Introduction

Geltsdale Arts Ltd at its music festival Music on the Marr and associated fund raising activities aims to adopt the highest possible standards and take all reasonable steps in relation to the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

This policy applies to all volunteers, and members who may be working with children (i.e. those aged under 16), young persons (i.e. those aged 16 to 18) and vulnerable adults (i.e. as defined by section 59 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and/or those persons aged over 18 who by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness are or may be unable to take care of themselves or are or may be unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation) whom Geltsdale Arts Ltd encounters through its events and fundraising activities.

This policy does not seek to discourage such activities. Instead, this policy seeks to support these activities and to offer assurances to volunteers, members, contributors and visitors that, through its implementation, Geltsdale Arts Ltd seeks to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults and to keep them safe from harm when in contact with volunteers, members, participants and contributors.

Aims and Objectives

• Geltsdale Arts wishes to ensure that it maintains the highest possible standards to meet its social, moral and legal responsibilities to protect and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom the Festival’s work brings it into contact, whilst recognising that it cannot act “in loco parentis”. Ultimate responsibility will continue to rest with parents and guardians.
• While it is impossible to ensure that a child, young person or vulnerable adult would never come to any harm, the adoption of this policy and associated guidelines aims to facilitate the management of the risk associated with the duty to protect such individuals.

Risk Assessment

• All volunteers that intend to, or may be put in the position of, working with children, young people or vulnerable adults should ensure that they understand the implications of this policy before commencing any programme, event, visit or other activity.
• A designated individual should complete a risk assessment before any new or changed programme, event, visit or any other activity involving children, young people or vulnerable adults.
• All those involved in the risk assessment process should understand that the risk assessment is not only a way to mitigate or remove any potential risks but may also be a prompt to consider alternative working practices.

Recruitment and Selection of Volunteers

• Geltsdale Arts Ltd will take all appropriate steps to ensure that unsuitable people are prevented from working with children.
• Where the risk assessment has identified that volunteers are likely to have regular contact with or encounter children, young people or vulnerable adults (which might include regular processing of information), reasonable checks into their eligibility will be required.

Dealing with suspicions or allegations of abuse

• Concerns for the safety and well being of children, young persons or vulnerable adults could arise in a variety of ways and in a range of different settings. For example, a child may report or display signs of abuse; someone may hint that a child is at risk or that a colleague is an abuser; an individual may witness or hear about abuse in another environment. It is essential to act quickly and professionally in all cases of suspected abuse.
• Any allegation by a child, young person or vulnerable adult against a volunteer, member, participant, or contributor should be reported immediately to therelevant designated individual who has responsibility under this policy.
• In dealing with any such allegation Geltsdale Arts Ltd has a duty of care both to the child, young person or vulnerable adult concerned and to the member of volunteer member, participant, or contributor against whom the allegation is made.

Training and Support

• Geltsdale Arts Ltd will provide appropriate guidance and training on this policy by providing this document to all staff by email and in printed format. A briefing session will be held at the beginning of each festival and event. Festival directors are available throughout each event for advice and support.
• Allegations or suspicions of abuse will be reported to the Directors of Geltsdale Arts
• Designated individuals will be appointed by the Directors to undertake risk assessments.
• The Directors of Geltsdale Arts will be responsible for reviewing and updating this policy.

The following procedures also apply to vulnerable adults

• Lost children and adults should be escorted to the Festival Office. The receiving steward will make attempts to reunite the individual with the parent. This may involve announcements being made by the MC.
• Under no circumstances should a description of the child or name be broadcast. A broadcast message can be made but it must just state that a child has been separated from their parents and for all stewards to be alert for a distressed child.
• A Lost Child form in the case of a child must be completed. Use an ‘Accident or Incident Report’ for an adult
• A child must not be left in the care of single adult.
• Once the parents/guardians have been found it is important to ascertain they are who they say they are and should be asked to provide a description of the child as well as confirming the childs name and age before they are reunited. Once they have been reunited the parent/guardian must complete and sign the ‘Lost/Found Child Form’ before leaving with the child. If there is any doubt seek help.
• In the event of a parent approaching a member of staff and reporting a missing child or adult the member of staff should inform a Safety Officer and take the parent to the Festival Office area where the Safety Officer can get a full description of the child, details of where the child was last seen and whether they could be with anyone else. A search can be carried out, without the details being broadcast.
• A “Lost/Found Child Form” should be filled out with these details and the parent should be advised to stay at the Festival Office. If they refuse to do this they should be asked to sign a disclaimer. The Safety Officer should then monitor the situation and if at any point the perception is that the child may have left the confines of the site the police should be immediately contacted. Once the child has been found they should be brought to the festival Office area to be reunited with their parent/guardian and the “Lost/Found Child Form” should be completed and signed by the parent/guardian.

Equal Opportunities Statement

• Geltsdale Arts is committed to equality of opportunity in its employment and recruitment practices, procedures and the delivery of its events.
• The aim of this policy is to ensure that no employee or prospective employee, volunteer, artist, participant or user of our services will receive less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family circumstance, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, political beliefs or any other factor or condition which is not justified in law or relevant to the requirements of the job or event.
• Geltsdale Arts will take steps to encourage staff, artists, participants and visitors to:

• treat others with respect at all times.
• actively discourage discriminatory behavior or practice and interrupt it when identified.
• ensure that this policy is seen and understood by those with a responsibility for its implementation

The Environment

We are working towards a positive policy on sustainability and the environment. As you know we have been using reusable beer and wine glasses for years; this year we will ban single use plastic and polystyrene and encourage people to bring their own water bottles or sell them one of our branded multi use ones to fill from a tap on site. All food service disposables will be compostable and some of the waste given to the village allotmenteers. We are taking more care with the way we handle rubbish and recycling this year with help from Cumbria Waste Management. Most of the stage lighting and festoon lighting is LED based and powered by a mix from the three phase mains supply and an efficient diesel generator. We are looking at ways of using bio- diesel instead of red diesel, though this is proving problematic.

RWJ for Geltsdale Arts. Reviewed 06.02.19