Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy | West End Academy

West End Academy Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Operated by: Smart Music Studios Ltd
Contact: info@westend.academy
Last updated: 8 July 2026
Next review date: 8 January 2027
1. Purpose of This Policy
West End Academy is committed to providing a safe, positive and supportive environment for children and young people.
We recognise our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of every child who attends our:
Classes
Free trials
Workshops
Holiday camps
Rehearsals
Performances
Showcases
Auditions
Events
Related academy activities
This policy applies to all staff, teachers, assistants, freelancers, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of West End Academy.
For the purposes of this policy, a child or young person means anyone under the age of 18.
2. Safeguarding Leads
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for receiving safeguarding concerns and taking appropriate action.
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Harry Smith
Email: info@westend.academy
Deputy Safeguarding Lead: Claire Smith
Email: info@westend.academy
If a safeguarding concern relates to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, it should be reported to the Deputy Safeguarding Lead.
In an emergency, or where a child may be at immediate risk of harm, West End Academy may contact relevant authorities, including:
Emergency services
Children’s social care
The police
Other appropriate safeguarding agencies
3. Our Safeguarding Commitment
West End Academy will aim to:
Provide a safe and supportive environment
Treat children with respect and dignity
Listen to children and take concerns seriously
Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns
Follow safer recruitment practices
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries
Keep suitable safeguarding records
Work with parents, carers and relevant authorities where appropriate
Review safeguarding procedures as the organisation grows
Promote an open culture where concerns can be raised safely
The welfare of the child will always be the central consideration.
4. Recognising Safeguarding Concerns
Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Bullying
Peer-on-peer harm
Online abuse
Grooming
Exploitation
Domestic abuse affecting a child
Inappropriate adult behaviour
Discriminatory abuse
Self-harm concerns
Concerns about a child’s safety, welfare or wellbeing
Unsafe contact through phones, messaging or social media
Concerning changes in behaviour, attendance or presentation
A concern does not need to be proven before it is reported.
5. Reporting Concerns
Staff, assistants, freelancers and volunteers must report any safeguarding concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible.
Concerns about the conduct of an adult working with West End Academy, including low-level concerns, must also be reported.
No one working with West End Academy should investigate a safeguarding concern themselves.
The role of staff is to:
Notice
Listen
Record
Report
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will decide the appropriate next step.
Where appropriate, West End Academy may:
Seek advice
Contact parents or carers
Make a referral to children’s social care
Contact the police
Contact emergency services
Consult another appropriate safeguarding body
6. Responding to a Disclosure
If a child shares a concern or makes a disclosure, the adult should:
Listen calmly
Take the child seriously
Avoid showing shock or disbelief
Avoid asking leading questions
Allow the child to speak in their own words
Not promise absolute confidentiality
Explain that the information may need to be shared to help keep them safe
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by speaking
Write down the concern as soon as possible
Use the child’s own words where appropriate
Report the concern immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
The adult should not:
Investigate
Confront the alleged person involved
Ask the child to repeat the account unnecessarily
Discuss the matter with people who do not need to know
Make promises about what will happen next
7. Recording Safeguarding Concerns
Safeguarding records should be factual, clear and completed as soon as reasonably possible.
Records may include:
The child’s name
Date and time
Location
The concern observed or disclosed
The child’s own words
Names of those present
Action taken
Who the concern was reported to
Any advice received
Any referrals made
Opinions should be clearly distinguished from facts.
Records will be stored securely and shared only with those who need the information to protect a child or respond appropriately.
8. Safer Recruitment and DBS Checks
West End Academy will follow safer recruitment principles when appointing adults to work with children and young people.
Depending on the role, this may include:
Application information
Identity checks
References
Employment or experience history
Interviews
Appropriate safeguarding questions
Right-to-work checks
DBS checks
Children’s Barred List checks where applicable
Ongoing conduct monitoring
Where a role involves regulated activity with children, an Enhanced DBS check, including a check of the Children’s Barred List where applicable, may be required.
No adult should begin unsupervised regulated activity until appropriate checks have been completed.
9. Staff Conduct
Adults working with West End Academy are expected to behave professionally and respectfully at all times.
Adults should:
Maintain appropriate boundaries
Use positive, age-appropriate language
Treat children fairly and with dignity
Avoid favouritism
Avoid being alone with one child where reasonably possible
Work in open and observable environments
Follow arrival, collection and supervision procedures
Report concerns about another adult
Avoid private or secretive communication with students
Follow West End Academy policies and safeguarding procedures
Adults must never:
Humiliate, threaten or intimidate a child
Use aggressive or inappropriate behaviour
Develop inappropriate personal relationships
Share sexual, offensive or unsuitable content
Ask children to keep secrets
Use physical punishment
Ignore a safeguarding concern
Contact students through unauthorised personal channels
10. Physical Contact
Some physical contact may be necessary during performing arts activities.
This may include contact for:
First aid
Preventing immediate harm
Dance positioning
Drama guidance
Movement correction
Costume support
Rehearsal safety
Any physical contact must be:
Appropriate
Necessary
Professional
Clearly explained
Proportionate
Respectful of the student’s comfort
Where a student appears uncomfortable, the contact should stop unless immediate safety requires otherwise.
11. One-to-One Working
West End Academy will aim to avoid situations where one adult is alone with one child where this can reasonably be avoided.
Where one-to-one work is necessary:
The activity should be authorised
Parents or guardians should be aware where appropriate
The space should be open, visible or accessible
Doors should remain open where practical
Another adult should know the session is taking place
Clear professional boundaries must be maintained
Private tuition and audition coaching should be arranged in a way that protects both the student and the tutor.
12. Contact Outside Classes
Staff should not normally contact students directly through:
Personal mobile numbers
Personal email
Private messaging apps
Personal social media accounts
Communication should usually take place through a parent or guardian or an authorised West End Academy channel.
Where direct communication with an older student is necessary for a clear professional purpose, it must be authorised, transparent and include parents or guardians where appropriate.
13. Online Safety
West End Academy recognises that safeguarding includes online communication and digital activity.
Online concerns may include:
Cyberbullying
Inappropriate messaging
Grooming
Unauthorised image sharing
Harmful content
Impersonation
Harassment
Contact from unknown adults
Secret communication between adults and students
Staff must report online safeguarding concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
West End Academy’s Mobile Phone Policy and Image Use Policy also apply.
14. Photography and Video
West End Academy may use photography and video for:
Parent updates
Internal records
Website content
Social media
Printed materials
Marketing
Training
Performance documentation
Parents and guardians will be asked to provide consent preferences.
West End Academy will not knowingly use identifiable images or videos of a child for public marketing where consent has not been given.
Photography and video must always be used respectfully and in a way that protects the dignity and safety of students.
15. Peer-on-Peer Harm and Bullying
Children can sometimes harm other children.
This may include:
Bullying
Physical aggression
Sexualised behaviour
Harassment
Discriminatory abuse
Online abuse
Threats
Coercion
Deliberate exclusion
Concerns about peer-on-peer harm will be taken seriously and will not be dismissed as ordinary childhood behaviour.
West End Academy will consider:
The safety of all students involved
The age and understanding of the children
The seriousness and frequency of the behaviour
Whether a safeguarding referral is necessary
Support for the child affected
Appropriate action regarding the child responsible
16. Parents and Carers
West End Academy aims to work openly and positively with parents and carers wherever appropriate.
Parents and carers are responsible for providing accurate:
Contact details
Emergency contacts
Medical information
Allergy information
Collection arrangements
Additional support information
Consent preferences
There may be circumstances where West End Academy needs to seek advice or share information with relevant authorities without first discussing the matter with parents or carers.
This may happen where informing them could:
Place a child at greater risk
Affect an investigation
Cause evidence to be lost
Create further safeguarding concerns
17. Arrival and Collection
Students should only be released to a parent, guardian or authorised adult unless another arrangement has been agreed in advance.
Parents and guardians must inform West End Academy if:
Someone different will collect the child
They will be late
Collection arrangements change
The child has permission to leave independently
If a child is not collected, West End Academy will follow its late collection procedures and prioritise the child’s safety.
18. Missing Child
If a child appears to be missing during an academy activity, staff should:
Check the immediate area
Alert the session lead
Maintain supervision of the remaining students
Contact the parent or guardian
Review arrival and collection information
Contact venue staff where relevant
Contact emergency services where necessary
Record the incident
The urgency of the response will depend on the child’s age, vulnerability and circumstances.
19. Accidents, Illness and Emergencies
If a child is injured, becomes unwell or there is an emergency, staff may contact:
The parent or guardian
The emergency contact
Emergency services
Venue staff
Relevant authorities
Parents and guardians consent to West End Academy seeking emergency medical assistance where reasonably necessary.
Accidents and incidents may be recorded and reviewed.
20. Confidentiality
Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively.
Information will only be shared with people who need to know in order to:
Protect a child
Respond to a concern
Obtain professional advice
Meet a legal or safeguarding responsibility
Absolute confidentiality cannot be promised where a child may be at risk.
21. Allegations Against Adults
Any allegation or concern about an adult working with West End Academy must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Where the concern relates to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, it must be reported to the Deputy Safeguarding Lead.
West End Academy may seek advice from:
The local authority
The police
The Disclosure and Barring Service
Insurers
Legal or safeguarding professionals
Other relevant agencies
The adult concerned may be removed from duties while the matter is considered.
This is a precautionary step and does not automatically imply guilt.
22. Whistleblowing
Anyone working with West End Academy should raise concerns about unsafe practice, poor safeguarding culture or inappropriate conduct.
No person should be disadvantaged for raising a genuine safeguarding concern in good faith.
Concerns may be raised with:
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Harry Smith
Deputy Safeguarding Lead: Claire Smith
Email: info@westend.academy
23. Training
Staff, teachers, assistants and relevant freelancers should receive safeguarding information appropriate to their role.
Training may cover:
Recognising concerns
Responding to disclosures
Reporting procedures
Professional boundaries
Online safety
Photography and video
Behaviour management
Emergency procedures
Record keeping
Training needs will be reviewed as West End Academy grows.
24. Complaints
Questions or complaints about safeguarding procedures should be sent to:
info@westend.academy
A complaint about the Designated Safeguarding Lead should be directed to the Deputy Safeguarding Lead.
A safeguarding concern should not be delayed because a formal complaint process is underway.
25. Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated where:
Guidance changes
Legal requirements change
West End Academy expands
New programmes are introduced
An incident identifies a need for improvement
Next review date: 8 January 2027
This version is based on your existing West End Academy Safeguarding Policy and expands it into a fuller website-ready Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.