DAVID CLOVER FESTIVAL OF SINGING
Charity No. 1043131
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS POLICY
To whom this document applies
In law, a young person under 18 years of age is considered to be a child. This document, therefore, applies to children under the age of 18 on the date of the Festival and to those vulnerable persons of any age who have been identified to the Festival before their arrival at the Festival. Contact should be made by parents and/or teachers via the festival email address (enquiries@davidclover-festivalofsinging.org.uk). The Festival will actively seek to meet the needs of children from ethnic groups and children who are disabled. Any subsequent reference to children includes members of other vulnerable groups.
The David Clover Festival of Singing is a Body of Persons Authority to fulfil the regulations in respect of Child Licensing.
The purpose of the David Clover Festival of Singing
The Festival provides an opportunity for amateur performance in singing, combined with the educational input by professional adjudicators, to improve the participants’ future performance.
The Festival Environment
The Festival seeks to create a caring environment with the highest possible level of protection for children and others to whom this document applies. The Festival’s procedures implementing this document will ensure, as far as is reasonably practical, that there will be a safe environment throughout the Festival.
Festival personnel
All Festival helpers are volunteers and are fully aware of, and support, this Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy. The roles of all Festival personnel are considered during recruitment and full contact details are held by the Festival administration. Where they are working with children or vulnerable adults in sensitive areas, such as the ‘warm-up’ room, the helpers have an enhanced certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service, and there will be two persons on duty, a male and a female, if possible. Festival personnel will not supervise public areas such as toilets or outdoor spaces at the Festival venues.
Festival personnel are informed how to direct children and vulnerable adults who have a problem to the designated Festival Safeguarding Officer.
Festival personnel are vigilant in monitoring areas where children and vulnerable adults are in attendance. They will challenge any adult(s) in restricted areas if they are not accompanying a child or vulnerable adult.
Every problem will be taken seriously and will be documented and dated. Depending on the nature of the problem, the documentation may be supplied to the appropriate authorities, including the police. The decision will be taken by the Festival Safeguarding Officer, in consultation with the authorities, before documentation is passed over. Copies of all documentation will be retained in the Festival records.
Identification of Festival personnel
Festival helpers will be identified by name badges, and this fact will be announced to children, vulnerable adults and their responsible adult, at the start of each session of the Festival. The
definition and use of the words ‘responsible adult’ throughout this document includes designated parents, relatives, guardians, carers and teachers of children or vulnerable adults under the age of 18.
Preparation for attendance at the Festival
In order for the Festival to provide the highest level of protection during the Festival, responsible adults must ensure that their child or vulnerable adult is at all times accompanied and adequately supervised by him/herself, or by a teacher, or by a suitable adult known to the ‘responsible adult’ and who will be required to remain in the building, though not necessarily in the auditorium, until the child or vulnerable adults leaves. BIFF (British International Federation of Festivals informs us that singers 16 and over may take part without a responsible adult at the venue. It is Festival policy to make this ‘responsible adult supervision’ a condition of entry into the Festival. The Festival aims to ensure that a copy of this Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy document is available to all responsible adults of child or vulnerable adult entrants and is displayed at the Festival.
Photographs, Recording Equipment and Mobile Phones
Due to copyright law and this policy, members of the audience as well as performers and their supporters, are not allowed to take photographs or make audio or video recordings at the Festival. Therefore, the use of any kind of camera, recording equipment, mobile phone or other computerised device is strictly forbidden. However, the Festival may appoint a designated, authorised photographer and sound recorder for the Festival records, for publicity purposes to promote the work and ethos of the Festival and for the benefit of the performers.
Performers should indicate on the Entry Form a) if they or their supporters have any objection to being included in any of the photographs and sound recordings taken by the officialphotographer and sound recorder and b) if they give permission for any photographs taken and sound recordings made to be used for publicity purposes, etc., without further consultation from the Festival.
The Festival has the right to refuse entry to the auditorium to any persons in possession of audio or visual equipment.
The legislation and guidance which supports this policy document
The Children Act 2017
The Police Act 2022
The Data Protection Act 2019
The Human Rights Act 1998
The Protection of Children Act 2012
The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2015
The Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014
Policy Revue
The Festival administrators will constantly review the policy on Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection, approving and enhancing it as necessary. In so doing, they will look to other agencies for good practice, most notably that of the NSPCC, The Arts Council of England and the British and International Federation of Festivals’ policy guidelines.
September 2024