Safeguarding

Tremolo Guitar School: Working with Children and Young People

Good Practice and Safeguarding Policy

Date adopted:03/03/2024

Date for next review: will be reviewed on a regular basis

Responsible Safeguarding Lead: Simon Rawling, Tremolo Guitar School

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Good Practice when working with children and Young People

3. What is Abuse?

4. Legal Framework

5. Reporting a safeguarding concern

6. Keeping clear records

7. Useful contacts and links

1. Introduction

For the purposes of this policy and associated procedures, a child or young person is recognised as someone under the age of 18 years.

These guidelines are based on the following principles:

·  The welfare of children is the primary concern.

·  All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, socio-economic status, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from all forms of harm and abuse.

·  Child protection is everyone's responsibility.

·  Children have the right to express views on all matters, which affect them, should they wish to do so.

·  Organisations shall work in partnership together with children and parents/carers to promote the welfare, health and development of children.

Tremolo Guitar School recruits and supports music tutors to deliver music classes to students including children and young people. Sometimes this is done at the students’ homes. It is important to ensure that safeguards are kept in place as well as the perception of safe guards. 

Tremolo Guitar School is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people. It recognises the responsibility to promote safe practice and to protect children and young people from harm, abuse and exploitation

The purpose of this policy statement is to protect children and young people who receive the TGS services from harm. This policy is intended to support staff and volunteers working within the TGS to understand their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. All staff and volunteers are expected to follow this policy and work together to embrace difference and diversity and respect the rights of children and young people.

2. Good Practice when working with children and young people

Most tutors will be working with children and young people in their homes or online. Some may use their own homes to hold classes. In all situations, it is important and best practice to ensure:

·  you always tutor in an open room, so that the door is kept ajar

·  you do not teach in a bedroom

·  you do not make physical contact with the child or young person, but instead find a different way to demonstrate or instruct the child or young person

·  you maintain a formal student/teacher relationship and do not engage in other communication whether verbally or through digital means (keeping boundaries)

·  You dress in a manner that cannot be considered to be inappropriate

·  If any recording is necessary, you seek permission from the student (if an adult) or from an appropriate adult before making either a sound or video recording

Tutors must have attended a safeguarding training within the previous 2 years prior to undertaking work with TGS, which must be renewed every two years.

3. What is abuse?

Safeguarding children: Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:

·  protecting children from maltreatment.

·  preventing impairment of children’s health or development.

·  ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

·  taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

4. Legal Framework:

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

5. Who is responsible?

All tutors at Tremolo Guitar School are expected to report any concerns to the named person for safeguarding. If the allegation is against one of the tutors seek advice from remolo Guitar School safeguarding lead. If the allegation is against the safeguarding lead, then bring concerns to the local authority social services.

The designated safeguarding children lead should be responsible for providing acknowledgement of the referral and brief feedback to the person raising the original concern. Feedback should be given in a way that will not make the situation worse or breach the Data Protection Act. If the police are involved, they should be consulted prior to giving feedback to the referrer to ensure any criminal investigation is not affected.

The local authority will decide on who will lead on a safeguarding enquiry should it progress to that stage. The named organisation should not conduct its own safeguarding enquiry unless instructed to do so by the local authority.
 

6. Reporting a Safeguarding concern

Tutors at Tremolo Guitar School who have any child safeguarding concerns should:

1. Respond

-     Ensure that the child or young person is not in immediate danger

-     Take emergency action if someone is at immediate risk of harm/in need of urgent medical attention.  Dial 999 for emergency services

-     Get brief details about what has happened allow the child or young person to tell you what happened at their own pace and without too many questions. Reassure them that they are not to blame and tell them what steps you will take – do not promise or say that you will keep the matter secret (or anything similar)

-     Record in writing what the child or young person says, in their words, as much as possible

2. Record

-     As far as possible, records should be written contemporaneously, dated and signed.

-     Keep records about safeguarding concerns confidential and in a location where the alleged abuser will not have access to the record. Access should not be given to any unauthorised personal for accessing confidential information including the sharing of passwords. (see Data Protection Policy)

3. Report

-     Tell the safeguarding lead

-     TGS SafeGaurding Lead - Simon Ralwing

info@tremologuitarshool.com/07989477416

This should inform the decision whether to notify the concern to the following people:

o   the police if a crime has been committed

o   If at a partner organisation, the safeguarding lead at that place

o   Local authority’s Access & Advice Team (part of social services) for possible safeguarding enquiry

7.   Useful contacts

Leading safeguarding – Simon Rawling – 07989477416 E-mail: info@tremologuitarschool.com

Hertfordshire CC - Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership | Hertfordshire County Council

Buckinghamshire CC - Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Advice 

NSPCC | The UK children's charity | NSPCC - Whatever your worry – call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or email our team. You can call Monday to Friday 8am – 10pm or 9am – 6pm at the weekends. It's free and you don't have to say who you are:

Working together to safeguard children - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)