Introduction
PANARTS sole activity is the organisation and hosting of the annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival. Each year, from 23rd-27th February, licensed entertainment premises are hired in Belfast to put on a series of music concerts for adults celebrating the art of song writing. The premises have their own staff in place such as Crescent Arts Centre and Empire Music Hall, and PANARTS have volunteers looking after ticketing and artists.
Commitment to Ensuring the Safety of Children and Vulnerable Adults
Whilst PANARTS does not run activities for children or vulnerable adults the Committee of PANARTS have a moral and a legal duty to ensure that children and vulnerable adults with whom we may have contact are kept safe. This document sets out the policy and procedural framework for ensuring that this happens. It aims to:
- emphasize that PANARTS has the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as a paramount consideration in all the work we do;
- provide staff and volunteers with clear direction about their safeguarding roles and responsibilities, therefore assisting them to minimise any risks and to act promptly should any concerns arise
This policy is informed by the Area Child Protection Committees’ (2005) ‘Regional Child Protection Policy and Procedures’ and ‘Getting it Right – standards for the protection of children and young people’ issued by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in 2009.
This policy has been approved by the PANARTS Committee and will be reviewed once every three years, or earlier if either legislation changes or learning arises from some aspect of the work of PANARTS. The primary responsibility for monitoring compliance with the policy is Mr Joe Duffy who will provide an annual report to the PANARTS Committee on the operation of the policy.
The policy will be given to all members of staff of PANARTS, all committee members and any volunteers with responsibility for organising or supervising an event (known as Concert Managers). In addition, the policy is publicly available on the PANARTS website at http://www.panarts.org.uk/child-protection-policy.html.
Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers
It is imperative that from the outset staff and volunteers are aware of the expectations of their role and the behaviour expected towards others. Therefore all members of staff will have a clear job description, whilst all volunteers will have a role description. This will set out the expectation that they behave appropriately to all individuals they have contact with, and detail the procedure set out below for advising the Concert Manager and Designated Officer of any concerns that might arise in relation to either a child or vulnerable adult.
Management of Staff and Volunteers
Good management of staff and volunteers will contribute to safer activities for members of the public. Once an individual has been appointed as a staff member or accepted as a volunteer they will be given a copy of the PANART ‘Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults’ (appendix A).
Whilst PANARTS do not hold events for children or vulnerable adults all staff members and volunteers will receive a briefing that sets out their role and responsibilities, including their duty of care towards any children or vulnerable adults they may be in contact with. This will include sharing this policy with the individual.
Once a year the PANARTS Committee will organise basic child protection and vulnerable adults awareness raising for all staff members and Concert Managers through the Keeping Safe initiative co-ordinated by Volunteer Now.
Designated Officer
The PANARTS Committee will appoint a Designated Officer with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of this policy and in providing advice and support to the committee, staff members and volunteers. The Designated Officer is Mr Joe Duffy. A list of responsibilities is outlined in appendix B.
Reporting a Concern to the Designated Officer
PANARTS will ensure that staff and volunteers are supported to understand their responsibilities towards children and vulnerable adults. If concerns arise about an individual then the staff member or volunteer should:
Listen….accept…reassure…explain…act immediately…record…get support.
Staff or volunteers may become concerned about the well being of child or vulnerable adult for a variety of reasons:
- the individual says something that gives rise to concern;
- someone else may report something the child or vulnerable adult has said;
- the child or vulnerable adult may present with injuries or behaviours that are a concern;
- the action of a staff member or a volunteer towards or about a child or vulnerable adult may cause concern.
- The actions of staff or volunteers should be guided by the key points in Figure 1:
Figure 1: Key Do’s and Don’ts for Staff and Volunteers When a Child or Vulnerable Adult Discloses
(Source: Volunteer Development Agency (2009) Our Duty to Care)
All staff and volunteers must be clear that if they have a concern that this is passed on to the Designated Officer at the earliest opportunity, and no more than 24 hours after the incident which raised the concern. The information should not be shared with another member of staff or another volunteer unless the Designated Officer is unavailable.
The staff member or volunteer should speak to the Designated Officer and also ensure that they make a written record of the incident or information that raised the concern (appendix C). This should be passed on to the Designated Officer within 24 hours of the incident which raised the concern.
It is important that everyone in the organisation is aware that the person who first encounters a case of alleged or suspected abuse is not responsible for deciding whether or not abuse has occurred. That is a task for the professional agencies following a referral to them regarding a concern about a child. The primary responsibilities of the person who first suspects or is told of abuse is to report it and to ensure that their concern is taken seriously.
Figure 2: Reporting Procedures for Designated Officer
(Source: Volunteer Development Agency (2009) Our Duty to Care)
A report of concerns about a child or vulnerable adult should be assessed promptly and carefully by the Designated Officer, and consideration given to the best action to take (Figure 2). This may mean:
- clarifying or getting more information about the matter;
- where there is any doubt or uncertainty, consulting initially with the local Health & Social Care Trust to test out the concerns and views about the situation;
- making a formal referral to a Health & Social Care Trust or the police.
If the allegation or concern relates to a member of staff or volunteer then the individual will ordinarily be suspended from further duties involving contact with children or vulnerable adults until the veracity of the concern is investigated. Depending upon the seriousness of the allegation or concern this may include waiting for the outcome from a police investigation. The Committee will be responsible for instigating any disciplinary procedures, including consideration of the need to refer the individual to the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
Where staff or volunteers feel that they have been mistreated they are entitled to initiate the grievance procedure, but this will not delay any of the necessary actions required to protect a child or vulnerable adult.
When a referral is made to either social services or the police the Designated Officer will comply with the requirements as set out in the Area Child Protection Committees’ Regional Policy and Procedures. Specifically, this will involve:
- ensuring that information is communicated promptly to the relevant agency;
- confirming in writing all referrals within 24 hours of initial contact;
- ensuring that all information held by PANARTS in relation to concerns or allegations is stored securely;
- Even when it is decided that information or a concern does not need to be passed on to social services or the police, a written record should be made, including the original cause for concern, details of any advice sought and received, and the reason for not - passing the information to either social services or the police.
Date policy agreed by PANARTS Committee:
Date for review of policy:
Appendix A
Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults
A
In order to keep children and vulnerable adults safe and reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings or false accusations, as a general rule, it doesn't make sense to...
- spend excessive amounts of time alone with children or vulnerable adults away from others;
- take children or vulnerable adults alone in a car on journeys, however short;
- take children or vulnerable adults to your home.
When it is unavoidable that these things do happen, they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge of the organisation and/or the child's parents or vulnerable adults carers.
B
All staff and volunteers in PANARTS must be clear that they should never…
- engage in rough physical games including horseplay - apart from structured sports activities;
- engage in sexually provocative games;
- allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form;
- allow children or vulnerable adults to use inappropriate language unchallenged;
- make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child or vulnerable adult even in fun;
- let allegations a child or vulnerable adult makes go unchallenged or unrecorded;
- do things of a personal nature for children or vulnerable adult that they can do themselves.
C
It may sometimes be necessary for your staff and volunteers to do things of a personal nature for children or vulnerable adult, particularly if they are very young or have a disability. These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and consent of parents or carers. In an emergency situation which requires this type of help, parents or carers should be fully informed, as soon as reasonably possible. In such situations, it is important that you ensure that all staff are sensitive to the individual and undertake personal care tasks with the utmost discretion.
Appendix B
Role and Responsibilities of the Designated Officer
General
Every organisation should designate a person or persons to be responsible for dealing with any concerns about the protection of children. The organisation’s child protection policy and procedures should include:
- the name of this person, his/her role and responsibilities and how s/he can be contacted;
- The person designated should ensure that s/he is knowledgeable about child protection and that s/he undertakes any training, considered necessary, to keep up to date with new developments.
Role
The role of the designated person is to:
- establish contact with the senior member of Social Services’ staff responsible for child protection or vulnerable adults in the organisation’s catchment area;
- provide information and advice on child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults within the organisation;
- ensure that the organisation’s child protection and vulnerable adults policy and procedures are followed and particularly to inform Social Services within the appropriate Trust of relevant concerns about individual children or adults;
- ensure that appropriate information is available at the time of referral and that the referral is confirmed in writing, under confidential cover;
- liaise with Social Services and other agencies, as appropriate;
- keep relevant people within the organisation, particularly the Director of PANARTS, informed about any action taken and any further action required;
- ensure that an individual case record is maintained of the action taken by the organisation, the liaison with other agencies and the outcome;
- advise the PANARTS Committee of child protection and vulnerable adults training needs.
Responsibility
The designated person is responsible for acting as a source of advice on child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults matters, for co-ordinating action within the organisation and for liaising with Health and Social Services Trusts and other agencies about suspected or actual cases of child abuse or adult abuse.
Appendix C
Recording Concerns about a Child or Vulnerable Adult
In any case where an allegation is made, or someone in PANARTS has concerns, a record should be made. It is good practice to draw up a checklist of details to note and questions you should ask yourself in making such a record which could include, for example:
• Name of child/vulnerable adult.
• Age.
• Any special factors.
• Name of parent(s)/carer(s) if known.
• Home address (and phone number if available).
• Is the person making the report expressing their own concerns or passing on those of somebody else?
• What has prompted the concerns? Include dates times etc of any specific incidents
• Any physical signs? Behavioural signs? Indirect signs?
• Has the child/vulnerable adult been spoken to? If so, what was said?
• Have the parents/carers been contacted? If so, what was said?
• Has anybody been alleged to be the abuser? If so, record details.
• Has anyone else been consulted? If so, record details.
Appendix D
Key Reference Documents
Area Child Protection Committees’ (2005) Regional Policy and Procedures. Belfast, HSC Board
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (2009) Getting it Right – standards for the protection of children and young people (3rd Edition). Belfast, Volunteer Development Agency.
HSC Board (2006) Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – Regional Adult Protection Policy & Procedures. Ballymena, HSC Board.
Volunteer Development Agency (2009) Our Duty to Care (5th Edition). Belfast, Volunteer Development Agency.
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