Ashford Youth Theatre

ASHFORD YOUTH THEATRE

SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT

Ashford Youth Theatre produces theatre performances and also facilitates events for other community organizations by providing them with our production skills, premises and equipment. We work with a wide age range of people, comprising mostly young people and adults, but also occasionally children and vulnerable adults. We also accommodate several school and college students on work experience placements each year.

The Youth Theatre has a supportive and encouraging approach to young people and take all recommended and reasonable measures to ensure that they come to no physical, sexual or emotional harm through their contact and work with us. We believe that young people are in a protected and nurturing environment with us and are provided with appropriate activities and opportunities to increase their skills and confidence without damage to their health or wellbeing.Volunteers who work directly with the young people have enhanced criminal records disclosures.

We try to foster an open and equal style of communication so our young people can express themselves if they should feel that they were in any way harmed or injured by other members of the group. We discuss our behaviours and processes with young people at our committee meetings to ensure that we are all comfortable with how we are working with them. All volunteers have received and read the Safeguarding Policy and training is available to ensure they are aware of its implications and can develop their ability to recognize and respond appropriately and confidently to specific child protection issues. Any suspicion or allegation of abuse will be responded to with speed and appropriateaction taken.

Training is available to any member who would like to be more aware of safeguarding issues. Ask Stella or Dan to find you an evening’s course locally.

The Youth Theatre’s Safeguarding Officer isLara Cavill

ASHFORD YOUTH THEATRE

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Good practice guidelines

* Group leaders role model an attitude of mutual respect and support.

* Work is carried out in an open environment; unobserved situations are

avoided. There is usually more than one group leader present.

* Volunteers adhere to Health and Safety policy, especially with regard

to risk assessments, provision of first aid and the reporting of incidents

and accidents, and injuries sustained elsewhere.

* Physical contact with young people, children or vulnerable adults is

only engaged in where necessary as part of a structured activity such

astraining orrehearsal.

* Volunteers do not take young people into their cars without being

accompanied by another senior member.

* Parents of child participants provide us with consent in writing to act

in loco parentis.

* We establish as good a relationship as possible with the parents and

carers of the young people and share relevant information that will

help us all to provide appropriate support for their activities.

Volunteers should always

* work as a team to agree what standard of behaviour is expected and be

consistent in encouraging it;

* treat everyone with respect and dignity and recognize the unique

contribution each young person can make;

* respect a young person’s right to privacy;

* provide an opportunity and environment for young people to talk to

others about any concerns they may have;

* be understanding and sensitive when dealing with emotional issues;

* remember that others may misinterpret your behaviour and actions

regardless of how well-intentioned they may be;

* be particularly careful to be sensitive to individual’s beliefs, faiths and

religions, as well as the other issues covered in the Equality Policy;

* take seriously allegations or suspicions of abuse and report them

following the appropriate procedures.

Volunteers should never

* physically restrain a young person except in response to an immediate

serious threat;

* do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for

themselves;

* use sexualized language or make sexual remarks or jokes with or in

front of a young person;

* use offensive, discriminatory or demeaning language;

* allow or encourage either members or other volunteers to engage in

inappropriate behaviour and contact;

* undermine or criticise others;

* behave in a way that frightens or demeans a young person;

* cause emotional harm or distress through insensitive or aggressive

leadership styles;

* show favouritism or have other inappropriate contact with individual

young people within the organization;

* ignore or suppress allegations which need to be recorded and acted

upon.

For their own protection they should also

*never leave young people unattended or in the presence of adults not

known to leaders or who have not had relevant DBS checks;

* avoid being alone with young people;

* be careful about posting personal material on social networking sites.

Freelance Workers

Freelance staff are made familiar with our safeguarding procedures at the beginning of their residency. They work with the committee to ensure we can all agree at the start how these conditions will be observed in the process of rehearsals and performance. All freelance staff are required to have an enhanced check from the Disclosure and Barring Service before they have contact with our members. 3

Identifying abuse

There are four main areas of abuse which our staff need to be aware of when working with young people.

1 Emotional abuse

Generally, this occurs when adults persistently fail to show young people due care, love and affection, where a young person may be consistently shouted at, threatened or taunted, or be subjected to sarcasm and unrealistic pressures. It may also include over-protection, preventing young people from socializing, or bullying to perform to high expectations. The young person may lose self-confidence and may become withdrawn and nervous. We will avoid emotional abuse by not

* providing negative feedback;

* allowing discriminatory, abusive or inappropriate behaviour within the

group;

* repeatedly demanding performance levels above those of which the

young person is capable.

2 Neglect

Generally, this occurs where a young person’s essential needs for shelter, food, warmth or care are not met. Failing or refusing to provide love and affection could also be deemed neglect. We will avoid neglect by not

* leaving young people alone without proper supervision;

* exposing a young person to unnecessary heat or cold without fluids or

protection;

* exposing a young person to an unacceptable risk of injury;

* ensuring that all young people know what to do in the event of a fire or

other emergency.

3 Physical abuse

Generally, this occurs when adults or other young people deliberately inflict injuries on or knowingly do not prevent such injuries to a young person. It also occurs where an adult gives underage young people alcohol or inappropriate drugs, or fails to supervise their access to these substances. We will avoid physical abuse by not

* exposing young people to activities which disregard their age, abilities,

maturity and body growth;

* allowing young people to indulge in alcohol;

* requiring young people to maintain an exhausting schedule.

4 Sexual abuse

Generally, this occurs where young people are abused by adults, both male and female, who use them to meet their own sexual needs. This includes, for example, forcing a young person to take part in sexual activity such as intercourse, masturbation or oral sex, showing them pornographic material, or making suggestions that sexual favours can help (or refusal hinder) their selection for an activity or progression.

We will avoid this by ensuring that our volunteers avoid inappropriate contact with young people and ensuring that their language and behaviour cannot be misconstrued by them or those around them.

Suspicion of abuse

Our volunteers may become aware of abuse in a number of ways:

* a young person may describe what appears to be an abusive act;

* a volunteer may becomeseriously concerned about a young person’s

welfare;

* someone else reports an incident or expresses a strong suspicion;

It is not their responsibility to decide that abuse is occurring, but it is their responsibility to act on any concern. 5

Signs and indicators of abuse

In many situations, the signs will not be obvious and decisions about what actionto take can be difficult. The following list is not exhaustive and we understand that the presence of one or more indicators is not proof that abuse is actually taking place:

* unexplained changes in behaviour e.g. becoming very quiet,

withdrawn or displaying sudden uncharacteristic outbursts of temper;

* being constantly dirty, or in an unkempt or unwashed state;

* weight loss for no apparent reason;

*having difficulty making friends;

* distrust of adults, particularly those with whom a close relationship

would normally be expected;

* an injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent.

Injuries and incidents

If a young person arrives at the Youth Theatre with a physical injury it will be recorded in the accident book with a note that it was sustained prior to arrival on the premises. Also, if a young person arrives in a state of emotional distress we will make a note of what they express to us at the time. Any injuries or incidents occurring while attending the Youth Theatre will also be recorded and the parents or carers informed.

Sexual relationships

There is no legal obligation to stop two young people who are engaged in a sexual relationship. However, the matter needs to be reported to the Safeguarding Officer if either of the young people is under the age of 13 or where a young person is aged 13 – 16 and the relationship is with a much older partner or is considered to be exploitative.

Reports and allegations of abuse

All allegations of abuse will be taken seriously whether they are against another young person, a volunteer or a third party. Our Safeguarding Officer is the nominated adult to whom all concerns should be reported.

The Safeguarding Officer’s responsibilities are :

* not to investigate concerns but to try to determine the facts of any

allegations;

* to ensure the Youth Theatre’s policies and procedures are followed;

* to report any concerns to social care or the police;

* to ensure that all volunteers know how to make contact with these

bodies in the event of an urgent concern;

* to act as a source of advice on all safeguarding matters and seek

further advice from relevant organizations e.g. NSPCC, Young Kent;

* to ensure that records are kept of any concerns about a young person

or volunteer and any conversations or referrals to statutory agencies,

and that such records are kept safely and securely;

* to be the point of contact with the parents or carers of a young person

who has alleged abuse. The needs and wishes of the young person

should be paramount in deciding how this should be done in such a way

that causes no further distress, but enables the parents and carers to be

properly informed and meet their needs.

If an allegation is made against a volunteer or another member of the group, that person would be suspended from further Youth Theatre activities unless further investigation concluded they were not at fault. The work of the Youth Theatre may need to be stopped or changed to facilitate this and the committee would need to decide how to communicate this to the membership so that both parties are protected by some confidentiality.

We would revisit the Safeguarding Policy to identify how the procedures had failed to ensure an open, safe environment. Contact with the young person’s parents or carers will be maintained.

Procedure for handling allegations or suspicions

Any volunteer working with the group may be approached by a young person with an allegation or suspicion of abuse. It is important that they follow the procedure below.

* Stay calm and approachable. Do not get stressed or let your shock

show.

* Listen carefully and respectfully without interrupting or rushing them.

* Do not make leading suggestions as to the meaning of what they are

saying and ask only open questions for clarification.

* Make it clear at the first appropriate opportunity that you are going to

have to share the information with someone who can help, but no-one

else who does not need to know.

* Reassure the young person that making the disclosure was the right

thing to do.

* Let them know what will happen next – who you will report to and

what they will do.

* Reassure them that they will not need to have further contact with the

person they allege has harmed them

* Record the facts of the discussion, using their words, the date, time

and location, and the names of anyone else who was present or

mentioned.

* Report immediately to the Safeguarding Officer, giving them a copy

of your own account, and they will decide which statutory agency to

contact.

* If the concern is critical and the Safeguarding Officer is unavailable or

compromised, it should be referred immediately to theSafeguarding

Officer of the KCC. If a Youth Theatre activity is taking place, you

may need to inform the senior leader of your concerns.

This policy was adopted at the Management Committee meeting on

………… Signed on behalf of the committee……………………………

RESPONSE TO DISCLOSURE OF ABUSE

Volunteer or committee member approached by young person alleging or suspecting abuse