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These child protection policy and procedure materials were drawn up specifically for ABRSM with the assistance and advice of the NSPCC and conform to current child protection legislation and guidance. The NSPCC cannot accept responsibility for the implementation and application of the procedures.
Please note that ABRSM examiners are required to obtain an enhanced DBS with barred list check on appointment and this is normally renewed every three years.
In accordance with the DBS Code of Practice, examiners will not present their DBS certificates for inspection but they will carry ABRSM photo ID.
The ABRSM Safeguarding Policy, Procedure and Code of Practice is comprised of the following sections. Should you require a specific section of the policy, please use the titles provided below for ease of navigation.
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) is a charitable company established by four Royal Schools of Music for the benefit of music education. Its core activity is the operation of an authoritative and internationally recognised exam and assessment system to encourage and motivate players and singers at all levels through the provision of goals and the measurement of progress.
ABRSM acknowledges it has a responsibility for the safety of children undertaking its exams or otherwise under its temporary care. It also recognises that good safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures are of benefit to everyone involved with ABRSM’s work, including staff, as they can help protect them from erroneous or malicious allegations.
The following principles underpin ABRSM’s approach to safeguarding and child protection:
A child is defined in law as a person up to the age of 18 years. Therefore the term ‘child’ is used throughout this policy and procedure and this includes young people.
If working overseas, our staff, representatives and examiners may find the national law in the country in which they are working may have a different age at which a child is considered an adult, or have a different age at which a child can give consent or is responsible. However, ABRSM, wherever it operates, abides by the definition of a child according to UK and international law. This comes from the Children Act, 1989 and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. The United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is the international framework which sets out the specific rights of children.
This policy should be used in conjunction with the LSCB (Local Safeguarding Children Board) and Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures which apply in the area or country in which the exam or assessment is held.
For the purposes of this policy, ABRSM’s workforce includes everybody who works in a paid or voluntary capacity for or on behalf of the organisation in the UK and abroad. This includes, but is not limited to, employees, examiners, Honorary Local Representatives (HLRs), International Representatives, stewards, invigilators and consultants.
The policy also informs ABRSM’s work with vulnerable adults as acknowledged in clause 13 of the policy.
Purpose of policy and procedure
The purpose of this document is:
It is ABRSM’s policy that:
ABRSM has the following policies for its workforce which underpin our safeguarding policy:
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined1 as:
Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare and refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.
In terms of protecting those children where concerns or risks have been identified we expect our workforce to adhere to ABRSM policies, procedures and practices that:
In terms of safeguarding children ABRSM expects, without exception, adherence to the principles and practices as outlined above.
Any concerns you might have may not always be of the same nature and may not require the same course of action. In practical terms, concerns are likely to arise in a number of ways:
Everyone has a responsibility to ensure concerns about children, no matter how unclear, are passed on and assessed. ABRSM’s workforce should not undertake any investigations. The responsibility of ABRSM workforce is to be vigilant, record and report only.
Definitions of abuse: Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children. Males and females can be involved in the abuse of children. There are four types of abuse (physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse).
See Appendix A for detailed definitions of abuse and Appendix D for potential indicators of abuse or neglect.
1England - Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard & promote the welfare of children, HM Government, March 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Wales - Safeguarding Children - Working Together Under the Children Act 2004, Welsh Assembly Government, 2006 http://gov.wales/topics/health/publications/socialcare/circular/nafwc1207/?lang=en
Scotland – National guidance for child protection in Scotland 2010, Scottish Government, 2014 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/05/3052
ABRSM expects its entire workforce to be aware of this Code of Practice and adhere to its principles of good practice in their approach to all children. Your attention is drawn to the position of trust you hold in working with children and the power and influence you hold. ABRSM expects this responsibility to be at the forefront of the minds of all its workforce to ensure that these positions of trust are never abused.
In their dealings with children who they encounter in the course of ABRSM exams or other activities, ABRSM’s workforce must not:
There are essentially four key steps to remember and this procedure explains them. They are referred to as the 4 Rs:
Members of ABRSM’s workforce could have their suspicion or concern raised in a number of ways, the most likely of which are:
If anyone has such concerns they should be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) using the form as set out in Appendix E as a part of the process flowchart. If anyone identifies safeguarding concerns in a venue such as a school, then these concerns should be reported to the designated safeguarding lead in the school.
Concerns about a specific child should be reported immediately by telephone to the DSP and confirmed in writing within 24 hours using the form at Appendix E. Delay could prejudice the welfare of a child. In an emergency call 999 or the local equivalent.
If the concerns relate to the conduct of a member of the workforce these should be reported by phone to the DSP immediately. Steps will be taken to fully support anyone who in good faith reports his or her concerns about a colleague and every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality for all parties whilst the allegation is considered.
Concerns in relation to the conduct of a member of the workforce may indicate unsuitability to continue working with children in their present position, or in any capacity. Consideration will need to be given to whether:
There may be up to three strands in the consideration of an allegation against a member of ABRSM’s workforce:
The DSP will consider the report and either refer this immediately to the authorities or, after taking appropriate advice (which may include discussing the circumstances on a confidential basis with the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000), decide not to refer the concerns to the authorities but keep a full record of the concerns.
Action staff must take (within the same working day) when a concern arises:
Report the concern immediately to the DSP. S/he will then determine the next steps to take, including consultation with other professional agencies e.g. the NSPCC helpline, in order to determine the best course of action. Consideration will need to be given as to whether the concern involves an immediate risk of significant harm, a clear allegation of abuse by the child, or does not involve an immediate risk of significant harm.
It is not the responsibility of ABRSM staff to determine if abuse has taken place, rather, they are responsible for reporting on their concerns to the appropriate authorities.
Concerns that are anonymous or that relate to historical concerns (e.g. relating to previous staff, or an incident that happened some time ago) should not be ignored and must be reported to the DSP.
A record must be kept of the concern. Use the safeguarding concerns report form for this purpose (see Appendix E). The form can be completed by the person reporting the concern or the DSP.
Remember, do not delay reporting the matter by trying to obtain more information. Under no circumstances should you examine the child where s/he is alleging injuries. This is a role for medical personnel only.
If you are worried about sharing your concerns about possible abuse within the organisation you should contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 which operates a 24 hour helpline service. If you are reporting concerns about a child outside of the UK, you should report your concerns to the local authority in the country that you are based in, and also inform the DSP and follow the ABRSM policy and procedure. The DSP should contact the NSPCC Helpline, who will also be able to take the information and pass this on to the appropriate authorities.
Responding appropriately to a child sharing his/her concerns (see Appendix C).
Welfare of the child must remain as the central concern: child abuse can and does occur outside the family setting. Although it is a sensitive and difficult issue, child abuse also occurs within organisations as well as in other settings. This could involve anyone who has the opportunity to have contact with children through their work. Evidence indicates that abuse that takes place within an organisation is rarely a one-off event. It is crucial that those involved in ABRSM are aware of this possibility and that all allegations (current or historical) are taken seriously and appropriate action taken. When dealing with any allegation against staff it is vital to keep the welfare of the child as the central concern.
Circumstances for consideration: these procedures about managing cases of allegations or concerns about a member of staff within ABRSM should be used in respect of all cases in which it is alleged that a staff member has:
Procedure to follow if an allegation or concern is made about a staff member: there may be instances where there are concerns about the behaviour of any member of staff towards a child/ren. The concerns may be very clearly abusive, e.g. hitting a child or subtler, e.g. isolating a child or sharing personal phone numbers. It may involve a breach of the ABRSM Code of Practice, or it could be an allegation made by a child, other staff member, or another adult. The Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) must inform the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)2 of all cases that meet the criteria within one working day. In any of these circumstances the following procedure should be followed:
Support for staff raising concern: ABRSM will fully support and protect any member of staff who, in good faith, reports his or her concern that a colleague is, or may be abusing a child. If an allegation is made that is found to be malicious or fraudulent ABRSM retains the right to take appropriate action against the individual responsible for making the claim.
No compromise agreements: the fact that a member of staff tenders his/her resignation or ceases to provide their services will not prevent an allegation/concern from being followed up in accordance with these procedures and a conclusion reached. A so called ‘compromise agreement’ by which an individual agrees to resign and an employer agrees not to pursue disciplinary action and both agree to a form of words to be used in future references will never be used by ABRSM in situations where there are concerns about their behaviour towards children.
Referral for consideration of barring: if an allegation/concern is substantiated and the person is dismissed, resigns or ABRSM decides to cease to use their services then the DSP in conjunction with the LADO will decide whether a referral should be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service as regards whether that individual is barred from, or has conditions imposed in respect of working with children. If a referral is appropriate the referral should be made within one month. A referral must always be made if ABRSM thinks that the individual has harmed a child or poses a risk of harm to children.
Poor practice: There may be circumstances where allegations are about poor practice rather than child abuse but, where there is any doubt, the line manager should consult with the DSP. If the investigation shows that the allegation is clearly about poor practice then ABRSM will determine how best to remedy this, e.g. as part of its performance management, or disciplinary procedure dependent on the nature and seriousness of the practice.
2 The LADO exists in England only. The equivalent children’s social care body should be contacted if the person lives in any other UK country.
ABRSM has appointed a Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) and a deputy who are responsible for dealing with any concerns about the protection of children. Please refer to www.old.abrsm.org for contact details.
The role of the DSP is to:
The principles of the data protection legislation that must be adhered to when handling personal information are:
Disclosure
Data protection legislation allows for the disclosure of personal information without consent of the subject in certain conditions, including for the purposes of the prevention and detection of a crime – for example, where there is a child protection concern.
Any report/record regarding abuse shall be kept confidential and any disclosure should be restricted to only those who have proven authority for dealing with the incident (e.g. DSP, police).
In all cases where information is shared, the following actions should be recorded:
Record of safeguarding/child protection concern
It is very important that an accurate record is kept of any safeguarding concern and that this is updated each time any actions are taken in relation to that concern. A safeguarding concern report form is provided for this purpose and must be completed by the relevant member of staff. This should be securely sent to the Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP), e.g. by registered post or by a password-protected email. The DSP will review and note their actions and then store the form securely so that limited staff have access to the information only as necessary.
The form is attached as Appendix E.
Storage and retention of records
Written reports about safeguarding concerns must be compiled and clearly labelled. Reports must be either stored away in a locked filing cabinet (with restricted access to it) or, where reports are stored electronically, password-protected with only limited staff access.
Information about concerns, allegations and referrals should not be kept in one ‘concern log’. Rather, information or items relating to individuals need to be kept in separate files.
Record type | Retention period |
---|---|
Concerns about a child | The records should be kept for six years unless one of the following exceptions* apply:
*Where records are kept for more than six years, files need to be clearly marked and the reason for the extension clearly identified. |
Allegation or concerns about adult behaviour (e.g. staff member) | The record should be kept until the person reaches normal retirement age, or for ten years if that is longer. |
Destruction of records
Paper records should be destroyed through shredding and disposed of as confidential waste. Electronic records should be deleted. The destruction of records should be authorised by the DSP and a record should be made of what has been destroyed.
See Appendix F: Principles for information sharing.
Children’s Social Care: every local authority has a statutory duty to protect and promote the welfare of children in need in its area. This may be achieved through the provision of a range of services but includes working closely with children and their parents, relatives or other carers and also with other organisations. The name of the department may vary from one authority to another – children’s social care, children’s services etc. – however there will always be a dedicated department within each local authority responsible for assessing child welfare concerns.
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): the LADO works within Children’s Social Services Departments and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
The LADO captures concerns, allegations or offences and will provide advice and guidance to the employer. They help co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation, with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible.
Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB): a LSCB is the local statutory body responsible for agreeing how the relevant organisations in each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in that locality, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do. All LSCBs are partnerships made up of senior representatives from several organisations and agencies which may include the Local Authority, the local Council, the Police, the Health Service, Youth Offending Service, local Probation Service, the Children and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service, the NSPCC and others. Each LSCB will produce and publish guidance on what to do if you are concerned about a child’s welfare; this guidance is based on legislation and statutory guidance issued by Government (nation specific).
Position of trust: Sexual offences legislation provides that any sexual activity involving children under 16 is unlawful. The primary motivation for legislation which addresses the abuse of positions of trust is the need to protect young people aged 16 and 17 who, despite reaching the age of consent for sexual activity, are considered to be vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation, in defined circumstances. This includes sexual activity and relationships with adults who hold a position of trust, responsibility or authority in relation to them and, as a result, have a considerable amount of power and influence in their lives. The law defines specific roles and settings where sexual activity between 16 and 17 year olds and those in positions of trust, responsibility or authority constitutes a criminal offence.
Statutory guidance3 offers four defined areas of abuse:
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional need.
3England – Working Together to safeguard children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard & promote the welfare of children, 2013, HM Government
Wales – Safeguarding Children – Working Together Under the Children Act 2004, Welsh Assembly Government, 2006
Scotland – National guidance for child protection in Scotland 2010, Scottish Government, 2010
ABRSM has adopted appropriate recruitment and selection procedures for staff, Local Representatives and examiners in the context of safeguarding and child protection and these include the following:
4Based on Recruiting safely (2009), Children’s Workforce Development Council
The following signs may be indicators or signs that abuse has taken place although some of these indicators can also be caused by other factors, e.g. a bereavement, family breakdown or illness. It is not the role of ABRSM’s workforce to decide if abuse or neglect has taken place rather this is a complex task undertaken by skilled professionals working together across agencies. However, if any of these signs are present then these concerns should be shared as outlined in the procedure. In deciding if something may be a concern it is always helpful to think about the child’s age, abilities and stage of development too. It is important to keep in mind that abuse may be committed against children by members of the child’s family or party; by other children; or by members of the workforce.
Physical signs of abuse:
Changes in behaviour which may indicate physical abuse:
The physical signs of emotional abuse may include:
Changes in behaviour that may indicate emotional abuse include:
The physical signs of sexual abuse may include:
Changes in behaviour that may indicate sexual abuse include:
The physical signs of neglect may include:
Changes in behaviour that can also indicate neglect include:
Bullying may be defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those bullied to defend themselves. It can take many forms, but the three main types are physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, theft), verbal (e.g. racist or homophobic remarks, threats, name calling) and emotional (e.g. isolating an individual from the activities and social acceptance of their peer group). The damage inflicted by bullying (including bullying via the internet) can frequently be underestimated. It can cause considerable distress to children, to the extent that it affects their health and development or, at the extreme, causes them significant harm (including self-harm).
It is also important to be mindful that some children are particularly vulnerable to abuse because of their age or their living circumstances or characteristics. Disabled children are at greater risk of abuse than non-disabled children. Children living in homes where there are adverse parental circumstances may also be more at risk, in particular children living in homes where there is domestic violence, substance misuse and/or severe parental mental illness. Children from particularly isolated or new communities may also be at increased risk of abuse as well as those children who show challenging behaviour.
The government (HM Government Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers) has produced a list of ‘seven golden rules’ to support organisations and their workers when making decisions about when it is appropriate to share information with others:
The majority of ABRSM’s workforce lives in England and hence this safeguarding document has been framed around the English law and terminology. However, ABRSM recognises that there are differences within each devolved nation both in terms of legislation and the terminology used to describe children services, so this additional guidance is provided for clarification. If anyone is in any doubt about who best to refer to they should ring the 24 hour NSPCC Helpline for advice on +44 (0)808 800 5000. If a situation arises at an event where a child is at immediate risk of harm (e.g. child injured, child refusing to go home, parent unfit to care etc.) then the local children’s social care team/police should be contacted rather than those in the area where the child lives. Equally this applies to urgent medical attention which should be sought from the nearest hospital to the event.
Type of concern | Agencies to contact | Telephone numbers |
---|---|---|
Concerns about a child | Children’s social care in the local authority of the child’s home address | A telephone number including the out of hours service should be publically available on each local authority’s website. |
Police (in an emergency) - Local child protection investigation unit | Should be publicly available or 999 for emergency | |
NSPCC Helpline | +44 (0)808 800 5000 | |
Concerns about a member of staff/volunteer | The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for the child’s home address | Based within local authority children’s social care service |
Police - Local child protection investigation unit (CPIU) |
|
Type of concern | Agencies to contact | Telephone numbers |
---|---|---|
Concerns about a child | Local authority child | |
NSPCC Helpline | +44 (0)808 800 5000 | |
Police (in an emergency) - | Should be publicly |
Type of concern | Agencies to contact | Telephone numbers |
---|---|---|
Concerns about a child | Local authority child | See a list of all local councils in Scotland from the Scottish Government’s website |
The National Child | +44 (0)800 022 3222 | |
Police (in an emergency) - | Should be publicly | |
NSPCC Helpline | +44 (0)808 800 5000 |
Type of concern | Agencies to contact | Telephone numbers |
---|---|---|
Concerns about a child | Gateway Teams for Children’s Social Work at the Health and Social Care Trust in the area the child lives | A list of these is available on the ‘Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland’ website |
Police Services of Northern | In an emergency dial 999 (an emergency is where serious injury has been caused or a crime is in progress and the suspects are at or near the scene) Non-emergency and general enquiries telephone number: +44 (0)845 600 8000 | |
NSPCC Helpline | +44 (0)808 800 5000 |
For referral contact points for children outside the UK please use the following links:
https://www.keepingchildrensafe.org.uk/
http://www.safechilduk.info/Charity/charity-safeguarding-home.html
Governing Body
Audit and Risk committee
CEO
Safeguarding Review Committee (SRC)
DSP or Deputy DSP
ABRSM workforce
Policy Ownership
The responsibility for the management of the Policy, Procedure and Code of Practice rests with ABRSM’s Chief Executive
This document is periodically reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
Policy author: ABRSM’s Designated Safeguarding Person
Download the ABRSM Safeguarding Policy, Procedure and Code of Practice (PDF)