La Folia has a legal and moral duty to create and maintain the safest possible environment for children and vulnerable adults to enjoy arts and other recreational, social and leisure pursuits provided directly by the organisation. La Folia at all times has a Designated Safeguarding Lead to support staff in their safeguarding duties. If possible, this should be La Folia’s administrator, or someone designated by them to act on their behalf. All Designated Safeguarding Leads must be fully briefed by La Folia’s Administrator before taking on the role and should be fully acquainted with La Folia’s policy.
NB: ‘Staff’ as designated below are freelance workshop leaders.
Legislation
- It is a criminal offence for an employer not to check staff working with children or vulnerable adults and/or to knowingly employ someone who is inappropriate to work with children or vulnerable adults.
- A child is defined as up to and including the age of 18; extensions of this exist for children who are disabled and for those in local authority care settings. For disabled and vulnerable young people above the age of 18 this extends to the age of 25.
- A vulnerable adult is a person who is, or may be, in need of community care services because of learning or physical disability, age or illness, and who is, or who may be, unable to take care of him/herself or unable to protect him/herself against significant harm or exploitation
La Folia objectives
- To ensure that the children’s or vulnerable adults’ welfare is of paramount importance, regardless of age, gender, ability or race, when planning, organising, advising on and delivering activities
- To ensure that all staff working with children and vulnerable adults are carefully selected, and understand and accept responsibility for the safety of children and vulnerable adults in their care.
- To respond swiftly and appropriately to all suspicions or allegations of abuse, and to ensure confidential information is restricted to the appropriate external agencies
- To raise staff awareness of child and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues through the provision of training
- To monitor and review the effectiveness of this policy on a regular basis
Creating a safe environment
- Staff working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately trained and qualified to ensure the safe provision of activities and use of equipment
- Staff working with children and vulnerable adults have the wellbeing and safety of those in their care as a primary concern
- Wherever possible, staff should always avoid being alone with a child or vulnerable adult
- To have a clear and easy pathway to report any allegations to the Designated Safeguard Lead, and for that lead to report to the partner institution’s Safeguard Lead
- To be sure to not only look after the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults in our care, but also that of all staff working on projects.
- To be sure that children and vulnerable adults do not use the same bathroom facilities as staff working on the project
- A risk assessment to be carried out by La Folia’s Administrator prior to the start of any project
Roles and responsibilities of La Folia staff and Board
- All staff working with children and vulnerable adults are required to hold an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and to subscribe to the updating service
- Staff and Board are required to undergo safeguarding training.
- All sessions comply with the standards set by Arts Council England
- Staff must give regard to issues of safety at all times
- All staff working on La Folia projects are required to familiarise themselves with La Folia’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policies
- Staff are responsible for familiarising themselves with building/facility safety issues (e.g. fire procedures; location of: emergency exits, emergency telephones and first aid equipment)
- Where appropriate, staff keep an attendance register for organised sessions
- Staff in charge have access to any parent consent/emergency consent forms for all children or vulnerable adults taking part in organised sessions; this information is treated as confidential
- Staff are responsible for reporting suspected cases of abuse to the appropriate people; it is not the responsibility of staff or volunteers to try to deal with suspected abuse
- Staff work at all times within the guidelines of schools
- La Folia and all members of staff working with us should always endeavour to adhere to the TORCH protocol:
T – Trust
O – Ownership
R – Respect
C – Celebration/Confidentiality
H – Honesty/Humour