Policies

Child Protection

Imogen Gibson School of Dance have a moral and legal obligation to ensure that, when given responsibility for children, all staff, chaperones, parents/legal guardians and volunteers accept their responsibilities to safeguard children from harm and abuse. This means to ensure that everyone follows procedures to protect children and report any concerns about their welfare to appropriate authorities. All dance teachers are fully qualified, DBS (CRB) checked and insured. Due to the nature of dance sometimes it is necessary to correct dance positions physically. This is always conducted with the utmost care and professionalism.

There are three elements to our policy:-

  • Prevention through awareness of each individual child’s needs.
  • Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Procedures for identifying and reporting cases or suspected cases, of abuse.

The aim of the policy is to promote good practice, providing children and young people with appropriate safety/protection whilst in the care of the dance School and to allow staff and volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.

Imogen Gibson School of Dance will therefore:-

  • Act within the Children’s Act 1989 & 2004
  • Act within the Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014
  • Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel welcome and familiar with their environment and are informed of personal (toilets, dressing rooms etc) and emergency arrangements (fire exits etc) and any Health and Safety Procedures (First aid etc)
  • Inform each child who the appropriate person or people are to speak to if they have any questions, problems or concerns.
  • Ensure that all children are treated with respect and dignity and are treated as individuals and offered equality of opportunities.
  • Always work in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and unnecessary physical contact with children)
  • Recognising the individual needs of the child. Eg- recognising when a child may be tired and may need a break.
  • Ensure that children are supervised appropriately.
  • Ensure all volunteers and staff coming into close contact with children are DBS checked.
  • Ensure that all staff and crew who don’t necessarily have close contact with children but who are assisting in the production are aware of their conduct around children.

Definitions of Child abuse and Neglect

A child or young person up to the age of 18 years can suffer abuse or neglect and require protection. · Physical Abuse - May involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates or induces illness in a child whom they are looking after.

  • Sexual Abuse - Forcing or enticing a child/young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening.
  • Neglect - 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.
  • Emotional Abuse - The persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional and behavioural development.

Imogen Gibson School of Dance will adhere to the relevant legislation when working with children and young people under the age of 18 years as outlined in the following:

  • Children Act 1989. Children Act 2004
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 Suspicion of Abuse
  • If you see or suspect abuse of a child, immediately make this known to the designated individual/manager responsible for child protection. Disclosure of Abuse If a child tells you that they or another child or young person is being abused:- Always stop and listen straight away, show that you take their allegations seriously. Encourage the child to talk, but do not ask leading questions, interrupt or ask the child to repeat itself. Never promise that you will keep what is said confidential or secret – explain that if you are told something of concern that you will need to let someone know but that you will only tell the people who need to know and can help. Record what you have been told accurately and as soon as possible. Use the child‘s own words. Make a note of the time, location, whether anyone else present and of the Child’s demeanour. Ensure that your concerns are reported immediately to the designated individual/manager. Do not confront the alleged abuser.
  • If a child makes an allegation against a member of staff it must be reported as a matter of urgency to the designated manager/individual for child protection who will refer to Social Services department for Children’s Services.
  • In all situations the details of allegation or reported incident must be recorded. Make accurate notes of time, dates, incident or disclosure, people involved, what was said and done and by whom, action taken to investigate and further action taken.
  • DO NOT worry that you might be mistaken; you have a responsibility to pass on your concerns following a disclosure. Never think abuse is impossible, or that an accusation about a person you know well and trust is bound to be wrong.

Health and Safety

This policy will seek to provide and encourage:

  • A safe place to work and safe dance environment, with safe access to and from it.
  • Provide up-to date information, instructions, training and supervision to ensure all staff/ volunteers are well equipped to avoid hazards and contribute positively to effective Health & Safety at work.

The policy will be kept up to date to ensure that our responsibilities are met in relation to: - Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) - Management Regulations (1999) - Other relevant current legislation

As a dance school, we have the responsibility to make sure that:

  • All parents/ carers have signed a contact form with emergency contact details, any medical conditions/ photography permission.
  • Complete all necessary risk assessments for each venue.
  • Training for staff is up to date.
  • All dance teachers are fully qualified and insured.
  • A first aider is always present at any class/ event.
  • A first aid box is in sight and any accidents will be reported in an accident book.
  • All equipment is safely stored.
  • All electrical equipment is regularly tested.
  • All staff working with children are enhanced DBS checked/ Any volunteers and chaperones to be DBS checked at dance shows.
  • A safeguarding policy is in place and all staff have up to date safeguarding training.
  • Dress code is followed – uniform, correct footwear and hair tied up.

 

Accidents and First Aid - All accidents should be recorded in the accident book. Treatment should be given only by a trained First Aider.  Medication should not be offered to any student/staff, this includes antiseptics or pills of any kind. If in doubt with any minor injury or illness phone 111 and parents should be informed. For any emergency call 999.

Safety Checks –

  • Equipment - Correct storage of equipment is vital to minimising risks. Any equipment not being used is a potential risk. Every piece of equipment that is being used must be checked before commencing any dance classes/ shows to ensure its safety for use. Check there are no faults with equipment.

 

  • Dance Studio - Ensure floors are clean. Ensure no trip hazards (wires/equipment) Check plug sockets are safe with no wires showing. Ensure doors and exits are secure and there is nothing blocking emergency exits.

 

  • Students - Ensure that all students are wearing appropriate dance wear and footwear to minimise accidents or risk. Ensure photograph permission is clearly stated for each child. Ensure all staff/ volunteers are aware of any medical conditions/ allergies. Students to bring inhalers if asthmatic.

 

  • Theatre – For shows, make sure a risk assessment is in place. Approval from local authorities and Chaperones/ DBS checked helpers backstage.

Fire safety – Before any class/show make sure fire exits are clear and a meeting point is known to dancers and any staff. For the theatre- audience to follow stewards. Back stage staff/students to follow chaperones to meeting point. Head count to take place. Chaperones will already have a list of students in their care. Make sure personal belongings are left and this is done quickly and efficiently.

Security – All students to be signed in on a register. This is the same for classes and any performance. All helpers/ volunteers must have a DBS check and must sign in.

Data and Privacy

Imogen Gibson School of Dance is committed to the privacy and security of personal information that is collected about of students and their parents. This privacy notice describes how we collect and store personal data, who we share personal data with and how it complies with the General Data Protection Regulation.

It has been agreed that Imogen Gibson (principle) will be appointed as Data Protection Officer and is therefore responsible for the safe storage of information relating to our students and parents. Imogen Gibson School of Dance is a ‘data controller’. This means we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about of students and their parents. We are required under data protection legislation to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice.

 

Data Protection Principles

Imogen Gibson School of Dance comply with data protection Law. This means information stored must be:

  • Used lawfully, Fairly and in a transparent way
  • Kept Securely
  • Collected only for valid purposes
  • Accurate and kept up to date
  • Kept only for as long as necessary

 

Children/Students

Personal Data or personal information means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. We collect the following information from our students:

  • Full Name
  • DOB
  • Address
  • Any Medical Conditions or allergies
  • Accident Forms
  • We also ask for photograph permission for advertising purposes such as social media, newspaper articles or any show photographs
  • Ethnicity- for ISTD Dance examinations
  • School if applicable

 

Parents/Carers:

We collect the following information from parents/carers:

  • Name
  • Emergency Contact Telephone numbers
  • Address
  • Email Address

 

How we use this information

  • We collect the above data to use in case of emergencies. For example a parent/carer needs to be contacted during their child’s lesson.
  • We will use this data for use of Exam Entries for ISTD dance exams. Name, DOB and ethnicity.
  • We will use this information for Competition Entries. Name and DOB
  • We will use this information for Showcases. Emergency contact names and number for backstage at shows. Information will be given to the local authorities to approve children to perform in front of an audience. This is only for certain performances which all parents/carers will be informed of.

 

Who we share this information with (Third Parties)

  • The ISTD will receive name, DOB and ethnicity when applying for candidate pin numbers and Exam timetables. The ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) comply with General data protection Regulation.
  • Local Authorities. Children are allowed to perform up to 4 times in a six month period. If students perform more than this they will need a license or if not we need to apply for a license exemption. This is for safeguarding and child prediction policies. This will be the local authority of your address not the dance school.

All third party service providers and other entities in the group are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies. We do not allow our third party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

Data Retention

We will only retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for. We will only keep personal contact forms for students for a maximum of 1 school term of the child not attending classes. This will be in case any exam forms/certificates/awards are received and you need to be contacted.

 

Individual Rights

Our Students and parents are entitled to the following rights under GDPR.

  • The right to be informed of how we use your personal data.
  • The right to request access to your personal data. This enables you to have a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • The right to request correction of the personal information we hold about you.
  • The right to request erasure of your personal information.
  • The right to restrict processing of your personal data.
  • The right to data portability.
  • The right to object.

You have the right to review your personal data and request any of the above. If you wish to do so please contact the data manager as stated above.

We reserve the right to update the privacy notice at any time and we will provide you with a new updated privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice or would like to receive a copy please get in touch with Imogen Gibson. Dance School Principal.

Last updated: May 2018