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Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy & Procedures for The Campfire Experience

Safeguarding Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults

 

POLICY

1. Policy context 

About the organisation and the environment

The Campfire Experience (CXP) is a not-for-profit organisation encouraging people of all ages to be involved in outdoor nature-connection events and activities (referred to as “events”), hosted by CXP throughout the year. 

 

Our events: are free or may have paid entrance; are ticketed; occur within open space and in the built and natural environment at a private venue (Heath Farm, Swerford, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 4BN); are directly created and delivered by CXP and commissioned from partners; events vary in type, size, staffing levels, volunteer involvement, audience participation and theme; take place within a single organisation’s setting and safeguarding procedure system. 

 

Scope of this policy 

CXP acknowledges the need to safeguard vulnerable people during all events, and within the organisation in the preparation and delivery of these events. The safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults is paramount and all, without exception, have the right to protection from abuse. This document outlines CXPs recognition of the threat of abuse, and the organisation’s responsibility to ensure action is taken to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and all suspicions and allegations of abuse are taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately. 

 

This policy applies to all children under 18 years of age and vulnerable adults of any age, who are staff, contractors, volunteers, artists, participants and audience members. 

 

This document outlines a cross-event approach to policy and the creation of procedures for each event, and links with other key documents governing those events, i.e. Terms & Conditions of Booking, and Risk Assessments. 

 

2. Policy statements 

  • All CXP directors, staff, contractors, volunteers and any other person engaged to help deliver events or support the organisation (referred to as “CXP team”), whether paid or voluntary, have a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and to report safeguarding concerns.  
  • These responsibilities will be made clear, and CXP is responsible for ensuring the CXP team receive appropriate safeguarding training, and to monitor confirmation of training and agreement to observe the policy and procedures. 
  • Safeguarding Policy and Procedures is the responsibility of CXP directors.  
  • The Safeguarding Lead for the directors is Lauren Prince-Wright. The lead is responsible for providing advice and assistance to the development and application of the Safeguarding Policy and Procedure to facilitate each event.  
  • All staff, artist, volunteer and contractor agreements will include the requirement to carry out the CXP Safeguarding Policy and Procedures which apply to their work.  
  • Each event will appoint a Safeguarding Officer. The Safeguarding Lead will act as the Safeguarding Officer when an event has not identified a Safeguarding Officer within the event safeguarding procedures and for the CXP organisation outside of events.  
  • Each event will create and operationalise a set of event safeguarding procedures appropriate for that event and in line with this policy.  
  • The risk assessments for all CXP programmed (delivered and commissioned) events will have the contact number of a designated member of the CXP Team who can be contacted with any safeguarding concern. 
  • No events will be programmed to take place on a one-to-one basis with under-18s.  
  • All safeguarding problems reported to CXP Team will be taken seriously, documented and dated.
  • Where DBS certificates are required for specific roles, CXP Team members will hold enhanced certificates.
  • Where child(ren) arrive (with tickets) at child-friendly CXP events unsupervised, the CXP Team will infer that their visit has been sanctioned by their parents/guardians/carers and will not check unless they identify a problem. 
  • Where child(ren) are deemed by a CXP Team member to be too young to be attending an event unsupervised by a parent/guardian/carer, the Team member will ask for name(s) of the child(ren) and name(s) and whereabouts of the supervising adult(s). If they cannot be located easily, the Safeguarding Officer will be asked to attend or contacted.  
  • This Safeguarding Policy is made available to the public via the website.
  • CXP has a policy on how it photographs/records events which is available on request.

 

3. About abuse 

We are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults by taking all reasonable steps to protect them from neglect, physical, sexual or emotional harm. 

 

We recognise that children, young people and vulnerable adults suffer abuse, which can be:  

  • Neglect: Adults failing to care and protect them from danger or provide adequately for their needs to develop healthily.
  • Physical: Sustain bodily injury.
  • Sexual: Used by adults (or peers) to satisfy sexual desires through indecent sexual activity or subjected to sexual talk and materials.
  • Emotional: When frightened by threats and taunts (bullying); when subject to excessive shouting, belittling and teasing, affecting emotional or behavioural development. 

 

We will always behave in a way that demonstrates the values of the organisation by showing respect and understanding for the rights and welfare of staff, volunteers, contractors, participants and audience members. We will advocate and demonstrate that all children, young people and adults regardless of their age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race or ethnic origin, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity have the same rights to protection. 

 

PROCEDURES

1. Disclosure & Barring Service 

Before an organisation considers asking a person to apply for a criminal record check through DBS, they are legally responsible for ensuring that they are entitled to apply for the job role. This means that if you are a countersigning officer you must satisfy yourself that the position is eligible under the current legal provisions before you countersign each application form. Only positions which fall under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (available via www.gov.co.uk) are eligible for the most basic level of DBS check. 

 

If any such role is created within CXP or its events, a DBS check must be completed (at the appropriate level) prior to any person fulfilling that role. Regarding CXP events specifically, roles may be considered to fall under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 if the role includes unsupervised ‘access’ to children, young people or vulnerable adults in the course of the role holder’s normal duties. 

 

Event safeguarding procedures must be clear as to any roles which fall under this category (i.e. lost child assistance, first aid provisions) and a record of appropriate checks of these post holders must be maintained. Event safeguarding plans must also be clear about abnormal ‘access’ to children, young adults and vulnerable adults which could occur during an event and detail procedures for dealing with these occurrences (i.e. found child). 

 

All jobs/tasks, voluntary or paid will be assessed in respect of whether an enhanced DBS is required. 

 

2. Event safeguarding procedures 

CXP’s commitment to safeguarding will be translated to practice in the “event safeguarding procedures” created for each event, providing clear guidance and procedures for the CXP Team on their role and responsibilities for safeguarding at that specific event. 

 

Each document must:  

  • Identify all CXP team members (staff, contractors, volunteers) and event partners.  
  • Describe the event environment, demonstrate activities are risk assessed and actions taken to minimise and manage risk.  
  • Ascertain whose safeguarding system and procedures apply.  
  • Identify the Safeguarding Officer, and any deputies as required, and contact arrangements for the duration of the event.  
  • Identify any other specific roles in relation to safeguarding, including any roles with potential unsupervised access to children, young people or vulnerable adults, e.g. first aid or lost children.
  • Set out training requirements for all team members, and specific training obligations for those specific roles identified.  
  • Set out how CXP Team members will be clearly identifiable during the event.  
  • Consider how marketing materials describe the event clearly and appropriately, including any lower age limit or advice on age suitability or parental supervision.  
  • Consider how audience members or participants will be given an outline of event activity prior to agreeing to take part or where the full nature of the activity is not revealed for artistic purposes, how this will be made explicit before the public agree to take part.  
  • Set out event specific reporting and documenting procedures, for the reporting of concerns.  
  • Lay out the way in which other key documents function together, for example the event safety or risk assessment document.  
  • Identify the actions to be taken in relation to the presence of unaccompanied children.  
  • Set out how the privacy policy in relation to filming and photography of events will be communicated to participants and audiences. 
  • Clearly identify those responsible for implementation of the event safeguarding procedures, training and review throughout the event.  
  • No event safeguarding procedures should contradict the commitments laid out in this safeguarding policy. 

 

3. Outside of events 

In the event of any safeguarding concerns being raised, the Safeguarding Officer must be contacted. Event risk assessments should contain the contact details of the Designated Safeguarding Officer. 

 

4. Whistleblowing 

Whistleblowing involves contacting someone, inside or outside of CXP, to report a concern. Whistleblowing can be very difficult to do. CXP has a Whistleblowing Policy. It is important that all CXP practice is open to criticism and review, and that CXP acknowledge that whistleblowing only works to make practice better. It is our hope that no person will need to whistle blow, and that any issues can be identified and dealt with as part of the supervisory process. If this is not the case. however, we are glad to direct people to sources of help and advice. 

 

Each event safeguarding procedure will outline reporting, recording and whistleblowing procedure for that event. 

 

Date policy reviewed & agreed by CXP directors: January 2025.

Date for review: As relevant and applicable, document to be reviewed within 3 years.