background check
• Train on how to identify, prevent, and respond to child
abuse
• Train on expected code of conduct when working with
minors (VU policy)
• Report suspected incidents of abuse
Is it a VU sponsored
event?
Yes, VU is
coordinating and
hosting the program
on or off campus.
No, my service/work is
coordinated through an
outside agency whose
policies I must follow.
I'm not sure
Ask your
faculty/staff/student
leader
No further action is
needed
Will the minors be
supervised by parents
or guardians?
YES
NO
No further
action
You will need the three compliance items
submitted to Risk Management by your
student/staff/faculty leader
Background Clearance
Agreement to Follow Policy
and Code of Conduct
Signature forms
Child Abuse Prevention
Training
If you are:
• Volunteering/working/leading a VU sponsored program that is a part of VU operations
(academic, research, center, institution, medical, service) and not affiliated solely with a third
party organization.
OR
• A third-party contractor/provider using VU facilities or space for a program serving minors
AND
• It is a program for minors and minors are enrolled without parental supervision,
Then
• Obtain a cleared background check (Names and emails with program name and request to
PEBC@vanderbilt.edu) (Third Party Vendors Can Validate through the Office of
Conferences)
And
• Complete Training on Both
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•
Child Abuse
VU POM Policy (Sample Template Form Here)
 My
student org only
recruits VU students
who volunteer with
another group.
 I’ll be offering my
group’s tutoring
services to existing
after school
programs on their
sites.
 We
have an event at a
school, but the school
isn’t requiring us to
have background
checks.
 I won’t know who’s
coming to my activity
until the day of the
event.
Online Registration of
Your Program with Risk
and Insurance
Management (if you use
the hyperlink above, scroll to
the bottom of the page or
click the image to the right)
1. Contact HR at PEBC@vanderbilt.edu for background check requests, and
clearance dates (a Peabody Background Clearance will also meet the
requirement). HR will need the student’s name, VUNET ID, and email
•
Check with your volunteers to make sure they haven’t already completed the
background clearance for other service, employment or academic requirements.
2. Require all Volunteers complete the Online Training with United Educators
(linked instructions HERE) and collect the completion dates – certificates of
completion will be issued by the provider (RIM can verify this for you if
necessary)
3. Have all your volunteers read and complete the agreement to follow the
policy and code of conduct (link to form).
You can combine steps 2 and 3 by having the volunteers come to an OACS
group training on the Protection of Minors
4. Certify Compliance of your Personnel by completing this Form and send
to protectionofminors@vanderbilt.edu.
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

Update your organizations description in
AnchorLink to include that you will be asking for
all volunteers to be in compliance with the
Protection of Minors policy.
Remind your volunteers that service with
vulnerable populations requires specialized
requirements and training.
Let you partner organizations know the steps you
are taking to assure your group follows best
practices when working with minors – they will
appreciate it!
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Do - Register it with Risk Management – If you’re
not sure if it will fall under the policy, register and
someone will contact you (there’s a place for notes
on the registration page)
Do - make sure the volunteers are in compliance.
Do – train your volunteers on other items not in the
policy
Do – (If applicable) Make sure all parents sign a
University Participation Agreement that allows the
child to take part (this protects You).
Do - Have fun!
However: Risk Management recommends ALL
students who work with minors receive training
on how to make a report, prevention of child
abuse and the Code of Conduct when working
with minors (this will increase your knowledge
and make you less vulnerable)
 Does
your volunteer
organization provide
training?
 Does it answer all
your questions?
 Do you feel like you
know what to do if a
child discloses abuse
or you see something
that is suspicious?
 Rule
of three (at minimum)
 If you see something, say something
 TN is a mandatory child abuse reporting
state: 877-237-0004
 Know and understand how to keep
healthy boundaries
 Group communication always – no oneto-one
Dawn Riddle, Director, Protection of Minors, Risk and Insurance Management
615.936.0660