Child Protection Policy

 

Here at the Action Theatre Club we ensure that your childs safety and happiness is our number one priority. 

Policy Aims

The aim of the Action Theatre Club Child Protection Policy is to promote good practice in: 

• Providing children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of the Action Theatre Club

• Allow all staff/volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues

The Action Theatre Club believes that:

• The welfare of children is vital and that safety and welfare come first in all instances.

• All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse

• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately

• All staff including teachers, assistants and volunteers working for The Action Theatre Club have a responsibility to report concerns to the principal or other identified staff.

 

The Action Theatre Club has a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in our classes from harm. 

All children have a right to protection and the needs of disabled children and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account. 

The Action Theatre Club will ensure the safety and protection of all children involved in our stage school through adherence to the Child Protection guidelines. A child is defined as under 18 The Children Act 1989.

Promoting Good Practice

The Action Theatre Club will encourage the following:

• Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoid private or unobserved situations and encouraging an open environment i.e. no secrets)

• Treating all young people/disabled adults equally, and with respect and dignity

• Always putting the welfare of each young person first, before winning or achieving goals

• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with students (e.g. it is not appropriate to have an intimate relationship with a child)

• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children to share in the decision making process

• Making performing fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play

  • Ensuring that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and according to guidelines provided by dance boards such as IDTA. Care is needed, as it is difficult to maintain hand positions when the child is constantly moving. Young people should always be consulted and their agreement gained.

  • Ensuring that all material (i.e scripts /scene content) is age appropriate and never makes a child feel uncomfortable or concerned. 

• Keeping up to date with the skills, qualifications and insurance in performing arts.

• Being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people, always aiming to speak in a positive manner and remembering that building confidence and ensuring the child is having a positive experience is always the main aim.

• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism

  • Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given in an accident report book. 

  • Informing parents if any child is taken ill or injured during class.

  • Never offering or allowing children to be transported home or to events in teachers cars. 

  • Ensuring that children switch off mobile phones in all lessons and teachers only use their phones for music. 

 

The following practice not acceptable. A teacher should never:

  • Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games

• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching

• Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged

• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun 

• Reduce a child to tears as a form of control

• Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon

• Do things of a personal nature for children that they can do for themselves

 

Guidelines for use of photographic filming

The Action Theatre Club does not allow any filming or photographing to take place UNLESS;

We have signed consent in advance from parents.

We do not allow parents to take photo’s of their children in shows, nor to make videos. 

We hire professional, DBS checked photographers and videographers and parents are given the option to purchase photographs of their own child.

We ask all children to put mobile phones away in bags, completely out of sight before starting a class. 

 

Recruitment and selecting staff and volunteers

The Action Theatre Club 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:

* All our staff; freelance / volunteers / assistants, should complete and application form. This will elect information about an applicant’s past and a self disclosure about any criminal record

• Consent should be obtained from an applicant to seek information from the Criminal Records Bureau (DBS CHECK)

• Two confidential references, including one regarding previous work with children. These references must be taken up and confirmed through telephone contact

• Evidence of identity (passport or driving licence with photo)

 

Responding to suspicions or allegations

It is not the responsibility of anyone working at The Action Theatre Club 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.The Action Theatre Club 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/volunteer is or may be abusing a child.When there is a complaint against a member of staff there may be three types of investigation:

• A criminal investigation. 

• A child protection investigation.

 • 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 Principal: Lizzie Crawford, 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.

 

Action to help the victim and prevent bullying in performing

  • Have a zero tolerance policy to bullying

  • Take all signs of bullying very seriously

  • Encourage all children to speak and share their concerns• 

  • Help the victim to speak out and tell the person in charge or someone of authority

  • Create an open environment•

  • Investigate all allegations and take action to ensure the victim is safe

• Speak with the victim and the bully/ies separately

• Reassure the victim that you can be trusted and will help them, although you cannot promise to tell no one else

• Keep records of what is said (what happened by whom, when etc)

  • Report any concerns to the Principal 

 

 

Action towards bullies

  • Talk with the bully/ies explain the situation and try to get the bully/ies to understand the consequences of their behaviour•

  • Seek an apology to the victim/s.

 • Inform the bully’s parents 

• Provide support for the teacher of the victim

• Impose sanctions as necessary

• Encourage and support the bully/ies to change behaviour

 • Hold meetings with the families to report on progress

 • Inform all appropriate members of the action taken

 • Keep a written record of action taken (whom, when etc) 

 

Contact Details

Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO)

Principle - Lizzie Crawford

Phone - 07834 818 441

Email - actiontheatreclub@gmail.com

 

CEOP www.ceop.police.uk