Appendices
Appendix 1: Supporting documents
This policy statement should be read alongside our Trustees’ Code of Conduct dated February 2024 and our Equal Opportunities Policy dated 15th December 2022.
Appendix 2: Code of Conduct
WaWW expects all artists, staff and volunteers working with children and adults at risk to work from a person-centred perspective. It means that everyone should be:
• Listened to and heard
• Treated fairly (there should be no favourites among participants)
• Valued and respected as individuals • Respected for their identity
• Encouraged and praised
• Involved in decisions as appropriate
We aim to provide a safe environment free from discrimination, upholding and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion. We undertake to:
• treat all children and adults at risk with respect and dignity
• ensure that their welfare and safety is paramount at all times
• maintain professional boundaries both face to face and when using technology
• always listen to individuals and take account of their wishes and feelings
• always act in a professional way and not accept bullying, swearing or other disruptive behaviour • liaise openly with parents and carers
• use safe touch principles and only use physical contact if absolutely necessary
• avoid being alone with children and adults at risk whenever possible
• listen to, and act upon, any disclosures, allegations, or concerns of abuse
• participate in approved safeguarding training at appropriate levels
• ensure restraint is only used as an emergency action to protect from harm
• follow our safeguarding policy at all times
• make activities enjoyable and worthwhile
The following guidelines are designed to protect children and adults at risk from harm, as well as to protect WaWW staff and volunteers from unfounded allegations of abuse. They are in addition to good practice expected in terms of health and safety and professional arts facilitation.
During and in connection with WaWW activities, staff must:
- Behave in an appropriate manner and always maintain professional boundaries.
- Be a role model, consistently maintaining high standards of behaviour, remembering that young
people learn by example.
- Avoid spending time alone with children or adults at risk, away from others. Meetings or any
other interactions with individual children or adults should take place as openly as possible where other people are around. If privacy is needed, the door must be left partly open and the project leader, other staff and volunteers informed of the meeting.
- Never take children or adults at risk alone on a car journey, however short. Where this is unavoidable, it should be with the consent of parents or guardians and someone in charge of the organisation and, if relevant, the contact teacher/worker from a host school or other organisation such as youth club. It is essential to make sure that your car insurance would cover you in the event of an accident.
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- Never develop social relationships with young people that participate in WaWW activities. If you come into contact with a participant in a social setting (eg at another festival or concert), maintain professional boundaries. Be aware of your conduct in such a setting.
- Never accept money from participants. Explain that this is WaWW policy and ensure they don’t feel offended. If they wish to make a charitable donation, inform them of WaWW contact details.
- Avoid accepting gifts from participants. If accepted, you must report this to the project manager
and this will be logged.
- Never give money or gifts to WaWW participants. If a participant is stranded at an activity with
no money to get home, this must be discussed with their parents, guardians or carers and a plan agreed if at all possible with the project manager. In an emergency situation, and it’s essential to give money, the project manager must be informed and this must be logged.
- Never give your personal mobile phone number to a child or adult at risk or their parent, guardian or carer.
- Never use your personal email address to communicate with participants who are children or adults at risk, or their parents, guardians or carers.
- Never accept ‘friend requests’ or similar from children or adults at risk on social media. It is recommended that staff consider their privacy settings on Facebook and other social media accounts.
- Never engage in any mobile phone or online communication with children or adults at risk (eg texting, email or social networking sites) that would not be appropriate in person.
- Ensure the content of what you place on social networking sites or other public media does not compromise your professional standing or bring the organisation into disrepute.
- Ensure that personal relationships with other leaders do not affect your leadership role.
- Never engage in sexually provocative or rough physical games, including horse-play.
- Never allow children or adults to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
- Never make sexually suggestive comments in front of, about, or to, a child or adult, even in fun.
- Never let allegations made by a child or adult at risk go without being addressed and recorded.
- Never deter children or adults at risk from making allegations through fear of not being believed.
- Never do things of a personal nature for children or adults at risk that they can do themselves.
- Never invite a child or adult at risk to visit or stay with you at home.
- Never jump to conclusions about others without checking facts.
- Never rely on your own good name to protect you.
Appendix 3: Policy on the use of recorded images
The use of photography and filming is important to celebrate the successes and achievements of children and adults at risk in their lives and activities and to document and share work. However, it is vital to remember that images can be used and distributed inappropriately including online. It is therefore important to be clear about:
• explaining to parents and carers why caution is necessary and what parameters apply to taking images of projects and events
• the purpose of photos e.g. parents’ and carers’ own record, media and publicity etc.
• the content required when using a professional photographer
• informing parents and seeking their consent for any publication or media use
• publishing only limited details on individuals alongside images
• taking photographs openly and away from private areas (such as changing rooms)
• considering the suitability of images (such as clothing worn, location and poses adopted etc.) • the reason, use and secure storage of all photographs and films
The above guidance applies to any photographic and filming equipment including camera phones, digital or video cameras.
WaWW will use photography and film to document projects. These photos are taken by professional and student photographers and film makers and members of WaWW staff. Resulting photographs and video footage will be used responsibly in print and online by WaWW and partners (such as funders, other cultural or educational organisations, or specialist or
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mainstream media) in a number of ways, including, but not limited to: documentation, marketing, publicity, educational resources, archiving, fund-raising for future educational activities, use on social media, or other similar purposes.
During projects for children or adults at risk that are run by WaWW, direct permission for film and photography is sought from parents or guardians.
During projects with schools or other organisations WaWW asks the school or organisation for written confirmation that it has been granted permission to photograph and film the children or adults at risk involved in the project and that it has taken responsibility for obtaining the appropriate written permission from parents or guardians (for example as part of admission procedures).
The school or organisation is also asked to inform WaWW of any individual children or adults at risk who must not be filmed or photographed to ensure that no inappropriate images are used. No child or adult at risk would be excluded from an activity should consent not be given.
If the school or organisation cannot extend this permission to WaWW, then permission will be sought directly from parents or guardians via individual media consent forms.
Where images of children or adults at risk are used in print or online, the setting (e.g. school) will not be named unless we have specific permission to do so.
Individual children or adults at risk will not be named in captioning images unless we or they have specific reason and permission to do so (for example a youth band which is already performing publicly and establishing a public profile).
In public events at which children or adults at risk are attending, festivals, conferences or performances, and where it is not possible to gain individual consent from everyone attending, clear signs are prominently displayed around the venue informing everyone that film or photography will be taken. Anyone objecting to being photographed, or their child being photographed, are asked to inform a WaWW member of staff or photographer, who will respect their wishes.