Safeguarding Policy & Procedure

1. Essential definitions  

Agent: any trustee, employee, freelancer, volunteer or other third-party that is in the position to act on behalf of British Arts Festivals Association. 

BAFA: British Arts Festivals Association, a charitable incorporated organisation (registered charity number 1193943) based in the United Kingdom.  

Board: the board of trustees of British Arts Festivals Association. 

DBS clearance: a formal way for organisations wishing to engage someone as a trustee, employee, freelancer, volunteer to check an individual’s criminal record, to help decide whether an individual is a suitable person to work for them. ‘DBS’ stands for the Disclosure and Barring Service, which carries out DBS checks in England and Wales; in Scotland DBS checks are done by Disclosure Scotland and in Northern Ireland by AccessNI. 

Director: the sole director of British Arts Festivals Association, being the most senior person in charge of operations.  

Designated Safeguarding Lead: the Director, Fiona Goh, whose email address is [email protected].

Safeguarding: protecting an individual’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, exploitation and neglect. 

Trustee: a trustee of British Arts Festivals Association.  

Trustee Safeguarding Lead: trustee Helen Heslop whose email address is [email protected].

We, us and our means BAFA, and where the context permits includes any of its trustees, employees, freelancers and volunteers acting on BAFA’s behalf. 

2. Purpose and scope of the policy  

BAFA is the national development agency for arts festivals, and exists to represent and support its members: arts festival organisations, universities, corporate associate members and sole trader associate members. The majority of BAFA’s work is delivered remotely from its members, with the exception of the annual conference.  

In the ordinary course of its operations the agents of BAFA would not expect to be encountering or working with any vulnerable adults or children, although at annual events there is a small possibility that children or vulnerable adults may be in attendance. Volunteers, freelancers, employees and trustees of BAFA must be over the age of 18, so no agents of BAFA will be children.  

However, we understand that as a responsible charity not all safeguarding scenarios can be anticipated and a safeguarding policy is needed to ensure that all BAFA agents are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and equipped with the skills to deal with any safeguarding concerns that may arise in the course of their work on behalf of BAFA. A procedure for BAFA agents to follow is included at section 7 of this document.  

3. Why is safeguarding important? 

Vulnerable groups, such as children, elderly people and those with disabilities, are at a higher risk of neglect and being subjected to abuse. People in these groups may be unable to protect themselves from abuse, harm or exploitation for example, because of physical illness, mental illness, age, disability or other types of physical or mental impairment. Safeguarding ensures they are adequately protected. 

4. Types of abuse 

Abuse can take many forms, such as physical, psychological or emotional, financial, sexual or institutional abuse, including neglect and exploitation. Examples of different types of abuse are at Appendix 1. 

 5. BAFA Board safeguarding commitments 

a. The trustees of BAFA believe that: 

• Nobody who is involved in our work should ever experience abuse, harm, neglect or exploitation. 
• We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all of our beneficiaries (our members), employees, freelancers, trustees and volunteers, to keep them safe and to work in a way that protects them. 
• We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which our people not only feel safe, but also able to speak up, if they have any concerns. 

b. A trustee with suitable safeguarding experience will be given Board lead responsibility for safeguarding within BAFA and will be named as Trustee Safeguarding Lead at the start of this policy and on BAFA’s website.

c. Trustees are all aware of and will comply with the Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and protecting people and also the 10 actions trustee boards need to take to ensure good safeguarding governance.   

d. In meeting its safeguarding commitments the trustees will ensure that BAFA: 

• has appropriate policies and procedures in place, which are followed by all trustees, employees, freelancers, volunteers and beneficiaries
• checks that people are suitable to act in their roles
• knows how to spot and handle concerns in a full and responsible manner
• follows safeguarding statutory guidance, good practice guidance and legislation relevant to BAFA
• is quick to respond to concerns and carry out appropriate investigations
• has a system of referring or reporting to relevant agencies as soon as concerns are suspected or identified 
• has sufficient resources for safeguarding and protecting people 
• conducts periodic reviews of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice 

 6. Responsibilities of BAFA agents 

a. The Director of BAFA shall be the Designated Safeguarding Lead and will be named as Designated Safeguarding Lead at the start of this policy and on BAFA’s website.  

b. It is the responsibility of all BAFA trustees, employees and freelancers to be familiar with BAFA’s safeguarding policy and procedures, be aware of the risks and signs of potential abuse (see Appendix 1) and, if an agent has concerns, to act on these concerns immediately. 

c. Volunteers shall be made aware of this safeguarding policy and asked to read it. Volunteers should share any concerns immediately with a BAFA trustee, employee or freelancer.  

d. The Director will work together with Board on: 

• Maintaining BAFA’s culture of respect, in which everyone feels safe and able to speak up. 
• Ensuring that any issues are properly investigated and dealt with quickly, fairly and sensitively, and any reporting to the Police/statutory authorities is carried out.  
• Ensuring risk assessments are carried out and appropriate action taken to minimise safeguarding risks, as part of our risk management processes.  
• Ensuring that all appointments of agents that require DBS clearance and safeguarding training are identified, including the level of DBS clearance and any training required and central register is maintained to ensure that DBS clearances and training are kept up-to-date.  
• Ensuring all agents are aware of BAFA’s safeguarding procedures and their specific safeguarding responsibilities on induction, with regular updates/reminders, as necessary. 

e. BAFA freelancers and employees will identify and manage online risks by ensuring: 

• The online services we provide are suitable for our users. 
• We protect people’s personal data and follow data protection legislation in accordance with our Data Protection and Privacy Policy and Procedure. 
• We have permission to display any images on our website or social media accounts, including consent from any individuals in the images.  
• We clearly explain how users can report online concerns. Concerns may be reported using this policy, or direct to a social media provider using their reporting process.   

 7. Safeguarding procedures & reporting concerns  

All agents of BAFA will follow this procedure for any safeguarding concerns: 

a. If a crime is in progress, or an individual in immediate danger, call the police, as you would in any other circumstances.   

b. If you are a beneficiary (BAFA member), a member of the public or an agent of BAFA and you have a concern that someone is being harmed or is at risk of harm you must make your concerns known immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. If it is not appropriate to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead you should contact the Trustee Safeguarding Lead. 

c. If you witness abuse or abuse has just taken place the priorities are: 

• To call an ambulance if required.
• To call the police if a crime has been committed. 
• To preserve evidence.
• To keep yourself and any agents of BAFA and any beneficiaries safe.
• Complete a Safeguarding Reporting Form within 24 hours (see Appendix 2) and email it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Trustee Safeguarding Lead as appropriate. 

d. How you should respond if you receive a safeguarding allegation or concern: 

• Reassure the person concerned and tell them that the information will be treated seriously.
• Always make sure the person speaking up feels they are being listened to and supported.
• Remain calm and try not to show shock or disbelief.
• Don’t promise to keep information confidential between you and them. Refer to and follow this policy to make sure information is only shared with people who need it and have the right to know.
• Ask for their consent to share the information – if they refuse and you are still worried that they or someone else is at risk of harm, you cannot wait for this consent. You must share this information as set out in this policy.
• Make notes of everything you have heard immediately after the conversation has ended. Record all detail that has been told to you. Keep to the facts.
• Do not start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions at this stage.
• Do not approach the person accused or suspected of causing harm or abuse.

e. Recording and reporting a safeguarding concern: 

• If you have received an allegation about a safeguarding incident or are in any other way concerned, you will need to share what you have been told / witnessed even if you are not sure if there is harm or abuse has occurred. 
• Complete a Safeguarding Reporting Form within 24 hours (see Appendix 2) and email it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Trustee Safeguarding Lead as appropriate.  
• Ask the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Trustee Safeguarding Lead as appropriate for feedback, advice, or support. This person is usually the person responsible for investigating the concern and taking further action, if needed, rather than you, but they can let you know that they have received your Safeguarding Reporting Form and are taking appropriate action. 
• Continue to maintain confidentiality about the concern, allegation or incident.  

f. The Designated Safeguarding Lead or Trustee Safeguarding Lead, on receipt of a safeguarding concern or a completed Safeguarding Reporting Form will (if appropriate given its nature) work with the other Safeguarding Lead to determine the best course of action. Appropriate action could include any of the following: 

• Immediate reporting to the police and / or local authority adult social care safeguarding hotline (in respect of vulnerable adults) or to the LADO (local authority designated officer for managing safeguarding concerns in relation to children or young people)
• Asking the person raising the concern or making the report for further information 
• Following up with witnesses given on the Safeguarding Reporting Form 
• Further investigation of the safeguarding concern received in order to make a decision about whether a report to the police, social care or the LADO is needed
• Terminating a contract for services, volunteering agreement, contract of employment or terminating a trustee’s appointment. It may be that procedures to terminate the relationship with BAFA need to be coordinated with any other enquiries taking place or with the actions planned by other agencies, as part of the ongoing management of the concern or allegation, and the timescale for this action must be managed carefully

g. BAFA will ensure that any allegations made against any of its agents are dealt with swiftly and where a BAFA agent is thought to have committed a criminal offence the police will be informed. Whenever an allegation relates to a BAFA agent a risk assessment must be undertaken immediately to assess the level of risk to others with whom BAFA works, posed by the agent alleged to have caused harm. This will include whether it is safe for them to continue in their role or any other role within BAFA whilst the investigation is undertaken. 

8. Record-keeping 

a. Accurate and up-to-date records of safeguarding concerns are essential for a number of reasons: 

• They can help BAFA and its agents identify concerns at an early stage.
• They can help BAFA and its agents identify patterns of concern. 
• They can enable BAFA and its agents to record seemingly minor issues to build a more complete picture of what a person may be experiencing. 
• They help BAFA and its agents monitor and manage safeguarding practices, including decision making, actions taken and agreed joint strategies with other agencies. 
• They can provide BAFA and its agents with evidence to support actions both within BAFA and when working with external agencies. 
• They can support BAFA and its agents to demonstrate action taken to reduce impact of harm. 
• They can provide continuity when agents of BAFA change or are unavailable. 

b. The Designated Safeguarding Lead is required to keep records about any safeguarding concerns. BAFA prefers to use secure electronic storage rather than keep paper records, ensuring that no-one else outside of BAFA has access to it and only those who need access to the digital safeguarding folder have it. The safeguarding folder will contain a safeguarding concerns log and safeguarding case files.  

A safeguarding case file is the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s record of any decision making, actions or information related to the concern and it should include 

• Name of the Designated Safeguarding Lead. 
• Date concern received.
• Who else the concern was discussed with. 
• Action taken. 
• Any rationale for decision making. 
• External organisations reported or referred to. 
• Information sharing (who, when and why). 

A safeguarding concerns log is a tool for the Designated Safeguarding Lead to keep a track of the safeguarding concerns reported to them or the Trustee Safeguarding Lead. The concerns log should give the reader a quick guide to outstanding cases and actions. It should not include any personal details, which should be kept in the safeguarding case file. The concerns log also helps the Safeguarding Leads to report both internally and externally on the number and types of safeguarding concerns they’re receiving. 

c. Safeguarding records should 

• Be started as soon as the appropriate Safeguarding Lead becomes aware of any concern.
• Use clear and straightforward language. 
• Be concise and accurate, so they can be understood by anyone not familiar with the case. 
• Clearly differentiate between facts, opinions and judgements. 
• Make sure they’re up to date and preferably in chronological order. 

d. In managing the storage of safeguarding records the appropriate Safeguarding Lead will: 

• Keep them secure and separate from any general records. 
• Separate each person. 
• Only keep them for as long as necessary. 
• Make sure they’re only accessible to relevant trustees and other necessary BAFA agents. 

 

Appendix 1 

Forms of Abuse 

Forms of abuse can include: 

Physical abuse such as: hitting, pushing, pinching, shaking, misuse of medication, scalding, inappropriate restraint, hair-pulling. 

Sexual abuse such as: rape or sexual assault; sexual acts to which the adult at risk has not or could not have consented, or to which they were pressurised into consenting or encouraging people to watch inappropriate materials. 

Psychological or emotional abuse such as: threats of harm or abandonment; deprivation of social or any other form of contact; humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, or harassment; verbal abuse; prevention from receiving services or support. 

Financial or material abuse such as: theft; fraud or exploitation; pressure in connection with wills, property, or inheritance; misuse of property, possessions, or benefits. 

Neglect or acts of omission such as: ignoring medical or physical care needs; preventing access to health, social care, or educational services; withholding the necessities of life, such as food, drink, or heating. 

Discriminatory abuse such as that based upon a person’s race, sexuality, or disability, any other forms of harassment or slurs. 

Domestic violence – all forms of abuse can be experienced in a family setting by a partner, family member, or with someone with whom there is a relationship. 

Institutional abuse and poor practice – disrespect and unethical practice, ill treatment and professional misconduct. 

 

Appendix 2  

Safeguarding Reporting Form 

This form should be used to record safeguarding concerns relating to children and/or vulnerable adults. The form should be completed at the time or immediately following disclosure, but after all necessary emergency actions have been taken. 

All the information must be treated as confidential and reported by sending this form by email to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Trustee Safeguarding Lead within 24 hours marked ‘Confidential’.

Please complete the form as fully as possible. 

Download a PDF of this policy including the Safeguarding Reporting Form