Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Motion Arts Dance Academy

This policy is written in regards to the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 policy, and the Royal Academy of Dance’s Safeguarding procedures 2013 and the Royal Academy of Dance’s Code of Professional Conduct.

For the purposes of this policy, Motion Arts Dance Academy will be referred to as ‘The School’. The term ‘children and young people’ or ‘pupils’ refers to those aged 18 and under with whom Motion Arts Dance Academy provides activities for.

1. The pupils’ safety and wellbeing are paramount. All pupils have equal right to protection from all forms of abuse regardless of their age, disability, race, sexual orientation or identity or religious belief. The School expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The School will take all reasonable measures to:

1.1 Ensure that we practice ‘safer recruitment’ in checking and vetting staff and volunteer’ suitability in line with the Royal Academy of Dance’s Professional Code of Conduct and the Local Authority requirements to ensure those working with our pupils are appropriately checked and supervised.

1.2 Ensure all staff and volunteers have appropriate and current knowledge and understanding of Child Protection and Safeguarding policies and strategies and understand how to contact appropriate agencies and make referrals and/or raise concerns.

1.3 Implement and adhere to the Royal Academy of Dance’s Professional Code of Conduct, and Local and Government guidelines.

1.4 Follow the local inter-agency procedures of the London Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) to ensure all staff and volunteers are aware of the need to refer concerns immediately to the School Principal/ LSCB’s Safeguarding Lead Officer/children’s social care.

1.5 Protect each pupil from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil.

1.6 Listen, value, and respect all concerns from pupils, parents, staff, volunteers or others and act appropriately, swiftly and fairly.

1.7 Deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse and to support children who have been abused in accordance with the agreed child protection plan.

1.8 Be alert to the medical needs of pupils and provide appropriate support. The school will work with medical professionals as necessary to support pupils as best as it is able.

1.9 Take all practical steps to ensure the School premises are secure as circumstances permit.

1.10 Take all practical steps to limit risk of harm or injury and operate a sensible and robust Health and Safety procedure.

1.11 Monitor pupil attendance regularly and refer any concerns to the authorities as necessary.

1.12 Identify pupils at risk of extremism and radicalisation.

1.13 Consider and develop procedures to deal with other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual pupils in the school.

2. The School acknowledges the types of abuse and neglect as set by the document Keeping Children Safe In Education which defines the following types of abuse:

Physical: A form of abuse such as hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when an adult fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Emotional: Persistent emotional maltreatment of a child as to cause severe or adverse effects on a child’s emotional development. It may involve a child feeling worthless, inadequate. It may include not giving a child an opportunity to express their view or deliberately making fun of something they say or how they communicate. It may involve bullying, cause a child to feel frightened or in danger. Interactions may include those beyond a child’s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of learning, social interaction or participation. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment, although it can occur alone.