Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

• A child is defined as a person under the age of eighteen (Children Act 1989). 

• Child abuse can evoke strong emotions, and it is important that personal feelings do not interfere with our judgement and ability to take appropriate action. 

• Child abuse can occur in many different settings. 

• Protecting children from harm is paramount. We are responsible for protecting children from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, bullying and neglect. 

• We must ensure that we Safeguard and protect all children, irrespective of their background, culture, race, disability, language, religious beliefs, gender, sexual identity, and sexual orientation. 

• Trafford Music Service works collaboratively with children, parents/carers, schools, and other agencies to enhance our safeguarding practices. 

• Concerns and allegations of abuse will be managed with the utmost sensitivity and will be dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner. 

• All Trafford Music Service staff have a responsibility to report any concerns to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Ruth O’Keefe (Head of Service), by telephone or email, without delay.  

• To promote the rights, feelings and wishes of the children and young people who use our service, and to always act in their best interest. 

• To enable all staff to adopt good practice by offering regular training and supervision, starting at induction level, and reviewing annually and when needed. 

• To ensure that all staff and volunteers are familiar with all Trafford Council and Trafford Music Service Codes of Conduct, and that they complete annual Safeguarding Children, Safeguarding Adults and Prevent training modules.  

• To ensure that all staff are familiar with up-to-date legislation, including Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 (KCSIE). 

• To respond to any allegations in a professional, appropriate, and timely manner. 

• To always promote and uphold good practice by reviewing our Safeguarding Policy regularly and ensuring that all staff complete all Safeguarding training modules annually. 

• Treat children equally, with dignity, respect, and always putting the welfare of each child first. 

• Always Maintain professional boundaries (it is never appropriate for staff or volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child). 

• Build balanced, respectful relationships based on mutual trust. 

• Work in an open environment where possible, and avoid private, unobserved areas and situations. 

• Empower children to take part in decision making and actively participate in their learning. 

• Recognise children’s developmental needs and help them to fulfil their potential. 

• Always be an excellent role model to the children who use our service. 

• Always give constructive feedback rather than negative criticism. 

• Record any injuries which occur, as well as any treatment which is applied by our First Aid trained staff. Please ask the business support team or duty manager for an accident form in the main office at the Claremont Centre. If visiting a school, please ask about their accident reporting protocol. 

If a child discloses to you that they are being abused at home or in another setting (or if they have disclosed this via a third party), upon receiving this information, you should: 

• Stay calm and reassure the child. 

• Do not promise confidentiality. You must inform the child about what your follow-up actions will need to be. 

• Tell the child that they have done the right thing by disclosing this to you. 

• Always take the child seriously and listen to them. 

• You must not ask leading or probing questions, and let the child describe the situation to you in their own words. 

• Make a record of the child’s disclosure on a piece of paper (a recording form is available at the end of this policy and at The Claremont Centre) as soon as possible and pass on immediately to the DSL. Ensure you sign and date the record. 

• If visiting a child at school, please report to the school DSL and the Trafford Music Service DSL.  

Written records should contain the following information: 

• The child’s name, age, date of birth (if known). 

• Are these your own concerns or the concerns of a third party? If the concerns have come from a third party, please include that person’s name, position, and contact information. 

• All the information you have that is relevant to the allegation, including dates, times, location, and person / people involved. 

• Only record facts, avoid adding personal opinions and feelings. 

• A description of any visible injuries, and any indirect signs such as changes in behaviour / mood / performance in lessons. 

• Details about any witnesses to the incident / incidents. 

• The child’s account of the incident and how they incurred any injuries, in their own words. 

To be completed by the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead in the absence of the DSL: 

• Include child’s address, and telephone number for their parents / carers.  

• Have the child’s parents / carers been contacted? If so, what has been said? 

• Has anybody else been consulted? Please record details. 

• If a referral to the police or social services is needed, please record the date and time that the referral was made, and the name of the person who received the referral. 

If there are concerns about sharing the above information with a colleague, you can contact the Trafford Children’s First Response (formerly MARAT) on 0161 912 5125 during office hours (Mon - Fri 8:30 - 4:30) or 0161 912 2020 out of hours (Emergency Duty Team), the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000. If necessary, you could also contact the police directly.  

When a child is in immediate danger anyone can: 

• Ring the police 

• Contact the DSL 

• Contact Trafford Children’s First Response (formerly MARAT) for advice on 0161 912 5125 during office hours (Mon - Fri 8:30 - 4:30) or 0161 912 2020 out of hours (Emergency Duty Team). 

What Trafford Music Service will do next: 

•  It is not within our remit to decide whether abuse has taken place or not, but it is our duty to ensure that all the information we have is passed on to the relevant authority. 

• Children’s Social Care have a duty (under the Children Act 1989) to ensure the welfare of a child and have a legal responsibility to investigate any allegations which have been made. This may involve talking to the child and their parents, as well as gathering information from, and sharing information with other agencies. The police may also be involved in the investigation. 

Signs and / or indicators of abuse can be helpful but need to be used with caution. Whilst these indicators can mean that a child is being abused, this is not always the case.  

Possible signs that a child may be experiencing physical abuse (may include but not limited to): 

• Any injury for which there is no adequate explanation 

• Multiple bruising to different parts of the body 

• Bruising of different colours may indicate repeated injuries 

• Fingertip bruising to the back, chest, arms, or legs 

• Burns of any shape or size 

• Any bruising or injury to a non-mobile child 

• Frequent bruising or injuries 

Possible signs that a child may be experiencing sexual abuse (may include but not limited to): 

• If a disclosure is made by a child, either to you, or to someone else. 

• If a child seems to have inappropriate sexual knowledge for their age 

• If a child is displaying worrying, sexualised behaviour 

• If a child is visiting or being looked after a suspected / known sex offender 

Possible signs that a child may be experiencing emotional abuse (may include but not limited to): 

Children whose parents / guardians are over-critical and / or emotionally distant / unavailable may display the following behaviours: 

• High levels of aggression, withdrawal, anxiety, or sadness 

• Constantly seeking or avoiding affection 

• Running away from home 

• Excessive bedwetting, overeating, undereating, rocking, head-banging 

• Self-harming behaviours such as scratching, cutting, burning, hair-pulling, overdosing, taking drugs, drinking alcohol. 

• Attempting suicide 

Possible signs that a child may be experiencing neglect (may include but not limited to): 

• If a child often appears to have poor hygiene, with constantly dirty clothes 

• If a child’s health and development needs seem unattended to 

• If a child is very small or underweight and often seems to be hungry 

• If a child is often tired and / or lethargic 

• If a child often suffers from injuries due to being unsupervised 

All the above indicators must of course be considered with sensitivity and in context. 

Children who live in an abusive environment are at risk, and domestic abuse should be considered as physical or emotional abuse. 

The definition of domestic abuse is:  

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners regardless of gender or sexuality (The Domestic Abuse Act 2021).  

Domestic abuse encompasses the following types of abuse: 

• Physical abuse 

• Sexual abuse 

• Emotional / psychological abuse 

• Controlling and coercive behaviour 

• Financial abuse 

• Gender-based Violence 

• Female Genital Mutilation 

• Forced Marriage 

All children need the following to feel safe and protected: 

• An environment where they feel safe 

• Health and happiness 

• Access to education 

• Appropriate affection, encouragement, and praise 

• Someone to talk to who listens to them 

• Respect for their feelings 

• New interests, challenges, goals to work towards, and rewards 

To ensure the safety and security of all our Trafford Music Service students, parents/carers (and any other adults) are not permitted to enter the Claremont Centre unless specifically authorised by TMS staff. This measure allows us to maintain a safe environment and minimises risk to our students. All TMS staff must always wear Trafford Council lanyards when working in the Claremont Centre. This ensures that they are clearly identifiable to students. All TMS staff must have enhanced DBS clearance prior to commencing their teaching with the service.  

1. The Head of Service and in their absence the Senior Leadership Team reserves the right to deny access to the grounds of the Claremont centre and/or be asked to leave the building.  

2. The Head of Service or Senior Leadership Team can bar someone from the premises if they feel that their behaviour poses a risk to staff or pupils. Risks include staff or students feeling threatened.  

3. The Music Service should tell an individual that they’ve been barred or they intend to bar them, in writing where possible. Letters should usually be signed by the Head of Service, though in some cases the local authority may wish to write instead.  

4. We don’t knowingly allow any person on to school grounds who: i. is a convicted sex offender, subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003; or ii. is subject to a Risk of Sexual Harm Order, Sexual Risk Order or Child Abduction Notice.  

5. If you don’t disclose relevant information relating to the above about yourself, and it later becomes known to us, we reserve the right to require that you leave the site. 

Trafford Music Service will ask parents / carers to inform us whether their child is permitted to leave the Claremont Centre without adult supervision through our registration process using our Music Service administration software. This information is included on our sign-in and out sheets.  

Trafford Music Service are not responsible for students until they are signed in to the Claremont Centre with our supervisory assistant.  

Children who take part in our infant provision, will be met at the infant door. Upon entrance to the building, we assume responsibility for the infant children who will also be registered by the assigned member of staff. Latecomers will go to the main reception to be chaperoned by music service staff to the infant room. 

• Where parents/carers have not given written permission for their child to leave the building without adult supervision, we will not allow children beyond the exit door at the end of their lesson or ensemble until their parents/carers arrive.  Parents/carers will need to come to the door and alert us to their arrival so that their child can be signed out of the building. Trafford Music Service will always have a supervisory assistant located at the main entrance to supervise pupils who are waiting and ensure that unauthorised adults are not permitted into the building.  

• Children who are permitted to leave the building without supervision will sign out of the building to go and meet their parents/carers. Where a child signs out and is unable to find their parent/carer, they are welcome to return to wait in our waiting area. However, Trafford Music Service are not able to be held responsible for ensuring that this happens. 

Students sign in as usual at the main reception with the supervisory assistant. Students walk through the main hall to the infant door waiting area. They can walk straight through the infant door when it is time for their lesson, as the short outdoor passage between the infant door and the cabin is securely fenced off from the rest of the car park. When their lesson is finished, students need to leave through the main building via the infant door and sign out / wait to be collected as usual at the main reception.  

The external gate may only be operated by authorised staff. 

TMS staff must not photograph or video students on personal devices under any circumstances, even for the purpose of Digital Performance exams for ABRSM / TRINITY (or any other exam board) exams. Photographs / videos of TMS children at concerts, rehearsals, or events must be taken on an official Trafford Music Service device, and only after written permission has been received from parents / carers.  

TMS teachers must only communicate with students / parents / carers via the Speed Admin study planner chat function and must not provide students / parents / carers with their personal email address or phone number. TMS staff are not authorised to invite students to external locations / events without express written permission from the Head of Service.  

TMS staff must not befriend students / parents / carers on social media or send links on Speed Admin which could direct students to their personal social media accounts in line with our Social Media Policy. 

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Ruth O’Keefe, Head of Service 

ruth.okeefe@trafford.gov.uk or 0161 911 8659 or mobile: 07841 011 351. 

In the absence of the Designated Safeguarding Lead, please contact one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: 

The Claremont Music Centre, Claremont Road, Sale, M33 7DZ, 0161 911 8659 

Adam Robinson: adam.robinson@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07977577133 

Alison Lansdown: alison.lansdown@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07929 745591 

Jane Brammall: jane.brammall@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07580 946462 

Karen Swales: karen.swales@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07977 943329 

Kate Valentine: kate.valentine@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07580 946457 

Laura Cosgrove: laura.cosgrove@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07815 482033 

Rebecca Seed: rebecca.seed@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07929 745592 

Suzanne Waller: suzanne.waller@trafford.gov.uk or mobile 07580 946466 

The responsibilities of the DSL and Deputy DSLs include managing safeguarding concerns, liaising with local authority officers and other agencies, and ensuring all staff are appropriately trained. 

Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE 2012)  

Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE 2015)  

What To Do If You are Worried a Child is Being Abused (DH 2006)  

Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (2007)  

GM Safeguarding procedures (2017)  

Information Sharing: guidance for Practitioners and Managers (2009) 

Guidance for Safe working practice for the protection of children and staff in education settings (2009)  

Safeguarding Disabled Children: Practice guidance (July 2009) 

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 

The Children Act 1989