Privacy Policy

Children and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

1.0 POLICY STATEMENT

We recognise that we have an explicit duty to safeguard and protect children from abuse as defined in the Children Act 2004, the Education Act 2002 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
Everyone at our organisation shares an objective to help keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe by:
Providing a safe environment to learn in.
Identifying and responding to children, young people and vulnerable adults in need or support and /or protection.
Supporting children and young people’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.

We will endeavour to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm while they visit or are attending classes. We will do this by:


Making sure our staff are recruited with integrity

2. Providing appropriate training for staff in issues of child and vulnerable adult protection

3. Carrying out checks and monitoring of all staff (including teaching staff, administrators and ancillary staff) which may require them to undergo an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure- DBS along with ensuring this DBS is kept upto date on the update service system.

4. To establish and maintain an ethos where children and young people feel secure and are encourage to talk, and are listed to.

5. Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us.

6. Not physically, emotionally or sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Reporting to the Principal, Manager or other designated officer 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.

10. Referring to statutory authorities all incidents reported to the Principal, Manager or Designated Safety Officers.

11. Implementing this policy in conjunction with our Health and Safety guidelines already in place
Everyone working or applying to work for this 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 or Manager of the organisation, along with a version on our website too.


ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL STAFF

1.1 These guidelines apply to:
A situation involving children and young people up to age 18, whether or not accompanied by adults.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, contractors, freelance staff, volunteers and consultants working within our organisation or on our premises. In the case of contractors and consultants it is incumbent upon the Principal, Manager or other Designated Safety Officers to ensure that they are made aware of these guidelines.




GENERAL DUTIES FOR ALL STAFF
1.2     In regard to the safety and welfare of children and similarly vulnerable people all staff are required to:
Agree to ongoing monitoring of their suitability for a position working with children and vulnerable adults which may include an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau/ Disclosure and Barring Service Disclosure.
Take all reasonable steps to protect children from hazards
Strictly observe the code of behaviour in this document
Take prompt and 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 promptly






ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL STAFF
3


Safety of participants and staff is of prime consideration at all times
All accidents involving anyone should be recorded in the organisation’s accident book or other formal recording system immediately or as soon as practicably possible
Staff are responsible for familiarising themselves with building/facility safety issues, such as, fire
procedures, location of emergency exits, location of emergency telephones and first aid equipment
Staff are responsible for reporting suspected cases of child abuse to the named responsible person and/or agencies
Appropriate staff should have access to any parent consent/emergency consent forms for all children taking part in any activities [this information should be confidential]
Staff should ensure that their activities start and end on time
Staff are expected to promote, demonstrate and incorporate the values of fair play, trust and ethics throughout their activities
Staff should ensure that they are adequately insured, to protect against claims of negligence,
through their organisation or their own personal insurance if acting as a self employed agent






ADMISSION PROCEDURES

1.4     A register of names, addresses, next of kin and contact addresses and telephone numbers for emergencies will be kept.
Parents or carers, and where appropriate older children, will be given a copy of a written statement which specifies the action which will be taken in the event of a child becoming ill or being injured and which indicates that any information which suggests that a child has been abused will be passed on to the Social Services Department and/or the police.















CODE OF BEHAVIOUR FOR ALL STAFF

1. 5    People working at our organisation must always observe the following requirements where children, young people or similarly vulnerable people are concerned.

Do and Do Not: 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
Wear appropriate clothing for the style of dance and age of children you are with

DO NOT:
Harm a child or frighten a child
Touch inappropriately
Use inappropriate language
Threaten, shout or be aggressive
Force a child to do something they do not want to do
Mistreat, demean, ignore, or make fun of
Show favoritism 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


1. 6    Do and Do Not: 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.

PHOTOGRAPHING CHILDREN

1. 7     Photographs of children should only be used if written consent has been obtained from a parent, guardian or, if referring to school groups, relevant school authority. General group photographs may be used if no individual can be identified by reason of any attached data. Permission should be obtained firstly to take the photograph and secondly for permission from the parent if the photograph is to be reproduced.

All children who DO/DO NOT have consent will be marked next to thier names on the class register.

WHAT TO DO IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS

1.8    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 act 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 report book.

All accidents will be recorded, along with time accident occurred and ant first aid administered.


FIRST AID

1.9     Unless there is good reason, First Aid should not be administered without the permission of the child’s parent or accompanying adult. A child cannot give consent.

If the parent 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.
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 National Health Service Direct on 111 or 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.