To the uninitiated, the topic of Safeguarding can at times seem daunting, confusing or overwhelming, particularly for organisations who are just starting out on their safeguarding journey. But it doesn’t need to be hard to start the process of getting your safeguarding procedures in place.
That’s why, all this week on our socials, we’ve been sharing our “Five Steps to BandSafe” initiative. These are ways which will help you to assess your current safeguarding practices and engage with BBE’s BandSafe programme, designed to give you the knowledge and skills to protect the children, young people and adults you work with. So, here are our five steps to help you on your way to safeguarding confidence.
1. Safeguarding Policy
Every organisation should have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place and ensure it is effectively embedded in the group’s activities. Brass Bands England’s ‘BandSafe Toolkit’ is designed to help you develop a new or existing policy to meet the needs of your organisation, in line with current legislation and guidelines.
2. Procedures & Protocol
Does everyone in your organisation (whether they are a volunteer or paid employee) know the systems in place to safeguard individuals, what to do in the event of the disclosure, who to turn for help with reporting disclosures and who to speak to over concern for the safety and welfare of another individual? The NSPCC's learning centre page on recognising and responding to abuse is the best place to start.
Read more on the NSPCC website.
3. Child Performance Licensing
Do you have appropriate arrangements in place to meet the requirements of Performance Licensing legislation for children aged 16 and under? Brass Bands England can issue permission for qualifying ‘BandSafe’ members to use their ‘BOPA’ (Body Of Persons Approval) for England and Wales, avoiding time consuming (and often costly) admin tasks.
4. Check & Challenge
It is vital that organisations continue to monitor, check and challenge their safeguarding policies in order to ensure their effectiveness and relevance; meeting the needs of the people they serve, as well as current legislative requirements. Brass Bands England will soon be announcing the launch of their new ‘Check & Challenge’ tool – the latest initiative to come from our partnership work with NSPCC.
Register for the BBE newsletter to be informed when this tool is available.
5. Safeguarding Training
This training helps you and your organisation keep up-to-date with the latest developments in Child and Adult safeguarding. Our ‘BandSafe’ programme, developed in partnership with the NSPCC, is designed for all safeguarding and welfare practitioners.
See all our upcoming BandSafe events and register