Lions Youth Brass Safeguarding Policy

This policy applies to all members, volunteers or anyone working on behalf of Lions Youth Brass.

The purpose of this policy:

  1. To protect children and young people who are members of the band.  
  2. To provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

Lions Youth Brass believes that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind.  We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe.  We are committed to practise in a way that protects them.

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up based on law and guidance that seeks to protect children and adults at risk, namely:

  • Children Act (1989)
  • United Convention of the Rights of the Child (1991)
  • Data Protection Act (1998) and subsequent data protection guidance
  • Sexual Offences Act (2003)
  • Children Act (2004)
  • Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)
  • Working together to safeguarding children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; HM Government (2015)
  • The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
  • The Human Rights Act (1998)
  • The Children and Families Act (2014)
  • Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years – Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and

            young people who have special educational needs or disabilities; HM Government   

(2014)

  • General Data Protection Regulations (European Union) (2017)
  • Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers; HM Government (2015)
  • The Care Act (2014)
  • The Care Act (2014) Care and Support Statutory Guidance (specifically the safeguarding section of this)
  • The Mental Capacity Act (2005)

We recognise that:

  • the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act (1989);
  • all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;
  • some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues; and
  • working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

  • valuing them, listening to and respecting them;
  • adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through procedures and a code of conduct for members and volunteers;
  • developing a zero tolerance approach to all forms of bullying (see Appendix 1);
  • developing and implementing an effective e-safety policy and related procedures (see Appendix 2);
  • providing effective support and training for volunteers with responsibility;
  • recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made;
  • sharing information about child protection and adult safeguarding with children, parents, volunteers and members;
  • sharing concerns with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately.

Useful contact details:

Band Safeguarding Officer: Helen Brooks – 07917 175890

Local police: Cheshire Police – 0845 458 0000

Local authority children’s social care department, including out of hours contact:

  • Cheshire East

Local Authority Safeguarding Children’s Partnership: Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – 01606 288931

  • Cheshire West and Chester

Local Authority Safeguarding Children’s Partnership: LADO – 0300 123 7047 (office hours), 01244 977277 (out of hours)

  • Staffordshire

Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board: LADO – 0800 1313 126

  • Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board: Safeguarding Referral Team (SRT) – 01782 235100

  • Trafford

Greater Manchester (Trafford) Children’s Social Care: First Response Team – 0161 912 5125 (office hours), 0161 912 2020 (out of hours – Emergency Duty Team)

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk

ChildLine: 0800 1111 (textphone 0800 400 222) or www.childline.org.uk

Brass Bands England Welfare Officer: 01226 771 015

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 5th April 2024

Appendix 1:

Lions Youth Brass Anti-Bullying Policy

We recognise that:

Bullying is behaviour, ‘usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group of individuals, physically or emotionally’;

One person or a group can bully others;

Bullying can occur either face to face between individuals or groups or online, using information technology, such as computers or mobile phones.

Bullying can include:

  • verbal teasing or making fun of someone;
  • excluding members from activities and conversations;
  • pressurising other members not to be friends with the person who is being bullied;
  • spreading hurtful rumours or passing round inappropriate photographs/images/drawings;
  • shouting at or verbally abusing someone;
  • stealing or damaging someone’s belongings;
  • making threats;
  • forcing someone to do something embarrassing, harmful or dangerous;
  • harassment based on race, gender, sexuality or disability;
  • physical or sexual assault (although all sexual incidents and all but very minor physical incidents constitute abuse and must be dealt with in accordance with child protection and adult safeguarding procedures).

Bullying causes real distress.  It can affect a person’s health and development and, at the extreme, can cause significant harm.   People are often targeted by bullies because they appear different from others.

We all have a role to play in preventing bullying and putting a stop to bullying.

The purpose of this policy is:

  • to prevent bullying from happening in our brass band, as much as possible;
  • when bullying does happen, to make sure it is stopped as soon as possible and that those involved receive the support they need;
  • to provide information to all members, volunteers, young people, adults at risk, and their families about what we should all do to prevent and deal with bullying.

We will seek to prevent bullying by:

  • Developing a code of behaviour that sets out the ‘dos and don’ts’ in terms of how everyone involved in the Band is expected to behave, both in face-to-face contact and online.
  • Advertise and promote the band in a way that will help to attract members from diverse groups.
  • Provide welcome information to new members and help them to settle in.
  • Hold discussions with members, volunteers, young people, adults at risk and families who are part of the Band to ensure that they understand our anti-bullying policy.
  •  

When bullying occurs, we will respond to it by:

  • Having a clear anti-bullying procedure in place;
  • Providing support and training for all Officers and volunteers on dealing with all forms of bullying, including racial, sexist, homophobic and sexual bullying;
  • Addressing the issue from the point of view of the person being bullied, the bully, any bystanders and the band as a whole;
  • Reviewing the plan developed to address the bullying, to ensure that the problem has been resolved;
  • Avoiding any punishments that make the individuals concerned seem small or look or feel foolish in front of others.

Monitoring and review

Helen Brooks (Safeguarding Officer) is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of this policy.

This policy will be reviewed every two years.  The next review is due by November 2021.

Appendix 2

Lions Youth Brass – Guidelines on the Use of Social Media

It is recognised that the internet provides unique opportunities to promote our band, including performances, using a wide variety of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  These guidelines aim to protect individuals within the band and to encourage them to take responsibility for what they write, exercise good judgment and common sense.  Inappropriate use of social media can pose risks to the band’s reputation and can jeopardise compliance with legal obligations.

Band Websites and Social Media pages

We will always gain permission prior to posting images of band members on official websites and social media pages.  This permission is obtained through the membership form. Permission can be withdrawn at any time by written application to the band’s Chair or Safeguarding Officer.

Personal details such as phone numbers and email addresses will not be posted on the internet without the permission of the individual.

We will always consider the age range of band members when posting images and comments on pages and ensure that these are appropriate and in keeping with the band’s ethos.

Social media sites have different levels of security in relation to openness to the public and setting restrictions that do not allow posts to be shown without approval. Our site is managed in the most appropriate way for ensuring the safety and security of our members.

Individuals within the Band

Adult officers, musical directors and volunteers will not be social media friends with children and young people who are members of the band, unless there is a direct family relationship or friendship.  This is particularly important with social media forms that allow individual private communication. 

Any content which raises a safeguarding concern will be reported to the Band Safeguarding Officer using the procedure outlined in the band’s safeguarding procedures.

Monitoring and review

Vicky Taylor (Safeguarding Officer) is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of this policy.