Safeguarding and Child Protection
Policy
Function and Purpose
Taunton Festival of the Arts is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission and affiliated to the British and International Federation of Festivals. The Festivals purpose is to advance, promote and encourage for the public benefit the performing arts generally and, in particular but not exclusively, Music, Dance and Speech and Drama.
It seeks to achieve the object by organizing festivals, competitions and other occasional concerts, performances, workshops or such like events.
The Festival is managed by a committee of trustees which runs the Festival’s activities with sub committees and volunteer helpers. All Festival personnel are unpaid.
This Policy relates to all who attend Festival events in particular children under the age of eighteen and vulnerable adults.
Responsibility of Parents and Teachers
Children and vulnerable adults who attend Festival events remain the responsibility of their parents, carers, teachers or a responsible adult acting on behalf of a teacher who must ensure they are adequately supervised at all times.
Code of Practice
The safety of children and adults who attend Festival events is paramount. Our Trustees and volunteers undertake to do their best to provide an enjoyable learning and performance experience in an environment which is safe.
Personnel
The Trustees, Section Secretaries and Competition Organisers are DBS checked. Other volunteers are known personally by a trustee or the Stewards’ Secretary. New volunteers will be asked to provide a short written reference.
Festival personnel will wear name badges. Any safety or welfare concerns should be referred to one of them. Festival personnel will be on the lookout for any distress or behaviour which could indicate abuse of any kind. Each Festival event is overseen by a Section Secretary or Competition organiser who will deal with incidents or matters of concern. They will refer serious matters to the Festival’s Safeguarding Officer who will make a record and enlist outside support from the Police or Social services where necessary.
Festival personnel will receive appropriate training in Child Protection.
Online Safety
Any digital communication with parents or children should be limited to matters pertaining to the organisation of Festival events and informal contact, under the aegis of the Festival, through social media with individual parents or children should be avoided.
Safeguarding Officer
One of the Trustees will act as Safeguarding Officer. He/she will:
Link with Somerset Council’s Safeguarding Boards for Children and for Adults and ensure that the Festival is following any of their policies and procedures which are relevant.
Record and ensure that any serious incidents are dealt with effectively.
Inform the Charity Commission of any serious incidents or complaints about Safeguarding matters.
Organise appropriate training in Child Protection and Health and Safety for Festival Personnel.
Organise the vetting of all personnel by DBS checks and the use of references.
Prepare Risk Assessments for each Festival event.
Photography or video recording (except by teachers for GCSE use) is not allowed in the rooms where Festival events are taking place. There may be Press Photography. If parents or schools would like to put a bar on any of their children appearing in a Press photograph, they must inform the Festival of this at the time of entry.
Where designated changing or rehearsal areas are provided, it is the responsibility of parents or teachers to provide supervision of their children. The Festival will not provide Stewards to supervise.
Volunteers who are not DBS checked (e.g. some accompanists) should not be left alone with children. They must be chaperoned by a parent or Festival volunteer.
Some children and vulnerable adults may have specific needs in order to take part in a Festival event. In these cases, parents or teachers should contact the relevant Section Secretary or Competition Organiser at the time of entry. The Festival actively seeks to meet such needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare – or to advise that help cannot be provided on this occasion.
The Festival takes no responsibility for personal property at any of its venues.
Risk Assessment
Festival officials have a duty of care to everyone involved at their events and may be held liable if anyone is hurt or injured because of negligence. Our Section Secretaries and Competition officials are responsible for the organisation of each event on behalf of the Festival.
Environment
The Festival uses local venues for its events. It is the responsibility of Section Secretaries and Competition Organisers to carry out a Risk Assessment before each event. This should include ensuring there is adequate First Aid provision and arrangements to deal with Fire Safety. They should provide oversight during the event to ensure, as far as is possible, that everyone at the event is safe.
The Event Organiser will be given Risk Assessment forms for each day. These should be signed .
The Festival’s Safeguarding Officer and officials of each festival/ competition will carry out a Risk Assessment in conjunction with the Venue Manager. These Assessments will be reviewed at least once a year by:
Assessing the risks arising from the event.
Providing adequate control of the health, safety and welfare risk arising from the event.
Providing information and instruction for personnel.
Ensuring all personnel are competent to do their tasks and to give them adequate training.
Preventing accidents wherever possible and, when they do occur, learning from them.
This policy statement and relevant documentation will be reviewed (and where necessary) updated from time to time but at least annually.
Dissemination and Review
This policy will be published on the Festivals website.
The Trustees will review this policy annually. It will be sent by email to all volunteers.
The online entry system includes a mandatory field for all entries. Confirmation of having read the safe guarding policy must be agreed before entrants can proceed. For group and school entries it is their responsibility to share the policy with parents and guardians.