1. Purpose and scope of this policy statement

 

The Carice Singers seeks to make a difference to the lives of the people it reaches through its performances, recordings, workshops and other activities. We also want a wide audience to feel involved in our music-making in both participatory and performance contexts, which is why we have a broad outlook in our programming and work with composers and other musicians, students, and people across the arts on a regular basis.  A strong sense of community has been central to the group ever since it began to operate among the rural communities of South Warwickshire and North Oxfordshire, as well as supporting and nurturing the creativity and talent of those who work with us. 

 

It is imperative that The Carice Singers does all it can to ensure that everyone we have contact with is safe and free from harm. This is also a requirement of the bodies that fund us as well as a requirement of the Charity Commission and Arts Council England. This policy outlines the steps The Carice Singers will take to safeguard all individuals involved in The Carice Singers activities which include rehearsals, concerts, workshops, masterclasses, talks and participatory events. This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of The Carice Singers in working together with other professionals and agencies in promoting welfare and safeguarding people from abuse and neglect.

 

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of The Carice Singers, including staff, volunteers (including trustees), freelancers, composers and students. 

 

2. Legal Framework

This safeguarding policy is underpinned by English law and guidance:

 

• Children Act 1989

• United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991

• Human Rights Act 1998

• Guidelines in ‘No Secrets’ publication - Department of Health 2000

• Sexual Offences Act 2003

• Children Act 2004

• Mental Capacity Act 2005

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

• Care Act 2014

• Children and Families Act 2014

• Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice; 0 to 25 years - HM Government 2015

• Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers - HM Government 2018

• Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children - HM Government 2018

• Charity Commission safeguarding guidance 2018

• Data Protection Act 2018 (including GDPR)

• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) regulations

 

3. Definitions

 

For the purposes of this safeguarding policy and related procedures, the following terms apply:

 

Child: anyone under the age of 18 years.

 

Young person: anyone who is over the age of 14 years and is under the age of 18 years. 

 

Adult: anyone over the age of 18 years.

 

Adult at risk: anyone who is aged 18 years or over who has needs for care and support, who is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and as a result of those care needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse and neglect. 

 

Abuse: any behaviour towards a person that deliberately or unknowingly causes them harm, endangers life or violates their rights. It includes physical, emotional and psychological ill treatment; neglect (including self-neglect); financial or sexual abuse; the impairment of physical, emotional, social or behavioural development; bullying; the misuse of power, control and/or authority that can be perpetrated by an individual, group or organisation.

 

Wellbeing: a broad concept, described as relating to the following areas in particular:

• Personal dignity (including treatment of the individual with respect)

• Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing

• Protection from abuse and neglect

• Participation in work, education, training or recreation

• Social and economic wellbeing

• Domestic, family and personal

• The individual’s contribution to society

 

Safeguarding disclosure: where any individual talks to another individual about abusive or harmful behaviours that they have experienced or witnessed, or if they express concerns that they or others are at risk of such behaviour happening in the future. Disclosure can relate to non-recent, recent, or potential behaviour or events.

 

Safeguarding allegation: where a person has behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed an individual or has possibly committed or is planning to commit a criminal offence against someone, or has behaved towards someone in a way that indicates they would pose a risk of harm.

 

4. Commitment to safeguarding

 

At The Carice Singers we believe that:

• Any individual should never experience abuse, neglect, exploitation or harm in any kind.

• Everyone has an equal right to protection from abuse and neglect, regardless of their age, ability, gender, disability, nationality, racial heritage, faith, sexual orientation, identity or any other additional vulnerability.

• We as an organisation have a responsibility to promote the welfare and wellbeing of every individual that we work with.

• Adults have the right to be in control of their life, make decisions, be treated with respect and consideration and have their confidentiality respected.

• All children, young people and adults at risk have a right to intervention, support and/or information which could make life better and/or safer for them and be involved in decisions that are made about them.

• Staff, volunteers (including trustees), partners and freelancers all have a role to play in safeguarding and promoting the highest standards of care.

• Any concerns or allegations that The Carice Singers staff or volunteers or freelancers have abused or neglected another person will be managed fairly in accordance with the below procedures and safeguarding requirements.

 

5. Roles and Responsibilities

 

The Carice Singers’ Board of Trustees, who are ultimately responsible for safeguarding arrangements, have appointed a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a lead trustee for safeguarding to embed this policy and procedures. 

 

Designated Safeguarding Lead – George Parris (Artistic Director)
Lead trustee for safeguarding – Camilla King

 

The DSL is the principal point of contact for all safeguarding concerns. They are also responsible for:

• investigating any disclosures or allegations

• coordinating the response with the lead trustee for safeguarding, ensuring that accurate and confidential records are kept in line with UKGDPR and The Carice Singers’ Privacy Policy

• informing the Board of Trustees of any safeguarding incidents and subsequent action

• leading a liaison with relevant local statutory agencies (including children’s services) and working under their guidance as part of any investigation

• overseeing safeguarding training within the organisation, including their own

• coordinating DBS checks and safer recruitment

• organising briefings of safeguarding policy and procedure for all staff members, freelancers, and volunteers

• leading an annual review of this Safeguarding Policy

 

The lead trustee for safeguarding is primarily an advisory role. They will have completed relevant safeguarding training. They will be contacted by the DSL as soon as a safeguarding disclosure or allegation has been reported. Alongside the DSL they will coordinate the response to any safeguarding disclosures or allegations. Finally, they will be prepared to deputise for the DSL should the DSL be unable to carry out their duties or if the DSL is themself the subject of a safeguarding allegation.

 

6. Approach

 

We will seek to keep children, young people and adults at risk safe by:

• Valuing, listening to, and respecting them in all our activities

• Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a lead trustee for safeguarding

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

• Providing safeguarding reporting procedures, and using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff, volunteers and freelancers appropriately

• Using best practice for safer recruitment, selecting and vetting processes to ensure suitable staff, volunteers and freelancers are recruited to work with us

• Ensuring that staff, freelancers and volunteers have completed relevant training with respect to safeguarding  

• Ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken for each venue, event and activity that will host or involve them

• Ensuring that our online work is conducted safely and professionally with appropriate controls in place

• Communicating our safeguarding policy and procedures to all relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries 

• Ensuring that safeguarding requirements are in contractual arrangements for those that work with us including our partners, hirers and freelancers

• Capturing, using and storing images consistent with safeguarding and data protection law

• Providing a safe and trusted culture so that everyone can express any concerns they have about the conduct of others or unsafe working practices

• Ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing procedures in place

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

• Reviewing our safeguarding policy, procedures and code of conduct every year (or sooner if required due to legal changes or learning from safeguarding incidents) and ensuring that trustees approve any updated safeguarding policy or procedures. 

 

7. Safeguarding Code of Conduct

 

This behaviour code, which forms part of this safeguarding policy, outlines the code of conduct expected of anyone in The Carice Singers organisation which includes staff and those working on our behalf such as volunteers and freelancers. The Code will help everyone at The Carice Singers to maintain appropriate standards of behaviour, reduce the possibility of false allegations of abuse being made against them and preserve our organisation’s reputation. 

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DO

At all times:

• Read, understand and comply with this safeguarding policy and procedures.

• Ensure you know who the current Designated Safeguarding Lead and lead trustee in safeguarding are and how to contact them. 

• Listen to, respect, and take seriously information and contributions from all individuals.

• Behave responsibly around children, young people, and adults at risk, putting their welfare first. 

• Report any suspicions, concerns, allegations or disclosures of abuse, neglect or inappropriate behaviour made by anyone, including ones made about you. Follow our safeguarding procedures below for this purpose. 

When working or interacting with children, young people, or adults at risk:

• Avoid behaviour which could be interpreted as showing preference or partiality towards an individual.

• Maintain appropriate behaviour in social settings and practice professional distancing.

 

DON’T

At all times:

• Don’t allow any allegations, disclosures, concerns or suspicions of abuse or inappropriate behaviour to go unreported. 

• Don’t exaggerate nor trivialise safeguarding issues.

• Don’t promise privacy to an individual when they are making a safeguarding disclosure or allegation. Remember that a child’s right to protection goes above confidentiality. 

• Don’t use physical contact except in the following circumstances: the individual is at risk of harm or harming others; a verbal or written instruction is not sufficient for the individual; the individual initiates contact, such as if they are in emotional distress. Physical restraint should only be used temporarily and if absolutely necessary to protect the immediate welfare of an individual or of others. If it would be helpful to use physical contact for the purposes of teaching or demonstration, explain in advance that you are going to do so, why you need to do this and make sure that you have the individual’s permission to proceed.

• Don’t act or speak in a way that could be perceived as insensitive, derogatory, discriminatory, or sexually provocative. 

• Don’t work under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

When working or interacting with children, young people, or adults at risk:

• Don’t swear, use sarcasm or make inappropriate gestures.

• Don’t give out your personal contact details (personal phone or mobile number, email, home address or social networking links).

• Don’t take photographs or video footage of an individual unless you are acting in an official capacity with full knowledge of the photographic consents provided, or unless you are directly asked to do so by a parent or carer by using their own device.

• Don’t visit the home of a child, young person, or adult at risk except by prior arrangement with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and with consent of a parent/carer/teacher, and likewise do not invite, or allow, a child, young person or adult at risk whom you have met through your work to your home.

• Don’t arrange to meet a child, young person, or adult at risk outside your work/volunteering role at all, whether working in-person or online.

• Don’t wear anything that could be considered offensive or discriminatory. This could include clothing which could reasonably be deemed inappropriate e.g. political, sexual, violent, non-age appropriate.  

Should anyone be concerned that a staff member, freelancer, or volunteer has breached this code of conduct they should contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead. If the DSL is the subject of their concern, then they should contact the lead trustee in safeguarding. They should only raise the matter with the person concerned if they consider it safe and appropriate to do so.

 

8. Disclosures and allegations (procedures for reporting)

 

Disclosures and allegations may be made by any member of the public and should be treated seriously. In normal circumstances, suspicions, disclosures and allegations regarding safeguarding should be made directly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. However, should you find yourself receiving a safeguarding disclosure or allegation, or suspicious that some form of abuse or neglect might have occurred/might occur in the future, it is imperative that the following procedures are followed:

 

Step 1: listen carefully to the individual making the disclosure or allegation. Remain calm and impartial, but reassure the individual that their disclosure will be taken seriously. Try to maintain privacy while the disclosure is taking place, but if it is possible to have another adult with you whom the individual trusts, then do so. Allow the individual to talk at their own pace, and ask the individual questions only for the purpose of clarification.

 

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Step 2: report the suspicion, disclosure or allegation as soon as possible to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. If the Designated Safeguarding Lead is unavailable, uncontactable, or themself the subject of the safeguarding allegation, then contact the lead trustee for safeguarding as soon as possible, or an event manager.

 

Step 3: if appropriate, or if instructed to by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, explain to the individual making a disclosure that you will need to share this information with people who need to know and who can help. Tell them what you are going to do, and when you are going to do it, using language they can easily understand. 

 

Step 4: together with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, make a note of the suspicion, disclosure or allegation, noting the date and time and using the individual’s own words as far as possible. 

 

Step 5: depending on the nature of the disclosure, further action may be needed. The DSL will be your main point of contact and will liaise with you and other safeguarding partners. Do not attempt to investigate any allegation or disclosure yourself, do not confront the subject of any allegation, and do not discuss the matter with anyone else apart from those identified in this procedure. 

 

9. Key Contacts

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George Parris / Designated Safeguarding Lead
t. 07735 547262 / e. george [at] thecaricesingers.co.uk

Camilla King / Lead Trustee for Safeguarding
t. 07738 520806 / e. millstagg [at] hotmail.com

 

Helplines:
Childline - 0800 1111
NSPCC Helpline - 0808 800 5000
NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice - 0800 028 028 / help@nspcc.org.uk
National Domestic Violence 24/7 helpline - 0808 2000 247
Family Lives - 0808 800 222

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POLICY TITLE Safeguarding Policy 

DATE CREATED 6/01/2025

CREATED BY George Parris

ANNUAL BOARD REVIEW 21/1/2025

NEXT REVIEW DUE no later than Jan 2026

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