Safety, Back-up and Security procedures

This is an important part of the service Projects Abroad offers you. Your safety and security is our prime concern - so we have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your placement with peace of mind.

Our Assurances to you:

Security: We take your security abroad very seriously. Before we go anywhere, the countries must be politically stable and safe. If they are not, we don't go. We are constantly in contact with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office regarding safety and stability and, of course, we have the added security of our own overseas staff who know the local area in detail.

Pre-Departure Advice: Once you've been accepted on to our projects you'll receive insurance and visa details and lots of advice on what to take in terms of kit and for safe travel in the country you are to visit. Our highly experienced Country Desk Officers will contact you once you have applied and are always available to give advice and answer any questions you may have - both before you go and while you are away.

Placement Details: Before you go you will be allocated your placement details. These include addresses and numbers for your host family, and details regarding your placement and supervisor.

Overseas Staff and Offices: We believe our in-country support to be unparalleled. Every single one of the countries we work in has at least one Projects Abroad Office, and paid members of staff. Each country has a Country Director and various other members of staff. They are trained in the UK and in-country to follow best practice procedures, including monitoring, security, and emergency procedures. The Office acts as a point of contact with our staff and a general meeting point for volunteers. Our permanent overseas staff organise the details of our placements and accommodation according to strict criteria and high standards. They are there to assist with any concerns, problems, advice and general administration that may arise during your time away. They are also your point of contact with the UK office. They are available during the day at the office and directly contactable 24 hours a day by phone.

Contact Between Staff and Volunteers: Our overseas staff regularly visit host-families, volunteers and placements to ensure all is running smoothly. We maintain a cycle of monitoring of all volunteer accommodation and placements. On arrival our staff will make a final check that your accommodation and arrangements for your placement are acceptable. Again, during the first week we shall be in contact to ensure all is satisfactory. After the first week, volunteers vary in the amount of contact that they need with local staff; however we actively check on the status of every volunteer weekly - through direct contact or through the host family.

Accommodation: All accommodation is checked regularly by our overseas staff. Accommodation is only accepted if it is clean, hygienic and comfortable. At least one member of the family will be able to speak basic English, and the family will understand Projects Abroad's aims. They must also be interested in having an English speaker to stay. Detailed records are kept of every host family, and these are updated after inspection visits. Checks are made before and during volunteers' stays.

Placement: Our overseas and UK staff work closely with our partner organisations to ensure they understand the nature and purpose of Projects Abroad. All our placements are regularly checked by our overseas staff and visited by UK staff.

Supervisors: Each volunteer, regardless of whether on a Teaching, Medicine, Conservation or other placement is allocated a supervisor. The supervisor is not only responsible for enabling volunteers to carry out their work, but also for ensuring that they are happy and assisting them at their placement with any problems or concerns.

Meeting on arrival: We will meet you at the airport (or local place of arrival) unless you request otherwise. We use our own members of staff when possible, but in some cases we may use an approved transfer company to pick volunteers up from the airport. You will be met by someone carrying a Projects Abroad sign, who will welcome you with your full name. They will carry some form of identification that you can validate. It is also our responsibility to help you get back to the normal international point of departure at the end of your placement.

Induction: All volunteers have an induction to the country and area where they'll be living. This varies from country to country (See country pages) but generally includes:

• A Welcome Pack with details of the local office, other volunteers, maps and other useful information (such as banks, doctors, and public transport);

• A tour of the area on local transport that you'll need to use regularly (such as tro-tros in Ghana , or tuk tuks in Thailand );

• We'll advise you on local customs and what to expect while you are away and help you feel confident in your new environment.

Health and Insurance: All of our volunteers are covered by our comprehensive medical and travel insurance. This includes repatriation for certain cases. If a volunteer falls ill, our overseas staff we will be on hand to assist with hospital arrangements and insurance liaison, and will, of course, make sure that the patient is comfortable.

Membership & Partnerships with other organisations

The Year Out Group: Projects Abroad are founder members of the Year Out Group. This is an association of independent UK-registered organisations of various sizes, one of whose principal activities is the provision of high quality structured programmes in the UK or overseas. The programmes they offer are designed for young people taking time out between school or college and higher education or employment. Members agree to adhere to a Code of Practice. Many organisations offer programmes but there are no guarantees that these organisations provide useful, structured and supervised projects. Therefore the more established organisations formed the Year Out Group.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office Know Before You Go campaign: As a partner in the Know Before You Go campaign, we are working with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to do all that we can to help British travellers stay safe overseas. Before you go overseas, check the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk. It is packed with essential travel advice and tips, and up-to-date country information.

"As a teenager interested in going abroad and also doing some volunteer work, I had trouble finding a programme that combined both aspects. Through extensive internet exploring I was able to come across Projects Abroad, and I could not be happier! This programme is great for young students wanting to travel alone, because the staff are plenty, helpful, and well educated. They are also extremely friendly and well-humoured! I was impressed with all of the staff members in Mexico.

Also, I was a bit fearful of going abroad by myself, because I have heard many horror stories of sham or poorly organised programmes. However with Projects Abroad I knew I was in safe hands because of the helpful website, email from the coordinator, news updates by email and even instant messaging on the website.

I was also impressed with the office, with its professional atmosphere and numerous workers. After being so well taken care of, I expect to do future travels abroad with Projects Abroad. I hope that the programme continues to develop in new locations and offers more choice of countries in the future."
Sally Cho - Conservation & Environment - Mexico