MERCHANT NAVY WELFARE BOARD

Ship Welfare Visitors Course Programme

This is a two-day course aimed at all employees and volunteers involved with visiting seafarers on board ships and in a port environment. This is equally valuable to port chaplains as it is to a volunteer driving the minibus. The course includes basic health & safety, understanding ship board and port management and organisation, ship routines and protocol, potential seafarers’ issues and seafarers’ backgrounds.

This course is mandatory for all those working for one of the recognised seafarer’s welfare organisations. An interim distance learning package is available from the Board allowing newly recruited personnel to have an early insight into the issues outlined above. At the satisfactory conclusion of both courses the ship welfare visitor will be issued with an identity card which will establish his/her credentials as having received training and working for a bona fide seafarer’s welfare organisation. The i.d. card issued on completion of the distance learning package is valid for 18 months and not normally renewable.

It is available to staff and volunteers of the Board’s Constituent charities and from its Port Welfare Committees.

Day 1

Welfare Societies

• Introduction to shipping terms, organisations and ship types
• Shipboard routines
• Preparing to visit a ship and arriving at a port facility
• Travelling through a port facility and boarding a ship
• Safe conduct onboard + Video
• Case study presentation and debrief

Day 2

• Seafarer’s Issues
• Case study debrief
• Leaving a ship and port facility
• Assessment
• Feedback, using the Personal Log and debrief

Posted: 2006-10-20

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