Children Safeguarding Policy

Last Updated: 15th May 2020

General Child Safeguarding

The purpose and scope of this policy statement

This statement is designed to:

  • to protect children and young people who engage Leducate’s services from harm. 

  • to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection. 

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Leducate, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. 

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England and Wales. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning. 

We operate on the basis that:

  • Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind

  • we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them. 

We recognise that: 

  • The welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take

  • All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse 

  • Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues 

  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare. 

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

  • Valuing, listening to and respecting them

  • Appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding

  • Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers

  • Developing and implementing effective online safety policy and related procedures

  • Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently

  • Recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made

  • Recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance [more information about this is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/for-organisations]

  • Making sure that children, young people and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern

  • Using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately

  • Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately

  • Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise

  • Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance

  • Building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

  • Taking all reasonable steps to appropriately report to teachers or similar safeguarding officers in the event of a safeguarding issue, such as where a child discloses abuse or other such sensitive issue at a Leducate event, where it is in the child’s best interest to do so

Photography and Filming Policy Statement:

The purpose and scope of this part of the policy:

Leducate works with children and families as part of its activities. These include infrequently working directly with schools and students in a teaching capacity in which some events may be photographed or filmed. 

The purpose of this policy statement is to:  

  • protect children and young people who take part in Leducate’s services, events and activities, specifically those where photographs and videos may be taken

  • set out the overarching principles that guide our approach to photographs/videos being taken of children and young people during our events and activities

  • to ensure that we operate in line with our values and within the law when creating, using and sharing images of children and young people

This policy statement applies to all staff, volunteers and other adults associated with Leducate. 

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England and Wales. Summaries of key legislation and guidance is available on:

  • online abuse learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/online-abuse

  • child protection learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system 

We believe that:

  • Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind

  • We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to take, share and use images of children safely.

We recognise that:

  • Sharing photographs and films of our activities can help us celebrate the successes and achievements of our children and young people, provide a record of our activities and raise awareness of our organisation

  • The welfare of the children and young people taking part in our activities is paramount

  • Children, their parents and carers have a right to decide whether their images are taken and how these may be used, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation

  • Consent to take images of children is only meaningful when children, their parents and carers understand how the images will be used and stored, and are fully aware of the potential risks associated with the use and distribution of these images

  • There are potential risks associated with sharing images of children online

More information about this is available from learning.nspcc.org.uk/researchresources/briefings/photography-sharing-images-guidance.

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

  • Where a child is under 16 always ask for written consent from a child and their parents or carers before taking and using a child’s image

  • Always explaining what images will be used for, how they will be stored and what potential risks are associated with sharing images of children

  • Making it clear that if a child or their family withdraw consent for an image to be shared, it may not be possible to delete images that have already been shared or published

  • Changing the names of children whose images are being used in our published material whenever possible (and only using first names if we do need to identify them)

  • Where possible, avoid publishing personal information about individual children and disguising any identifying information (for example the name of their school or a school uniform with a logo)

  • Making sure children, their parents and carers understand how images of children will be securely stored and for how long (including how we will control access to the images and their associated information)

  • Reducing the risk of images being copied and used inappropriately by: 

    • Only using images of children in appropriate clothing (including safety wear if necessary) 

    • Avoiding full face and body shots of children taking part in activities such as swimming where there may be a heightened risk of images being misused

  • Using images that positively reflect young people’s involvement in the activity. 

We will also develop a procedure for reporting the abuse or misuse of images of children as part of our child protection procedures. We will ensure everyone involved in our organisation knows the procedures to follow to keep children safe.

Photography and/or filming for wider use:

If people such as local journalists, professional photographers (not hired by Leducate) or students wish to record one of our events and share the images professionally or in the wider world, they should seek permission in advance. 

They should provide:

  • The name and address of the person using the camera

  • the names of children they wish to take images of (if possible)  the reason for taking the images and/or what the images will be used for

  • a signed declaration that the information provided is valid and that the images will only be used for the reasons given. 

Leducate will verify these details and decide whether to grant permission for photographs/films to be taken. We will seek consent from the children who are the intended subjects of the images and their parents and inform the photographer of anyone who does not give consent. 

At the event, we will inform children, parents and carers that an external photographer is present and ensure they are easily identifiable, for example by using them with a coloured identification badge. 

If Leducate is concerned that someone unknown to us is using their sessions for photography or filming purposes, we will ask them to leave and (depending on the nature of the concerns) follow our child protection procedures. 

Storing images

We will store photographs and videos of children securely, in accordance with our safeguarding policy and data protection law. 

We will never store images of children on unencrypted portable equipment such as laptops, memory sticks and mobile phones.

We will keep electronic images in a protected folder with restricted access. Images not being used will be stored for a period of no greater than 2 years. 

Leducate does not permit staff and volunteers to use any personal equipment to take photos and recordings of children, save where expressly authorised. Only cameras or devices belonging to the Leducate should be used. 

Safeguarding Officer

Leducate will always have an acting safeguarding officer present whenever dealing with children directly. 

Children to adult ratio

When participating or facilitating trips with children, Leducate will follow the guidance of the participating schools in question in relation to the number of adults to children ratio. In circumstances appropriate the LA may also be consulted. 

Should a school not be involved, Leducate will carry out a full risk assessment to determine the number of adults appropriate for the school trip to ensure that children will remain safe at all times. 

General Information

Photography and images co-ordinator:

Kieran Pereira - kieran.pereira@leducate.co.uk

Nominated child protection lead and Trustee member for safeguarding:

Olivia English - olivia.english@leducate.co.uk

NSPCC Helpline:

0808 800 5000

This policy statement came into force on - 26th April 2020

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. This policy was last reviewed on the 26th of April 2020.