Isle of Wight Musical Competition Festival
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER: Mrs Christina Booth Tel: 01983 875555 Email; chrissy@iwmcf.co.uk
VENUES: Methodist Church Hall, Garfield Road, Ryde
Methodist Church, Garfield Road, Ryde
Ryde Theatre, Lind Street, Ryde
All Saints’ Church, Queen’s Road, Ryde
Sts Thomas’ Church, Newport
Shanklin Theatre, Shanklin
Medina Theatre, Newport
DATES: Various, between 2.3.10 and 29.3.10 inclusive
The safety of children and members of other vulnerable groups is paramount and all, without exception, have the right to protection from abuse. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately and all the charity’s officials and volunteers have a responsibility to report concerns.
Throughout this Policy, where ‘child’ or ‘children’ are mentioned, this also includes members of other vulnerable groups. Throughout this Policy, where ‘parents’ are mentioned, this also includes guardians, carers and teachers.
1. The Isle of Wight Musical Competition (IWMCF) is established to advance, promote and encourage generally and by means of the Competition Festival Movement in particular, the study and practice of the arts of Music, Dancing, Elocution, Literature and Acting in all their branches. The IWMCF provides a platform for amateur performance combined with an educational element from professional musicians, dancers and speakers.
2. This policy relates to children under the age of 18 years and members of vulnerable groups of any age who are identified to the organisers prior to their arrival at the festival. This should be done by contacting the one of the addresses at the beginning or end of this document. In recognising the needs of children from all ethnic groups and children who have special needs, the IWMCF actively seeks to meet those needs if similarly notified in advance by parents.
3. Practices and procedures at the IWMCF are geared towards working in partnership with parents to create a safe environment for children.
4. Where parents are not personally attending with their children or members of vulnerable groups, the IWMCF draws these parents’ attention to all aspects of this Child Protection Policy and requires these parents to supervise their child’s attendance at the Festival or be satisfied that appropriate arrangements have been made.
5. All parents of individual competitors under the age of 18 or members of vulnerable groups, will be sent a copy of the IWMCF Child Protection Policy, in sufficient time for them to make arrangements for their child’s attendance at the Festival.
6. Teachers entering students under 18 years of age or members of vulnerable groups will make their own arrangements to send all parents, guardians and carers of competitors under the age of 18 or members of vulnerable groups, a copy of the IWMCF Child Protection Policy, in sufficient time for them to make arrangements for their child’s attendance at the Festival.
7. IWMCF officials are volunteers and the IWMCF holds records of all their addresses and is in the process of collecting references for all volunteers. IWMCF officials will be provided with short job descriptions, and where necessary, officials will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau.
8. All Festival personnel will be identified by the special IWMCF badge, which bears those letters and British Federation of Festivals logo. In case of a problem, anyone wearing an IWMCF badge may be approached and will be able to take you to someone who will be able to help. All problems will be taken seriously, dealt with discreetly and recorded.
9. IWMCF classes are held in the venues listed above, and there may be occasions when children need to move between venues. All IWMCF venues are open to members of the general public to attend as spectators.
10. Backstage areas, changing rooms, toilets and practice rooms are not supervised by IWMCF personnel and therefore parents must be responsible for their own children when using these facilities, or be satisfied that appropriate arrangements have been made. The IWMCF draws parents’ attention particularly to the fact that at some venues, changing rooms and performance areas have several entrances and exits which are open to the general public and not supervised by IWMCF officials.
11. Changing rooms are to be considered as ‘family areas’, open to all children and parents, and single-sex areas cannot be guaranteed.
12. The Press may wish to take photographs of prize-winners. This Policy makes it clear that, where parents do not wish photos to be taken, it is these parents’ responsibility to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made to ensure that their children are not included in press photographs.
13. The names of all competitors are usually printed in the results reports in the local press. This Policy makes it clear that, where parents do not wish their child’s name to be reported, it is these parents’ responsibility to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made to ensure that their child’s name is not included in press reports, by contacting one of the names at the bottom or top of this document.
14. The IWMCF committee will review this policy annually, enhancing it as necessary. In doing this, the IWMCF is supported by the British and International Federation of Festivals, which in turn looks to other agencies for good practice, most notably the NSPCC and The Arts Council of England policy guidelines.
This policy is informed by:
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; The Children Act 1989; The Police Act 1997; The Data Protection Act 1998; The Human Rights Act 1998; The Protection of Children Act 1999; The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, The Children Act 2004, The Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
Implementation of IWMCF Child Protection Policy
(Information for all IWMCF personnel, to be read in conjunction with Child Protection Policy)
· All existing officers, committee members, volunteers and stewards of the IWMCF will be provided with a copy of this policy.
· All new recruits to the IWMCF will be provided with a copy of this policy.
· The Child Protection Officer and/or Working Party will draw up a list of all roles within the IWMCF and decide which need an enhanced CRB disclosure.
· For those volunteers whose role does not require an enhanced CRB disclosure:
· For those volunteers whose role does require an enhanced CRB disclosure:
· During the Festival, IWMCF personnel will be identified by the special IWMCF badge which each will wear prominently on his or her person.
· Adjudicators will also wear this badge.
· All IWMCF personnel involved in running the Festival on any particular day will check in and out at the beginning of each session in a register which can be found at the ticket desk.
· IWMCF officials will generally carry out their duties in the ‘public arena’, but when this is not possible they should not work alone.
· Any issues or complaints relating to Child Protection should be addressed to the senior IWMCF official on duty in the competition room. These will be taken seriously, discreetly and recorded.
· At each Festival venue at suitable area will be identified where any distressed persons with issues relating to Child Protection may be dealt with discreetly. This area may be out of the public arena and therefore the IWMCF official will be accompanied where possible by the child’s responsible adult or another adult known to the child.
· All IWMCF officials who need to keep contact details of children, will keep these details carefully, either passworded on a computer or in a locked drawer.
· IWMCF officials are not qualified to administer first aid. Emergency numbers will be available/displayed at all times.
For any further information or advice contact:
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER: Mrs Christina Booth Tel: 01983 875555 Email; chrissy@iwmcf.co.uk