Introduction & Purpose
Go Live Theatre Projects (GLTP) is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants involved in our programmes. The purpose of this Policy is to:
- help us protect children and young people (C&YP) from abuse, neglect and harm
- ensure that safeguarding is understood to be everyone’s responsibility
- create a safeguarding culture where employees, volunteers, contractors and participants are comfortable sharing concerns and taking appropriate action
The Policy Statement is to be used alongside our Procedures Document which outlines in detail our procedures in relation to all aspects of safeguarding children and young people, plus our Code of Conduct and Anti-Bullying Policy. For the purpose of this Policy, C&YP are considered anyone under the age of 18, and any person under the age of 26 who has SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
This Policy has been created to fulfil our legal duties in line with Charity Commission requirements, the Children Act 2004 and The Equality Act 2010. This Policy should be used in conjunction with our Procedures Document.
Scope
This Policy applies to all employees, volunteers, trustees, contractors and participants of GLTP.
Principles
Our Safeguarding Policy is based on the following principles:
- The welfare of the child or young person is paramount.
- All children and young people, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or ability have the right to be protected from harm.
- All suspicions and allegations of abuse or neglect will be taken seriously and responded to appropriately.
- Confidentiality will be maintained as far as possible, while also ensuring that the welfare of the child is safeguarded.
- All data collected related to child safeguarding will be stored and processed in line with our Data Protection Policy.
- All employees and volunteers working with children will be carefully selected, trained and supervised to ensure they understand their safeguarding responsibilities and will have access to information on how to report any concerns they may have about a young person.
- Our Child Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed annually to ensure that it is up-to-date and effective.
Roles and Responsibilities
Everyone involved in Go Live Theatre Projects has a responsibility to safeguard children and young people. This includes employees, trustees, volunteers, contractors, and partners. Specifically:
- The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is responsible for overseeing the implementation of this Policy and ensuring that all employees and volunteers understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. GLTP’s current DSL is Brad Welch, Operations Manager, and the Deputy DSL is Layne Harrod, Head of Programmes.
- All matters of Safeguarding are overseen by the Chief Executive and Chair of the Board of Trustees, with matters being escalated and communicated to them when appropriate and necessary.
- All employees and all contractors and volunteers with specific contact with C&YP, must sign and adhere to our Safeguarding Policy & Procedure and our Code of Conduct, which sets out expectations of appropriate behaviour and conduct.
- All employees must complete safeguarding training before working with children and young people and hold a current DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service).
- Partners who work with GLTP will be required to provide evidence of their own safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Parents and carers have a responsibility to inform Go Live Theatre Projects of any concerns they have about the welfare of their child or other children involved in our programmes.
Recruitment, Selection and Ongoing Checks
All employees, and all contractors and volunteers who work with children and young people at Go Live Theatre Projects, will be subject to rigorous recruitment and selection procedures. Specifically:
- All new employees and volunteers must complete an application form, go through an interview process and provide references and proof of identity before commencement of employment.
- We will carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks at the appropriate level on all employees, trustees, and also on volunteers when required, at the start of their employment/volunteering and thereafter once every 3 years.
- We require contractors working with C&YP to have an Enhanced DBS check issued within the last 3 years.
Code of Conduct
All employees and volunteers must sign and adhere to our Code of Conduct, which sets out expectations around appropriate behaviour and conduct, including:
- Employees and volunteers must treat all C&YP with respect and avoid any behaviour that could be construed as bullying, harassment or discrimination.
- Employees and volunteers must not have any physical contact with C&YP that could be misconstrued or is inappropriate.
- Employees and volunteers must report any concerns they have about the welfare of a child or young person to the designated safeguarding officer.
- Employees and volunteers must not communicate with C&YP outside of their professional duties.
Responding to Concerns
If an employee, contractor or volunteer has any concerns about the welfare of a child or young person, they must report it to the Designated Safeguarding Officer. Specifically:
- All concerns will be taken seriously and investigated appropriately.
- If the Designated Safeguarding Officer believes that a child or young person is at risk of harm, they will report it to the relevant authorities.
- The welfare of the child or young person will be the paramount consideration throughout any investigation.
The full process for reporting and responding to concerns and for dealing with allegations against GLTP is detailed in the Procedures Document.
Training and Awareness
All employees, and volunteers when appropriate, who work with children and young people will receive appropriate training to ensure they understand and are able to fulfil competently their safeguarding responsibilities. Specifically:
- Employees must complete Level One safeguarding training before they start working with children and young people.
- The Designated Safeguarding Officers will receive additional training to ensure they understand their role and responsibilities.
- Employees will regularly review their training and continually undertake refresher training, keeping up-to-date with best practice by working in collaboration with partners and relevant bodies, and will seek opportunities for further training through providers, seminars, conferences, and e-learning.
Review and Monitoring
Go Live Theatre Projects will regularly review and monitor this Policy to ensure it remains up-to-date and effective. Specifically:
- The policy will be reviewed annually by the Designated Safeguarding Officer, who will ensure that it meets legal requirements and best practice standards. It will then be sent to the Trustees for any comments/concerns. Once those are dealt with, it will need to be ratified by the Trustees.
- Any changes to the Policy will be communicated to all employees, volunteers, contractors, and partners who work with children and young people at Go Live Theatre Projects.
- The Policy will be monitored throughout the year to ensure that it is being implemented effectively and that all employees and volunteers understand their safeguarding responsibilities.
- Any incidents or concerns relating to child safeguarding will be recorded and reviewed to identify any areas for improvement or further action.
By regularly reviewing and monitoring this Policy, Go Live Theatre Projects aims to ensure that all children and young people involved in our programmes and events are safe and protected from harm.