Child Protection Policy
The British and
International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech work for amateur festivals everywhere to help create thousands of
educational performance opportunities for children and young people each year.
The Federation, and our member Festivals, are committed to ensuring safe
environments for children and young people and believe that it is always
unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind. We
recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young
people, by a commitment to recommend best practice which protects them.
This policy applies to our Board of Trustees, paid staff, Adjudicator
members, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Federation and
our member Festivals.
We recognise
that:
- the welfare of the child/young person is paramount;
- all children, regardless of age, disability,
gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have
the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;
- working in partnership with children, young people,
their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young
people’s welfare.
The purpose of the policy:
- to provide protection for the children and young
people who participate in our festivals, including the children of festival
members;
- to provide staff and volunteers with guidance on
procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child or young
person may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm.
We will seek
to safeguard children and young people by:
- valuing them, listening to and respecting them;
- adopting child protection guidelines through
procedures and safe working practice for staff and volunteers;
- recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring
all necessary checks are made;
- sharing information about child protection and safe
working practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers;
- sharing information about concerns with agencies
who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately;
- providing effective management for staff and
volunteers through supervision, support and training.
The Federation will review this policy each year in November in line with Safe Network guidance or sooner in light of any changes in legislation or guidance. All changes will be communicated to our member Festivals in time for the start of the new Festival year.
Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone
The Federation and its member Festivals use the following policies and
procedures to create Safer Festivals
for everyone:
- A single, definitive Child Protection Policy adopted by all Federation Festivals.
- One or more designated Festival Safeguarding Officers (FSO) appointed for each Federation Festival.
Name: Sandra Lawlor Phone: 07500060890 - Best practice advice in the form of Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection leaflets,
with support and training for all Festival staff and volunteers. Including
clear reporting procedures for anyone with a concern about a child.
- Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures for
all new Festival staff and volunteers responsible for providing safe
environments for everyone attending / performing at a Federation Festival.
- All Festival stewards wear an approved PMF badge. All
teachers/parents/guardians/carers
are asked to report all incidents of any nature to anyone wearing a Festival
identity badge. All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with the Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection best
practice advice. In addition each Festival will ensure the availability of a
quiet area / room where concerns can be expressed in private.
- For the duration of the Festival all teachers/parents/guardians/carers
are responsible for the continuous care and supervision of their own
children/pupils/vulnerable adults. If they are unable to attend personally,
they must delegate their responsibilities to an identified adult and ensure
that their children/pupils/vulnerable adults are aware of the identity and name
of the person responsible for their care. This includes supervision throughout
all Festival venues, performance, practice and changing areas that may be
provided.
- No unauthorised photography or video recording is
allowed at our Festivals. Where parents/guardians/carers do not wish photos to be taken
at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their
child/pupil/vulnerable adult is not included in official authorised photos.
- Some children and vulnerable adults may have specific
needs in order to take part. If this is the case we ask the responsible teachers/parents/guardians/carers to
contact the relevant Section Leaders (N.B. contact numbers are printed on the
Performer’s Entry Card) for the Festival prior to arrival. The Festival
actively seeks wherever possible to meet these needs, but must know beforehand
in order to prepare support – or to advise that help cannot be provided on this
occasion.
- The Festival’s Child Protection Policy and approach to
Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone is published explicitly in our Syllabus,
Programme and on our website. By
completing and signing the entry form all parents / guardians / carers and
teachers of entrants under 18 (or vulnerable adults of any age) confirm that
they give (or have obtained) the necessary consents for the entrants to take
part in the Festival. Without consent the
entry to the Festival cannot be accepted.