SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY – download PDF version

The Bandwagon Ltd.

 

  1. Introduction

 

  1. The Bandwagon Ltd. is a for-profit organisation run by:
    Mr Adam Lawrence
  2. The Bandwagon Ltd. is based at:
    10 Oak Meadow
    Shipdham
    IP25 7FD
  3. The Bandwagon Ltd. is managed by a management team (the Team). One of the management team has particular responsibility for safeguarding children.
  4. The Team has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at The Bandwagon Ltd. to support it and comply with it. Consequently this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students, contractors or anyone working on behalf of The Bandwagon Ltd.


2 Purpose of the Policy

  1. This policy is intended to protect children and young people who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us.
  2. As an organisation we believe that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and are committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

3 The risks to children

  1. Nearly every child grows up in a safe and happy environment and it is important not to exaggerate or overestimate the dangers. Nevertheless, there are situations where children need protection including:
  • Sexual abuse
  • Grooming
  • Physical and emotional abuse and neglect
  • Domestic violence
  • Inappropriate supervision by staff or volunteers
  • Bullying, cyber bullying, acts of violence and aggression within our schools and campuses
  • Victimisation
  • Self-harm
  • Unsafe environments and activities
  • Crime
  • Exploitation


4 Universality of Protection

  1. We recognise that:
  • The welfare of the child is paramount
  • All children regardless of race, gender, religious belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity have a right to equal protection from harm.
  • Some children are more vulnerable to harm as a result of their circumstances, prior experiences, communication needs or level of dependency.
  • Working with children, young people, their parents and/or guardians, carers or other agencies is essential to protecting their wellbeing.

 


5 Safeguarding children at events / activities

  1. Both event and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions where The Bandwagon Ltd. will be providing a service.
  2. All Bandwagon activities take place at a school establishment. The Bandwagon Team will refer to the Safeguarding/Child Protection Policies at the school establishment where work is taking place, and ensure any particular procedures defined by the school are in place before any activities take place.
  3. Additional safeguarding practices are in place specific to The Bandwagon and its Team. Refer to Appendix A for full details of these practices.

 

6 Disclosure and barring

1. The Bandwagon Ltd. offers the following activities for children:

  • Group music lessons in a custom built mobile music studio
  • Periodic concerts/workshops/showcases of completed work

Some of our activities may therefore require adult participants or adult leaders to undergo DBS and/or police checks under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The required level of checking will broadly reflect the degree and frequency of unsupervised access given to other people’s children (see Appendix A)

2. The Team will take very seriously any allegation of impropriety on the part of any member of The Bandwagon Ltd. A member of The Bandwagon Ltd. who discovers anything amiss should get in touch immediately with the following:

  • In the first instance – The appointed safeguarding person/s at the school establishment in question.
  • In the second instance – Mr Adam Lawrence – Managing Director
  • In the third instance (and for general reporting) – Miss Catherine Stafford – Safeguarding Officer – 07828625833
  • In all instances, (as long as the safety of the child is maintained), safeguarding professionals and appointed persons must work together and share information to ensure safe outcomes for the child.

3. The Team (and any other involved professionals) will review the allegation and the likely risk to children and, if appropriate, will consider banning the member from future events or revoking his or her membership or both, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of The Bandwagon Ltd.

7 Health and safety aspects of safeguarding children

  1. Before starting any event for unaccompanied children, the Team will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Parents and children will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks. The Team will keep a record of all risk assessments.
  2. Sufficient adults must be present at any event for unaccompanied children to enable one adult to deal with any emergency while another adult supervises the children not directly affected by the emergency.
  3. In all relevant circumstances the rules attached in Appendix A will be applied.

9 Policy on the prevention of bullying

  1. We will not tolerate the bullying of children either by adults or by other children. If any incident of child-on-child bullying should arise at Bandwagon Ltd. event or activity, those involved will be separated immediately and the parents of the children involved will be contacted and asked to deal with the matter. The Team will review all incidents of child-on-child bullying and assess the likely future risk to children.
  2. If appropriate, the Team will consider banning a child from future events, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of The Bandwagon Ltd. Allegations of adults bullying children will be dealt with under Section 6c. above.

10 Photographing children

  1. People must expect to have their photograph taken at many of our events and we reserve the right to publish suitable photographs of those attending within the school systems where that child is based, however names will not be used to personally identify any children.
  2. All attempts will be made to prevent individuals from being identified in photographs that are used for Marketing or Advertising purposes, however individual permission will be sought from parents/guardians if The Bandwagon Ltd. wishes to use photos that can identify a child.

11 Managing behaviour, discipline and acceptable restraint

  1. Adults supervising children at The Bandwagon Ltd. events must never use any form of corporal punishment. If physical restraint is absolutely necessary to prevent injury to any person or to prevent serious damage to property, then the minimum necessary restraint may be used — but for that purpose only.
  2. Unacceptable behaviour at The Bandwagon Ltd. events for unaccompanied children will generally be stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group. The separated child/ren will be suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.
  3. The Bandwagon Ltd. may apply a further disciplinary sanction; namely the banning of the child from one or more future events. Any such sanction would be determined and applied by the following officer: Mr Adam Lawrence
  4. A parent who is aggrieved by this ban may appeal to The Bandwagon Ltd. who will hear the views of all relevant persons. The decision of The Bandwagon Ltd. is then final. Any such appeals should be made to, and will be determined by the following officer: Mr Adam Lawrence
  5. If parents fail to provide us with important accurate SEND information, or if a plan is in place and this is not made clear upon enrolment. The Bandwagon cannot be held responsible for any disciplinary, or behavioural issues occurring between students if this information has been withheld.
  6. The Bandwagon Ltd reserves the right to refuse admission of any students who’s SEND requirements may be deemed outside the scope of our ability to provide appropriate support or access.
  7. Sections 11.5 and 11.6 also form part of our rules and guidelines found in Appendix A

12 Other Policies

  1. This safeguarding policy should be read together with the following policies and resources (see Appendix B):
  • The Bandwagon Ltd. Privacy Policy
  • The Bandwagon Ltd. CCTV Policy (as part of the Privacy Policy)

13 Legal Framework

  1. This policy has been drawn up in accordance with the following:
  • Children Act 1989
  • United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Sexual Offences Act 2003
  • Children Act 2004
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
  • Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
  • Children and Families Act 2014
  • Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice – Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014
  • Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services
  • Working together to safeguard children (2017)

NOTE: This Policy was approved by the following officer on 08/04/2019 and is due for review every 2 years:  Mr Adam Lawrence

 

Appendix A

Further rules and guidelines to be applied for the safeguarding of children

 

  1. Safeguarding and Child Protection Training & Certification
  1. All teachers for the Bandwagon to hold current CP Training, which is to be updated at the start of every school year (September)
  2. Safeguarding Officers for the Bandwagon to keep their safeguarding training up to date, at least every 2 years.
  3. Individual copies of CP Certification to be kept on board the Bandwagon mobile units, and a copy to be provided to the school Safeguarding Team before commencement of Bandwagon lessons

 

  1. Disclosure and Barring Service
  1. All Bandwagon Ltd. teachers to hold an enhanced DBS – issued via NORCA.
  2. DBS is recommended to be updated every 3 years
  3. All volunteers, office staff and contractors who will have contact time with children must hold at least a Basic DBS.
  4. Only members of the Team with an enhanced DBS will be permitted to be 1-2-1 with children at any time, however this is to be avoided where possible in accordance to the following section (3. 1-2-1/Lone Working)

 

  1. 1-2-1/Lone Working1-2-1 lessons are avoided where possible. In the instance that a child has a 1-2-1 lesson on the Bandwagon (e.g. if their other classmates are absent) then the following safeguards are in place:

 

  • CCTV recording at all times (See Appendix B – CCTV Policy – as part of Privacy Policy)
  • Bandwagon doors are to remain open so that there is a clear view inside. In the event that this is not possible due to inclement weather – then lessons will be doubled up so that there is more than one student at a time or another existing Bandwagon student will be invited in to the session.

 

4. Teaching Practices

At all times, Bandwagon teachers, and any other member of the Team must observe the following practices when working with children and ensure any instructions intended for children are understood by the students before sessions commence:

  • Personal space to be observed, demonstrations on musical instruments are done from the side not from behind.
  • Bandwagon mobile teaching units are small spaces – children are asked to keep the central gangway clear so that a teacher can move through without having to come into contact with the children at any time.
  • Students are made aware that there is CCTV on all the time, and that it is there for their safety.
  • Copies of the school’s safeguarding policies and contacts are available for students in the van.

 

  1. Practices for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability

Parents are asked to submit SEND details during the enrolment process so that Bandwagon staff are aware of any additional needs. Teachers will always adhere to these guidelines.

  1. Lesson structures are changed accordingly for SEND needs
  2. If parents fail to provide us with important accurate SEND information, or if a plan is in place and this is not made clear upon enrolment, The Bandwagon Ltd. cannot be held responsible for any disciplinary or behavioural issues occurring between students if this information has been withheld.
  3. The Bandwagon Ltd reserves the right to refuse admission of any students whose SEND requirements may be deemed outside the scope of our ability to provide appropriate support or access.

 

  1. Record Keeping and Data Protection

Any child protection concerns made to Bandwagon staff or officers must be documented using the standard templates available at the following site:

http://www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/Behaviour-and-safety/Safeguarding/Forms-and-templates/index.htm

  1. If appropriate, a copy must be kept in The Bandwagon Ltd. central filing system, separate from the child’s regular file
  2. Reports can only be viewed by appointed safeguarding officers or any approved individuals involved with the safeguarding case in question.
  3. Every effort must be made to keep information safe and secure in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and The Bandwagon Ltd. Privacy Policy (Appendix B)

 

Appendix B

PRIVACY & CCTV POLICY