1. Introduction

 

I. The MYTI Club (the Organisation) is a charity (registration number 12024720) run for the following purpose:
 

A youth club to provide young people with positive activities after school and during school holidays

 

II. The Organisation is based at:
 

The Phoenix Youth Centre
Preston Manor Road
Tadworth
KT20 5FB

 

III. The Organisation has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at The MYTI Club to support it and comply with it. Consequently this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Organisation.

2. Purpose of the Policy

 

I. This policy is intended to protect children and young people who receive any service from us.

 

II. The Organisation believes that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and is committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, and to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

3. The Risks to Children

 

Nearly every child grows up in a safe and happy environment and it is important not to exaggerate or overestimate the dangers. Nevertheless, there are situations where children need protection including but not limited to:

- Sexual abuse;
- Grooming;
- Physical and emotional abuse and neglect;
- Domestic violence;
- Inappropriate supervision by staff or volunteers;
- Bullying, cyber bullying, acts of violence and aggression within our schools and campuses and elsewhere;
- Victimisation;
- Self-harm;
- Unsafe environments and activities;
- Crime; and
- Exploitation.

4. Universality of Protection

 

The Organisation recognises that:

 

(a) the welfare of the child is paramount;
(b) all children regardless of race, gender, religious belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity have a right to equal protection from harm;
(c) some children are more vulnerable to harm as a result of their circumstances, prior experiences, communication needs or level of dependency; and
(d) working with children, young people, their parents and/or guardians, carers or other agencies is essential to protecting their wellbeing.

5. Safeguarding Children at Events/Activities

 

1. There are three kinds of events/activities:

 

(a). those open to adults and children of all ages;

(b). those for children accompanied by a 'parent'; and

(c). those for unaccompanied children, which may sometimes run alongside other events/activities.

 

In most cases, whilst the children’s parent, carer or guardian will deliver their children to the Club and collect them at the end of the session, during the Club’s activities they will be supervised by The MYTI Club’s team of Youth Workers all of which will have a current enhanced DBS certificate.

If a parent is present at the club alongside their child, they are considered to have sole responsibility for that child. 

 

1. At all Club events, children under 16 must be delivered to the Club’s location and collected by an adult over the age of 18.
    

2. Parents and guardians must complete an online membership application form prior to attendance (which includes emergency contact details and information relevant to the child’s wellbeing) and ensure that all children are registered upon arrival (i.e. recorded in the Club’s register).
    

3. Should contact details change, parents should immediately update the application form online or by advising the Club Manager.

 

 

1. Other information required on the application form includes:

a) The child’s full name and address including postcode

b) The child’s date of birth
c) The child’s school
d) Whether the child is in receipt of free school meals (and eligible for financial support)

e) The parent’s / guardian’s full name and address including an email address (which will be used for Club communications)

f) A medical and dietary questionnaire

g) Consent for the child’s photograph to be included in social media and other publicity activity.

VI. Both events and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions where the Club will be providing a service.

6. Disclosure and Barring

​

I. The MYTI Club offers the following activities for children:
 

A wide variety of arts and crafts, sports, drama, music and cooking and other enrichment activities.

​

II. Some of our activities may require adult participants or adult leaders who will undergo Enhanced DBS (Data Baring Service) checks and/or police checks under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The required level of checking (if any) will broadly reflect the degree and frequency of unsupervised access given to other people's children.

​

III. The MYTI Club will take very seriously any allegation of impropriety on the part of any member of the Club. A member of the Club, or any parent or guardian who discovers anything amiss should get in touch immediately with the following:

​

GRACE CARROLL (Club Manager)

 

IV. Allegations will be appropriately reviewed and the likely risk to children and, if appropriate, will consider banning the member from future events or revoking his or her membership or both, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of the Club.

 

V. All allegations should also be reported to JO DAVEY (Trustee responsible for Safeguarding) which will be reviewed and discussed at the next Trustee Meeting.

7. Health and Safety Aspects of Safeguarding Children

 

I. Before starting any event for unaccompanied children, the MYTI Team will conduct a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Parents and children will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks. The MYTI Team will keep a record of all risk assessments.

 

II. Sufficient adults must be present at any event for unaccompanied children to enable one adult to deal with any emergency while another adult supervises the children not directly affected by the emergency.

8. Prevention of Bullying

 

The Club will not tolerate the bullying of children either by adults or by other children. If any incident of child-on-child bullying should arise at a Club event, those involved will be separated immediately and the parents/guardians of the children involved will be asked to deal with the matter. The Team will review all incidents of child-on-child bullying and assess the likely future risk to children. If appropriate, the Team will consider banning a child from future events, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of the Club. Allegations of adults bullying children will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy and reported to the Club’s Trustees.

9. Photographing Children

 

People must expect to have their photograph taken at many of our events and we reserve the right to publish suitable photographs of those attending, along with the names of members involved.

10. Managing Behaviour, Discipline and Acceptable Restraint

 

I. Adults supervising children at the Organisation’s events must never use any form of corporal punishment. If physical restraint is absolutely necessary to prevent injury to any person or to prevent serious damage to property, then the minimum necessary restraint may be used — but for that purpose only.

 

II. Unacceptable behaviour at the Club’s events for unaccompanied children will generally be stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group. The miscreants will be suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.

 

III. The Club may apply a further disciplinary sanction; namely the banning of the child from one or more future events. Any such sanction would be determined and applied by the following officer: GRACE CARROLL (Club Manager).
 

IV. A parent who is aggrieved by this ban may appeal to the Organisation’s Trustees who will hear the views of all relevant persons. The decision of the Trustees will then be final. Any such appeals should be made to and will be determined by the Trustees.

11. Legal Framework

 

This policy has been drawn up in accordance with the following legislation and guidance:

- Children Act 1989
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
- General Data Protection Regulation
- Data Protection Act 2018
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Children Act 2004
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
- Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Children and Social Work 2017
- What to do if you're worried a child is being abused: advice for practitioners (Department of Education, 2015)
- Working together to safeguard children (Department for Education, 2018)

This Policy is approved by The MYTI Club Trustees and robustly endorsed by The MYTI Club, registered Charity number 1202474 and is due for review every two years.

Last updated 22nd May 2023 (John Kemp)