Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Odd Theatre Community Interest Company – Safeguarding, Vulnerable Adults and Child Protection Policy

Odd Arts always aims to promote good practice:

• Providing adults, children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of Odd Arts
• Allow all staff/ volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues
• Protect and safeguard all staff, volunteers and freelancers whilst working on behalf of Odd Arts
• Everybody who works for or on behalf of Odd Arts takes responsibility for safeguarding

A child is defined as under 18 – The Child Protection Act 1989:

If a participant / individual working with Odd Arts is not under 18, and therefore not a child, they would be deemed by Odd Arts as a vulnerable adult due to the nature of our work and client groups we work with. Vulnerable adults will have similar heightened safeguarding practice (similar to that of a child), in order to protect both them and our staff.

Work in youth and community settings:

For our work within youth settings including, where we are unable to gain an emergency contact number for a child under the age of 13 years old, we may work with them only in the following circumstances:

• The risk of not working with them is greater than working with them (examples include a child under 13 being unaccompanied late evening in a youth centre or street area without any responsible adult; vulnerability is apparent or they are in high risk surroundings)
• The same safeguarding and risk assessment rules apply for working with young people without an emergency contact detail so that any risk is reduced as much as possible within the session
• Ask for the contact details of any of the following: school; medical centre/doctor; any other public service centre they might use
• Ask the reception/centre/library or partner agency if they have contact details for the child in question. If partner agencies have these details and we are working in partnership this will class as having an emergency contact detail
• Send child home with a form to be completed and returned and a telephone contact detail for our organisation/ DSL (07763903564)
• Ensure the child knows future visits that a completed form should be filled
• If the child is so young or does not have the capability to keep themselves safe and they are at risk by being unaccompanied, inform the DSL and DSL will follow all standard safeguarding protocol and follow up, ensuring the child is able to get home safely
• If the child returns on a further date with no emergency contact details Odd Arts DSL will contact partner agents and make a plan of action for the safeguarding of the child

Key Safeguarding guidelines:

1. Safeguarding Policy

The Odd Arts (OA) Safeguarding Policy shall be made available to all employers and employees of OA. OA and employees will work in accordance with child protection policies of organisations/ institutions employing OA. It will be updated at least annually and signed off by Board members.

2. Statement

“Odd Arts CIO is committed to safe and best practice when working with all young people, children and vulnerable adults. All people will be treated equitably, fairly and respectfully at all times by all OA staff according to the OA Safeguarding Policy code of conduct. Odd Arts adopts a culture where reporting is proactive and preventative and happens at the earliest stage, and where transparency amongst staff in order to make all reporting as easy as possible.”

3. Guidelines

3.1 Staff and freelancers employed by OA are required to read and understand the Safeguarding code of conduct (outlined below).

3.2 All staff, freelancers and volunteers will undergo an induction to safeguarding, including appropriate and safe behaviour and practice with vulnerable adults and children. This will be
updated at least annually for all staff, and a training record will be kept. All staff should understand that all safeguarding reports should be logged via the online report form in writing https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ3FYMhunvzg3S9OLhucDEHDrOSP0jkEXOWEDDDCVbA_MrvQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

3.3 All staff will be expected to adhere to our anti-bullying policy and our social media policy which relate to our safeguarding policy.

3.4 All OA staff and freelancers are required to undertake a DBS and reference checks before employment if working directly with participants. If this DBS has not been undertaken OA would
require to see a completed one. If this is not possible immediately, those staff will not be allowed to be left alone with any vulnerable adults or children at any point. If agreed by Senior Management, without a DBS, they may be allowed to work with children or vulnerable adults, but will not be left at any point by a lead worker who is DBS cleared. Char Fielden, Office Manager updates the policies and manages these through the DBS update service.

3.5 Where an employee / freelancer or volunteer has a criminal record, OA will work in accordance with the law, as well as evaluating and risk assessing case-by-case. If we deem the person as safe and suitable for working with a particular group, OA will not stop an individual working with young people or vulnerable adults. This will be assessed by Senior Management & DSL. Anyone named on the Sex Offenders’ Register or convicted of child abuse will not be allowed to work with OA. When deciding whether a member of staff is ‘safe’ the following are taken into consideration: Length of time since the offence; nature of offence; role and responsibility within the company. Odd Arts is open to working with people with a criminal record and will always assess whether or not this is appropriate on an individual basis. The assessment will always prioritise the safety of beneficiaries, whilst also preventing unnecessary discrimination towards people with a criminal record. In line with OA vision, values and aims we would always consider working with people with a criminal record as we believe and know that people have the ability to change and that criminality is often associated with other forms of inequalities and discrimination. However, safety will always be paramount.

3.6 Where staff will be given a full time contract or a contract which allows them access to working with vulnerable adults or children alone, as well as a checked DBS (whilst waiting for completion of this, they will be required to remain with Lead staff members at all time whilst working with beneficiaries), they will also be safeguarding trained and also have references checked. All Company Staff who take part in delivery are expected to undergo safeguarding refresher training every 12 months. OA will update the Disclosure Bureau Service with any changes we know of, including suspensions (where the staff member leaves before an allegation investigation is fully completed). OA staff at ‘support’ or ‘assistant’ level will always be working with an additional member of staff. No staff member, unless agreed after consideration at manager level where risk is considered (see above notes on community working), will be allowed to work alone with children. Some occasions it may be necessary for a staff member to work one on one – such as for mentoring or in some community settings – for mentoring OA have an additional policy. Staff can always request a risk assessment by the DSL/SLT if they believe 1-2-1 working is necessary.

3.7 The DSL, CEO and project managers are responsible for the monitoring of safeguarding procedures on projects and all concerns shall be reported to them. All staff are responsible for reporting. They should do this by following the below flowchart; and understanding that all safeguarding reports should be written up via the safeguarding report form on the same day of incident/concern: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ3FYMhunvzg3S9OLhucDEHDrOSP0jkEXOWEDDDCVbA_MrvQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

3.8 Assessments of risk of harm will be made in advance of all projects by the Project Manager and this information will be made available to all relevant staff in OA. Where projects are repeated a risk assessment can be duplicated. As a result of an assessment the relevant changes will be made to the running of the project. Risk assessments should be updated and all new staff should be made aware of its content in relevant projects / individuals.

3.9 Where OA works with young people or vulnerable adults in a mentoring, post prison release or one-on-one capacity, the individuals will be risk assessed with appropriate agencies beforehand (for example probation / YOT), and any legal conditions will be adhered to. All staff are required to read, understand and adhere to our Mentoring Policy before mentoring, and also make mentees aware of its content at the first stage of working with them, to manage expectations.

3.10 If possible, OA will provide two members of staff. Please see the mentoring policy.

3.10b OA staff should challenge negative behaviour using a restorative and needs based approach, without shouting, touching, standing too close, belittling or putting down participants. OA staff should never force someone to do something or ever snatch anything from participants or forcibly move them. OA staff should not swear or use any other language that could be deemed
offensive by beneficiaries (unless this is purposefully scripted within performances with the aim of educating on certain issues). OA staff should never take part in restraints and always leave this to trained staff from external partners we are working with. On the occasion of a child or adult in danger (for example running towards a road or vehicle; more likely when the beneficiary has additional needs, then if required Odd Arts must step in to prevent further risk but only where risk to life or serious harm/injury is feared). This will always be avoided where possible and left to skilled staff who have been trained in manual handling or restraint. A small number of staff may undertake manual handling or restraint training only for exceptional circumstances, and this should still be avoided in any way possible.

3.11 OA staff, volunteers or freelancers will not transport young people either within or outside the workplace, unless written agreement has been agreed from the CEO or DSL.

3.12 All workers and volunteers with substantial access to young people and vulnerable adults will:

• Undertake DBS checks (where appropriate, and if a recent one cannot be provided; safeguarding clauses apply which have been outlined above)
• Complete application forms
• Provide references
• Be interviewed before taking up the post
• Provide full explanation for any gaps in employment history
• Complete a probationary period
• Be supervised appropriately
• Receive appropriate training
• Be made aware of all relevant policy and procedures
• Plan appropriate activities for young people
• Have appropriate insurance for activities
• Ensure that all activities meet Health and Safety requirements
• Not be left alone to supervise a group unless agreed by a CEO/DSO

3.13 All staff employed by OA will receive safeguarding training which will be updated on review of the staff knowledge and responsibilities. It will be refreshed as a minimum once every 12 months (either externally or internally by the DO) and all relevant safeguarding training will be logged. More regular and informal update training will be completed throughout the year.

4. Supervision/ Employer input

4.1 Where practical, OA workshops and performances will be supervised by staff from the school/institution/ organisation employing OA.

4.2 Supervision from staff can include being available throughout workshop sessions, not necessarily in the same room.

4.3 Staffing will be evaluated on a project-by-project basis.

5. Transport Policy

In certain situations staff or volunteers may be required to offer transport to participants as part of their work. The employer has a duty to undertake a risk assessment covering the health and safety of their staff to manage any known risks. Staff should not offer lifts to participants unless this has been agreed by a manager. A designated member of staff should be appointed to plan and provide oversight of all transport arrangements and respond to any concerns that may arise. Wherever possible and practicable it is advisable that transport is undertaken other than in private vehicles and one adult additional to the driver acting as an escort. Staff should never offer to transport pupils outside of their normal working duties, other than in an emergency or where not doing so would mean the child may be at risk. In these circumstances the matter should be recorded and reported to their manager.

6. Warning signs, recognising abuse and high risk behaviours

Guidance around high risk online behaviours such as SEXTING

Staff guidance in response to high risk behaviours such as SEXTING:

• Aggravated incidents must involve DSL & other agencies
• Never check the image yourself as you could be implicated
• Child sexual images should be taken to the Police – do not look at these or open these in advance
• GDPR/Data protection do not prevent or limit the sharing of information for keeping a child or vulnerable person safe
• The message is clear here, that adults should not take images of a child’s injury, bruising or similar (e.g. following a disclosure of abuse) even if requested by children’s social care; or make audio recordings of a child’s disclosure
• Staff should also never check someone’s phone for explicit images. If you are made aware that a child or adult has inappropriate / illegal footage on their phone you must report to the police and not check this yourself

6.1. Recognition of abuse
Please note that the below list is by no means exhaustive, and does not confirm that abuse is taking place, or that the abuse is of the indicated type. However, these signs are always something that should be recorded and reported to your DO

Types of abuse:

• Sexual
• Physical
• Induced / fabricated illness
• Neglect
• Emotional
• Children who witness domestic violence
• FGM
• Forced marriage
• CSE
• Radicalisation & extremism
• Obesity strategy

Radicalisation is considered by Odd Arts a safeguarding and vulnerability issue and therefore the guidance throughout our safeguarding policy is also relevant to the handling of people at risk of radicalisation.

Below is specific information on what to do and look out for regarding:

• Suicidal thoughts
• CCE
• FGM

Guidance for staff around reporting & responding to disclosures and safeguarding concerns:

Responding to disclosures:

• Compassion / show you care
• Take time, slow down
• Reflect back
• Make notes (but explain why)
• Acknowledge the bravery someone has shown in sharing
• Share and report
• Look after yourself
• Utilise supervisors for support
• Never ask leading questions

Making notes / reports

• Same day
• Don’t leave venue until passed on
• Police in absolutely emergency
• Speak to manager on phone and write written form
• Collect as many details as possible
• Fact not opinion
• Follow our safeguarding procedures

Professional curiosity

• Look / listen
• Ask direct questions
• Reflect (with peer)
• Enquire deeper
• Respectful scepticism
• Believe the unbelievable
• Predict don’t assume
• Flexible, non-judgemental, unbiased, open minded
• Professional judgement, common sense, intuition and gut feelings!

Consider – what could be barriers to your own professional curiosity and how can you overcome these?

Designated safeguarding lead

The Odd Arts Safeguarding & Child Protection Designated Officer is: Rebecca Friel (CEO) Tel: 07763 903564.

Role of the designated safeguarding lead: The designated safeguarding lead should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and the protection of vulnerable adults and children, as well as all participants. This should be explicit in the role holder’s job description. This person should have the appropriate status and authority within the organisation to carry out the duties of the post. They should be given the time, funding, training, resources and support to provide advice and support to other staff on child welfare and child protection matters, to take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings, and/or to support other staff to do so, and to contribute to the assessment of children and vulnerable adults. In line with the Children’s Act 2004 it is their duty to refer. The DSL is the operational lead and will be available for on the day support. If the DSL is on leave or unavailable they can be contacted out of hours via the emails provided in the ‘out of office’ email bounce back; there will always also be an emergency number to call. On some occasions the DSL will remain on safeguarding call whilst on leave. All safeguarding incidents must be securely logged and dated and reviewed until the DSO is satisfied with the outcome. You can contact the Trustees about safeguarding issues by emailing chair@oddarts.co.uk if you need a same day response you should always contact the DSL.

Managing Referrals: The designated safeguarding lead is expected to:

• refer cases of suspected abuse to the local authority children’s social care or adult social services as required;
• support staff who make referrals to local authority children’s social care or adult social services;
• refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern as required;
• support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme;
• refer cases where a person is dismissed or left employment due to risk/harm to a child or vulnerable adult to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required; and
• refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the Police as required.

Working with others: The designated safeguarding lead is expected to:

• act as a point of contact with safeguarding partners; or support other staff, where appropriate, to do so;
• as required, liaise with the “case managers” and the designated officer(s) at the local authority for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member;
• liaise with staff on matters of safety and safeguarding (including online and digital safety) and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies; and
• act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff.

Training: The designated safeguarding lead should undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role. This training should be updated at least every two years. The designated safeguarding lead should undertake Prevent awareness training. Training is regularly conducted so that they:

• understand the assessment process for providing early help and statutory intervention, including local criteria for action and local authority children’s social care referral arrangements and adult social services
• have a working knowledge of how local authorities safeguard children and vulnerable adults and be able to attend and contribute to this effectively when required to do so;
• ensure each member of staff has access to, and understands, the safeguarding policy and procedures, especially new and part time safe;
• are alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers;
• understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations;
• understand the importance of information sharing;
• are able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals;
• understand and support the organisation with regards to the requirements of the Prevent duty and are able to provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation and other forms of exploitation;
• are able to understand the unique risks associated with online safety.

Raise Awareness: The designated safeguarding lead should:

• ensure the organisation’s safeguarding/child protection policies are known, understood and used appropriately;
• ensure the organisation’s safeguarding/child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum);

7. Reporting suspected abuse

7.1 Any suspicion that a child has been abused by a member of staff or a volunteer should be reported to the DSL (Rebecca Friel), who will take such steps as considered necessary to ensure the safety of the child in question and any other children who may be at risk. The DSL will escalate to all relevant authorities, following the below guidance:

For a vulnerable adult the DSL will report to Manchester Adult Safeguarding (or an equivalent local authority Adult Safeguarding Partnership) https://www.manchestersafeguardingpartnership.co.uk/adult-safeguarding/ 0161 234 1975 / 0161 234 1977 / 0161 234 5001.

7.2 The DSL will refer the allegation, if considered necessary, to the Manchester Social Services Department who may go to the police, or go directly to the police out of hours. Current up to date contact details to report to are: r.denton@manchester.gov.uk; natasha.walsh@manchester.gov.uk; QAeducation@manchester.gov.uk; 01612457171. In emergencies the DSL will report straight to social services or the police. Further information can be found at http://wwww.manchestersafeguardingboards.co.uk. Request for social care support can be accessed via http://www.manchester.gov.uk/helpandsupportmanchester or 01612192895. For non urgent Early Help Team support call 234 1973/1975/1977.

7.3 The parents or carers will be contacted as soon as possible following advice from the social services department.

7.4 The DSL will deal with and media enquiries.

7.5 If the DSL is the subject of the suspicion/ allegation, the report must be made to a Board member. Board member details can be accessed on the ‘partner details database’ open to all company staff and also via this Handbook. The details are also logged on the charity commission website. The Chair of Trustees can be emailed via chair@oddarts.co.uk

7.6 If, following consideration, the allegation is clearly about poor practice; the DSL will deal with it as a misconduct issue.

7.7 A written record shall be kept on file of the facts surrounding the concern, what action has been taken and why. This will be logged via the online safeguarding report form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ3FYMhunvzg3S9OLhucDEHDrOSP0jkEXOWEDDDCVbA_MrvQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

7.8 Reporting of a person at risk of radicalisation / extremism. Odd Arts staff are all specialists in this area and undergo regular training. If any staff member believes any person to be at risk of radicalisation / extremism, they must follow the below process:

A. Speak to relevant (safeguarding / management) staff in school / prison / partner institution and discuss concerns and appropriate responses to this (appropriate responses could be: Additional specialist lessons/mentoring/services; reporting to Channel/social services; speaking to PREVENT education coordinator at council or other relevant council contacts; speak to
safeguarding lead in school etc; call Police). Report to DO immediately in writing and over the phone anything that happened, was discussed, was agreed. DSL will log in safeguarding report
and follow up / adhere to all other safeguarding policy requirements. The DSL will decide and log all further actions.

B. Treat same as all other safeguarding concerns.

C. DO will have up to date radicalisation training, such as WRAP and ensure that all relevant staff are trained in PREVENT and radicalisation either through online training or WRAP.

Flow chart for reporting

8. Confidentiality/ Disclosure

8.1 OA must make clear to all children, young people and vulnerable adults that information passed on to them will be disclosed to an appropriate individual/ organisation if risk of harm is recognised by OA.

8.2 OA staff and freelancers will make clear to all children, young people and vulnerable adults the limits of assistance that OA can offer before any disclosure takes place and will have a knowledge of places to refer to for help or advice (e.g. Childline, Adult support groups).

8.3 OA will be aware of any policies of filming or photography of children, young people and vulnerable adults within the organisation/ institution.

8.4 Any film/ photo material of children and young people will be taken only with the consent of the young person (or a parent/ guardian if under 16 years). However, on occasions we are working within partner agencies (such as schools, youth centres etc), if the partner agency allows we will consider this as consent for photos from participants. Any participant can withdraw consent at any point. No information about any child/ young person shall be made available by OA or as a result of OA work.

8.5 Where possible OA DSL will inform parents / guardians of any referrals made, unless by telling them it puts the child or vulnerable adult at increased risk.

9. Discipline

9.1 Any concerns about OA colleagues regarding safeguarding issues (.e. against OA Safeguarding code of conduct or any behaviour that puts a child or young person at risk of harm) shall be disclosed to the OA DSL.

9.2 Concerns about an individual OA staff shall be discussed with that colleague OA DSLand CEO, and where appropriate the Chair of Trustees.

9.3 OA Directors will be responsible for carrying out discipline procedures.

SUPPORT SERVICES & referrals

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iTx5ibHeFXVXv-hy-G5LC6qTB-9Q6BApG6fWPS4UnqM/edit#gid=0DSL has additional options for reporting and to provide additional information / support to partner organisations and participants:

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE we advise that the following people could be approached if they were concerned about radicalisation / extremism:

In school/college: Staff Member or member of safeguarding team (one in every dept)
If outside of school/college: A trusted adult i.e youth worker/doctor; Non-emergency police in GM is 101; Childline – 0800 1111 / http://www.childline.org.uk

FOR STAFF: Serious Radicalisation/Extremism concerns
PREVENT counter.extremism@education.gov.uk T: 020 7340 7264
CHANNEL Manchester City Council: T: 0161 234 5001 mscreply@manchester.gov.uk
Hate crime reporting centres:

• True Vision
• Crimestoppers – Tel: 0800 555111
• Victim Support – Tel: 0845 30 30 900
• Stop Hate UK – Tel: 0113 293 5100

If anyone has any concerns regarding an individual who may be an immediate risk of harm to themselves or others we would advise others and Odd Arts staff to call 999 immediately.

10. Management Committee

Rebecca Friel – CEO / DSL

Contacts:

Manchester Social Services, The Contact Centre Tel: 0161 255 8250
Manchester Social Services, Beswick Office, Campion Walk, Manchester, Lancashire, M11 3RS Tel: 01612 239641
Manchester Social Services, 3 Etrop Way, Civic Centre, Manchester, Lancashire, M22 5SD Tel: 01614 992121
Salford Bridge Partnership Tel: 0161 603 4500 from 8.30am to 4.30pm
Emergency Duty Team Tel: 0161 794 8888 outside office hours
Manchester Social Services, 69 Dickenson Road, Manchester, Lancashire, M14 5AZ Tel: 01612 489718

11. Code of Conduct

11.1 All staff and freelancers employed by OA are expected to arrive at the required time and venue as specified by the Project Manager, and required to be dressed appropriately: in comfortable and appropriate clothing. This is something that can be discussed in advance if people are unsure what this might mean; and we encourage open conversations around this if any staff are concerned. We are inclusive of dress, hair and clothing or styles that reflect the identity of someone’s ethnic, faith, race, religious, and gender identity.

11.2 All staff and freelancers employed by OA are expected to treat young people and staff with respect at all times. Swearing/ aggressive behaviour or behaviour considered ‘inappropriate’ or sexualized is not permitted outside of a monitored performance situation.

11.3 All staff and freelancers employed by OA are required to limit personal information given out to young people and to report any inappropriate questioning or behaviour to OA DSL
11.4 Relationships formed with children, young people and vulnerable adults working with OA will remain professional at all times and will not be considered a personal relationship by OA or by the children, young people and vulnerable adults. If the CEO or DSL deems the relationship to be anything but professional they may terminate the contract with immediate effect. Full time staff may be immediately suspended.

11.5 Concerns about the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and suspicions of risk of harm to a young person or to any other person are to be reported to the DSL immediately and in person, then must be written up on the same day and recorded in the OA Safeguarding Log by the DSL. OA is required to work within the Child Protection guidelines of the organisation/institution of employment at that time.

11.6 Concerns of risk of harm are to be reported verbally to the appropriate person at the organisation/institution and then followed up with a written report outlining concerns and evidence of those concerns. If no action 11.7 A report of the incident will be filed on a secure computer in all reported or notable cases 11.8 Please report all incidents to DSL (Rebecca Friel) where it will be logged on the online system. If you are unsure, always share your concerns. It is better to be sure you haven’t missed something than to be unsure you may have missed something. We adopt a Professional Curiosity approach which means we strive to explore and understand what is happening to a person, rather than making assumptions or taking a single source of information and accepting it at face value.

Written records of concern will outline:

• What was said and by whom (do not make assumptions or broad statements)
• What was observed
• Where and in what situation did the incident(s) take place

11.9 All OA staff are required to report any suspicion of risk of harm to self or to any other person through word or action or known/ suspected illegal activity.

11.10 Suspicious behaviour by other staff, or that which makes staff feel uncomfortable, without any evidence, must still be reported to the DSL. This does not mean further formal action will take place, but may help build a wider picture and also gives opportunity to improve staff conduct.

11.11 All mentoring must be agreed by the DSO or CEO. In mentoring we do allow mobile telephone numbers to be shared. Telephone numbers may also be shared with youth ambassadors,
volunteers and sometimes with other community participants, but only with the agreement from DSL or CEO. All meetings (if with a vulnerable person / participant as opposed to peer) must be
logged. A manager or supervisor should always know if this meeting is taking place. Any safeguarding concerns must be reported immediately. Staff always have the right to refuse use of
their own personal telephone number; and we would request that numbers are anonymised. Wherever possible we provide staff with a work phone and work number which should be turned
off during non working hours. When delivering sessions in an open or public venue without the presence of partners, if safeguarding concerns of young people within the building (but not within our session) pose any safeguarding concerns staff must report to the public centre manager or DSL. The DSL will report the concerns to the public centre DSL. If the safeguarding concern is an emergency you are required to call Odd Arts DSL or if an immediate emergency, the Police. Odd Arts DSL is the trained First Aider but if not available on site all OA partners will have a trained First Aider on site. In cases where this is not possible then the DSL should be informed. We do not check this in all partner buildings and deem it appropriate to presume that public body and community buildings will have this in place (such as schools for example).

Safe Recruitment

12. Recruitment Policy

12.1 All OA staff are required to have a clear DBS check, no more than 3 years old, if this is not possible for a short amount of time the staff will not be left alone with vulnerable adults or children.

12.2 All OA staff are required to share references outlining the last three years of employment and character references will be taken from previous employers.

12.3 All OA staff are required to share any record of cases of child abuse made against them at any time.

12.4 If a staff member is suspended due to an allegation they will receive no pay whilst on that suspension. If found not guilty and re-instated / employed within the company they will then
receive 25% of the pay missed whilst on that suspension on their return.

12.5 It is the policy of Odd Arts to ensure that all levels of staff are employed on the basis of ability and suitability only. This fact is endorsed in our Equal Opportunities Policy.

12.6 Prospective employees are recruited through a mixture of advertisements in the local job networks and Odd Arts social media.

12.7 For any applicant who has been shortlisted for a position, but not offered the job; Odd Arts may offer them a comparable role within the organisation at any point up to 12 months post
interview without doing a full recruitment drive.

12.8 Our screening/vetting process consists of the following:

• A Job Application Form is completed and references are obtained.
• The prospective employee is interviewed by our Company’s Management to assess suitability and capability.
• DBS is required and checked and updated by Odd Arts when required. Where one is not available we ask candidates to sign and disclose any records and the aforementioned rules apply (8.1). Other clauses in this policy outline safeguarding of beneficiaries when a staff member does not have a DBS.
• Before entry to prisons a Police National Clearance (PNC) will be done on applicants, or whatever other clearance is needed for the prison / institution they are working in. We follow the prison vetting and clearance guidance on these occasions.
• The prospective employee is requested to produce an authenticated ID; proof of the right to be resident in this country; proof of the right to legally work in this country and a National Insurance Number.
• The prospective employee is requested to complete an Inland Revenue Form P46, if they have no previous employment records, i.e. P45.
• Only upon satisfactory receipt of all documents is the prospective employee allowed to commence work for our Company.
• Minimum 2 recent positive references before job offer