Safeguarding Policies

 

Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone 2024 and Hazel Grove Musical Festival Child Protection Policy 2024

Hazel Grove Musical Festival

Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone 2024

The Federation and its member Festivals use the following policies and procedures to create Safer Festivals for everyone –

 

  1. A single, definitive Child Protection Policy adopted by all Federation Festivals

 

  1. One or more designated Festival Safeguarding Officers (FSO) appointed by each Federation Festival . The FSO for Hazel Grove Musical Festival is –

Richard Glazier     07738 161352    secretary.hgmf@outlook.com

 

  1. Best practice advice in the form of Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection leaflets, with support and training for all Festival staff and volunteers, including clear reporting procedures for anyone with a concern about a child

 

  1. Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures for all new Festival staff and volunteers responsible for providing safe environments for everyone attending / performing at a Federation Festival

 

  1. All Festival stewards wear an identity badge. All teachers / parents / guardians / carers are asked to report all incidents of any nature to anyone wearing a badge.  All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with the Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection best practice advice.  In addition we will ensure the availability of a quiet area / room where concerns can be expressed in private

 

  1. For the duration of the Festival all teachers / parents / guardians / carers are responsible for the continuous care and supervision of their own children / pupils / vulnerable adults. If they are unable to attend personally, they must delegate their responsibilities to an identified adult and ensure that their children / pupils / vulnerable adults are aware of the identity and name of the person responsible for their care.  This includes supervision throughout the Festival venues, performance, practice and changing areas that may be provided.

 

  1. No unauthorised photography or video recording is allowed at our Festivals. Where parents / guardians / carers do not wish photos to be taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child / pupil / vulnerable adult is not included in official authorised photos.

 

  1. Some children and vulnerable adults may have specific needs in order to take part. If this is the case we ask for responsible teachers / parents / guardians / carers to contact the Festival prior to arrival.  The Festival actively seeks wherever possible to meet these needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare support - or to advise that help cannot be provided on this occasion.

 

 

HAZEL GROVE MUSICAL FESTIVAL SOCIETY          Registered Charity 505911

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY implemented from 1st February 2019

 

CHAIRMAN:                               Mr Donald Sykes   35 Kenilworth Drive, Hazel Grove, Stockport

 

VENUES:                                     1) HAZEL GROVE METHODIST CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL  Wesley Street, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 4JQ

2) 1 WINDSOR ROAD, Hazel Grove, Stockport. SK7 4SW

DATES:                                        Saturday 12th, Friday 18th & Saturday 19th October 2024

 

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, responded to swiftly and appropriately and all the festival’s trustees/organisers/staff and volunteers have a responsibility to report concerns.

  1. PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF ORGANISATION

To hold a Festival of music and drama annually which gives a public platform to amateur performers who receive educational feedback, both written and verbal, from professional adjudicators.  Also, to provide stimulating and educational concerts for the community.

  1. THE FESTIVAL ENVIRONMENT

The Festival is held in two separate venues which are accessible by local side streets.  A map of the venues is provided in the programme, on our website (hazelgrovemusicalfestival.org.uk) and at the venues, and parents, carers, guardians and teachers are responsible for their children’s safety on Festival premises and between venues.

It is the policy of the Hazel Grove Musical Festival to inform and involve parents/guardians/carers and teachers in order to ensure, as far as it is reasonably practicable, a safe environment at our festival.  We do this by ensuring that competitors have access to a copy of this policy on the  Festival website or upon request to the General Secretary so that this information is available at the time you are making arrangements to attend our festival. Additionally, a copy is on display at the Wesley Street venue for inspection and a copy can be requested from the General Secretary or a member of the committee if required. A copy is also available on our website.

  1. TO WHOM DOES THIS POLICY APPLY

This policy relates to children under the age of 18 years and members of vulnerable groups of any age whose needs are identified to the festival organisers by parents/guardians/carers and/or teachers prior to their arrival at the festival.  This should be done by contacting the designated Festival Safeguarding Officer named at the foot of this document.  Our festival actively seeks, wherever possible, to meet these needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare support, or to let you know if we are unable to help.

  1. FESTIVAL PERSONNEL

This policy draws your attention to the following:

All the organisers/committee and stewards at the Hazel Grove Musical Festival are volunteers and their names, addresses and contact numbers are kept on record.  As trustees of our charity, the committee undertake a disclosure from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS). The stewards are recruited from local choirs and friends of the committee.  The roles of the stewards are considered during recruitment.  Where stewards work one to one with children or hold children’s contact details, they are required to undertake a disclosure.  Training sessions are available for all stewards and all receive a copy of this Child Protection Policy.  The Chief Steward is responsible for all the allocation duties to stewards.  All festival personnel wear badges designating their responsibility and if you have a problem any person wearing a badge may be approached and will be able to direct you to the General Secretary who will deal with it.  All problems will be dealt with sympathetically and will be documented and dated.

  1. PREPARATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE FESTIVAL

The Hazel Grove Musical Festival provides all parents, carers, guardians and teachers with a copy of this Child Protection Policy on the Festival Website prior to application and competition.  Teachers who have entered several children are asked to ensure that they provide a copy for the parents/guardians of each competitor under the age of 18 years.  They provide an undertaking to pass the policy on to the parents/carers/guardians.

This policy draws your attention to the following:

Parents, carers, guardians and teachers are responsible for the care and supervision of their own children, or other children under 18 delegated to their care, at all times for the duration of the festival.  They are also responsible for ensuring, in their absence, that the care and supervision of their children is delegated to a designated adult.  Normal entrance fees will apply.  Parents, carers, guardians and teachers should ensure that their children know the name of the adult responsible for their care.

The Festival is held in two separate venues which are accessible by local side streets.  A map of the venues is provided in the programme, on our website (hazelgrovemusicalfestival.org.uk) and at the venues, and parents, carers, guardians and teachers are responsible for their children’s safety between venues.

  1. PERFORMANCE AREAS AND CHANGING AREAS

The Festival provides voluntary adult stewards.  At least two stewards will be present in the performance areas during the class times stated on the programme and may include the adjudicator’s clerk, platform steward and door steward.  The stewards are responsible for helping to ensure the smooth running of the festival and are in charge of the organisation within performance rooms and assisting with directions to venues/facilities.  The performance areas will not be supervised at any other time.

The Festival does not supervise public areas including refreshment areas and toilets.

There are no practice or changing rooms provided, except for the Choral Classes.  Practice and changing rooms for the Choral Classes will not be supervised.  Some choirs may need to share practice/changing rooms and a suitable rota will be provided.

  1. PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS and PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

No video/audio recording or photography is allowed at any time at the festival. This includes the use of mobile phones for such purposes.

Official photographers appointed by the committee may be present to take photographs for future publicity, and photo consent is requested as part of the Festival Entry Form.

The Press may be present to take photographs for publication.  This will only take place with the permission of the Festival Committee and with the written permission of the parents, carers or guardians of the competitors.

  1. THE LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE THAT SUPPORTS THIS POLICY:

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

  1. POLICY REVIEW

The organisers will constantly review their policy, revising and enhancing it as necessary.  In doing this they will look to The British Federation of Festivals for support and that body, in turn, will look to other agencies for good practice, most notably the NSPCC and the Arts Council of England policy guidelines.

 

Safeguarding Officer: Richard Glazier 07738 161352  

Email: secretary.hgmf@outlook.com

 

 

 

Click here to view our child protection policy.

Click here to view our data protection statement

Click here to view our Creating Safer Festivals for Everyone policy