CHILDREN / YOUNG PERSONS’
SAFEGUARDING POLICY
The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech work
for amateur festivals everywhere to help create thousands of educational performance opportunities for children and young people each year.
The Federation, and our member Festivals, are committed to ensuring safe environments for children and young people and believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind.
We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people, by a commitment to recommend best practice which protects them. This policy applies to our Board of Trustees, paid staff, Adjudicator members, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Federation and our member Festivals.
1
We recognise that
The welfare of the child/young person is paramount.
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
2
The purpose of the policy
To provide protection for the children and young people who participate in our festivals, including the children of festival members.
To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child or young person may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm.
3
We will seek to safeguard children and young people by
Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
Adopting child protection guidelines through procedures and safe working practice for staff and volunteers.
Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
Sharing information about child protection and safe working practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers.
Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately.
Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training.
The Federation will review this policy each year in November in line with Safe Network guidance or sooner in light of any changes in legislation or guidance. All changes will be communicated to our member Festivals in time for the start of the new Festival year.
VULNERABLE ADULTS AT RISK
PROTECTION POLICY
The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech work for amateur festivals everywhere to help create thousands of educational performance opportunities for adults, children and young people each year.
The Federation, and our member Festivals, are committed to ensuring safe environments for vulnerable adults at risk and believe that it is always unacceptable for a vulnerable adult
at risk to experience abuse of any kind. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all vulnerable adults at risk, by a commitment to recommend best practice which protects them.
This policy applies to our Board of Trustees, paid staff, Adjudicator members, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Federation and our member Festivals.
1
We recognise that
The welfare of a vulnerable adult at risk is paramount.
All vulnerable adults at risk, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Working in partnership with vulnerable adults at risk, their relatives, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting their welfare.
2
The purpose of the policy
To provide protection for vulnerable adults at risk who participate in our festivals.
To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a vulnerable adult may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm.
To actively promote the empowerment and well-being of vulnerable adults who participate in our festivals.
3
We will seek to safeguard vulnerable adults at risk by
Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
Adopting safe working practices for staff and volunteers.
Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
Sharing information appropriately about adults who are at risk, with their consent.
If consent is refused and there are considered to be serious concerns of abuse for the individual concerned or others, then consent may be over ridden in line with guidance, and only shared appropriately with those who need to know providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training.
CREATING SAFER FESTIVALS
FOR EVERYONE
The Federation and its member Festivals use the following policies and procedures
to create Safer Festivals for everyone:
1
A single, definitive Child Protection Policy and a Vulnerable Adults at Risk Protection Policy adopted by all Federation Festivals.
2
One or more designated Festival Safeguarding Officers (FSO) appointed for each Federation Festival.
Mr Graeme Oddy
0117 9070464
07913 694881
3
Best practice advice in the form of Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection leaflets, with support and training for all Festival staff and volunteers.
Including clear reporting procedures for anyone with a concern about a child or a vulnerable adult.
4
Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures for all new Festival staff and volunteers responsible for providing safe environments for everyone attending / performing at a Federation Festival.
5
All Festival personnel wear an official coloured Festival lanyard and badge. All teachers / parents / guardians / carers are asked to report all incidents of any nature to anyone wearing a badge.
All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with the Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection best practice advice. In addition we will ensure the availability of a quiet area / room where concerns can be expressed in private.
6
For the duration of a Festival, all teachers / parents / guardians / carers are responsible for the continuous care and supervision of their own children / pupils / vulnerable adults.
If they are unable to attend personally, they must delegate their responsibilities to an identified adult and ensure that their children / pupils / vulnerable adults are aware of the identity and name of the person responsible for their care.
This includes supervision throughout all Festival venues, practice and changing areas that may be provided. The Festival cannot take responsibility for any property left unattended.
7
No unauthorised photography, audio or video recording of children and young people is allowed in the performance areas at our Festivals.
Where parents / guardians / carers do not wish photos to be taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child / pupil / vulnerable adult is not included in official photos.
8
Some children and vulnerable adults may have specific needs in order to take part.
If this is the case we ask the responsible teachers / parents / guardians / carers to contact the Festival Organiser at the time of entry.
The Festival actively seeks wherever possible to meet these needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare support – or to advise that help cannot be provided on this occasion.
9
The Festival’s Child Protection Policy, Vulnerable Adults at Risk Protection Policy and approach to Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone is published explicitly in our Syllabus, Programme and Website.
By completing and signing the entry form all parents / guardians / carers and teachers of competitors under 18 (or vulnerable adults of any age) confirm that they give (or have obtained) the necessary consents for the competitors to take part in the Festival.
Without consent, the performer’s entry to the Festival cannot be accepted