This document is the Safeguarding Policy for Lichfield Arts, which will be followed by all members of the organisation and followed and promoted by those in the position of leadership within Lichfield Arts.

The purpose of Lichfield Arts is to promote music concerts, festivals and other events in Lichfield. Lichfield Arts is an independent charitable organisation which plays a key role in Lichfield district’s thriving arts and creative community.

Lichfield Arts makes a positive contribution to a strong and safe community and recognises the right of every individual to stay safe from harm whatever their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Lichfield Arts comes into contact with children and vulnerable adults through the following activities:

• Performances and events

• Classes and workshops

• Social activities

This policy seeks to ensure that Lichfield Arts undertakes its responsibilities with regard to the protection of children and vulnerable adults and will respond to concerns appropriately. The policy establishes a framework to support paid and unpaid staff in their practices and clarifies the organisation’s expectations.

1. Legislation

This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the Children Act 1989; and in line with the following:

• “Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015”

• “Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families” 2000

• “What to do if you are worried a Child or vulnerable adult is being Abused” 2015

• Equality Act (2010)

2. Definitions

Safeguarding is about embedding practices throughout the organisation to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable adults wherever possible. In contrast, child and adult protection is about responding to circumstances that arise.

Abuse is an act of oppression and injustice, exploitation and manipulation of power by those in a position of authority. This can be caused by those inflicting harm or those who fail to act to prevent harm. Abuse is not restricted to any socio-economic group, gender or culture.

It can take a number of forms, including the following:

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Bullying

• Neglect

• Domestic Abuse

• Harmful Practices

• Contextual Safeguarding

• Financial (or material abuse)

• Radicalisation

• Human trafficking/modern slavery

• Forced marriage

• Fabricated or induced illness

• Female genital mutilation

• Child exploitation

Definition of a child: a child is under the age of 18 (as defined in the United Nations convention of the rights of a Child)

Definition of a vulnerable adult: a vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 years or over who may be unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm or from being exploited. This may include, but is not limited to, a person who:

• Is elderly or frail

• Has a mental illness including dementia

• Has a physical or sensory disability

• Has a learning disability

• Has a severe physical illness

• Is a substance misuser

• Is homeless

3. Responsibilities

All staff (paid or unpaid) have responsibility to follow the guidance laid out in this policy and to pass on any welfare concerns using the required procedures.

We expect all staff (paid or unpaid) to participate in identified training, promote good practice by being an excellent role model, contribute to discussions about safeguarding and to positively involve people in developing safe practices.

Additional specific responsibilities:

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees have the responsibility to ensure that:

• the policy is in place and is appropriate

• sufficient resources (time and money) are allocated to ensure that the policy can be effectively implemented

The Designated Lead Officer

The designated lead is: Tim Perks

The designated lead officer has the responsibility to ensure that:

• The policy is accessible

• The policy is monitored and reviewed annually

• The welfare of children and vulnerable adults is promoted within the organisations culture

• Staff have access to appropriate training/information and this is recorded

• They receive staff concerns about safeguarding and respond to all seriously, swiftly and appropriately making onward referrals as necessary to the police and or appropriate social services

• They keep up to date with local arrangements for safeguarding and CRB

• They take forward concerns about responses

• They keep records of concerns and actions.

4. Implementation

The scope of this Safeguarding Policy is broad ranging and in practice, it will be implemented via a range of lower-level policies and procedures within the organisation. These include:

• Grievance and disciplinary procedures- to address breaches of procedures/policies

• Health and Safety policy, including lone working procedures, mitigating risk to staff and customers

• Equal opportunities policy-ensuring safeguarding procedures are in line with this policy, in particular around discriminatory abuse and ensuring that the safeguarding policy and procedures are not discriminatory

• Data protection (how records are stored and access to those records)

• Staff and volunteer induction

• Staff and volunteer training

• Safe recruitment of staff, partners, freelancers

Lichfield Arts ensures safe recruitment through the following processes:

• Job or role descriptions for all roles involving contact with children and vulnerable adults will contain references to safeguarding responsibilities

• Safeguarding statement on all recruitment adverts

• Interviews are conducted according to equal opportunity principles and interview questions are based on the relevant job description and person specification

• Enhanced DBS checks will be conducted for identified roles which may involve any unsupervised access with children and vulnerable adults.

• Enhanced DBS checks will be conducted for any staff with line-management responsibility for roles which may involve unsupervised access with children and vulnerable adults even if they themselves do not have such access.

• Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

• Lichfield Arts maintains and reviews a list of roles across the organisation which involve contact with children and vulnerable adults. This will be reviewed annually by the Operations Manager.

Lichfield Arts will ensure that the established staff and roles are regularly reviewed through:

• A rolling programme of re-checking DBS’s is in place for holders of all identified posts

• Existing staff (paid or unpaid) who transfer from a role which does not require a DBS check to one which involves contact with children and vulnerable adults will be subject to a DBS check

• Service delivery contracting or sub-contracting

• There will be systematic checking of safeguarding arrangements of partner organisations and contracts and memorandums of agreement for partnership delivery work will include clear minimum requirements, arrangements for safeguarding and non-compliance procedures.

5. Communications training and support for staff

Lichfield Arts commits resources for induction, training of staff (paid and unpaid), effective communications and support mechanisms in relation to safeguarding.

Induction will include:

• Discussion of the safeguarding policy (and confirmation of understanding)

• Discussion of other relevant policies

• Familiarisation with reporting processes and the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will be required to maintain Designated Lead (level 3) training.

6. Reporting

The process outlined below details the stages involved in raising and reporting safeguarding concerns at Lichfield Arts.

1. Staff should report their concerns to their Line Manager, who will inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (if these are different).

2. The Designated Safeguarding lead will contact Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board or Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board. Or if it is believed a crime has been committed or someone’s immediate safety is in doubt, the police will be called on 999.

3. The Designated Safeguarding lead will then follow the advice provided.

The full Local Authority processes can be found here –

https://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/community/safeguarding

7. Allegations Management

Lichfield Arts recognises its duty to report concerns or allegations against its staff (paid or unpaid) within the organisation or by a professional from another organisation.

The process for raising and dealing with allegations is as follows:

1. Any member of staff (paid or unpaid) is required to report any concerns in the first instance to the Safeguarding Lead. A written record of the concern will be made by the Safeguarding Lead.

2. The Safeguarding lead will report the issue inline with the reporting steps above within one working day.

3. The Safeguarding Lead will then follow advice provided

8. Monitoring

Lichfield Arts will monitor the following safeguarding aspects:

• DBS checks undertaken

• References applied for new staff

• Training- a training record of staff who have undertaken relevant training

• Monitoring whether concerns are being reported and actioned

• Checking that policies are up to date and relevant

• Reviewing the current procedure in place

• Safe recruitment practices

• Designated Safeguarding lead is in post

9. Managing Information

Information will be gathered, recorded and stored in accordance with the data protection policy.

All staff must be aware that they have a professional duty to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. The public interest in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults may override confidentiality interests. However, information will be shared on a need to know basis only, as judged by the Designated Safeguarding Lead. All staff must be aware that they cannot promise participants that or their families/carers that they will keep secrets.

10. Communicating and reviewing the policy

Lichfield Arts will make participants and customers aware of the Safeguarding Policy by the following means:

• A link on the organisation website

• A copy of the policy clearly displayed in the office

• A hard copy of the policy will be kept in the Team Leaders folder at central events and as part of Event Management Plans at other events.

• All freelance staff will be issued a copy of the policy electronically

• A copy of the policy will be included in the Volunteers Handbook.

• This policy will be reviewed by Lichfield Arts annually and when there are changes in circumstance or legal requirements.

CONTACTS

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Name: Tim Perks

Name: Cathy Fellows

Tel: TBC

Email: [email protected]

Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support (SCAS)

0300 111 8007 (9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Thursday or (8.30am- 4.30pm Friday)

or

EDS (out of hours) Tel No. 0345 604 2886

or email: [email protected]

Non-emergency – call Staffordshire Police on 101

Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board

Telephone: 0345 604 2719 (Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm, Fridays 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding Bank Holidays) or 0345 604 2886 at any other time

Updated:01/10/2024