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Child protection & safeguarding policy.

Approved August 2026 · Next scheduled review August 2027

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  1. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY
  2. SCOPE
  3. SAFEGUARDING LEADERSHIP
  4. RECOGNISING SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS
  5. RESPONDING TO A DISCLOSURE
  6. REPORTING A CONCERN
  7. RECORDING AND CONFIDENTIALITY
  8. SAFER RECRUITMENT AND DBS CHECKS
  9. STAFF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
  10. PHYSICAL CONTACT AND DANCE TEACHING
  11. ONE-TO-ONE AND PRIVATE LESSONS
  12. CHANGING ROOMS, TOILETS AND PERSONAL PRIVACY
  13. ARRIVAL, ATTENDANCE AND COLLECTION
  14. PHOTOGRAPHY, FILMING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
  15. EXTERNAL VENUES, FESTIVALS AND PERFORMANCES
  16. CHAPERONES AND VOLUNTEERS
  17. ALLEGATIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT AN ADULT
  18. LOW-LEVEL CONCERNS
  19. CHILD-ON-CHILD ABUSE
  20. ONLINE SAFETY
  21. EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND THE CHILD'S VOICE
  22. TRAINING AND AWARENESS
  23. WHISTLEBLOWING
  24. DATA PROTECTION AND INFORMATION SHARING
  25. REVIEW AND RELATED POLICIES

Approved: August 2026
Next scheduled review: August 2027, or sooner if guidance or circumstances change
Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead: Leanne Hughes
Vice Principal and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Jocelyn Hughes
Administrator: Janice Hughes
Leanne Hughes Theatre School
LHTS Studios, Enterprise Way, off Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 4SZ
Email: lhtheatreschool@gmail.com
Telephone: 07872 589800

In this policy, "parent" includes a parent, guardian or carer. "Staff" includes teachers, teaching assistants, contractors, volunteers, chaperones and anyone working on behalf of LHTS.

PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY

Leanne Hughes Theatre School (LHTS) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child in its care.

The welfare of the child is our primary consideration. Every child has the right to feel safe, be listened to and be protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.

LHTS will:

Under no circumstances may a member of staff or volunteer inflict physical or psychological harm on a child.

SCOPE

This policy applies to:

Where LHTS works with an adult who may be at risk of abuse or neglect, concerns will be handled under the relevant adult safeguarding procedures.

LHTS recognises that some children may be more vulnerable to harm or may face additional barriers to being heard. This may include children with disabilities or special educational needs, children experiencing discrimination, children with communication needs, children in care and children affected by domestic abuse or difficult family circumstances.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered so that children can participate safely and communicate any concerns.

SAFEGUARDING LEADERSHIP

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Leanne Hughes.

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Jocelyn Hughes.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

If the Designated Safeguarding Lead is unavailable, concerns must be reported to the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The absence of either safeguarding lead must never delay action where a child may be at risk. Anyone may contact children's social care or the police directly.

RECOGNISING SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS

Safeguarding concerns can include, but are not limited to:

A child does not need to make a direct disclosure before a concern can be reported.

Concerns may arise from something a child says, an injury, a change in behaviour, inappropriate adult conduct, information from another person or a pattern of smaller incidents.

Staff are not responsible for proving that abuse has taken place. Their responsibility is to notice, respond, record and report.

RESPONDING TO A DISCLOSURE

If a child says that they have been harmed or are afraid of someone, the adult receiving the information must:

The child should be told what is likely to happen next, using language appropriate to their age and understanding.

REPORTING A CONCERN

Any concern about a child's safety or welfare must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible on the same day.

If a child is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical attention, call 999.

For urgent safeguarding concerns in Central Bedfordshire:

Integrated Front Door: 0300 300 8585
Out of hours: 0300 300 8123
Police non-emergency number: 101
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Childline: 0800 1111

A referral does not require proof that abuse has occurred. A reasonable concern that a child may be suffering or at risk of significant harm is enough to seek advice or make a referral.

Where appropriate, parents will be informed that a concern is being referred. Parents will not be informed first if doing so may:

RECORDING AND CONFIDENTIALITY

A written safeguarding record must be made as soon as possible after the concern arises.

The record should include:

Records must distinguish clearly between fact, observation, allegation and professional opinion.

Safeguarding records will be stored securely and separately from general pupil information. Access will be restricted to those who need the information to protect the child or fulfil a legal responsibility.

Information will be shared on a need-to-know basis. Data-protection law does not prevent appropriate information sharing for safeguarding purposes.

Safeguarding records will be retained and disposed of securely in accordance with legal, insurance and safeguarding requirements. They will not automatically be destroyed when a pupil leaves LHTS.

SAFER RECRUITMENT AND DBS CHECKS

LHTS will take reasonable steps to ensure that adults working with children are suitable for their roles.

This may include:

The level of DBS check will be appropriate and legally available for the individual's role. LHTS will review its arrangements when the rules governing regulated activity or DBS eligibility change.

A DBS certificate is only one part of safer recruitment and does not replace references, supervision, professional boundaries or the duty to report concerns.

Staff and volunteers must tell LHTS promptly about any police investigation, charge, caution, conviction, professional restriction or other matter that may affect their suitability to work with children.

STAFF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES

Staff and volunteers must:

Staff must not transport a child alone in a private vehicle unless this has been specifically authorised and appropriate arrangements are in place.

Personal care must not be provided unless necessary, agreed and managed in a way that protects the dignity and safety of the child and adult.

PHYSICAL CONTACT AND DANCE TEACHING

Appropriate physical contact may sometimes be required to:

Physical correction must always be necessary, proportionate and appropriate to the pupil's age, needs and the activity.

Where practical, teachers should explain the correction and seek the pupil's agreement before making contact.

Physical contact must never be:

A pupil's request not to be touched must be respected unless immediate contact is necessary to prevent injury.

ONE-TO-ONE AND PRIVATE LESSONS

Private lessons and one-to-one coaching must be conducted in an appropriate teaching environment.

Where reasonably possible:

Unavoidable one-to-one situations must never be used as an opportunity for secretive or inappropriate conduct.

CHANGING ROOMS, TOILETS AND PERSONAL PRIVACY

Children's privacy and dignity must be respected in changing rooms and toilets.

No photography, filming or recording is permitted in toilets or changing rooms.

Adults must not enter a changing room being used by children unless:

Where children of different ages or genders share a facility, LHTS will make suitable arrangements taking account of age, privacy, supervision, venue limitations and individual needs.

Parents assisting their own child must remain mindful of the privacy and dignity of other children.

ARRIVAL, ATTENDANCE AND COLLECTION

A register will be taken for all classes and supervised activities.

Children must not enter a studio until invited by a teacher or another authorised adult.

LHTS is responsible for a child only during their scheduled class or another specifically supervised activity.

Parents remain responsible for children before they are handed to LHTS staff and immediately after the activity finishes.

Parents must:

LHTS may delay releasing a child while an unexpected or potentially unsafe collection arrangement is checked.

If a child is not collected, staff will attempt to contact the parent and emergency contacts. If no suitable adult can be contacted or the child's welfare is a concern, LHTS may seek advice from children's social care or the police.

PHOTOGRAPHY, FILMING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Photography, filming and online communication will be managed under the LHTS Social Media, Photography and Filming Policy.

LHTS will record and respect the permissions held for each pupil. A child's own wishes will also be taken into account.

Photographs or recordings must not be taken in changing rooms, toilets or during personal care.

Parents and visitors may photograph or film only where LHTS or the event organiser has expressly permitted it.

Parents must not publish an identifiable image or recording of another person's child without permission.

Full names will not normally be published alongside identifiable images. LHTS will avoid sharing information that could unnecessarily disclose a child's live location, schedule, school or personal circumstances.

EXTERNAL VENUES, FESTIVALS AND PERFORMANCES

This policy applies to LHTS activities held at external venues.

Before attending an external venue, LHTS will consider:

Children taking part in licensed performances will be supervised in accordance with the licence, venue requirements and relevant child-performance regulations.

Only authorised adults may enter backstage or dressing-room areas.

Signing-in and signing-out arrangements will be used where appropriate. Children must be collected from the designated location by an authorised adult.

CHAPERONES AND VOLUNTEERS

Chaperones and volunteers must be suitable for their responsibilities and appropriately briefed.

Where a performance licence requires a licensed chaperone, LHTS will use an appropriately licensed person.

A parent helping with costumes or supervision is not automatically permitted unrestricted access to children or backstage areas.

Volunteers must:

ALLEGATIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT AN ADULT

Any concern that an adult working with children has:

must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If the concern relates to Leanne Hughes, it must be reported to Jocelyn Hughes or directly to the Central Bedfordshire Local Authority Designated Officer service.

LHTS will seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer before beginning an internal investigation where the allegation meets the relevant threshold.

LHTS may remove an adult from duties or introduce additional safeguards while the concern is considered. This is a neutral protective measure and does not, by itself, determine that the allegation is true.

Where required, LHTS will make referrals to the police, children's social care, the Disclosure and Barring Service, a professional body or another appropriate organisation.

LOW-LEVEL CONCERNS

A concern about an adult's behaviour may not meet the threshold for a formal allegation but may still be inconsistent with expected professional standards.

Examples include:

Low-level concerns must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead rather than ignored.

LHTS will record and review these concerns so that patterns of behaviour can be identified and addressed.

CHILD-ON-CHILD ABUSE

LHTS recognises that children can harm other children.

This may include:

Such behaviour will not be dismissed as banter, drama or part of growing up.

LHTS will respond to protect all children involved, consider their ages and needs, record the concern and seek safeguarding advice where necessary.

The child who may have caused harm may also require support and safeguarding intervention.

ONLINE SAFETY

LHTS will promote safe and appropriate online behaviour.

Staff must use approved channels when communicating about LHTS activities. Personal or disappearing-message communication between staff and pupils is not permitted.

Children and adults must not:

Online safeguarding concerns must be reported in the same way as concerns arising in person.

Suspected indecent images of a child must not be copied, forwarded or downloaded. The concern must be reported immediately and advice sought from the police or safeguarding services.

EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND THE CHILD'S VOICE

LHTS will not discriminate on the grounds of disability, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or any other protected characteristic.

Children will be encouraged to:

Children will be given information in a way they can understand. Communication needs and reasonable adjustments will be considered when listening to or supporting a child.

TRAINING AND AWARENESS

Staff and regular volunteers will receive safeguarding information during induction and appropriate updates thereafter.

Training will cover:

Staff must confirm that they have read and understood this policy.

Safeguarding leads will maintain appropriate safeguarding training and remain familiar with current national and local guidance.

WHISTLEBLOWING

Everyone working with LHTS has a responsibility to report unsafe, inappropriate or unlawful practice.

A person who feels unable to report internally, or believes that a concern has not been handled properly, may contact:

No person will be treated unfairly for raising a genuine safeguarding concern in good faith.

DATA PROTECTION AND INFORMATION SHARING

LHTS will collect and use personal information only where there is a lawful and proper reason to do so.

Information may be shared with:

Information will be limited to what is relevant and necessary.

Consent is not required where sharing information is necessary to protect a child, prevent serious harm or comply with a legal responsibility.

REVIEW AND RELATED POLICIES

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner following:

Related LHTS documents include:

This policy is available to pupils, parents, staff and volunteers upon request.

Policy owner: Leanne Hughes
Approved: August 2026. Next scheduled review: August 2027

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