Safeguarding Policy - East Anglian Brass Band Association

1. To protect children, young people and adults with care and support needs who are members of the band.

2. To provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection

The East Anglian Brass Band Association believes that a child, young person or adult with care and support needs should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.

What is Abuse?: a form of maltreatment of a child/young person

1. Physical – any form of abuse that may involve hitting, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocation or otherwise causing physical harm to a child/young person.

2. Emotional – the persistent maltreatment of a child/young person such as to cause serve and persistent side effects on their emotional development. This includes, conveying to a child/young person that they are worthless or unloved, overprotected and limitation of exploration and learning. Also seeing and hearing the ill-treatment of another. This is classed as bullying and includes cyber bullying.

3. Neglect – the persistent failure to meet a child/young person’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child/young person’s health or development. This may include, inadequate food, clothing and shelter, no protection from physical and emotional harm, inadequate supervision, no access to medical care, unable to satisfy a child/young person’s basic emotional needs.

4. Sexual - forcing or entering a child/young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the individual is aware of what is happening. This may involve physical contact activities, or non-contact activities eg looking at or producing sexual images or grooming in preparation of abuse. Sexual abuse can be perpetrated by other children/young adults as well as adult males or females.

NB Prevent includes: Radicalisation: this is the process of a person legitimising support for, or use of, terrorist violence. Also Terrorism and County Lines.

This policy has been drawn up based on law and guidance that seeks to protect children and adults at risk, namely:

• Children Act (1989)

• United Convention of the Rights of the Child (1991)

• Data Protection Act (1998) and subsequent data protection guidance

• Sexual Offences Act (2003)

• Children Act (2004)

• Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)

• Working together to safeguarding children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; HM Government (2015)

• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)

• The Human Rights Act (1998)

• The Children and Families Act (2014)

• Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years - Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities; HM Government

(2014)

• General Data Protection Regulations (European Union) (2017)

• Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers; HM Government (2015)

• The Care Act (2014)

• The Care Act (2014) Care and Support Statutory Guidance (specifically the safeguarding section of this)

• The Mental Capacity Act (2005)

We recognise that:

• the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act (1989);

• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;

• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues; and

• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

In addition, The Association and Member Bands are aware that they also have safeguarding responsibilities towards adult members, some of whom may be vulnerable at different times in their lives. The principles outlined above in relation to children, also apply to our work with adults. In terms of a legal framework, the arrangements for those over 18 are governed by the Care Act 2014. This Act stipulates that statutory safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:

• has care and support needs, and

• is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, and,

• as a result of those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.

We will seek to keep children, young people and adults safe by:

• valuing them, listening to and respecting them, ensuring that, in the case of adults, we work with their consent unless ‘vital interests’ [as defined in the Data Protection Act (1998)] are at stake, or the person has been assessed as lacking mental capacity [as defined in the Mental Capacity Act (2005)];

• adopting child protection and adult safeguarding practices through procedures and a code of conduct for trustees, member bands and volunteers.

• developing and implementing an effective e-safety policy and related procedures.

• providing effective support and training for volunteers with responsibility.

• recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.

• sharing information about child protection and adult safeguarding with children, parents, volunteers and members.

• sharing concerns with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately.

Jane Bussey – Safeguarding updated annually in school (last update 4th September 2024, next review due September 2025) and through the Brass Band England, governing body for Brass Bands in England, updated biannually (completed May 2023 next review due May 2025).

Any concerns during an activity via EABBA should be made to the Safeguarding Officer, currently Jane Bussey.

A written statement covering the concern will be needed covering all details of the concern.

Should there be a concern, the Safeguarding Officer will contact the necessary organisation:

Children’s Advice and Duty Service, Norfolk (CADS) 0344 800 8021.

NSPCC Helpline as detailed below

If there is cause that the child/young person is immediate danger, then the Police should be contacted (999).

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 06/08/2023

Updated September 2024

Signed: Jane Bussey (EABBA Safeguarding Officer)