IMPORTANT CHANGES TO JUNIOR AND HOLIDAY CLUB SESSIONS

From Monday 24^th July, Junior Club and Holiday Club will become a no phone zone.

Members will no longer be able to bring phones, tablets or other devices onto sessions.

Why are we making these changes?

This change is based on recent feedback gathered from young people and parents/guardians. Following a consultation, we found 85% agreed with the change.

How will it work?

• Upon arrival, young people will be asked to check their phone into reception
• The phone will be stored safely at reception
• At any point during the session, any young people can come to reception and ask to use the phone to ring a parent or guardian
• At any point during the session, parents and guardians can ring reception on 0161 511 3777 and request to speak to their young person
• Young people will be able to collect their phone from reception as they leave the building

Outcomes

We want to give our young people the most positive experience possible, in setting them up with all the tools they need to explore the centre, try something new and make new friends.

We recognise that sometimes there might be issues that happen outside of the club, and we want young people to be able to come to hideout without worrying about that continuing or feeling pressure to respond . We want HideOut to be a space where young people can unplug, unwind and be a young person and have fun!

The reason we have gone to a no phone policy for Junior and Holiday Club members is because we want young people to come to the Youth Zone and feel safe and be able to engage positively with activities – we believe sometimes a device is a barrier to this.

From Monday 24^th July, we ask all young people to leave their phone or device at home, unless they need it (due to walking to and from the youth zone themselves) where they will need to leave their phones at reception.

FAQ

How will my young person’s phone be stored safely?

They will be stored in numbered pouches behind reception, with only a limited amount of staff having access to them.

How can I contact my young person/how can my young person contact me?

You can call the Youth Zone on 0161 511 3777, and your young person can come to reception and request to call you – we will never decline this request.

What happens if my young person uses their phone on session?

We will store it behind reception until collection and reiterate to the young person why we have introduced this. If it happens frequently then the session lead will speak with the young person’s guardian.