Cwmbach Male Choir (CMC)

Safeguarding Policy

Background Information on CMC Safeguarding Policy

Legal Context

The law requires any organisation involving young people and/or vulnerable adults to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the risk of harm to their welfare is minimized, and where there are concerns, to share them with other local agencies.

The law also requires an organisation to create a safe working environment, free from any form of harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behaviour.

The relevant legal requirements arise from:

• The Children’s Act 1989

• The Human Rights Act 1998

• The Protection of Children Act 1999

• The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (as amended)

• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

• The relevant government guidance including Safe from Harm 1993; Working Together to Safeguard Children 1999; Caring for the Young and Vulnerable 2000

• The Equality Act 2010

• The Protection from Harassment Act 1997

• Sections 4 & 5 Public Order Act 1986 (as amended)

• Offences of assault under The Offences Against the Person Act 1861

• Any future legislative requirement or guidance

CMC recognizes that it is not the role of our organisation to decide whether a young person or vulnerable adult has been abused. This is the role of the Police and Social Services Department who have legal responsibility to do so. The NSPCC also has powers to investigate child protection concerns under the Children Act. However, we are committed to ensuring best practice within our remit.

Good Practice

In formulating this Policy, the Trustees of the Choir have followed the guidance of Making Music, the national amateur music performance association, Safe Network, the safeguarding advice resource of the NSPCC and The Charities Commission.

Who are Young People or Vulnerable Adults?

In this context, anyone up to the age of 18 is classified as a young person and anyone over 18 years of age who is, or who may be, unable to take care of themselves, or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation, is classified as a vulnerable adult.

Contact with Young People

Contact with young people typically falls into the following categories:

• Young people taking part in a concert, typically as part of a choir, as a soloist, or musician.

• Young people forming part of the audience at performances given by the choir.

How CMC Operates

The Choir is a Registered Charity number 702473, composed of choir members, officers, and other committee members who are subject to annual re-election. Others may be co-opted onto the Committee from time to time. Rehearsals are organised by our Musical Director accompanied by a pianist. All members and officials are volunteers.

Most Choir members are independent adults. It happens only rarely that a young person or a vulnerable adult join, rehearses, and performs with us. There are no volunteers directly charged with the care of others, although some of the members have first aid and/or medical experience.

Choir rehearsals and performances are group activities, and there is no need for a member of the choir to be alone with another member of any age. The Choir is therefore unlikely to be targeted by a person seeking opportunities to abuse children or vulnerable adults. Nonetheless, the officers of the Choir recognize the need to safeguard the welfare of its members and any young and vulnerable people with whom we may work or come into contact.

This policy applies to our members and all others invited to perform or collaborate with the Choir.

CMC’ Safeguarding Policy

1. General Principles and Guidelines

The purpose of this policy is:

a. To protect its members, young people, and vulnerable adults with whom the choir has any involvement, from abuse or exploitation.

b. To provide an outline of the principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.

Young people will be welcome to participate in the choir’s concerts as part of a joint promotion with a youth organisation or educational establishment, provided a representative of that organisation is present, always, to look after the health and welfare of their members.

Vulnerable adults taking part in the choir’s activities should be accompanied by an appropriately qualified carer to facilitate effective communication.

2. Privacy Arrangements

In the rare event of it not being possible to arrive at a venue in concert dress, the Choir will endeavour to ensure an individual’s privacy is respected if required to change at a venue.

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, members or officers of the choir will not disclose the personal details of any member without first obtaining their permission. In the case of a young or vulnerable person, permission must be obtained from both the person concerned and the appropriate adult responsible for their care. The purpose of any request for contact details, and the identity of any person making such a request must be provided before disclosure is authorized.

Parents and guardians should be aware that photography, audio, and video recording may be undertaken from time to time at concerts. The images and recordings may be stored digitally and used both on-and offline including on the Internet. These provide valuable tools to promote the work of the choir to a wider audience and form part of the historical record of our work.

3. Joint Concerts with Young People

The Choir will make appropriate joint working arrangements to ensure that school/youth groups will always be in the care of their teachers and helpers and/or parents who will always bear responsibility for their welfare. This does not detract from the choir’s general responsibility to provide a safe environment for joint activities and the principles of this safeguarding policy still apply.

4. Young People in Audiences

It is the responsibility of the parent, guardian, or carer to ensure that their child/vulnerable adult is always supervised. If a parent/guardian/carer is not personally attending an event with their young person/vulnerable adult, this policy requires them to ensure that their young person/vulnerable adult will be accompanied and adequately supervised by a responsible adult always acting on their behalf.

5. Measures for Implementation of this Policy

A copy of this policy is available on the Choir’s website, and we draw it to the attention of new members. Any amendments will also be notified to our members. Copies will be supplied to partner organisations on request.

6. Prevention of Terrorism

CMC are conscious of their responsibilities under the Government’s radicalization policy and undertake to report any matters of concern to the appropriate authorities.

7. Safeguarding Officer

The Safeguarding Officer is the Secretary of the committee.

Choir members or anyone with concerns or a complaint should contact the Safeguarding Officer who will:

a. Obtain and record information from the person expressing the concern.

b. Assess the information and seek clarification as required.

c. Inform the relevant agency or the police, without delay, depending on the circumstances.

d. If in any doubt as to what to do, seek professional advice.

e. Maintain confidentiality as far as possible. In the case of a child or vulnerable person, the person responsible for their care will need to be informed, unless they are the subject of the complaint.

A permanent confidential record will be kept of the report by the Choir Secretary.

This policy and procedure will be reviewed annually.

8. Approach to be Taken in Event of a Complaint

The Choir notes the importance of being alert to signals of abuse and to the difficulty individuals may have in reporting it. To assist in responding appropriately to a complaint, we offer the following strategy for anyone who is made aware of an issue:

• Listen carefully.

• Reassure the person involved that this matter will be disclosed only to those who need to know about it and that they are doing the right thing in telling you.

• Avoid leading questions or closed questions.

• Write down what has been said, with date and time and any names mentioned.

• Tell the child/person what you are going to do next (in the first instance, report the matter to the Designated Person for safeguarding).

• In the case of a complaint not amounting to a criminal offense e.g. inappropriate language or Behaviour, the Safeguarding Officer will investigate the matter including obtaining an explanation from the alleged offender.

9. Resolution Procedure

Depending on the nature of the complaint, should the complainant be prepared to accept an apology and the alleged offender is willing to do so, the Chairman will endorse the complaint as resolved.

a. If the complainant is not content to receive an apology, or the alleged offender refuses to do so, the Chairman and Secretary will convene a meeting to adjudicate on the matter.

b. Both parties will be given fourteen days written notice of the time, date, and location of the meeting. Each party will be interviewed separately after which the Chairman and Secretary will consider the explanations put forward by both parties.

c. Both parties will be given written notice of the conclusion. The Chairman will be able to issue a written warning or require the resignation of the member concerned.

d. In circumstances where the alleged offender refuses to cooperate with the procedure, the Chairman may revoke their membership of the choir.

e. In circumstances where a choir member has been convicted of a criminal offense, listed in the opening section on Legal Context, the Chairman will revoke their membership immediately.