
Our Policies and Safeguarding
To Boathouse Theatre Arts, safety and security is of utmost importance. We pride ourselves in teaching and nurturing our members, enabling them to grow in confidence and skills through a combined passion for the theatrical arts.
Our Policies
See our policies below, by using the scroll feature and selecting the relevant tab for the topic you would like to read.
Children's Safeguarding Policy Statement
Boathouse Theatre Arts is a performing arts project for SEN, neurodiverse and physically disabled children and adults.
Boathouse Theatre Arts provides a safe place where members can meet regularly and take part in creative processes which work towards showcasing their skills.
Our members are children (5+) and adults (16+) from the disability community, who attend two separate groups: Children’s Group and Adult Group. They each have their own disabilities including but not limited to a learning disability, autism, chromosomal conditions and physical disability. Due to the nature of these disabilities, often mental health needs are included, such as depression and anxiety.
These disabilities often make our members very vulnerable in all aspects of their lives. As theatre practitioners and providers of a service catering to the needs and wants of our members, it is our responsibility to look for signs of abuse and support where necessary. This is called safeguarding.
What Safeguarding means:
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• protecting children
• preventing neglect and harm to children’s health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.
• The Child Protection Procedures apply to all children under the age of 18 years. There are similar procedures in place for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. Our procedures are the same for pupils aged 19. They also consider any risks to the unborn child.
• Children and young people are abused in families, institutional settings or, more rarely, by strangers.
• Child abuse is caused by someone inflicting harm or knowingly not preventing harm to children.
• There is an increased vulnerability to disabled children and young people because they are more dependent and have less control over their lives and their bodies and are often in the care of many more adults than other children and young people. This emphasises the importance of proactive attitudes and teaching for our pupils and students.
All staff and volunteers complete a training session delivered by the CEO and one trustee. This covers how to manage a safeguarding incident and an update of our policies and procedures.
Following this training, our staff are aware of the types of abuse, the affects of abuse, what to look out for and who to report too.
Recruitment & selection:
Staff:
Due to our members vulnerabilities, all successful applicants for both paid and voluntary work must complete a DBS check or show a current DBS. Our recruitment procedure for a Lead Practitioner Date created: 07/22 Reviewed: 17/03/2024 Millie Rowland
This includes an interview where the CEO and one trustee will meet with the applicant. The applicant has to provide 2 references, one from current or recent employment and one character reference. Our recruitment procedure for paid staff and volunteers includes an interview with the CEO. The applicant has to supply at least a character reference, ideally an employment reference too. Boathouse Theatre Arts is an equal opportunities employer. All staff and volunteers will need to read, discuss where appropriate and sign all policies and procedures held and followed by BH.
All new staff & volunteers will be given their agreed job description and supervised by the CEO or the Lead Practitioner. Sessions only take place when a qualified Lead Practitioner is available to run and lead the session, taking responsibility of the team and members. New Lead Practitioners will be supervised by a trustee or the CEO and supported by the support team.
All Lead Practitioners are de-briefed weekly by the CEO. All staff and volunteers can contact the CEO at any time and they will reply in due course.
All staff administration is kept in a locked laptop or locked cupboard held by the CEO. No information is passed to a third party without the prior knowledge and written consent of all parties.
Members:
All new members are required to complete a membership form which holds their personal contact details, health, medical and dietary details, emergency contact and photo and social media agreement. This information is stored as a hard copy in a folder, kept by the lead practitioner. Only parts of this information are shared with staff and volunteers, such a medical and dietary needs and photo/social media agreement.
Training and Induction:
All staff and volunteers attend an annual training session which includes safeguarding vulnerable adults.
Staff Responsibilities:
The Lead Practitioner of each session is the designated safeguarding professional and all safeguarding concerns can be taken to them at the time. If the safeguarding concern regards the lead practitioner, any staff and volunteer can contact the CEO or trustees with their concern.
Reporting Procedure:
If you suspect or witness a safeguarding concern:
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Remember your training and remain calm and clear at all times.
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Inform the lead practitioner or CEO as soon as possible.
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If suitable, take the person to one side and have a conversation about the concern. Do not make any promises and be clear that you have to inform the lead practitioner or SPOA.
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Make notes of what you witnessed and discussed immediately. This is to be factual, not opinion. You may separately add your opinion to the bottom of your notes.
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The lead practitioner or CEO will debrief you at the end of the session.
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The lead practitioner or CEO will pass on concerns to the adult social care team.
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You may be contacted by the adult social care team when they follow up the concern.
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The trustees will be kept involved and advised of all issues related to the running and wellbeing of the group.
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All cases will be individually monitored as to whether parents and/or carers can be informed. If unsure, talk to CEO or SPOA for advice.
Date created: 07/22 Reviewed: 17/03/2024 Millie Rowland
Reporting process:
1. Abuse or safeguarding issue is discovered or suspected
2. This information would be recorded with a written statement from the member of staff and written statement from the person it was reported to.
3. This statement would be available to relevant parties and kept in a locked cupboard by the CEO or Chair of Trustees.
Important numbers:
CEO: Millie Rowland: 07793287381
SPOA (Single Point of Advise Team): 01323 464222
SPOA out of hours inc weekends: 01273 335906 or 01273 335905
Photo and social media:
We have a separate policy regarding photos, videos and social media.
