Child protection and vulnerable people policy
Shuffletunes’ policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
1. Context and Mission
Shuffletunes is a choir. Its mission is to allow people a safe and positive environment for singing. It is a healthy and mutually respectful group that expects everyone within its organisation, as members or organisers, to treat children, young adults and adults fairly and respectfully. It aims to work within the local community in a positive role.
2. Policy Remit
2.1 The purpose of this policy is to set out the Shuffletunes' position on the protection of children and vulnerable adults. For the purpose of this policy, anyone under 18 years of age will be considered a child. The principles contained in this policy will also be applied to vulnerable adults.
2.2 Children working with Shuffletunes will be doing so with the permission of their parents. Whilst the primary responsibility for the welfare of children and vulnerable adults rests with the supervising adult, Shuffletunes wishes to ensure that all children and others who may be vulnerable, whether because of their age, physical or mental ability or ill health, are safe from harm while working with us.
2.3 The welfare of the child is of paramount importance. We believe that every child, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religious belief and sexual identity, has the right to be protected from abuse and harm at all times and in all situations. As such, the Shuffletunes is committed to providing a safe environment for children to sing in.
2.4 Child protection is the responsibility of every adult who has involvement with children. It is the duty of all staff and volunteers working with Shuffletunes to prevent the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of all children with whom they come into contact.
2.5 Adults working with children must also be provided with safeguards and made aware of best practice so they can be protected from wrongful allegations. It is expected that Shuffletunes employees must have a current enhanced CRB. Appendix I of this policy contains guidelines, which will be adhered to when working with children.
2.6 This policy applies to all employees, volunteers and helpers attached to Shuffletunes.
3. Policy Objectives
3.1 Awareness and prevention
3.1.1 Shuffletunes recognises that there are four main types of abuse suffered by children. These are physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.
3.1.2 All adults or leaders working with Shuffletunes, have to be made aware of Shuffletunes’ child protection policy and guidelines for working with children.
3.1.3 Through awareness and good practice, Shuffletunes employees can minimise the risk of abuse to children and also protect themselves against false allegations of abuse.
3.1.4 Shuffletunes is committed to careful planning of appropriate activities and groupings for children and young people in order to minimise situations where abuse could occur.
3.2 Recruitment
3.2.1 Shuffletunes employees and volunteers will be carefully selected, trained and monitored to ensure that children with whom they may come into contact are protected.
3.2.2 It is recognised that abuse is facilitated when an abuser can find an opportunity to be alone with a child or other vulnerable person. The risk that abuse may occur increases where an abuser can maintain regular contact in order to build a relationship with the child or other vulnerable person.
3.2.3 Only Shuffletunes employees and volunteers with the opportunity for unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults would need to undergo checks with the Criminal Records Bureau.
3.2.4 It is the policy of Shuffletunes that, at present, staff should not be solely responsible for looking after children when working in school environments. Shuffletunes employees should not place or find themselves in a situation where they are alone with a child. If this should happen it should be immediately reported to a member of the school staff.
3.2.5 Outside the dropping off, collection and rehearsal or performance time with Shuffletunes employees, children are the responsibility of the school staff and the child’s family. Contact details of parents will be kept by Shuffletunes in order to contact parents in the event of an emergency or change in situation that may affect the child. It may be necessary to communicate with the child’s school in order to maintain good contact with the child’s family.
3.2.6 It will be expected that all Shuffletunes employees hold current and valid enhanced CRB certificiates. Volunteers working with Shuffletunes will be expected to remain with the Shuffletunes employees at all times.
3.3 Reporting
3.3.1 Shuffletunes seeks to develop a culture within which employees and volunteers feel able to point out inappropriate attitudes, behaviours and situations to the school responsible for the child. An open line of communication between the school and Shuffletunes will be expected to be maintained.
3.3.2 Any volunteer or member of staff who suspects that abuse or inappropriate behaviour may have taken place, or who has had a disclosure made to them by a child, will report it to the child’s school’s CPO immediately.
3.3.3 All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly, appropriately within the school’s Child Protection procedures.
3.3.4 Shuffletunes employees are expected to be familiar with the child protection and e-safety policies of schools and LA’s. They are expected to respect them and operate safely with children that are in the school’s and LA’s care.
3.4 Risk Assessment
3.4.1 Shuffletunes will assume that the school has undertaken reasonable risk assessments that will allow children to operate with Shuffletunes employees within the environment of the school.
3.4.2 If children are involved in a Shuffletunes production outside school, Shuffletunes must undertake a risk assessment to improve the commitment towards the safety and security of the children that are working with them.
3.4.3 Shuffletunes will seek to obtain supportive information about children who have specific medical or behavioural needs that should be met to allow the child to participate positively in activities with Shuffletunes. It is the joint responsibility of the school and Shuffletunes to see that those children that have specific needs are treated fairly.
3.5 Enhanced Disclosure
Shuffletunes employees should keep up to date enhanced disclosure CRB certification.
4. Policy Review Basis
This policy will be reviewed on a three-yearly basis.
Staff code of conduct
1 INTRODUCTION
Shuffletunes represents, supports and works with adults and children with a view to providing musical experiences that widen people’s understanding and interaction with music. Shuffletunes holds mutual respect highly within its remit and places high emphasis on ensuring that the organisation is fun, positive and dynamic. Shuffletunes is made up of different genders, beliefs, backgrounds, cultures, sexualities and religions. Employees have a responsibility to respect these different groups and engage in an inclusive attitude towards them.
2 PURPOSE, SCOPE AND PRINCIPLES
This code of conduct is designed to give clear guidance on the standards of behaviour all workers employed by or volunteering for Shuffletunes are expected to observe, and the Shuffletunes should notify affected people of this code and the expectations therein. They are role models and are in a unique position of influence and must adhere to behaviour that sets a good example to everyone that is a customer of Shuffletunes.
This Code of Conduct applies to:
- all staff who work with Shuffletunes- including volunteers.
3 SETTING A POSITIVE EXAMPLE
3.1All Shuffletunes staff who work in schools set examples of behaviour and conduct which can be copied by students. Employees must therefore act to avoid using inappropriate or offensive language at all times. This includes printed text and clothing logos.
3.2All employees must encourage any children within the organisation to use respectful language and use it appropriately.
3.3All employees must strive to avoid unprofessional conduct, especially when working with children.
3.4This Code helps all employees to understand what behaviour is and is not acceptable.
4 SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS
4.1 Shuffletunes employees have a duty to safeguard students from:
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- emotional abuse
- neglect
4.2 The duty to safeguard students includes the duty to report concerns about a student to the school’s Designated Senior Person (DSP) for Child Protection.
4.3 Shuffletunes expects staff to familiarise themselves with the company’s child protection policy.
4.4 Employees must not attempt to seriously demean or undermine pupils, their parents or carers, or colleagues that they may encounter.
4.5 Employees must take reasonable care of students under their supervision with the aim of ensuring their safety and welfare.
5 HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
5.1 Employees must maintain high standards of honesty and integrity in their work. This includes the handling and claiming of money and the use of rented property and facilities.
6 CONDUCT OUTSIDE SHUFFLETUNES
6.1 Employees must aim to promote Shuffletunes in a positive light.
6.2 Criminal offences that involve violence or sexual misconduct are likely to be regarded as unacceptable and employees that have criminal records for these behaviours will be required to declare them to the MD, who will have discretion over their employment.
6.3 Employees with access to social media must exercise responsibility when promoting or discussing Shuffletunes. They should try to reflect the positive and respectful attitude of Shuffletunes. If they are unsure about whether to proceed with an engagement about Shuffletunes, they should discuss it with the MD.
7 CONFIDENTIALITY
7.1 Where employees have access to confidential information about students or their parents or carers, they must not reveal such information except to those colleagues who have a professional role in relation to the student. Equally they have a duty to report any negative behaviour to the MD of Shuffletunes who will contact the appropriate people. This includes confidential contact information.
7.2 Shuffletunes employees have a duty of care to report any concerns about anyone that the company are working with to the correct person who can support the employee and any third party.
8 DISCIPLINARY ACTION
8.1 All employees need to recognise that failure to meet these standards of behaviour and conduct may result in dismissal. They should also be aware that their actions whether intentionally positive or negative will influence the perception of the company, and behaviour that results in negative perception will need to be investigated and corrected.