Safeguarding Policy – under 18s

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all children and young people participating in our pottery courses. This policy outlines the measures in place to ensure safeguarding for anyone under 18 years of age who comes to our pottery school and studio.

All staff members, teachers and technicians who will be working withunder 18s will:

• undergo appropriate background checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• receive training on child protection policies and procedures
• complete an accredited Safeguarding Children Level 1 course
• be attentive to signs of abuse and report any concerns to the designated safeguarding officer
• adhere to a code of conduct that outlines appropriate behaviour and
  interactions with children

The appointed Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) will:

• oversee and manage all safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people taking part in pottery activities
• act as the primary point of contact for staff to report potential issues and ensure that proper procedures are followed
• complete an accredited DSO training course and stay updated on relevant legislation
• ensure that age-appropriate ratios of staff to children and young people are maintained and that adequate supervision is maintained during all pottery studio activities

Parents and guardians of children attending pottery courses are:

• encouraged to communicate openly with the pottery studio staff and report any concerns promptly
• obliged to provide emergency contact information and relevant medical details for their child

Reporting Procedures

Any suspicion or disclosure of abuse or neglect will be reported to the designated safeguarding officer immediately. The designated safeguarding officer will follow the appropriate procedures, including reporting to the relevant authorities if necessary. All information regarding child safeguarding concerns will be treated confidentially and shared only with those who need to know.

Physical contact

Physical contact with children and young people will be limited to what is necessary for their safety and well-being. However, it may also occasionally be helpful for teachers to have physical contact with a young person when teaching them a particular pottery skill, e.g. it may be helpful if the teacher guides their hand. The teacher will always explain this to the young person and ask their permission before any physical contact is made.

Photography, filming and social media

Sharing photographs and films of our activities can help us celebrate the achievements of our customers, provide a record of our activities, and raise awareness of our organisation. When sharing any photographs and films, the welfare of the children and young people taking part in our activities is paramount. Children and young people and their parents/guardians have the right to decide whether their images are taken and how these may be used. We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• always asking for consent from a child/young person and their parent/guardian before taking and using a child/young person’s image
• explaining what images will be used for, how they will be stored and what potential risks are associated with sharing images of children and young people
• making it clear that if a child or their family withdraw consent for an image to be shared, it may not be possible to delete images that have already been shared or published
• only using the first name, or a changed name of children and young people whose images are being used in our published material
• never publishing personal information about individual children and young people and disguising any identifying information (for example the name of their school or a school uniform with a logo)
• making sure children and young people, their parents and carers understand how images of children and young people will be securely stored and for how long
• generally avoiding full face shots of children and young people taking part in activities  
• ensuring any images used positively reflect the child/young person’s involvement in the activity

If children and young people, and their parents/guardians do not consent to photographs being taken, we will respect their wishes. We will ensure in advance of the activity that all staff are aware that consent has not been given, and that this is done in a way that does not single out the child/young person or make them feel isolated. We will never exclude a child/young person from an activity because we do not have consent to take their photograph.

If children and young people or their parents/guardians wish to take their own pictures of themselves or of the work they have made, this is acceptable, but they will be asked to avoid including any other children or young people in the photographs or film. In the case of any footage including other children or young people is taken and shared in a personal capacity, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. accept no responsibility for any consequences of this.

Storing images

We will store photographs and videos of children and young people securely, in accordance with our safeguarding policy and data protection law. We will keep electronic images in a protected folder with restricted access. We will never store images of children and young people on unencrypted portable equipment such as mobile phones. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. does not permit staff to use any personal equipment to take photos and recordings of children. Only cameras or devices belonging to Zed Alley Clayhouse will be used and these will be returned to the management at the earliest opportunity after any photographs or film have been taken.

Health and safety

At the start of any course, children and young people will be given a health and safety briefing. This will outline potential hazards of working with clay and the equipment provided, and during the session, the correct use of tools and other equipment will be demonstrated. Children and young people will be encouraged to request clarification if they are unsure about anything covered in the briefing or explained during the session. At least one member of staff on the premises while children and young people’s pottery activities are taking place will be first-aid trained. The studio is equipped with first aid kits. If a child suffers an injury or accident the parent/guardian will be informed, and an accident report form will be completed. Attendance records and records of any incidents or accidents that occur will be kept safely by Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.