Sections 1 and 5 – Organisation, Declaration and Additional Documents

This is the section where your named Lead Sponsor will outline that the application made meets what the Home Office have said must be in place.  

When signing the application, your Lead Sponsor organisation might ask the Group for assurances or evidence that things are in place; this is very wise because this declaration will form the sponsor agreement. 

They are signing off that your group have adequate safeguarding protocols in place, that they have discussed and decided how volunteers in your group are assessed, that you’ve been in discussion with Reset regarding your compulsory training, that you have a complaints policy (a template complaint policy is available here) and that the funding is in place to support the application. 

When applying for approval in principle, the Lead Sponsor needs to attach a signed and dated copy of the application form and:

• Written consent from your local authority/local authorities. The consent stays valid for 6 months.
• Your safeguarding policy and evidence you have given your local authority safeguarding board the opportunity to see this.

If your application is for full approval, this must also include:

• Written consent from your local authority/local authorities The consent stays valid for 6 months.
• Your safeguarding policy and evidence you have given your local authority safeguarding board the opportunity to see this.  If the Lead Sponsor Organisation has been approved for Community Sponsorship in the previous 6 months, the Home Office will have a copy on file, and you will not need to submit this. 
• Section 3.6 of the form must be fully completed, where you will evidence the involvement your local authority has had in the inspection, along with a Police Board Consultation Form – and e-mailing the Home Office can help you to chase the police check.