The Blackheath School of Dance

Principal Louise Rodgers ISTDdip

Website: www.blackheathschoolofdance.co.uk

Email: louiserodgers@ymail.com Phone: 07770 890034

CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The Blackheath School of Dance believes children have the right to be safe and secure and free from threat, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs.

We at The Blackheath School of Dance have an explicit duty to safeguard and protect children from abuse as defined in the Children Act 2004 and the Education Act 2002.

CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER

The Blackheath School of Dance Principal: Louise Rodgers

Telephone: 07770 890034
Email: louiserodgers@ymail.com

Louise Rodgers is the person responsible at our school for managing child protection and safeguarding. They are the person to report to at any time.

Everyone at our dance school shares an objective to help keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe by:

Providing a happy and safe environment where children can learn to dance;
Acting with integrity, treating children with respect, listening to their concerns and acting upon them;
Identifying and responding to children, young people and vulnerable adults in need of support and/or protection;

Supporting children’s development in ways which will foster a sense of self- esteem and independence;
Fostering a learning environment in which every pupil feels valued and able to articulate their wishes and feelings in their preferred method of communication in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust;
Ensuring that students will receive professional tuition from a qualified teacher with appropriate facilities following safe practice.

At The Blackheath School of Dance we endeavour to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm while they visit or are attending our classes. We will do this by:

Making sure our staff members are carefully selected.
Ensuring all staff members have sought appropriate training in issues of child protection.
Ensuring all staff members undergo an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure.
Establishing and maintaining an ethos where children and young people feel secure and are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us.
Not physically, emotionally or sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us.
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from putting any child or vulnerable adult in a situation in which there is an unreasonable risk to their health and safety.
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from physically, emotionally or sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult.
Reporting to the Principal any evidence or reasonable suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult has been physically, emotionally or sexually abused in contact with us or anyone in our organisation.
Referring to statutory authorities all incidents reported to the Principal Louise Rodgers.

Everyone working or applying to work for our organisation is to be made aware of our policy for children’s welfare. Furthermore, this document should be issued to all staff and other people who are likely to have contact with children as part of their work with us. Copies of the policy will be held by the Principal.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL STAFF

These guidelines apply to:

• A situation involving children and young people up to age 18, whether or not accompanied by adults. At The Blackheath School of Dance we also recognise that vulnerable people of any age will benefit from similar safeguards. Wherever guidelines refer to children, this broader meaning applies.

All staff and volunteers working within our organisation or on our premises.

In the case of contractors and consultants it is incumbent upon the Principal to ensure that they are made aware of these guidelines.

GENERAL DUTIES FOR ALL STAFF

In regard to the safety and welfare of children and similarly vulnerable people all staff members are required to:

Undergo an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check (DBS formerly CRB) through the Disclosure and Barring Service;
Take all reasonable steps to protect children from hazards;
Strictly observe the code of behaviour in this document;
Take appropriate action if an accident occurs;
Take all reasonable steps to prevent abuse of children in contact with anyone within the organisation;
Report any incident or suspicion of abuse.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL STAFF

Safety of participants and staff is of prime consideration at all times. In regard to the safety and welfare of children and similarly vulnerable people, all staff members are required to:

Record all accidents involving anyone in the dance school’s accident book immediately or as soon as practicably possible;
Familiarise themselves with building/facility safety issues, such as, fire procedures, location of emergency exits, location of emergency telephones and first aid equipment;
Report suspected cases of child abuse to the named responsible person and/or agencies;
(Appropriate staff) have access to any parent/carer consent/emergency consent forms for all children taking part in any activities [this information should be confidential];
Ensure that their activities start and end on time;
Promote, demonstrate and incorporate the values of fair play, trust and ethics
throughout their activities;

Ensure they have adequate insurance to protect against claims of negligence, through their organisation or their own personal insurance if acting as self-employed.

CODE OF BEHAVIOUR FOR ALL STAFF

People working at our organisation must always observe the following requirements where children, young people or similarly vulnerable people are concerned:

Do’s and Don’ts for working with Children DO:

Behave professionally
Listen to children
Treat everyone with respect
Communicate at an appropriate level
Be aware of policy and procedures
Report any suspicions within our guidelines
Be aware, approachable and understanding

DO NOT:

Harm a child or frighten a child
Touch inappropriately
Use inappropriate language
Threaten, be aggressive
Force a child to do something they do not want to do
Mistreat, demean, ignore, or make fun of
Show favouritism to any one individual or groups of individuals
Let a child expose him/herself to danger
Make racist, sexist or any other remark which upset or humiliate
• Take photos of children without permission

Do’s and Don’ts for working with Vulnerable Adults DO:

Be respectful, responsible and professional
Act in an appropriate manner
Listen and communicate
Use common sense; be caring, attentive and aware
Be sympathetic to their needs
Be aware of your responsibility
Be aware of policy and procedures as outlined in this document

DO NOT:

Treat vulnerable adults as children
Engage in inappropriate behaviour
Be aggressive or physically restrain
Do anything of a personal nature they can do for themselves
Place yourself in a vulnerable position

You have a strict duty never to subject any child to any form of harm or abuse. Failure to adhere to these procedures will be treated as gross misconduct.

ADMISSION PROCEDURES

At The Blackheath School of Dance a register of names, addresses, next of kin and contact addresses and telephone numbers for emergencies will be kept.

PHOTOGRAPHING AND FILMING CHILDREN

The Blackheath School of Dance policy states that photographs and filming of students might be taken and reproduced for class aids and general marketing purposes as the default position. If a parent or carer does not want their child to be photographed under any circumstances they must advise the Principal in writing by opting out on the registration form.

ONLINE CLASSES

The Blackheath of Dance policy states that any classes participated in online via the platform Zoom are taken at the students or students parents/carers risk. Reasonable effort will be made by The Blackheath School of Dance to ensure the safety of participants during online classes, for example classes will be password protected; the host/teacher will ensure that only they can share relevant and safe content; and a waiting room will be enabled so the host/teacher has to invite participants into the class. If anyone should hack into the class, the class will be terminated immediately.

SOCIAL MEDIA

The Blackheath School of Dance may use pictures of students on social media (Facebook and Instagram), this is our default position and is utilised for general marketing purposes. A parent/carer can opt out of this by ticking the relevant box on the registration form, and/or by speaking with the Principal.

Any pictures taken by staff members will be done so by prior permission, both from the parent/carer on the registration form and by verbal consent with the student at the time. These pictures will only be used as teaching aids or for marketing purposes officially through The Blackheath School of Dance and will be deleted immediately after use. No staff member will keep photographs of students on their phones.

It’s our policy for staff’s personal social media sites not to befriend any student below 18 years of age on social media sites whilst they are taking part in classes within our school. Contact may be made between students or parents/carers and staff via social media to discuss matters to do with dance classes only, but we would rather this was done face to face or via email. Staff may befriend parents/carers of students on personal social media sites, this is done at their own risk. Official The Blackheath of Dance social media sites that are public, are open to all students and parent/carers.

WHAT TO DO IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS

Depending on your judgment of the situation, go to the scene immediately if possible and/or summon First Aid assistance and/or contact the emergency services. With children it can be hard to assess whether they have been injured or the extent of the seriousness of an injury. If you have any doubt about this, you should err on the side of caution and contact the emergency services. Even if a child is accompanied and you think an accident is not being treated seriously enough, get medical assistance on your own initiative if necessary. All accidents should be reported in the Health and Safety manual.

FIRST AID

All staff members are first aid trained. Unless there is good reason, First Aid should not be administered without the permission of the child’s parent/carer or accompanying adult. A child cannot give consent. If the parent/carer is not at the premises, obtain their phone number and try and make contact. However, if a child is alone and seriously injured or unconscious, the situation will need to be dealt with immediately and the teacher will act loco parentis. If at all possible, treatment should only be given by a trained First Aider. Provided this does not in itself put the child at risk, always try to administer First Aid with another adult present. Always tell the child exactly what you are doing and why. Unless it is irrelevant, ask the child if they use medication (e.g. for asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy) or have any allergies. Some children have allergic reactions to stings. For minor injuries, you may not offer any medication, including antiseptics or pills of any kind. If you have any doubts about helping someone to use their own medication phone the emergency services. Any treatment should be as little as necessary without threatening the child’s wellbeing.

If a child comes to you for comfort because of a minor accident or fright, it is acceptable with the Code of Behaviour to hold their hand or put your arm around them. Just ensure:

• You know about any injury and do nothing to make it worse;

Physical contact is what the child wants, and the kind of contact between you is

appropriate to their age and stage of development;

You do your best to stay in sight of other adults.

If a child needs a doctor or hospital, call the emergency services. It is nearly always best to stay with them and wait for the ambulance. You should only take the risk of bringing in the child yourself if the emergency services ask you to do so because of exceptional circumstances.

CHILD ABUSE GUIDELINES

The NSPCC has a written document which outlines the requirements for professionals reporting child abuse in the United Kingdom. To read this information, please follow the link below:

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/recognising-and-responding- to-abuse

The Department of Health web-site https://www.gov.uk/childcare- parenting/safeguarding-child- protection contains a practical guide to the law relating to child protection, particularly The Protection of Children Act 1999. Last updates 1st July 2022. The site also provides a publication entitled: "What to do if you're worried a child is being abused". This publication has been developed to assist practitioners to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It sets out the process for safeguarding children. It is aimed at those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work.

SAFE RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE

In order to safeguard and promote the welfare of its students and ensure that risk of harm is minimised, our organisation employs a safe recruitment and selection policy which complies with national and local guidance.

All teachers, freelance teachers, relevant contractors, administrational and ancillary staff, will be DBS checked.

All The Blackheath School of Dance staff will undergo an induction process which includes information and written statements of The Blackheath School of Dance policies and procedures.

THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL

Our organisation will promote awareness of the policy through the Induction Process.

The Principal should ensure that they are knowledgeable about child protection and that they undertake any training considered necessary to keep updated on new developments.

The Principal is the link between the members of the public, and staff. The Principal will have the following functions. Namely to:

Be an advisor to all organisation and freelance staff on best practice in regard to the child protection policy;
Agree incident reporting procedures;
Keep records of incidents and reports, together with any other relevant information;
Report incidents to the Statutory Authorities and ensure that appropriate information is available at the time of referral and that the referral is confirmed in writing, under confidential cover;
Ensure that individual case records are maintained of any compliant, injury or action taken by the organisation.

ENHANCED CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU DISCLOSURE

All staff including teachers, freelance teachers, relevant contractors, administrational and ancillary staff will be DBS checked. It is the Principal’s responsibility to view the contents of the disclosure and decide about whether that staff member should be excluded from working with young people within their organisation.

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. The policy was last reviewed on: 13th November 2023
Name: Louise Rodgers
Job Title: Principal and Teacher

Signature: Louise Rodgers

Additional guidance can be found in the following documents at the end of this policy:

Reporting Suspected Neglect or Abuse - A
Appropriate Physical Contact in Dance – B
Chaperoning Students to and from Dance Events – C
Use of Photographs and Film of Children - D

Additional Guidance A: Reporting Suspected Neglect or Abuse Concerns regarding a child’s welfare can be reported by:

Parents/carers
Teachers
Friends
The child or young person

All allegations of neglect or abuse will be taken seriously. If a concern is reported directly by the child or young person we will not seek to disagree, ask probing or leading questions, or do anything else which may discourage them. We will make it clear that reported concerns cannot be kept confidential but will need to be shared with a nominated member of staff or external organisation. Parents or carers will also be involved if appropriate. We recognise that early action is vital.

Any concerns will be reported immediately. If the child or young person is in immediate danger of harm, we will contact the police on 999.

In all other cases, we will report concerns to the local Protection Team Contact: PHE South London Health Protection Team
Telephone: 0344 326 7255 (for a same day response)
Contact form: slpt.oncall@phe.gov.uk

Additional Guidance B: Appropriate Physical Contact in Dance

Teaching dance is a physical activity and a teacher will sometimes need to make physical contact with a student to show an idea or to correct the student’s position.

This can include:

• Lifting
• Adjusting arms, legs, rib cage, hips, feet, hands

• Moving one student in relation to another

Where contact is needed, we will remain sensitive to the student’s wishes and put their welfare first. In all cases, we will say why and how we will be correcting the student’s position before making any contact. We encourage students to report any concerns.

Additional Guidance C: Chaperoning Children to, from and at Dance Events When chaperoning students to an event, we will:

Provide parents/carers and students with information about what the event is for;
Provide parents/carers and students with the full address of the event;
Supply the planned journey route with parents/carers and students upon

request;

Make sure that students are aware of what they should do if they get lost;
Ask parents/carers and students for their contact details in case of

emergency;

Have a clear idea of how students will be cared for while at the event and ensure
students know who is responsible for their wellbeing and safety at all times.

We will ensure that chaperones hold all required checks and licences and are aware of our Child Protection Policy.

Additional Guidance D: Use of Photographs and Film of Children

We recognise that taking images of students in our care may not always be appropriate and that some children and parents/carers may not want images taken at any time. Therefore, before taking images of a child or young person, we will:

• Make clear to the child and parent/carer where and when the image will be taken; • Clearly identify the person who will be taking the image;
• Explain how the image will be used, e.g. whether it will be posted on social media or printed to be displayed at the school;
• Seek written agreement from parents/carers that images can be taken of their child.

Where we have publicly displayed images at our school or on social media, parents/carers and students may withdraw their permission at any time. In such cases, the images will be removed as soon as is reasonable and without question. We ask that any parent/carer wanting to take photographs or film at our events only do so with our prior permission. Permission will only be granted on the agreement of all present.

Suitability of Staff and Volunteers

All Staff have

DBS check
Verification of ID
References
Right to wok

I Louise Rodgers once a term (every 10 weeks) asses all staff on their performance, whether they need additional training and their suitability to the class they are teaching.

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