Safeguarding
What is Safeguarding and why is it so important?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means:
- Protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and maltreatment;
- Preventing harm to children and vulnerable adults’ health or development;
- Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care;
- Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Having a Safeguarding Policy is important for any members organisation that has contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults. BBE offers a Disclosure and Barring Service [DBS] checking service to member and non-member bands. We also administer a free online self-assessment toolkit called, Bandsafe.
What is Child Performance Licensing Legislation and how does it affect our band?
The Children (Performances and Activities - England) Regulations 2014 came into effect on 6th February 2015. These regulations replaced the Children Performances Regulations 1968 as amended, which were repealed in their entirety together with all guidance that related to them.
Child Performance Licensing legislation is something that has been put in place to safeguard children whilst taking part in various types of performance, including Brass Bands. Different Local Authorities interpret this legislation differently, meaning some bands have faced problems with this legislation. In response to this, the National Network for Children in Employment (NNCEE) have produced this advisory document to obtain better consistency. However, this is guidance not regulation and thus it still remains at the discretion of each Local Authority on how they regulate the issuing of licenses.
Local Authorities often lack the capacity to respond to enquiries and are, more often than not, over-cautious in their advice about this. We would recommend contacting us in the first instance if you have any enquiries about Child Performance Licensing Legislation – we will research this for you.
Full guidance from can be found via this link.
BandSafe
What is BandSafe?
BandSafe is a free online self-assessment toolkit for Brass Bands (or any amateur music group). The toolkit has been designed by Brass Band musician and Safeguarding Champion, Heidi Bradley and is based upon a set of standards written by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children [NSPCC] for youth organisations. The aim of BandSafe is to support Bands in the development of policies and procedures that are fit for purpose and put in place to minimise risks to the members and integrity of the Band.
What is included in the toolkit?
The self-assessment toolkit is composed of a series of questions across four sections;
- Section 1: Recruiting New Players and Allocating Roles to Volunteers
- Section 2: Safeguarding Members of the Band
- Section 3: Avoiding accidents and delivering safe activities and events
- Section 4: Supporting Young People and Vulnerable Adults within your Band
Once these questions have been answered, a personalised action plan is formed which provides advice and guidance based on your answers as well as supporting documents. The action plan can be viewed online or printed.
Do I have to be a member of BBE to access this toolkit?
The online toolkit and all supporting documents are free to access for all brass bands regardless of their membership status to Brass Bands England. We felt that it is our duty not to withhold any supporting information and resources that could help protect brass bands and their members. There is, however, a benefit to becoming a member, in that access to BandSafe Training is heavily discounted and officer support is available to support you with the actions within your plan. Brass Bands England are also currently working towards BandSafe becoming a kitemark accreditation. In order to achieve this kitemark, a band would need to be a member of Brass Bands England.
How do I access the toolkit?
Visit www.bandsafe.org.uk and create a log in by providing an email address and brief details about you and your band, after which you will receive an email notification with a password. Use this password to log in and work through the series of questions across the four sections. You can then download your action plan and access the supporting resources. Your password can be changed to something more memorable through the profile section of the site.
You can find our Bandsafe training dates here.