SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Introduction
The Safeguarding Officer is Daniel Twist. Telephone 0300 102 8815 . Email: contact@bctcic.co.uk
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people by taking all reasonable steps to protect them from neglect, physical, sexual or emotional harm
Blackpool Community Theatre aims to keep safe all children and young people who uses its services as well as the paid staff and volunteers who work for Blackpool Community Theatre CIC.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC aims to provide safe, positive and empowering environments for all young people who engage in projects, programmes and events organised directly by it, or in partnership with other or organisations.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC works with young people aims to be fun and informative. This can only be achieved in an atmosphere of trust and respect.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC recognises that there are a variety of approaches required to ensure an effective prevention of harm strategy. These include creating the right environment, developing practice standards, empowering young people, paid staff and volunteers, sharing information and developing a monitoring role.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC recognises that there are a variety of activities.
Dissemination
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC recognises that there are a variety of approaches required to ensure an effective prevention of harm strategy. These include creating the right environment, developing practice standards, empowering young people, paid staff and volunteers, sharing information and developing a monitoring role.
Review Date
This Policy and Procedure will be reviewed very 2 years by the school Principal, to ensure that the operation of this procedure is satisfactory.
This document was created in February 2024. Blackpool Community Theatre CIC will review any incidents during the year and take the appropriate action to resolve them, adapting policies and procedures immediately if so required.
Designated Safeguarding Officer
Be specifically trained to carry out this role. Be familiar with and have an understanding of all legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding and child protection.
Receive information from paid staff, volunteers, children and young people, parents and carers about child protection concerns.
Assess this information promptly and take appropriate action
Maintain secure, confidential records of any child protection or other safeguarding concerns raised, action taken and follow-up required
Provide support during and after incidents involving child protection.
Know how to contact and establish links with the Local Safeguarding
Children Boards and the relevant departments within Local Authorities and police and be familiar with local referral procedures Assess the safeguarding and child protection learning and development needs of all staff and volunteers and coordinate the training
Promote safeguarding across the organisation and keep all staff and volunteers informed on good practice and new legislation and guidance
Monitor the overall trend of safeguarding concerns, keep records of their disposal and feed back to the organisation on the quality of their safeguarding work
It is not the responsibility or staff to decide whether a young person has been abused or is at significant risk. Investigation of child abuse is a specialised professional task which should only be undertaken by the designated agencies, i.e. the Local Authority Children’s Services, police, Local Safeguarding Children’s Board or the NSPCC. However, they have a responsibility to act on any concerns and report them in accordance with the reporting procedure.
The one thing a staff member must not do is NOTHING!
Act immediately – do not delay Consider whether the child or young person is in immediate danger. If they are, contact the police, Local Authority, Local Safeguarding Children’s Board or parents or carers (if appropriate).
If allegations have been made about a member of staff or a volunteer, report the matter to someone higher within the organisation. The organisation’s disciplinary procedure should be followed.
If the child is not in immediate danger and you are with the child, listen to what they want to share with you about the incident. Do not ask leading or interrogating questions, just questions for clarification only.
Contact your local services team and discuss any future action with them, e.g. if an allegation against a member of staff or a volunteer contact the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Local Authority Designated Officer, if regarding a child contact Children’s Services and if regarding a vulnerable adult contact Adult Services, etc.
Agree with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board team ongoing support for the child. When considering and taking any action, the child or young person’s welfare must be paramount.
Record the Name, age, date of birth, home address and telephone number of the child
Whether or not the person making the report is expressing their own concerns or those of someone else.
The nature of the allegation. Include dates, times, any special factors and other relevant information
Make a clear distinction between what is fact, opinion or hearsay
A description of any visible bruising or other injuries. Also, any indirect signs, such as unusual or distinctive behaviour
Consent To Parent and Carers
Consent must be obtained from a child’s parent or carer for any Blackpool Community Theatre CIC activity involving a person under the age of 18 years. Blackpool Community Theatre CIC consent form will be used for this purpose.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC may want to take photographs or record the activities undertaken by the children. Online classes will not be photographed or recorded.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC commits to ensure that all publications and media represent participants appropriately and with due respect..
Individuals and organisations commissioned by us or working in partnership with us cannot use film and photography without the consent of the participating groups.
Where possible and appropriate the Blackpool Community Theatre CIC gets explicit consent when people register for an event directly.
Consent must be obtained from a child’s parent or carer for any Blackpool Community Theatre CIC’s activity involving a person under the age of 18 years.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC consent form will be used for this purpose
During activities, copies of consent forms will be available to relevant staff present, in case of an emergency and the need to contact a parent or carers
Forms will be kept in a place which is only accessible to staff and the location f the forms must be known to all staff participating in the event
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC may want to take photographs or record the activities undertaken by the children.
Online classes will not be photographed or recorded unless agreed with parent or carer.
Personal information about the individual will not accompany the image
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC receives a blanket permission to record our events through film and photography. However, should a parent/carer/child not give consent then no filming or photos of them shall take place.
This permission restricts use for Blackpool Community Theatre CIC own promotional use, i.e website, social media.
Where a drama leader or teacher books for an event on behalf of a young people, the company gets the leader or teacher to sign to say they are responsible for getting explicit, individual consent.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC states at events that they will be taking photographs and video shots of activities and performances for use within Blackpool Community Theatre CIC’s photographic library, printed company publications, publicity and on its website, to support and promote the work of Blackpool Community Theatre CIC
Confidentiality
While Blackpool Community Theatre CIC staff will ensure that young people’s rights to privacy and confidence is respected, there may be times when this confidence needs to be breached
If a child discloses information about him/herself or another child which raises safeguarding concerns about the safety of that young person or others, then these concerns will be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Officer in line with the Academy reporting concerns procedure which is included in this policy.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC will ensure that the young person is involved, consulted and kept informed about what action, if any, is to be taken and during each step of the reporting procedure.
Any personal information gathered about a child regarding a child protection concern will be stored in a secured and confidential place. Only appropriate staff will have access to this information (e.g. paid staff member or volunteer involved, Designated Safeguarding Officer)
It may be necessary to pass this information on to the relevant Local Authority and police.
Blackpool Community Theatre CIC staff will ensure that any information gained or given will be treated with the strictest of confidence
Children will be consulted and involved in the decision-making.
Definition of Child Abuse
Neglect: the persistent or severe neglect and failure to meet the child’s or young person’s basic physical and or psychological needs, i.e food, warmth, shelter, clothing, care and protection
Physical : any form of non-accidental injury or failure to protect against injury to a child or young person. This may involve hitting, shaking, poisoning, throwing, suffocating, burning and scalding. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer puts on the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child or young person under their care
Emotional : severe or persistent rejection or emotional ill treatment of the child or young person which would negatively affect the emotional or behavioural development of the child or young person.
Sexual : the actual, or likely, sexual exploitation of the child or young person by any person, whether or not that child or young person is aware of what is happening. This would include physical contact and non-physical contact (looking at pornographic materials, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children/young people to behave in sexually inappropriate ways). It is also recognised that there are other sources of stress for children and their families, for example social exclusion, domestic violence, mental illness or drug and alcohol misuse
Disclosure and Barring Service
Children’s well-being is paramount and therefore all our teachers (among other staff members) are Disclosure and Barring Service checked and on the Update Service.
When our staff’s Enhanced Disclosure certificate is added to the Update Service, the DBS will keep their certificate up-to-date by performing a weekly search on the Police National Computer to see if any new information has come to light since its issue date.
If any new information is flagged when Disclosure and Barring Service carry out the checks, the outcome of a status check performed by us or parent/carer, will reveal that the certificate is no longer valid and a new DBS check would be necessary to find out what criminal or barring info is available on the Police National Computer.