Parent/Guardian FAQs
THE DOME – GENERAL
What is The Dome Youth Zone?
The Dome Youth Zone is a locally run youth charity in Crewe that will deliver life-changing support to thousands of young people aged 8-19 years or up to 25 with special education needs and disability (SEND). It will be a safe and welcoming place where young people can try new things, build confidence and discover their passions.
Led by invested and aspirational youth workers, The Dome will be full of energy, opportunity and ambition. The Youth Zone will be a state-of-the-art facility offering over 20 activities every session, including sports, arts, culture and creation. The Dome will be open every evening, weekend and school holiday to support young people to explore where their potential can take them.
The Dome is part of the OnSide Network, supporting over 60,000 young people nationally.
What makes The Dome different from other youth centres and clubs?
We will offer world-class youth provision with a wide range of activities, ambitious youth workers, and dedicated spaces designed to support wellbeing, learning and personal growth. Everything is built around young people’s needs, ambitions and individuality.
What activities do you have on offer?
The Dome Youth Zone will be a purpose-built facility offering 20 activities every session, including sport, fitness, dance, arts, music, media and self-improvement. The Youth Zone includes a four-court sports hall with facilities for indoor badminton, football, netball and basketball and a separate climbing wall. There is also a fitness suite with the latest gym equipment, boxing ring and an outdoor kick pitch.
Who is The Dome for?
The Dome will welcome all young people aged 8–19 and up to 25 for those with SEND.
There will be different sessions on each day. Our Junior session is open to all members aged 8 years to school year 6. Our Senior session is open to all members from school year 7 to-19 years, or up to 25 for those with SEND.
Will there parking at the Youth Zone?
There will be no parking available at The Dome Youth Zone, however we will have a drop off point outside the building.
Is there a provision for home educated children?
The Youth Zone will provide open access universal youth work during non-school hours, of which all children and young people, including those that are home educated, who are signed up as members can attend.
Due to our busy timetable, we will not be doing targeted sessions to home-educated young people specifically, but they are just as entitled to access our main provision throughout the week for their age group.
MEMBERSHIP
How do I become a member?
Please follow this link to buy your membership! – https://thedomeyouthzone.org/memberships/
How much does it cost to attend?
Access to The Dome is £3 a month, providing unlimited visits and a hot meal included with every visit. If this is a barrier to attendance, please speak to member of staff.
Do you have to book onto sessions?
When we first open you may have to book on to a session to avoid disappointment, however when we’re fully operational you shouldn’t need to book onto our regular Junior, Senior or SEND sessions. However, some specialist programmes or activities may have limited spaces and will need to be booked in advance. We’ll clearly highlight these on our website and in our newsletters.
When do sessions start?
Our sessions start from Monday 30th November. You can view our timetable/opening hours below for what sessions will be going forward.
What are your opening hours?
The Dome Youth Zone will be open 7 days a week, all year round.
What happens if I am above the age of 19 and have SEND?
We would love to welcome you into The Dome up to the age of 25 with SEND!
Please contact us at enquiries@thedomeyouthzone.org, where we can find out the best ways we can suit your individual needs and ensure The Dome is not only a safe environment for all, but a fun one too.
SAFETY
Have children been turned away from The Dome?
Attendance will vary depending on how many Youth Workers are on shift and the risk level of the session. We always make sure we have enough staff to supervise safely and support young people well.
Can young people leave when they attend the youth zone?
Juniors (from 8 years old to school year 6) who enter and exit the premises will be monitored and must be collected by a parent/guardian. If you give consent for your child to walk home by themselves, you will need to inform a member of our reception team.
Seniors (from school year 7 to 19 years old or up 25 with SEND) will be free to leave the Youth Zone whenever they like, unless their parent/guardian lets our reception team know otherwise.
Can parents/guardians stay with their young people during the session?
For safeguarding reasons, parents or guardians are unable to access sessions beyond reception unless they are a Personal Assistant arranged through health or social care services, or are directly employed by the family to support a young person attending our SEND session.
If your child requires additional support, our SEND session may be a more suitable starting point. While we are unable to provide 1:1 support or personal care, we welcome an appropriate adult to attend and provide additional assistance where needed during the session.
How safe are the premises?
There is small risk with any adventure activity that young people partake in when at the Youth Zone. To ensure risks are managed, each area will be manned by a member of staff – meaning that young people in each area are supervised at all times. The safety of our young people is paramount, therefore all activities throughout the Youth Zone adhere to our Risk Assessments.
We will have barriers at the entrance of the building which stops people from entering and exiting, which will be supervised by the reception team. Senior members (from school year 7 to 19 years old or up 25 with SEND) will also be wanded on entrance to ensure the youth zone is a safe environment for all.
A Designated Safeguarding Lead with Level 3 safeguarding qualifications will always be present on site. All sessional staff will hold safeguarding training, and every session will include at least one qualified First Aider.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
My child has specific needs and/or medication, how do you manage this?
We will provide a specific SEND session on Saturday afternoons which offer a quieter, calmer environment with higher staff ratios tailored for young people with complex needs or neurodivergence. Our dedicated team will endeavour to facilitate a seamless transition for young people into our busy universal evening sessions.
For those requiring medication, our team will require parents or carers to provide the medication in a sealed, labelled and safe storage container along with a signed copy of instructions and consent to administer. Our team will not administer “general, over the counter medication” unless it is an agreed part of a support plan or reasonable adjustment.
The building itself will be accessible, including a lift, wheelchair access doorways, sensory room, moveable sinks and hobs in the training kitchen, and even an accessible climbing wall.
The Dome will run a SEND session every Saturday afternoon.