Mill Hill School of Swimming|Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY FOR MILL HILL SCHOOL OF SWIMMING

Introduction:
MILL HILL SCHOOL OF SWIMMING (the Company) is a company run for the following purpose:

Swimming School

The Company is based at:
Mill Hill School
The Ridgeway
NW7 1QS

Company Number: 14228620

The Company has adopted these safeguarding children’s policies and expects every adult working or helping at Company to support it and comply with it. Consequently, this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students, or anyone working om behalf of the Company.

Purpose of the Policy:
This policy is intended to protect children who receive any service from us, including those who are children of adults who may receive services from us. Under this policy, the term children shall mean any person who is under 18 years of age.

The Company believes that no child, or young person, should experience abuse or harm and is committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

The Risks to Children:
Children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse and harm. It is important to recognise that abuse and harm of children can cover a wide range of circumstances and behaviours. For example, children can be at risk of:
– Physical or emotional abuse,
– Neglect,
– Sexual abuse,
– Grooming or exploitation,
– Trafficking and modern slavery,
– Exposure to or infliction of domestic abuse,
– Bullying,

– The exposure to other inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or criminal behaviour
– Self-harm
– Physical harm when engaging in activities without adequate supervision.

The casual factors of any sauch harm and/or abuser can also be wide ranging. For example, children can be placed at risk by family members or members of the community.

Safeguarding Principles:

The safeguarding of the Company is a key priority for the teachers and other staff. We believe that all participants are entitled to take part in lessons in a safe environment regardless of ability, gender, race, religion, or disability.
The Company acknowledges and adheres to the guidance in the Swim England Code of Practice Safeguarding (Wave Power). We expect teachers, parents, and swimmers to understand their responsibilities in ensuring that all participants are safe at the swimming pool and changing rooms before, during and after their lessons.
Safeguarding children from harm and abuse is an essential responsibility for our Company. We are committed to ensuring that any child who encounters our services is properly safeguarded.

Every person under this policy holds responsibility for:
– Remaining alert and aware of the possible safeguarding risks to children
– Guarding children against harmful environments with appropriate actions (for example, adequate supervision or ensuring safe environments)
– Taking positive steps to maintain the safety and wellbeing of children engaging with us as a Company.
– Reporting concerns expeditiously and appropriately, in line with child protection procedures.
– Understanding the duty to report specific concerns (and understanding how these interplays with confidentiality)
– Challenging inappropriate or harmful behaviour of any other adult and reporting this accordingly
– Acting appropriately in the presence of children
– Not taking any inappropriate risks
– Not smoking, drinking, or taking any form of illicit substances in the presence of children

Safeguarding Officer:
Any questions, report, or concern in relation to the safeguarding of children should be shared with our Safeguarding Officer:

Name: Sophia Buxton
Email: millhillswimming@gmail.com
Telephone: 07597169162

Practice principles followed by The Company:
– To ensure that all lessons are based on the needs and interests of the Child
– Ensure that all team members provide a positive, safe, and enjoyable experience for all children.
– When teaching in the water some contact may be necessary and only in accordance with the teacher’s qualification and training. No contact with any costume area is permitted.
– To teach in an open environment.
– To encourage parents to supervise their children during lessons.
– See changing room policy below.
– To, wherever possible, obtain additional consent from parents before any emergency first aid or medical treatment is sought. However, this shouldn’t unnecessarily delay the administering of any treatment required.

Confidentiality and Data Protection:

All personal information we may process relating to children, shall be processed, and stored in accordance with our data privacy policy which can be located at:
Millhillschoolofswimming.com

Responding to a Safeguarding Concern:

Where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present should call 999.
Thereafter, the Safeguarding Officer should be contacted as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Where there is a safeguarding concern but no immediate risk of serious harm, the adult who has heard or witnessed this concern should consult with the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable and by no later than the end of that same day.

Where any child makes a disclosure relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is important for that adult to:
– Listen calmly and carefully, showing that their views are taken seriously
– Provide an appropriate and honest level of reassurance
– Avoid interrogating children and asking probing, intrusive and/or leading questions
– Avoid making false promises regarding secrets and confidentiality with the child (because any concern of abuse/harm must be shared with the Safeguarding Officer and any subsequent safeguarding referral)
– Make a confidential written record of the discussion either during the discussion or immediately afterwards. The record should include the key details of the disclosure together with any relevant times, dates, places and people concerned. Audio and video recordings of children making disclosures should be avoided.
– Refer all relevant information to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable afterwards, and by no later than the end of the day.

Upon receipt of any safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Officer shall consult with any other relevant persons and will make any appropriate referrals to the relevant authorities, such as the applicable Local Authority Children’s Services Department.

Reporting Concerns About Other Adults:

Where any person has a concern regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the Company, which poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children such as:
– Harming a child either physically or emotionally
– Exposing a child to behaviour which may cause physical or emotional harm
– Engaging in criminal activity concerning a child

This must be raised in the first instance with the Safeguarding Officer (of where this is not appropriate, a different senior member of the organisation) so that the next appropriate steps may be agreed and actioned. We recognise that there could be circumstances where a person may need to report a matter that has taken place in a setting outside of the person’s engagement with the Company.

Usually, any appropriate steps following a safeguarding referral in respect of an individual connected to the Company will include either:
– Further initial enquiries
– Escalation to the applicable Local Authority Children’s Services Department for assessment and/or the police for investigation.
– Instigation of any appropriate disciplinary, formal investigation processes and suspension of any person concerned within the Company.
– A referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, or any other relevant regulatory bodies
Any person within the Company who has allegations made against them shall be informed properly in a formal meeting of the particulars of the allegations and the relevant next steps which shall be taken. Such a meeting should ordinarily be held by the Safeguarding Officer. On certain occasions, such a meeting may not be convened until this has been approved by any authorities involved.

Any person from within the Company who has allegations made against them shall be treated fairly. All enquires, investigations and decisions taken shall be just and fair, with the safety of any child concerned at the heart of the process.

Any person from within the Company who has allegations made against another personal from within the Company shall be listened to, taken seriously, and shall be treated fairly and justly throughout the process of enquires, investigations and decision making.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks and Reporting:

DBS checks under the appropriate legislation should be undertaken wherever required. The groups of people we will usually undertake DBS checks in relation to are:
Key members of staff

Wherever we deem it is necessary and appropriate to remove any individual from a position of work in a activity which is regulated under the relevant legislation, we shall also be obliged to make a referral to the Disclosure and barring Service.

Safeguarding Children at The Company:

Responsibilities and Planning
Although the Safeguarding Officer will hold ultimate responsibility for overseeing the safety of children present at the Company, all individuals under this policy must also play an active role in always ensuring the safety of children.

Where a certain type of events, activity or trip is taking place, we may issue an additional code of conduct, policy, or some specific other requirements which is specific to that occasion. Any such additional documentation will be made available to all those concerned (staff members, parents, guardians etc.) in advance. They should be read carefully and adhered to.

Venues
The location for any events and activities which are held by us shall always be risk assessed properly in reference to the sustainability and safety for children. Fire and safety procedures and precautions shall be made clear to all those involved.

Managing Behaviour of Children Generally:

Whenever any adult engaged by us is faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child or with conflict between children, they must:
– Treat each child fairly and equally
– Approach the situation in a calm and neutral manner
– Only ever use physical restraint/intervention I order to protect the immediate safety of a person, for example to prevent an injury or harm either to the child or others.
– Wherever it is justified to physically restrain a child or to physically intervene, the amount of force used should be kept to the absolute minimum considering the risk posed.
– Make a written record of the incident and ensure this is reported appropriately to the Safeguarding Officer

Managing Risks Posed by Other Children:

It is important for all adults engaged by us to recognise that children can face harm from their peers. This can commonly take the form of bullying. Bullying can be defined as any behaviour which is:
– Repeated
– Has the intention of hurting somebody either physically or emotionally
Bullying van sometimes be motivated by prejudices based on certain groups, for example gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Bullying van often include:
– Physical harm perpetrated against another child
– Name calling and threats
– Cyberbullying

Changing Room Policy:

For the safeguarding of children, the Company have written the following procedures following consultation and guidance with Swim England.
Please be aware that the changing rooms are group changing rooms and consist of a female group changing room and a male group changing room. There is no public use during our hire periods of the pool and its changing facilities.
The following paragraph is taken from the Swim England Changing Room Policy:
Parents should not be in the changing room while their swimmers are changing, unless the swimmer is of an age where help is required from parents, or the swimmer requires additional specific assistance. This is generally at an age that is stipulated by the pool hirer, usually 7 or 8 years of age. In such circumstances the parent must be the same gender as the child, unless the facility has family changing facilities or is a “mixed changing village”.
At Mill Hill School of Swimming we are aware that this is not always feasible and often there are mums that bring their sons and dads that bring their daughters. Often children younger than 7 or 8 can change themselves but for those that need assistance our policy is that the sex of the changing room that should be used when a child needs help getting changed is of the same sex as the parent/adult that is helping.
For example, a mother helping her son should be using the female changing rooms and a dad helping their daughter should be using the male changing room.
This would be the same as if a parent was with their child of the opposite sex who was needing the toilet at a supermarket, leisure centre and public toilets or changing in a health club group changing room. The changing room or toilet that would be used would be of the same gender as the adult. Dads wouldn’t go into the lady’s and Mums wouldn’t go into the men’s.
For the safeguarding of children, we also recommend that children do not get changed on poolside in front of others.

Photography:

We operate a strict no photo policy. We will not take any photography and ask that members of the public, parents or guardians and children to not take any photographs when attending out premises, activities and/or events.

This Policy is approved and robustly endorsed by MILL HILL SCHOOL OF SWIMMING and is regularly reviewed.

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