• Safe return: make sure that all safety measures are followed when travelling to the event and the child is safely escorted back to the parents/guardians.
• Inform that you returned safely: inform the event organisers of your return back to your place of residence and that the child is safely back to his/her family and daily life.
• Hand over information: handover any documents, photos, equipment you received as a chaperon to the organisers. Do not use children’s information (including photos) for any purpose without seeking their and their parents’/ guardians’ informed written consent (“informed consent” is he expression of willingness to partake in an activity after understanding the matter comprehensively).
• Support any follow-up activities: extend support to the child and the organisers with follow-up activities agreed at the event, as you can play an important role in ensuring continuity of activities given your involvement in the actual event.
IN GENERAL
• Increased vigilance: stay alert to any unforeseen risks that the child might be exposed to during the travel and take proactive measures to prevent or address those situations. These could include but are not limited to: the child being approached by strangers; getting airsick or experiencing difficulties related to the specific means of transportation; getting intimidated by formalities at the immigration or being subject to excessive or inappropriate questioning; getting lost; getting exposed to extreme weather conditions, allergies, food poisoning; losing travel documents and any other similar incidents. Make sure you have all the relevant emergency numbers with you, as well as telephone to contact relevant persons or services that can provide assistance in this kind of situations.
• Being physically near to the child: always be aware of the child’s whereabouts. Also, stay alert to the child’s physical and emotional needs and ensure those needs are met as appropriate. You can seek support from the event organisers and Child Protection Team as needed. Never extend support to the child on activities they can conduct on their own, particularly if these are connected to administering personal hygiene or any inappropriate physical contact.
• Administering medicines: in case the child is taking medicines, make sure to administer correct medication and dosage if and when necessary. Bring adequate quantities of all essential medicines to the event along with the prescriptions. Check with the organizers if the medicines are easily available at the place of the event.
• Food: ensure any specific dietary requirements are communicated with the organisers timely and well ahead of the event. Always eat in clean and hygienic restaurants, which can be recommended by the organisers. Also, encourage the child to develop their social skills by exploring the food of the hosting country, as the food from their home country is unlikely to be available.