“Wellness and Performing Arts instructors directly in your schools and homes"
t. +44(0)73 5599 3857
e. deana@dancearts-uk.com
Spreading the Stage Magic in primary and secondary schools and colleges
DANCE&ARTS CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
Introduction
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
The purpose of the safeguarding policy is to ensure that every child that attends our lessons is safe and protected from harm. All instructors have a responsibility to ensure that children have a safe environment to learn in. All instructors have a responsibility to ensure any allegations of abuse are reported to the Dance&Arts child protection officer, Deana Indraccolo. Where children are at a significant risk, the instructors have a duty of care to take immediate action.
Dance&Arts possesses public liability insurance for the protection of teachers and students.
A child/young person is defined as a person under the age of 18 (Children’s Act 1989).
The purpose of the policy
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to provide protection for the children and young people who participate in Dance&Arts lessons or any other activities
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to provide staff and volunteers with guidance on confident procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child or young person may be experiencing, or be at risk of harm
Policy statement
Dance&Arts is committed to the following:
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The welfare of each child is paramount
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All children, whatever their age, culture, ability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity should be able to participate in the Performing Arts lessons in a fun and safe environment
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Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from harm, discrimination and degrading treatment and to respect their rights, wishes and feelings
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All suspicions and allegations of poor practice or abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
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All Dance&Arts team that work with children will be recruited with regard to their suitability for that responsibility, and will be provided with guidance and/or training in good practice and child protection procedures
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Working in partnership with parents and children is essential for the protection of children
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The implementation of the aforesaid procedures should be regularly monitored and reviewed.
Promoting good practice
Introduction
To provide children with the best possible experience and opportunities in the Dance&Arts lessons everyone must operate within an accepted ethical framework.
It is not always easy to distinguish poor practice from abuse. This section will help you identify what is meant by good practice and poor practice.
Good Practice
All Dance&Arts staff should adhere to the following principles and action:
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Always work in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets).
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Make the experience of the Performing Arts lessons fun and enjoyable: promote fairness, confront and deal with bullying
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Treat all young people equally and with respect and dignity.
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Maintain a safe and appropriate distance with students (e.g. it is not appropriate for staff or volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child or to share a room with them).
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Avoid unnecessary physical contact with young people. Where any form of manual/physical support is required it should be provided openly and with the consent of the young person. Physical contact can be appropriate so long as it is neither intrusive nor disturbing and the young person’s consent has been given. Some parents are becoming increasingly sensitive about manual support and their views should always be carefully considered.
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Involve parents/carers wherever possible, e.g. where young people need to be supervised in changing rooms, encourage parents to take responsibility for their own child. If groups have to be supervised in changing rooms always ensure parents, teachers, etc. work in pairs
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Request written parental consent if adults are required to transport young people in their cars.
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Gain written parental consent for any significant travel arrangements e.g. overnight stays.
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Ensure that at away events adults should not enter a young person’s room or invite young people to their rooms.
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Be an excellent role model, this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people.
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Always give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
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Recognising the developments/ needs and capacity of young people and disabled adults – avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will.
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Securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment.
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Keep a written record of any injury that occurs, along with details of any treatment given.
Poor Practice
The following are regarded as poor practice and should be avoided by all staff except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of the Director of Dance&Arts, Deana Indraccolo, or the child’s parents. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to collect a child at the end of a session:
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Unnecessarily spending excessive amounts of time alone with young people away from others
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Taking young people alone in a car on journeys, however short
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Taking young people to your home where they will be alone with you
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Sharing a room with a young person
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Engaging in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
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Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form
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Allowing young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged
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Making sexually suggestive comments to a young person, even in fun
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Reducing a young person to tears as a form of control
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Allow allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
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Do things of a personal nature that the young person can do for themselves
If during your care you accidentally hurt a young person, the young person seems distressed in any manner, appears to be sexually aroused by your actions and/or if the young person misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done, report any such incidents as soon as possible to another colleague and make a written note of it. Parents should also be informed of the incident.
Photography and Filming
Guidelines for use of photographic filming at dance events:
Videoing as a training aid: there is no intention to prevent teachers using video equipment as a legitimate coaching aid. However, dancers and their parents/carers should be aware that this is part of the coaching programme and care should be taken in the storage of such films.
Dance&Arts will adhere to the following Rules and Guidelines:
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Images of children posted online or in printed matter will be identified by there first name only and with no other personal details.
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To reduce the risk of inappropriate use of images only images deemed suitable will be used.
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Anyone with any complaints about images posted can speak to the Dance&Arts child protection officer (Deana Indraccolo) and the images will be removed.
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Anyone concerned about inappropriate use of images can report the matter to the Dance&Arts child protection officer and procedures will be followed to report the matter to the appropriate authority.
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The expectations for parents or spectators who wish to take photographs or film at an event are to avoid inappropriate or intrusive photography. Any child or parent who has concerns regarding inappropriate or intrusive photography must report their concerns to the Dance&Arts child protection officer who will act in the same manner as they would with any other child protection concern.
Recruitment and Selecting Staff and Volunteers
Dance&Arts recognises that anyone may have the potential to abuse children in some way and that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that unsuitable people are prevented from working with children. When undertaking pre-selection checks the following should be included:
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All volunteers/staff should have a valid Disclosure and Baring Service check (formerlyknown as a DBS/CRB).
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Evidence of identity (passport or driving licence with photo).
Responding to suspicions or allegations
It is not the responsibility of anyone working for Dance&Arts in a paid or unpaid capacity to take responsibility or to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However, there is a responsibility to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities.
Dance&Arts will assure all staff/volunteers that it will fully support and protect anyone, who in good faith reports his or her concern that a colleague is or may be abusing a child. When there is a complaint against a member of staff there may be three types of investigation:
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A criminal investigation.
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A child protection investigation.
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A disciplinary or misconduct investigation.
The results of the police and child protection investigation may well influence the disciplinary investigation.
Suspected abuse
Any suspicion that a child has been abused by either a member of staff or a volunteer should be reported to the child protection officer who will take such steps as considered necessary to ensure the safety of the child in question and any other child who may be at risk.
Actions to help the victim and prevent bullying in dance
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Take all signs of bullying very seriously.
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Encourage all children to speak and share their concerns.
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Help the victim to speak out and tell the person in charge or someone in authority.
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Create an open environment.
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Investigate all allegations and take action to ensure the victim is safe.
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Speak with the victim and the bully/ies separately.
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Reassure the victim that you can be trusted and will help them, although you cannot promise to tell no one else.
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Keep records of what is said (what happened by whom, when etc).
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Report any concerns to the child protection officer.
Actions towards bullies
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Talk with the bully/ies explain the situation and try to get the bully/ies to understand the consequences of their behaviour.
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Seek an apology to the victim/s.
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Inform the bully’s parents.
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Insist on the return of borrowed items and that the bully/ies compensate the victim.
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Provide support for the teacher of the victim.
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Impose sanctions as necessary.
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Encourage and support the bully/ies to change behaviour.
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Hold meetings with the families to report on progress.
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Inform all appropriate members of the action taken.
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Keep a written record of action taken.
Key Contact Information
D&A Child Protection Focal Person
Deana Indraccolo
Mobile: 07974544694
E-mail: deana@dancearts-uk.com
Updated, 28 January 2020
Dance&Arts Ltd
32-66 Stratford High Street
E15 2NZ
London UK
The best way to protect children is to empower them to protect themselves