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SAFEGUARDING AND
CHILD PROTECTION
POLICY


INTRODUCTION

All staff, management committee, production team, volunteers, members and parents/carers  will be provided with or have access to this Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
 


BEHAVIOUR STATEMENT 

ALWAYS

  • Provide an example you wish others to follow.

  • If possible, avoid being alone with a child. If one-to-one contact is unavoidable, ensure another responsible adult is aware of the situation and that the meeting takes place in an open or observable environment.

  • Respect children's privacy while recognising that safeguarding responsibilities take precedence where there are concerns about a child's welfare.

  • Encourage young people and adults to feel comfortable and caring enough to point out attitudes and behaviour they do not like.

  • Remember someone might misinterpret your actions and your comments no matter how well intentioned.

  • Recognise when caution is required, particularly in sensitive moments, such as when dealing with bullying, bereavement, grief or abuse.

  • Only use physical contact where it is necessary, appropriate, proportionate and in the child's best interests.

  • Never develop or pursue inappropriate emotional or physical relationships with children or young people, regardless of their age or apparent consent.

  • Be aware that if a child is in your family or social group, the way you relate to them outside Starmaker may not be appropriate when working with them in the company.

NEVER

  • Conduct rehearsals or teaching away from the normal rehearsal venue or theatre unless agreed as an alternative location by the management committee

  • Show favouritism to any individual

  • Make suggestive remarks or gestures

  • Do things of a personal nature for a child that they could do for themselves

  • Allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged

  • Permit abusive youth peer activities (e.g. bullying, ridiculing)

  • Jump to conclusions

  • Allow yourself to be drawn into any inappropriate attention seeking behaviour by young people (e.g. tantrums, bullying)

  • Exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues

  • Rely upon just your good name to protect you

  • Believe it could “never happen to me”, both dealing with abuse or being accused of committing abuse

  • Never exchange personal contact details or communicate with children using personal social media accounts.

  • Never take or share photographs or videos of children without appropriate consent and in accordance with Starmaker's photography policy.

IF ONE-TO-ONE CONTACT IS UNAVOIDABLE​.

  • Make sure it is for as short a time as possible

  • Ensure you remain accessible to others.

  • Tell someone where you are going, what you are doing and why.

  • Try to move with the young person to areas where there are more people.

  • Explain why any physical contact is necessary and, where appropriate, seek the child's agreement. Where possible, inform another adult beforehand, for instance if you need to administer first aid (except where the young person may be unconscious through injury/seizure etc).

  • Try to avoid unnecessary physical contact especially if it may be misconstrued by the child or other people.

  • Avoid giving young people a lift alone, however short the journey. When this is unavoidable, you are required to get consent from the young person’s parent or guardian. Ideally, the young person should sit in the back of the car. Staff and volunteers should be aware that their car insurance may not cover them for this.

                                                                                                           


COMPANY REQUIREMENTS

  • All production staff are required to have an enhanced DBS certificate and to be registered on the government’s update service. A copy of the certificate should be presented to the Welfare Officer who will check they are registered on the update service, prior to their first rehearsal / workshop.

  • If these are not available this production team member must not conduct rehearsals / workshops / teach until the relevant paperwork has been supplied. Individuals awaiting DBS clearance must not undertake regulated activity unsupervised but they may complete the Starmaker Self Disclosure Form for one off teaching events or workshops. Appropriate supervision arrangements must be in place until all required checks have been completed.

  • All committee members are required to have an enhanced DBS certificate registered on the government’s update service where their role requires any direct contact with children and this will be checked every six months.

  • At least two adults will be present at all classes and rehearsals, this may be the head of departments, teachers, production team members or management committee members.  At least one key holder / committee member will also be present at each rehearsal.

  • At least one paediatric first aider will be present at all classes or rehearsals where there are children under the age of 11, otherwise a standard first aider may be present.

  • Children under school leaving age should be delivered into the premises and collected at the end of each rehearsal by a parent/carer unless other arrangements have been and Starmaker have been notified.

  • Children under school leaving age are not allowed to leave the premises during breaks.

  • All personnel working backstage who are above school leaving age (technical crew, dressers, make-up etc.), will be required to hold an enhanced DBS on the update service. Anyone helping as a one off at the theatre will be required to the complete the Self Disclosure Form and will not be left unsupervised. They will receive a safeguarding induction appropriate to their role.

  • All personnel working backstage as Chaperones will have a valid chaperone licence issued by their local authority, this will be renewed no less than every three years.



ONLINE SAFETY, PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMUNICATIONS

  • Starmaker recognises that digital communication is an important part of delivering rehearsals, productions and other activities. However, all communication with children and young people must be appropriate, transparent and in line with this Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

 

 

APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATIONS

  • All communication with children and young people should be for legitimate Starmaker purposes only.

  • Wherever possible, communications should be sent via parent/carer contacts or through official Starmaker communication channels.

  • Staff, volunteers and committee members must maintain professional boundaries at all times and must not engage in personal or private conversations with children or young people.

  • Any electronic communication should be clear, appropriate and capable of being shared with parents/carers or other members of the organisation if required.


MESSAGING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

  • Personal messaging through platforms such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or similar services should be avoided unless it forms part of an agreed Starmaker communication process.

  • Staff and volunteers must not use personal social media accounts to communicate privately with members or students under 18 years of age.

  • Staff and volunteers must not accept or request 'friend' or 'follow' requests from members or students under 18 years of age on their personal social media accounts.

  • Where group messaging is necessary, parents/carers should be included where practical, or another authorised adult should have access to the conversation.

  • Any inappropriate, concerning or abusive online communication involving a child should be reported immediately to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads.

  • Starmaker has a business WhatsApp account and this is shared by the Chairman, Company Manager, Membership Secretary and Production Administrator.

 


ROLE OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

  • To sanction a robust Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, review it annually, monitor and evaluate its effectiveness and be satisfied that it is being complied with.

  • To ensure that designated person(s) are allocated with the responsibility of child protection co-ordination

  • Ensure safeguarding training is provided and refreshed regularly.

  • To ensure an annual item is placed on the Management Committee meeting agenda, detailing changes affecting policy and procedure, numbers of cases / incidents (without names or details)
     


DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEADS
Starmaker’s Designed Persons are the Chair, Company Manager and Welfare Officer.

The role of the Designated Persons (DP) Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

  • Act as a source of advice, support and expertise within the organisation and be responsible for co-ordinating action regarding referrals, liaising with Children's Social Care, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Police and other statutory agencies where appropriate.

  • Ensure each member of staff has access to, has signed and is aware of Starmaker’s Child Protection Policy

  • Ensure the Child Protection Policy is reviewed annually.

  • Be able to keep accurate, detailed and secure records

  • Ensure parents / carers see copies of the Child Protection Policy


 

PROCEDURES

 If you suspect or are told that a young person is being abused:

  • If a child is in immediate danger, contact the Police on 999 before informing the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

  • You must always refer to the designated persons at Starmaker. Don’t investigate yourself.

  • Report the details as you know them on the Safeguard Concern form.

  • Ensure that the young person is given the opportunity to talk to you or an independent person.

  • Listen to the young person carefully. Only ask open questions necessary to clarify what has been said. Do not investigate or interview the child.

  • Do not approach a suspected abuser yourself. Provide support to the young person.

  • Accept at face value what the young person says.

  • Do not pass judgement on what is said but try to alleviate any fears or guilt which the young person may have.

  • Make it clear that you can offer support but that you must pass on the information – you must never offer confidentiality.



MONITORING AND RECORD KEEPING

  • Copies of Chaperone’s licences / DBS checks / Starmaker Self Disclosure forms will be held securely in the cloud on behalf of the company by the Welfare Officer, Company Manager and Operations Manager.  They are responsible for gathering new copies when certificates expire / when new teachers / production / technical staff are appointed.

  • All incidents should, ideally, be written up within the hour. Legally they must be recorded within 24 hours.

  • Written notes should be attached if made separately from the attached report sheets

  • Reports should be signed by the staff member / volunteer, with the name printed and designation.

  • Reports and records should be passed to the Welfare Officer who in turn will take responsibility for the safe storage and processing of this information

  • Information will be shared only on a need-to-know basis in accordance with safeguarding responsibilities and UK GDPR. Records will be retained securely in accordance with the organisation's data protection policy and UK data protection legislation.

 


PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING

Staff member, Management Committee, Parent or Volunteer should complete the Safeguarding Concern form online at
www.starmaker.org.uk/safeguarding-form

The report will be passed electronically to the

Designated person(s)

  • Chair

  • Company Manager

  • Welfare Officer

Designated Safeguarding Leads assesses the concern and, where appropriate, refers it to Children's Social Care, the Police, the Local Authority Designated Officer (where allegations concern adults working with children), or other relevant agencies.



REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if required due to changes in legislation or government guidance, or the charity's operations.

Approved by: Board of Trustees July 2026

Review Frequency: Every one year

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