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Child Protection
Policy

Icon Theatre is committed to protecting children and young adults and ensuring that their welfare is paramount in every project that it runs and in every aspect of its work. Accordingly:

1 All children and young adults working with Icon Theatre whatever their, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual orientation have the right to protection from harm or abuse.

2 All parents/carers have a right to feel safe when entrusting their children or young adults to Icon Theatre.

3 All suspicions, and allegations, of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with this Child Protection Policy.

4 All staff and others working for Icon Theatre will be made aware of the Child Protection Policy and will be required to sign up to the Policy as part of their contract and Icon Theatre will use every endeavour to ensure that they understand their responsibilities, and the procedures concerning appropriate responses to any concerns relating to possible abuse.

5 All children and young adults have the right to be protected when participating in Icon Theatre organised activities which they or their parents have chosen.

6 Icon Theatre will not tolerate an environment which allows bullying, racism, homophobia or unnecessary shouting.

Child Protection Policies

1 The Icon Theatre Board is ultimately responsible for the correct application of the Child Protection Policy through the workings of the General Manager. At the outset of each project, all workers will be informed of this chain of responsibilities, and be provided with contact details.

2 The General Manager will undertake effective recruitment, including appropriate vetting of staff and volunteers. All staff and volunteers will be required to have an enhanced CRB check, carried out before the start of their engagement with Icon Theatre. All references on new staff and volunteers will also be followed up by the General Manager before the start of their engagement with Icon Theatre.

The foregoing CRB checks will be carried out in consultation with Icon Theatre's designated CRB umbrella organisation, the Independent Theatre Council.

3 Icon Theatre will support confidentiality in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and will not hand out any information about employees/artists or arts facilitators to other arts organizations other than in the ordinary course of business.

4 Icon Theatre will keep up with health and safety regulations in artistic and management practice and will comply with all updated changes in legislation and policies for protection of young adults and children.

5 No child will be allowed, whilst under Icon Theatre's care, to leave the premises which Icon Theatre are using without appropriate supervision.

6 The parent/carer must notify Icon Theatre if the child or young adult is traveling from Icon Theatre without adult supervision. If the child's or young adult's homeward journey is supervised by an adult, then the parent/carer will be required to inform Icon Theatre of the identity of the person who will be picking their child or young adult up after each session; and from week to week to inform the General Manager prior to the session of any changes.

7 The General Manager is responsible for collecting information on any special needs a child or young adult may have before that child or young adult begins working with Icon Theatre, and the General Manager is responsible for ensuring the correct support is available for that child or young adult during their time with Icon Theatre.

8. Photographs, films or web based materials of children or young adults participating in any Icon Theatre project will only be taken and/or reproduced with the consent of the parents and in consultation with the children and young adults involved.

9. If a child or young adult arrives at the session with an obvious physical injury, a record will be made in the accident book. This record must be countersigned by the person with responsibility for the individual. (This record can be useful if a formal allegation is made later. It will also be a record that the individual did not sustain the injury whilst working with Icon Theatre).

Conduct in the Working Environment

1 Icon Theatre operates a no-smoking policy. Staff, others working for Icon Theatre, children and young adults may not smoke anywhere in premises which are, and while they are, being used or occupied by Icon Theatre.

2 Alcohol and recreational drugs may not be taken into any space where children or young adults are working. Staff are required by contract not to consume alcohol or take recreational drugs before working with or in the presence of children or young adults.

3 Prescribed drugs should be kept locked and out of reach of children and young adults.

4 Language and conversation must be appropriate when talking to or within hearing distance of children and young adults.

Conduct with Young Persons

All staff, volunteers, tutors, and project leaders:

1 Must keep a safe and appropriate distance from participants, and not engage in any inappropriate physical contact.

2 May only touch participants when it is absolutely necessary to the particular arts activity. In this case, agreement will be sought from participants prior to any physical contact.

3 May not make sexually suggestive comments, even in fun.

4 Must always treat children and young adults equally, and with respect and dignity. The welfare of each participant must always be put before the goals of the project.

5 Should try to ensure that feedback is enthusiastic and constructive.

6 May never shout at a child or young adult.

7 Must always work in an open environment and avoid private or unobserved situations.

8 Must ensure that, if a young adult initiates physical contact (e.g. approaches for a hug), they try to deflect them (e.g. offer them a hand shake).

9 May not give out personal contact details.

10 May not arrange any contact with children or young adults met through Icon Theatre activities outside of those activities.

What to do if a Child/Young Adult Discloses Abuse

1 Look at the child or young adult directly.
2 Accept what the child or young adult says.
3 Be aware that the child or young adult may have been threatened.
4 Do not adopt a critical approach.
5 Do not press for information.
6 Reassure the child or young adult that (s)he is right to tell you, and that you will take what (s)he says very seriously.
7 Do not promise to keep the information the child or young adult has disclosed a secret.
8 Let the child or young adult know what you are going to do next, whom you are going to tell, and why, and roughly what will happen.
9 Finish on a positive note.
10 As soon as possible afterwards, make hand written notes of exactly what the child or young adult said and the date and time.

Subsequent Action to be Taken

1 Do not delay.
2 Do not act alone.
3 Do not start to investigate.
4 Inform the General Manager of the position immediately.
5 The General Manager will consult with others relevant to the incident.
6 Meet with the staff member who has been present and take a written record of the facts.
7 Notify the Icon Theatre Board.
8 The General Manager will then inform the social services of the disclosure who will then liaise with the relevant departments on a need-to-know basis and will, if appropriate, inform the police. It is the responsibility of the authorities e.g. London Borough of Waltham Forest to determine whether abuse has occurred.

Details of Complaints Procedure

Icon Theatre shall take seriously all complaints of suspected or actual child or young adult abuse or of children or young adults being put at risk. The complaints will be acted upon immediately. If someone believes that a child or young adult may be suffering, or may be at risk of suffering significant harm, then he/she must make the General Manager aware. They will then need to notify social services. In the event of a complaint, the General Manager will take a record which includes:

1 Name of the child or young adult.
2 Parent's/carer's details.
3 The child's or young adult's address.
4 Relevant phone numbers.
5 What is said to have happened, or what was seen.
6 When it occurred.
7 Who else was there.
8 What was said by those involved.
9 Whether there is any actual evidence e.g. bruises, bleeding, changed behaviour.
10 Who has been told about it.
11 Who was concerned.
12 Was the child or young adult able to say what happened?
13 Whether the parents have been advised.

Rights and Confidentiality

If a complaint or allegation is made against a member of staff, he or she should be made aware of his or her rights under both employment law and internal disciplinary procedures.

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Child Protection
Policy