The purpose and scope of this policy statement 

The purpose of this policy statement is: 

• to protect children and young people (0-18 year olds) who receive Assembly Arts’ services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services 

• 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 Assembly Arts, including partners, 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. A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from nspcc.org.uk/childprotection. 

 

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, 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  

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

• 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 

• extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse. 

 

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 safeguarding 

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

• developing and implementing an 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 and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance.

• sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets, posters, group work and one-to-one discussions 

• 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 have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place 

• 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. 

General Procedure

Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while on the premises. 

 

Children & Young People between the ages of 12 & 17 are welcome to join classes with parents or guardians if the workshop teacher is happy for them to join and feels it is appropriate for the session and risk level of the activities which may take place. 

 

Children & Young People between the ages of 12 & 17 may also be offered one to one tuition, or places on our “Young People” courses, led by partners or freelance artists who have shared their up to date enhanced DBS with Assembly Arts and demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding and risk management for young people. 

 

Assembly Arts must have the emergency contact details for any unaccompanied children or young people on the premises. 

 

If a child or young person reveals information that leads the facilitator or volunteers to believe that the child or young person is in danger, or is a danger to themselves or others, this will be immediately reported to Assembly Arts’s Safeguarding Lead. The child or young person’s emergency contact may be notified if deemed appropriate by Assembly Arts. 

 

If a child or young person chooses to leave the session early, their emergency contact will be notified. If the emergency contact can pick up the attendee or gives permission for the attendee to leave on their own, then the attendee can leave. 

 

If a child or young person chooses to leave the session without notifying the facilitator or a volunteer, their emergency contact will be notified. This will also be reported to the safeguarding lead. In an emergency, the police will also be notified. 

 

All children or young people will be given the option for whether they will be picked up at the end of a session or have consent to leave on their own. This will be monitored by each facilitator, who must wait with those being picked up. Upon waiting for 30-minutes after the session’s designated end-time, the facilitator is encouraged to call the emergency contact number for any young person still present. They may also call the police if they deem it necessary. 

 

Once a child or young person has left the facilitator’s care at the end of a session, Assembly Arts are no longer responsible for the safeguarding of the child or young person.

 

Children and young people in Assembly Arts sessions are permitted to use the bathroom unsupervised, without the need for permission. They will be made aware of the location of the toilets at the beginning of a session or upon request. If a substantial amount of time passes before returning or if there is a safeguarding concern, a DBS checked volunteer or facilitator may go to the toilets to find the attendee. If the attendee is not in the toilets, the facilitator will be made aware of this and the protocol for a missing child will be followed which is to: check the building and try to call child or young person. If there is no response and the young person cannot be found then the emergency contact will be notified immediately. The police may be contacted if necessary.

 

Code of Behaviour 

All Assembly Arts freelancers or facilitators and volunteers are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct. These will be provided upon induction.

 

To minimise the risk against possible accusations of abuse, and to maintain high standards of professional practice, freelancers or facilitators, volunteers, and partners must never:

 • Engage in rough physical games including horseplay with children, young people, and vulnerable adults. 

• Do things of a personal nature that an individual can do for themselves – for example applying sunscreen, getting dressed. 

• Physically restrain an individual unless the restraint is to prevent physical injury to another person or themselves (including the worker). 

• Engage in a personal relationship with a child, young person or vulnerable adult which goes beyond the boundaries of a professional relationship.

 

Confidentiality 

• Children, young people, and vulnerable adults have the right, when possible, to confidentiality. They should feel confident that anything they say to a member of staff or volunteer will remain confidential, except where there is a risk to the child/young person considered. 

• Where a child, young person or vulnerable adult discloses that they are at risk of harm, are experiencing harm or that they are at risk of harming themselves or other people, confidentiality can’t be kept. This will be explained to the young person upon disclosure. 

• These boundaries should make it clear that if a child, young person, or vulnerable adult discloses that they are at risk of harm or risk harming others (as defined above), then Assembly Arts facilitators, freelancers or volunteers will have to pass this information on. This will be accompanied by clear explanations of why it is important to refer the information on, who will be informed and why. 

 

Recognising Abuse 

Recognising the signs of abuse: It is important to recognise that abuse can take many forms. Children, young people and vulnerable adults may be abused or suffer neglect through the infliction of harm or through failure to act to prevent harm from occurring. Abuse can occur in family, educational, institutional or community settings, and the perpetrator may be known or unknown to the child or vulnerable adults.  

 

Responding to a report or suspicion

 

Where possible, the Assembly Arts designated Safeguarding Lead should be contacted as early as possible. In the cases of suspected/reported child abuse, freelancers/ facilitators and volunteers must adhere to the following guidelines: 

 

Do 

• Always treat any allegations extremely seriously and act as if you believe what the child, young person or vulnerable adult is saying. 

• Tell the child, young person, or vulnerable adult that they are right to disclose. 

• Reassure them that they are not to blame.

 • Be honest about your own position – and about who you must tell and why you must report disclosures. 

• Where possible, tell the child or vulnerable adult what you are doing and when and keep them informed of what is happening. 

• Write down everything said and what was done. Keep a record of this and subsequent conversations, making sure any recorded information is factual and accurate. 

• Seek medical attention if necessary. 

• Inform parents or carers, unless there are grounds to believe they are involved in the abuse. 

• Remain calm and remember this is likely to be a stressful situation for the child, young person, or vulnerable adult. 

 

Don’t: 

• Make promises that you cannot keep. 

• Interrogate the child or vulnerable adult. It is not your job to carry out an investigation. This will be up to the police or social services.

• Cast doubt on what the person has told you. Don’t interrupt or change the subject. 

• Say anything that makes the child, young person or vulnerable adult feel responsible for the abuse. 

• Include your own opinion or interpretation in any written reports. It is important to make sure that what is written is an accurate reflection of what the child or young person has been telling you. 

• Show emotions such as distrust, anger, or disbelief, as this may stop an individual from talking or make them feel your negative feelings at being directed at them. 

 

Contact details

 

Nominated child protection lead: 

 

Name: Alan Morris

Phone/email: alan@assemblyarts.co.uk

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In a situation where the lead is not available the following partners are to be contacted immediately:

 

Name: Sarah Galloway

Phone/email: sarah@assemblyarts.co.uk

 

Name: Rae Tribbick

Phone/email: rae:assemblyarts.co.uk

 

Should an incident require escalation (this would normally be done by the designated safeguarding lead if deemed appropriate but may be done by facilitator if there is a concern of immediate risk to a child/young person):

 

Adult social care 0300 1236721 

Adult care police 0845 1253545 

Children/adult out of hours 0845 602 1043 

NSPCC Helpline  0808 800 5000

Children Adult Team 0300 123 6720 

Mental health crisis line (16+) 01524 550198 

(Under 16) 0800 9530110

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We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. Last Updated: 14/3/2025