Safeguarding
& Child
Protection.

Purpose and Scope of Policy

The Anderson School of Dance has a 'duty of care' to provide a safe environment for and to promote the health and well-being of children under the age of 18 years and adults at risk. The Anderson School of Dance will take all reasonable steps to ensure that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk is embedded in our contact with them through the training and activities we provide.

The Anderson School of Dance believes that the welfare of the child is paramount, and that all children and adults at risk, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation or identity, or religious belief, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

The purpose of this policy and associated procedures is:

• to facilitate protection for children under the age of 18 years and adults at risk during any activity provided by The Anderson School of Dance
• to protect children and adults at risk where there is a concern about the behaviour of an adult, including a The Anderson School of Dance employee
• to assist all individuals at The Anderson School of Dance to meet their duty of care to safeguard all children and adults at risk who take part in The Anderson School of Dance activities
• to ensure that where The Anderson School of Dance teaching faculty, students or visitors have concerns about the welfare of children or adults at risk, they are in a position to take appropriate steps to address them

Statutory and Legislative Frameworks

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of UK law and guidance.

Under the Children Act 1989, which applies to England and Wales, a child is a person up to the age of 18 years. For child protection purposes, all four nations in the UK use an age band up to 18 years old. This can also be up to the age of 25 years in the case of someone who is receiving help from Social Services or Education. Other relevant legislation includes the Children Act 2004 and the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010.

There is also a common law duty of care applicable to organisations not to be negligent and to avoid causing harm or injury.

Responsibilities

The Anderson School of Dance will ensure that the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and training are effective and comply with the law at all times and take account of statutory guidance. The Anderson School of Dance will remedy any deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to safeguarding and child protection arrangements that are brought to their attention without delay.

The Anderson School of Dance will safeguard children and adults at risk by:

• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• adopting child protection procedures
• sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, adults at risk, parents, carers, The Anderson School of Dance faculty and the companies and organisations with which we work
• sharing information about concerns with the appropriate agencies
• implementing and adhering to a Code of behaviour and good practice
• ensuring to the best of our ability, the security of The Anderson School of Dance premises (owned or rented) where activities involving children and adults at risk take place

No single professional, including those at The Anderson School of Dance, can have a full picture of a child or adult at risk's needs and circumstances. If children, carers and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

The Policy is reviewed biennially or sooner if there are changes in legislation, guidance or in the event of an incident.

Terminology and Definitions

There are four main recognised categories of child abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional abuse; in addition, The Anderson School of Dance is aware of other considerations and practices that affect children and young people such as self-harm, eating disorders, bullying (including cyber-bullying), peer on peer abuse, serious youth violence, violence in the name of honour, radicalisation, child sexual exploitation, sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The Anderson School of Dance also works with adults at risk who are protected by different legislation. The main forms of abuse in relation to an adult at risk include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial or material abuse, neglect, acts of omission and discriminatory abuse.

Overview and Responsibilities

These procedures aim to strike a balance between the need to protect children and adults at risk from abuse and the need to protect The Anderson School of Dance faculty, volunteers and visitors from false allegations.

It is not the responsibility of The Anderson School of Dance faculty to decide whether a child or adult at risk has been abused in the past, is being abused, or might be abused. However, there is a responsibility to act on concerns in order that children and adults at risk can be supported and protected in the short term, and that appropriate agencies can make enquiries and take necessary action to protect them.

It is the remit of the appropriate authority and not anyone connected with The Anderson School of Dance to investigate incidents that require referral.

Abuse of children and adults at risk can be perpetrated by another child or adult at risk and where this occurs the age and understanding of the alleged perpetrator must be taken into consideration. The circumstances of the alleged abuser must be assessed separately from those of the alleged victim and must include exploration of why the behaviour has occurred.

Where The Anderson School of Dance receives reports of concerns regarding safe dance practice, they will carry out all possible and appropriate investigations as the expert in the dance education field. In the event of the investigation substantiating such concerns, a safeguarding referral may then be made to the appropriate authority. In this context it should be noted that complaints cannot be assumed to be substantiated until appropriate processes have been completed, and in some circumstances may be rejected or may not be able to be investigated (e.g. in the case of anonymous complaints).

Responding to a Safeguarding Incident or Concern

If an incident, allegation or suspicion of abuse or any other matter calls the wellbeing of a child or adult at risk into question, The Anderson School of Dance should follow the procedure below:

• stop other activity and focus on what you are being told or seeing — responding to the incident being reported should take immediate priority
• react in a calm and considered way but show concern
• tell the child, adult at risk or third party that it is right for them to share this information
• take what the child, adult at risk or third party has said seriously and allow extra time where there is a speech or language difficulty
• keep questions to an absolute minimum necessary to gain a clear and accurate understanding of what is being said, and do not interrogate the child, adult at risk or third party
• offer reassurance
• do not give assurances of confidentiality, but explain you will need to pass on this information to those that need to know
• consider whether immediate action is needed to protect a child or adult at risk who may have been harmed or be at risk of harm — think about the child or adult at risk who is the immediate concern and any others who may have been harmed or be at risk of harm
• safeguarding incidents and/or behaviours can be associated with factors that occur outside of The Anderson School of Dance (such as family matters, and/or issues between children or adults at risk outside of The Anderson School of Dance) and so when dealing with a concern the full context should be considered

In cases where there is an immediate risk of harm to a child or adult at risk and it is unsafe to wait until the next working day, the appropriate authorities should be contacted immediately and you should stay with those you think are at immediate risk until they can be transferred to safe care, where practical.

Reporting a Safeguarding Incident or Concern

Make a comprehensive record of what is said or seen and actions taken at the earliest possible opportunity. The record should include the following:

• a detailed record of the incident in the child or adult at risk's own words or the words of the third party reporting it. You should note that there may be occasions when this record may be used later in a criminal trial and therefore needs to be as full and accurate as possible
• details of the nature of the incident
• a description of any injury (please note that you must not remove the clothing of a child or adult at risk to inspect injuries)
• dates, times or places and any other information that may be useful such as the names and addresses of potential witnesses; and written records including emails and letters

The report should be submitted to the appropriate authority immediately but if this is not possible, certainly within 24 hours.

All The Anderson School of Dance faculty handling cases involving allegations against teachers, students or visitors will recognise the need for absolute confidentiality in these circumstances.

There may be occasions when it is appropriate for the child(ren)'s main school to be contacted, where these details are known.

Further Advice and Guidance

Anyone who wishes to seek guidance from an external agency may contact the Police or Social Services Department. Guidance and advice is also available from the NSPCC Adult Child Protection Helpline or Childline for children and young people.

Definitions of Abuse

These definitions are based on those from Working Together to Safeguard Children (Department of Health, Home Office, Department for Education and Employment, 1999).

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after — commonly described as factitious illness, fabricated or induced illness in children. Physical abuse, as well as being the result of a deliberate act, can also be caused through omission or the failure to act to protect. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also classed as physical abuse; FGM has been a criminal offence in the UK since 1985, and in 2003 it also became a criminal offence for UK nationals or permanent UK residents to take their child abroad to have female genital mutilation.

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve making a child feel or believe they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of the other person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children, or causing children to feel frequently frightened or in danger. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of, or consents to, what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative acts, or non-penetrative acts such as fondling. Sexual abuse may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. Boys and girls can be sexually abused by males and/or females, by adults and by other young people, from all different walks of life.

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, leaving a young child home alone, or the failure to ensure that a child gets appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic emotional needs. It is accepted that in all forms of abuse there are elements of emotional abuse, and that some children are subjected to more than one form of abuse at any time.

Recent guidance notes other sources of stress for children and families, such as social exclusion, domestic violence, the mental illness of a parent or carer, or drug and alcohol misuse. These may have a negative impact on a child's health and development. If it is felt that a child's well-being is adversely affected by any of these areas, the same procedures should be followed.

Recognising and Responding to Abuse

The following signs may or may not be indicators that abuse has taken place, but the possibility should be considered.

Physical signs of abuse may include: any injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them; injuries to parts of the body not normally exposed to falls or games; unexplained bruising, marks or injuries; bruises which reflect hand marks or fingertips; cigarette burns; bite marks; broken bones; scalds; injuries which have not received medical attention; under-nourishment, failure to grow, constant hunger, stealing or gorging food, untreated illnesses, inadequate care; and repeated urinary infections or unexplained stomach pains.

Changes in behaviour that can indicate physical abuse include: fear of parents being approached for an explanation; aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts; flinching when approached or touched; reluctance to get changed (for example, wearing long sleeves in hot weather); depression; withdrawn behaviour; and running away from home.

Signs of emotional abuse may include a failure to thrive or grow, sudden speech disorders, persistent tiredness or developmental delay. Behavioural changes include obsessions or phobias, sudden under-achievement or lack of concentration, inappropriate relationships with peers and/or adults, being unable to play, attention-seeking behaviour, fear of making mistakes, self-harm, and fear of a parent being approached about their behaviour.

Signs of sexual abuse may include bruising or bleeding near the genital/anal areas, sexually transmitted disease, stomach pains, discomfort when walking or sitting down, or pregnancy. Behavioural changes include sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour, fear of being left with a specific person or group, nightmares, running away from home, sexual knowledge beyond their age or developmental level, sexual drawings or language, bedwetting, eating problems, self-harm, saying they have secrets they cannot tell, substance abuse, suddenly having unexplained sources of money, not being allowed friends, or acting in a sexually explicit way with adults.

Signs of neglect may include constant hunger (sometimes stealing food from other children), being constantly dirty or smelly, loss of weight or being constantly underweight, and inappropriate dress for the conditions. Behavioural changes include complaining of being tired all the time, not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments, having few friends, and mentioning being left alone or unsupervised.

Code of Behaviour and Good Practice

The Anderson School of Dance believes that the Code of Behaviour and Good Practice will assist everyone in protecting children and adults at risk. Anyone organising activities on behalf of The Anderson School of Dance must adhere to this code:

• All children and adults at risk should be treated with respect
• All children and adults at risk (including those with special educational needs) should be provided with an environment in which they can feel confident and able to discuss their concerns, with support for communication difficulties where needed
• All activities (including examinations) should include a ratio of one adult to every 10 children/adults at risk. For younger children under the age of nine, there should always be at least one additional adult (e.g. a teacher, a pianist, an assistant). Where this is not possible, activities will take place within sight or hearing of other adults
• Respect should be given to a child's or adult at risk's rights to personal privacy
• Physical contact with a child or young person may be misinterpreted and should be avoided. Where any physical touching is required for purposes of instruction, it should be provided openly in front of other students. Parents, guardians and students will be warned in advance that physical touching may be required for correctional purposes only
• Feedback should always be constructive rather than negative, and language used should never be threatening or upsetting
• Private or unobserved contact with a young person or adult at risk should be avoided wherever possible unless authorisation is given by the appropriate parent or guardian
• Children with special educational needs/disabilities may be especially vulnerable to abuse and extra care should be taken to interpret apparent signs of abuse or neglect
• Assumptions should not be made that indicators of abuse (e.g. behaviour, mood and injury) relate to a child's disability or learning difficulty without further exploration
• If first aid is required, where possible it should be administered by a trained first aider in the presence of another adult. The Anderson School of Dance First Aiders are Debbie Anderson, Kirsty Spavins and Emma Howse. A First Aider will complete a report if they have any safeguarding concerns as a result of administering first aid
• Changing room guidelines are designed to provide a safe environment and prohibit the use of telephones, cameras or other photographic or filming devices in changing rooms or toilet facilities
• Written parental or guardian consent should always be obtained for the use of any photographs, film or videos involving children and adults at risk, clearly indicating the uses to which they will be put

In all dealings with children and adults at risk, faculty, students, volunteers and visitors should never: leave children in their care unsupervised on the premises; play rough, physical or sexually provocative games; allow or engage in any inappropriate physical activity or bullying; allow inappropriate language to go unchallenged; use physical punishment; give their personal contact details to a child or adult at risk met through work (including via social networking sites); or allow allegations to go unrecorded or not acted upon.

Any incidents which cause concern in respect of a child or an adult at risk must be reported immediately.

The Anderson School of Dance Faculty

The Anderson School of Dance uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in the UK for criminal record checks and follows its advice with regard to requirements in relation to vetting and checking any faculty.

People and organisations that hire The Anderson School of Dance premises to run their own activities will be required to have their own necessary disclosure and barring checks done for any employees and volunteers. Anyone who will be working with participants below the age of 18 or adults at risk in any capacity must hold an appropriate Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. This requirement applies whether parents, guardians and/or carers are present during the activities or not.

Photography and Filming

No filming or photography of children or adults at risk should take place without gaining written permission from the appropriate parent, guardian or carer. The purposes for which any photographic images or film will be used should be clearly explained.

There is evidence that some people do use activities and events as an opportunity to take photographs or footage of children and/or adults at risk, including those with disabilities, with the intention to use them inappropriately or manipulate them.

Online Classes

Where lessons are delivered via online video conferencing software (such as Zoom), safeguarding policies will be followed as normal, with some additional precautions.

Zoom is an unaffiliated company, and attendees must agree to their terms and conditions. Online security and GDPR have been assessed and deemed acceptable. Attendees join through private links sent only to people who have pre-booked sessions, and session leaders admit attendees through the waiting room feature to ensure only The Anderson School of Dance students have access. All attendees must use their webcam at all times.