Child Protection Policy

The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech work for amateur festivals everywhere to help create thousands of educational performance opportunities for children and young people each year. The Federation, and our member Festivals, are committed to ensuring safe environments for children and young people and believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind.

We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people, by a commitment to recommend best practice which protects them. This policy applies to our Board of Trustees, paid staff, Adjudicator members, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Federation and our member Festivals.

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the child/young person is paramount.

• All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

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

The purpose of the policy:

• To provide protection for the children and young people who participate in our festivals, including the children of festival members.

• To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child or young person may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm.

We will seek to safeguard children and young people by:

• Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.

• Adopting child protection guidelines through procedures and safe working practice for staff and volunteers.

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

• Sharing information about child protection and safe working practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers.

• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately.

• Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training.

The Federation will review this policy each year in November in line with Safe Network guidance or sooner in light of any changes in legislation or guidance. All changes will be communicated to our member Festivals in time for the start of the new Festival year.

The Federation and its member Festivals use the following policies and procedures to create Safer Festivals for everyone:

1. A single, definitive Child Protection Policy adopted by all Federation Festivals.

2. One or more designated Festival Safeguarding Officers (FSO) appointed for each Federation Festival. Chichester Festival for Music, Dance & Speech safeguarding officer: Mrs Elizabeth Cruttenden.

3. Best practice advice in the form of Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection leaflets, with support and training for all Festival staff and volunteers, including clear reporting procedures for anyone with a concern about a child.

4. Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures for all new Festival staff and volunteers responsible for providing safe environments for everyone attending/performing at a Federation Festival.

5. All Festival volunteers wear named identification badges which will wherever possible state their specific roles. All teachers/parents/guardians /carers are asked to report all incidents of any nature to anyone wearing a badge. All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with the Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection best practice advice. In addition, we will ensure the availability of a quiet area/room where concerns can be expressed in private.

6. For the duration of a Festival all teachers/parents/guardians/carers are responsible for the continuous care and supervision of their own children/pupils. If they are unable to attend personally, they must delegate their responsibilities to an identified adult and ensure that their children/pupils are aware of the identity and name of the person responsible for their care. This includes supervision throughout all Festival venues, practice and changing areas that may be provided.

7. Performance areas will be supervised by Festival Personnel during classes. Changing areas remain the responsibility of the supervising adults. Property left unattended in any area is not the responsibility of the Festival.

8. No unauthorised photography or video recording of children and young people is allowed at our Festivals. Where parents/guardians/carers do not wish photos to be taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child is not included in official photos.

9. Some children and vulnerable adults may have specific needs in order to take part. If this is the case we ask the responsible teachers/parents/guardians/carers to contact the Festival prior to arrival. The Festival actively seeks wherever possible to meet these needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare support – or to advise that help cannot be provided on this occasion.

10. The Festival’s Child Protection Policy and approach to Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone is published explicitly in our Syllabus, Programme and on our website. By completing and signing the entry form all parents/guardians/carers and teachers of entrants under the age of 18 confirm that they give (or have obtained) the necessary consents for the entrants to take part in the Festival. Without consent, entry to the Festival cannot be accepted.

Photography Policy

We of course understand that many parents, carers or guardians may wish to photograph or video their children when taking part in the Festival.

However, please note that only the official Festival photographer is permitted to take photographs at our events. No unauthorised photography or video recording is permitted.

Where parents, carers or guardians do not wish photos taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child, pupil or vulnerable adult is not included in official, authorised photographs.

We have adopted this position in support of our Child Protection Policy to guard against the possible misuse of images on websites, social networks and in promotional publications.

Our committee accept that many parents may be disappointed by this ruling, but we do hope we have your support and understanding that the welfare of our young Festival participants is of paramount importance.

We regret that any person failing to comply with this policy may be asked to leave the venue.

Should you have a concern regarding photography or filming during the Festival, please contact us through the Festival website or speak directly to the section organiser at the venue. We will be pleased to discuss this matter with you.