MADS
Safeguarding Policy

At Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society, we recognise that the

welfare of children is of paramount importance. We have a responsibility

to protect and safeguard the welfare of all children and young people we

work with and have an explicit duty to do so under the Children Act 1989

and 2004 and the Education Act 2002.

A ‘child’ is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. The fact

that a child has reached 16 years of age is living independently, in further

education, or working does not change his/ her entitlement to services or

protection as a child.

At Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society, we believe that all children

without exception have the right to protection from abuse regardless of

gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs and that no child, or

group of children should be treated any less favourably than others in

being able to access the services and support to meet their needs.

All staff and volunteers have a strict duty never to subject a child

to any form of harm or abuse. Failure to adhere to these

procedures will be treated as gross misconduct.

Children and their parents/ carers who attend Marchington Amateur

Dramatic Society are sent a copy of our safeguarding policy on joining the

society, may view our policy where appropriate and a copy will always be

kept on our notice board and available by request.

Designated safeguarding lead:

The Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) within our organisation is

Stephanie Jane Coward (Known as Jane) who is also an approved

chaperone with East Staffordshire Borough Council.

As safeguarding lead, they have completed additional training to fulfil this

role:

• Staffordshire E learning Level 1 Awareness: Safeguarding Children

and Protecting them from abuse

• Level 2 Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

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• Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Level 3 Child

Protection

Their contact details are:

Email address Jane.coward2017@gmail.com

Phone number 07546 984295

In the event that the Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) is

unavailable, the Deputy Safeguarding Person within our organisation is

Casey Barker who is also an approved chaperone with East Staffordshire

Borough Council.

As Deputy Safeguarding Lead, they have completed the following training

to qualify them for their role:

• Safeguarding Children Levels 1 and 2

• Safeguarding Adults and Children Level 3

Their contact details are:

Email address caseyjane2001@hotmail.co.uk

Phone number 07449 635392

The Designated Safeguarding Person will advise members of staff and

visitors to Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society on best practice and

expectations. They will be responsible for the monitoring and recording of

any safeguarding concerns and for ensuring that all concerns are shared

with the appropriate statutory authorities.

All staff and volunteers at Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society

should be made aware of this policy and should be able to

demonstrate their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding and

promoting the welfare of children and young people, including

how to raise concerns with both children’s social care and the

police. Staff and volunteers shall be made aware of this through:

• Visibility of the Safeguarding policy on the Marchington Amateur

Dramatic Society website; all members will be directed towards this

in the Welcome Letter contained in their Membership Pack, and hard

copies provided upon request.

• Safeguarding training (Level 1) for the Marchington Amateur

Dramatic Society committee members and annual updates as

required.

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• Safeguarding training (Level 1) for child supervisors who are

required for any and all productions involving children and young

adults with annual updates as required.

Overview of responsibilities:

All staff and volunteers must report all concerns to the designated

safeguarding lead at the nearest available opportunity.

It is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers at Marchington Amateur

Dramatic Society to take steps to protect children, to keep them safe

from hazards and to take appropriate action in the event of an accident.

It is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers to take reasonable steps

to protect children and young people from harm and abuse while in

contact with our organisation and our staff and to report any incident of

or suspicion of abuse to the Designated Safeguarding Person or in their

absence to the appropriate statutory authority.

All staff working at Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society who have

direct contact with children and young people are required to hold a valid,

clear DBS check.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young

people means:

Protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of a child’s

health or development, ensuring that children are growing up with the

provision of safe and effective care and taking action to ensure that

children have the best life chances.

At Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society, we will do this by:

• Identifying and responding to concerns about a child or young

person

• Providing a safe and happy performing environment

• Supporting development through performing in a way that fosters a

sense of belonging / sense of self/ sense of community/ sense of

independence

• Supporting young people to communicate freely with us, supporting

their communication methods, providing time and space to talk

• Fostering an environment of trust and building appropriate

professional relationships.

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Consent and information sharing:

A consent form for performances and Photography for shows and social

media are issued at events. Every child has the right not to consent.

However, in the event of a performance, your child may be asked to step

out of shot or not take part in a video. This should be explained to the

child from the parent so no stress is implicated.

Reporting abuse:

Significant harm is no exception to this. Before making a referral to

Children’s Social Care parents or carers should be informed that you are

doing so, including the reasons why and must be asked for consent to do

this. It should be noted however that in cases where parents, carers or

children do not agree to information being shared you are still able to

refer to Children’s Social Care without consent but it is important to

explain clearly to social care why consent cannot be established and to

make a record of this.

Instances where you may not wish to seek consent are:

• Discussion with parents/ carers could place the child or other

members of their family at increased risk

• The child is in immediate danger (e.g., requires medical attention)

• Having the discussion with parents may put you or another member

of staff at risk.

It is often necessary to share information to provide support and prevent

impairment or to protect a child from harm. Decisions to share will be

appropriate, necessary, and proportionate. You must record your

decision and the reasons for it, whether or not you choose to share

information. If you decide to share you should record what you shared

and who you shared with.

Child protection:

Is part of safeguarding children and promoting welfare. It refers to

activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or

likely to suffer significant harm.

This is about abuse and maltreatment of a child. Someone may abuse or

neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm.

Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community

setting by those known to them, or by others (for example over the

internet.) They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child/

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children. Abuse may be physical, emotional, sexual, neglectful or multiple

types of abuse. Please see appendix A for definitions of types of abuse.

All staff and volunteers should be able to recognise and know how to act

upon evidence that a child’s health or development is being impaired or

that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. All concern

about harm must be recorded and shared with the Designated

Safeguarding person.

No professional should assume that another will pass on information

about the safety of a child. If a professional has concerns about a child’s

welfare and believe they are or are likely to suffer significant harm they

have a responsibility to inform Children’s social care.

Seeking medical attention:

If a child has a physical injury, and there are concerns of abuse, medical

attention should be sought immediately. Any safeguarding concerns

should be shared with ambulance or hospital staff and then must be

reported to children’s social care.

Nothing should be allowed to delay urgent medical treatment.

Referring a concern and your DSP:

Our Designated safeguarding person will act on behalf Marchington

Amateur Dramatic Society in referring concerns or allegations of harm to

Children’s social care or the police as appropriate. If the designated

safeguarding lead is in any doubt, information should be shared with

children’s social care for a second opinion. It is not the role of the DSP to

investigate only to collate information, clarify details of the concern and

facilitate information sharing. In the absence of the DSP, the individual

who has the concern is responsible for contacting children’s social care

and the information should be shared with the DSP retrospectively.

The contact number for children’s social care is:

Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support (SCAS)

0300 111 8007

8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Thursday

8.30am- 4.30pm Friday

or

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EDS (out of hours) Tel No. 0345 604 2886

Or email: eds.team.manager@staffordshire.gov.uk

Non-emergency – call Staffordshire Police on 101

If you believe the child to be at risk of immediate harm, this must ne

reported to the police on 999 or 101. Once you have reported to the

police, please contact Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support Service

on 0300 111 8007 or Emergency Duty Team on 0345 604 2886.

Protection of children:

At Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society, we will make every effort to

protect children from harm when they are visiting our setting/ attending

our classes. We will do this through: Appropriate recruitment and

selection procedures

• Provision of safeguarding training for all staff and volunteers

• Ensuring all staff and volunteers, who are responsible for the direct

supervision of children during rehearsals and performances, hold

clear current enhanced and child workforce DBS checks.

• We will take all reasonable steps to ensure health safety and

welfare for all those who access our organisation .We will take all

practicable steps to ensure that no one working with us or for us

would put a child in a situation of unreasonable risk to their health

and safety.

• We will not harm or abuse children within our care and will take all

reasonable steps to ensure no one working with us or around us

within the community could harm or abuse a child in our care.

• We will ensure good reporting to our DSP and onward to children’s

social care wherever we suspect harm and will foster an

environment of good communication, transparency and trust.

• All involved with our organisation will follow our code of conduct.

Lost or Ill Children:

In the event that a child becomes lost or falls ill while participating in any

entertainment activity, the following steps will be immediately enacted to

ensure their safety and well-being:

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1. Immediate Action for Lost Children: If a child is reported

missing or cannot be accounted for, an immediate search will be

initiated and parents or guardians informed. The designated

safeguarding officer (or Production Director) will coordinate the

search as follows:

i. Immediate Action

Immediate Search: As soon as a child is reported lost, an initial

search will begin immediately within the area where the child was

last seen. This search will involve all available stage crew and cast.

Check Common Areas: The search will include all areas the child

is likely to be, including dressing rooms, bathrooms, production

areas, and backstage zones, as well as outdoor spaces (if

applicable).

ii. Escalation (After 10 minutes)

Broader Search and Communication: After 10 minutes of an

active search within the venue or production site, it’s important to

broaden the search and include any nearby areas or external spaces

(e.g., car parks) All volunteers will continue to search, and

announcements will be made (if applicable) to alert others to be on

the lookout.

Contacting Parents/Guardians: If not already done, the child’s

parent(s) or guardian(s) will be contacted immediately to inform

them of the situation, gather additional details about the child’s

whereabouts or behaviour, and ask for their assistance in the

search.

iii. Contacting Authorities (After 30 minutes)

Notify Police: If the child is still missing after 30 minutes, or if

there is any reason to believe the child may be at risk (e.g., if the

child is very young, has special needs, or if there are any suspicious

circumstances), police will be contacted immediately.

Formal Report: The police will take over the search, and the

designated safeguarding lead (or Production Director) will need to

provide all available information about the child, including physical

description, last known location, and any relevant details about the

circumstances leading to the disappearance.

iv. Ongoing Efforts and Coordination

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Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) Involvement: The

DSO (or Production Director) will coordinate the situation, ensuring

all steps are followed, maintaining communication with law

enforcement, and documenting the search process.

Parental Support: Throughout the search, the parents/guardians

will be kept updated, and their support will be facilitated.

2. Response to Illness or Injury: In the event that a child is

reported as feeling unwell or sustains an injury, the child will be

immediately assessed by a qualified first aider. If necessary,

emergency medical assistance will be requested, and the child will

be taken to a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Parents

or guardians will be contacted promptly, and any required medical

or emergency response protocols will be followed.

3. Communication with Parents/Guardians: In both instances of a

child being lost or ill, the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) will be

contacted immediately and kept informed throughout the process.

Any necessary arrangements for their child’s return home or

treatment will be prioritised by the DSO (or Production Director) in

collaboration with the parents.

4. Record Keeping and Reporting: Detailed records of the incident,

including the actions taken and the outcome, will be kept in

accordance with safeguarding and child protection protocols. Any

relevant authorities or child protection agencies will be informed if

necessary.

Allegations against staff members/ volunteers:

If any member of staff has concerns about another member of staff or

volunteer at Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society such as

• Believing they have behaved in a way that has harmed or may

cause harm to a child

• Having possibly committed a criminal offence against or relating to

a child

• Behaved toward a child in a way that indicates he/ she is unsuitable

to work with children. (This could include both children within the

workplace, children within the community or their own children).

The allegation or concern should be reported to the manager with

responsibility for dealing with allegations immediately. This is Jane

Coward.

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Neither the member of staff who has raised the concern/ allegation nor

the member of staff who is alleged against should be allowed to question

children or be part of any further investigation.

The designated manager for Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society will

report the matter to Staffordshire’s Local Authority designated Officer

(LADO) through

Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support (SCAS)

0300 111 8007

8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Thursday

8.30am- 4.30pm Friday

or

EDS (out of hours) Tel No. 0345 604 2886

Or email: eds.team.manager@staffordshire.gov.uk

Non-emergency – call Staffordshire Police on 101

The Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support Team will ensure that the

matter is passed promptly to the Staffordshire LADO Duty Officer and

assist in initiating any additional safeguarding activities.

This single referral point will provide a responsive and inclusive service for

all children’s workforce sectors, focus the advice and support where it is

needed most and enable the team to continue to work effectively with

partners.

If an allegation or concern arises about a member of staff, outside of their

work with children, and this may present a risk or harm to a child/ren for

which that member of staff is responsible, the general principles outlined

in this policy will still apply.

Staff recruitment:

When recruiting staff and volunteers who have direct responsibility for the

supervision of child performers within the society, only those volunteers

who hold enhanced DBS certificates will be allowed to supervise children.

This will ensure potential staff and volunteers are screened for their

suitability to work with children and young people.

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Security and Retention of Safeguarding Documents:

Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society ensures that sensitive documents

are handled with the utmost care to protect children’s privacy and the

integrity of safeguarding practices by:

1. Security of Safeguarding Documents:

All safeguarding-related documents, including incident reports, consent

forms, staff training records, and any other personal or sensitive

information regarding children, will be stored securely. This includes:

o Physical records being kept in locked, secure filing cabinets

accessible only to authorized personnel (Designated

Safeguarding Lead).

o Digital records being stored in encrypted, password-protected

systems, with access restricted to staff members who require it

for their roles (Secretary of the Society, Designated

Safeguarding Lead and Deputy, Production Director/s).

2. Confidentiality and Access:

Only authorized personnel with a legitimate need to access

safeguarding documents will be allowed to view them. Any sharing of

information will comply with relevant data protection laws (e.g., GDPR

or local data protection regulations), ensuring that confidentiality is

maintained at all times.

3. Retention of Documents:

Safeguarding documents will be retained for a minimum of 7 years

following the conclusion of the event, activity, or program in which the

child participated, or until the child reaches the age of majority

(whichever is longer).

o After this period, documents will be securely destroyed or

anonymized in accordance with data protection best practices.

o In cases where the document pertains to a safeguarding

concern, documents may be retained for a longer period if

required by law, regulatory bodies, or if the case is still under

investigation or subject to legal proceedings.

4. Disposal of Documents:

Once the retention period has expired, all safeguarding records will be

securely disposed of by shredding physical documents and

permanently deleting digital records, ensuring that no confidential

information is compromised.

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This policy ensures that safeguarding documents are handled securely

and responsibly, while also maintaining compliance with relevant legal

and ethical standards for record retention and confidentiality.

This policy will be reviewed annually.

Date of latest review……… 23rd October 2025

Signed…… Stephanie Jane Coward (Designated Safeguarding Person)

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Appendix A:

Definitions of abuse:

Physical abuse: A form of abuse that may involve hitting shaking throwing

poisoning burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing

physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a

parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of or deliberately causes illness

in a child.

Emotional abuse: The persistent emotional maltreatment off a child such

as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional

development. It may involve conveying to children that they are

worthless, unloved inadequate, or valued in so far as they meet the needs

of another person only, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of

what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or

developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children.

These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental

capability, as well as the over protection and limitation of exploration and

learning, or preventing the child from participating in normal social

interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the Ill treatment of another.

It may involve serious bullying (or cyber bullying), causing children to

frequently feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of

children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of

maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse: Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take

part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence,

whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may

involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example

rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing

rubbing, touching outside of clothing. They may also include noncontact

activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of,

sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave

in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for

abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated

by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can

other children.

Neglect: The persistent failure to meet a child’s physical and/ or

psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the

child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a

result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may

involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing, and

shelter (including exclusion from home and abandonment); protect a child

MADS Safeguarding Policy Updated October 2025 12

from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate

supervision (including the use of inadequate care givers); ensure access

to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include an

unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional needs.

This is not a complete list, just examples. It is essential to remember it is

not the role of staff or volunteers to determine whether abuse has taken

place. It is simply to identify concerns and share them first with the DSP

and then the Local Authority.

Appendix B:

Harm or the potential harm to a child may come to your attention in a

number of ways:

• Information given to you by the child, his/ her friends a family

member or close associate

• The child’s behaviour may become different from the usual, be

significantly different from the behaviour of their peers, be bizarre

or unusual or may involve ‘acting out’ harmful situations through

play.

• An injury may arouse suspicion if; it does not compare with the

explanation given, different individuals give different explanations,

the child appears anxious when discussing the injury, a child is pre

mobile or has limited mobility and is bruised.

• Suspicion is raised as a picture of events is built up over time

• A child or young person is known to be having contact with an

individual/s that have been identified as presenting a potential risk

of harm to children.

• A parents behaviour before the birth of a child may indicate the

likelihood of significant harm to an unborn child for example

substance misuse.

Appendix C:

Managing a disclosure from a child:

• Listen carefully

• Do not ask leading or probing questions

• Never stop an individual who is talking freely

• Never promise to keep a secret

• Be reassuring they have done the right thing in disclosing

• Following the disclosure record the information and pass it on to

your DPS.

MADS Safeguarding Policy Updated