Vogrie Pogrie Festival - Children's Safeguarding Policy
1. Introduction
Vogrie Pogrie ("the Festival") is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people attending the event. This Safeguarding Policy outlines the measures we take to protect children from harm and abuse, and the responsibilities of all staff, volunteers, and performers in maintaining a safe environment.
2. Scope of the Policy
This policy applies to all Festival staff, volunteers, performers, vendors, and any other individuals or organizations involved in the event who may come into contact with children and young people. For the purpose of this policy, a "child" is defined as anyone under the age of 18.
3. Our Commitment to Safeguarding
● We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment where children can enjoy the Festival.
● We recognize our responsibility to safeguard children from harm and ensure their welfare at all times.
● We will take all reasonable steps to prevent the harm, abuse, or exploitation of children and respond appropriately to any concerns raised.
4. Responsibilities
● Vogrie Pogrie Management Team: Ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and followed. Provide training and guidance on safeguarding to all relevant staff and volunteers.
● Staff and Volunteers: Must be vigilant, follow safeguarding procedures, and report any concerns about a child's safety or welfare to the designated Safeguarding Lead. ●
Performers and Traders: Must adhere to this policy and report any safeguarding concerns to the designated Safeguarding Lead.
● Parents and Guardians: Are responsible for their children at all times while attending the Festival. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
5. Code of Conduct
All individuals involved in the Festival are expected to:
● Treat all children with respect and dignity.
● Ensure that their behavior is appropriate at all times and in line with this policy.
● Avoid any unnecessary physical contact with children.
● Not be alone with a child where possible; interactions should be in an open, visible space.
● Avoid any form of discriminatory, aggressive, or inappropriate behavior.
● Report any safeguarding concerns immediately to the designated Safeguarding Lead or
Duty Manager.
6. Recruitment and Training
● All staff and volunteers who are likely to have direct and unsupervised contact with children will undergo appropriate background checks, including a Disclosure and Barring
Service (DBS) check, where applicable.
● Safeguarding training will be provided to all relevant staff and volunteers before the Festival to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children.
7. Safeguarding Procedures
● Reporting Concerns: Any concerns about a child's welfare should be reported immediately to the designated Safeguarding Lead or Duty Manager. This includes
concerns about physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, or any other form of harm.
● Responding to Disclosures: If a child discloses information regarding abuse or harm:
○ Listen carefully and calmly, without making judgments or promises.
○ Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by speaking up.
○ Do not investigate or ask leading questions.
○ Report the disclosure to the designated Safeguarding Lead or Duty Manager as soon as possible.
● Designated Safeguarding Lead: The Festival will appoint a designated Safeguarding Lead responsible for managing safeguarding concerns, providing advice, and liaising
with local authorities when necessary. Their contact details will be made available to all staff, volunteers, and attendees.
8. Managing Allegations
● Any allegations against staff, volunteers, performers, or traders will be taken seriously and handled in accordance with local safeguarding procedures.
● The designated Safeguarding Lead will report allegations to the Event Management Team and appropriate authorities and cooperate fully with any investigations.
9. Lost Children
● If a child is lost the member of the festival team should wait with the child and notify the Safeguarding Lead or Duty Manager immediately giving their exact location so that they can find the member of staff and child.
● The Safeguarding Lead will follow procedures to ensure the child is safely reunited with their parent or guardian as soon as possible.
10. Photography and Filming
● We will make it clear to all attendees at the festival that images will be taken for promotional material and that if they wish to opt out of this to make the Event
Management Team aware of this. Information will then be passed to official photographers.
● Staff and volunteers are prohibited from taking unauthorized photographs of children.
11. Health and Safety
● The Festival will ensure that the event environment is safe for children by conducting risk
assessments and implementing appropriate health and safety measures.
● First aid facilities will be available on-site, and staff will be trained to respond to any medical emergencies.
● First Aiders will wear First Aid high-vis so they can be easily identified by attendees.
● 12. Review and Monitoring
● This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect any changes in legislation or best practices.
● The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored by the designated Safeguarding Lead and the Event Management Team.
13. Contact Information
● Designated Safeguarding Lead: Nikki Orrell
● Festival Emergency Contact: will be provided to you once on site
● Local Child Protection Services:
Children and Families Contact Centre:
0131 271 6674 ( Office Hours)
0800 731 6969 (Out of Office Hours)
Email: cfreferrals@midlothian.gov.uk
● Local Police (non-emergency): 101