Children and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy Guidelines 

 

This document sets out the Safeguarding Policy and Guidance for Kirkham Henry Performing Arts CIC, which will be followed by all members including staff, Directors, volunteers, visitors, and families. 

 

Kirkham Henry Performing Arts School adopts and open and accepting attitude towards children and young people as part of its responsibility for their pastoral care. Our staff strive to ensure that children, young people and parents feel free to talk about their concerns and will see our school as a safe place when there are other difficulties in their lives. Pupils’ worries and fears will be taken seriously and children and young people are encouraged to seek help from, or confide in, members of staff. 

 

 

• Our KHPA Community fully recognises our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all of our pupils and this will be paramount 

• We believe that not only is this a moral and statutory responsibility, but we know that children who feel safe and secure at Kirkham Henry Performing Arts are more likely to achieve their full potential. 

 

• The rights, wishes and feelings of children, young people and their families will be respected and listened to. 

 

• We understand that the standards for positive and appropriate behaviour and mutual respect are set by example by our staff. 

• Vulnerable children and young adults and those with additional needs are supported. 

• We accept and carry out our responsibility to act on any suspicion, disclosure, or belief that a child is suffering or at risk of suffering harm. 

 

 

• Providing a safe environment to learn in 

• Identifying and responding to children, young people and vulnerable adults in need or support and / or protection 

• Supporting children’s development in ways which will foster a sense of self-esteem and independence. 

• Fostering a learning environment in which every pupil feels valued and able to articulate their wishes and feelings in their preferred method of communication in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. 

 

We will endeavour to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm while they visit or are attending classes on our property. We will do this by: 

 

1. Making sure our staff are carefully selected and correct recruitment processes followed including taking up references 

 

2. Providing appropriate and regular training for staff in issues of child protection 

 

3. Ensure all staff and volunteers (including teaching staff, administrators, and ancillary staff) undergo an Enhanced DBS check. 

 

4. To establish and maintain an ethos where children and young people feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to. 

5. Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us. 

 

6. Not physically, or emotionally abusing any child or vulnerable adult in contact with us 

 

7. Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from putting any child or vulnerable adult in a situation in which there is an unreasonable risk to their health and safety. 

 

8. Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from physically, or emotionally abusing any child or vulnerable adult. 

 

9. Reporting to the Principal, or Directors any evidence or reasonable suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult has been physically, or emotionally abused in contact with us or anyone in our organization. 

 

10. Referring to statutory authorities all incidents reported to the Principal or the Directors. 

 

11. Implementing this policy in conjunction with our Health and Safety guidelines already in place 

 

 

Immediate action may be necessary at any stage of involvement with children and families. In all cases, it is vital to take whatever action is needed to safeguard the child/children. 

 

• if emergency medical attention is required, this can be secured by calling an ambulance (dial 999) or taking a child to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department. 

• if a child is in immediate danger, the Police should be contacted (dial 999), as they alone have the power to remove a child immediately if protection is necessary, via a Police Protection Order. 

 

 

Abuse or neglect of a child is caused by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or more rarely by a stranger. 

 

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when someone fabricates the symptoms of illness or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after. 

 

Emotional abuse is the persistent, emotional ill treatment of a child, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone. 

 

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic materials or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. 

 

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or guardian failing to provide adequate food, shelter, and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. 

Individuals within Kirkham Henry Performing Arts CIC need to be alert to the potential abuse of children. 

 

Kirkham Henry Performing Arts CIC should know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse or potential abuse involving children. There is an expected responsibility for all members of staff to respond to any suspected or actual abuse of a child, in accordance with these procedures.