Grey Swan Guild - Safeguarding Youth/Young People/Children Policy
The Grey Swan Guild Purpose
The Grey Swan Guild is a non-profit organization that aims to surface, inspire and invite those
who are committed to affecting positive change.
Policy Applicability
The Grey Swan Guild has adopted this safeguarding youth/young people/children policy and expects every adult
working or helping at the Grey Swan Guild to support it and comply with it. Consequently, this
policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone
working on behalf of the organization.
Purpose of Policy
This policy is intended to protect children, youth and young people who receive any service from us,
including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us.
The Grey Swan Guild believes that no child, youth or young person should experience abuse or harm
and are committed to the protection of children and young people and this policy is intended to
provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff,
to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.
The Risks to Children, Youth & Young People
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, victimization, self-harm, unsafe environments and activities, crime and exploitation.
Protection Statement
The Grey Swan Guild recognizes that the welfare of the child is paramount. All children,
regardless of race, gender, religious belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity have a
right to equal protection from harm.
Some children are more vulnerable to harm as a result of their circumstances, prior
experiences, communication needs or level or dependency.
We work with parents, guardians, carers and others to ensure the wellbeing of the children
participating in our programs.
Safeguarding Children, Youth & Young People at Events and Activities
All events and activities open to children under 16 must be accompanied throughout by an
adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child but also takes the child home again
afterward. Young people aged 16 and 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written
consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.
At events and activities for children accompanied by a parent, children under 16 must be
supervised throughout the event by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child to
the event but also takes the child home again afterwards. If a lone adult brings more than one
child, then the children will have to stay together, so that the one adult can supervise them.
Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and
mobile telephone number of one of their parents.
At events and activities for unaccompanied children, children under the age of 16 must be
enrolled by a responsible adult before being left with the event leader. The enrollment must
record the child’s name, age and address and the names and addresses of the child’s parents,
plus the parents’ mobile telephone numbers. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend
unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their
parents.
Both events and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions where the Grey
Swan Guild will be providing a service.
Disclosure
The Grey Swan Guild offers the following activities for children:
The Grey Swan Guild produces reports, publications, events and discussion forums that are
open to the public for business leaders, educators and others. We will be involving children and
young people in online and in-person discussion forums, podcasts, videos, online gaming
activities, Grey Swan Guild publications and events, summer camps and peer support and
learning.
The Grey Swan Guild will take very seriously any allegation of impropriety on the part of any
member of the organization. A member of the Grey Swan Guild/ Project (?) who discovers
anything amiss should get in touch immediately with Geeta Dhir.
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 Grey Swan Guild.
Board of Trustees
Although ultimate accountability sits with the board, the board delegates responsibility to the
principal to ensure that all child safety procedures are implemented and available to all staff,
contractors, volunteers and parents. Therefore, the principal must be: Develop appropriate
procedures to meet child safety requirements as required and appropriate to the project.
Comply with relevant legislative requirements and responsibilities.
Make this policy available on the Guild’s internet site or available on request.
Ensure that every contract, or funding arrangement, that the guild enters into requires the
adoption of child protection policies where required.
Ensure the interests and protection of the child are paramount in all circumstances.
Recognise the rights of family to participate in the decision-making about their children.
Ensure that all staff, volunteers, guild members are able to identify the signs and symptoms of
potential abuse and neglect.
Deal with disclosures by children and allegations against adult staff, volunteers, guild members
and are able to take appropriate action in response.
Support all adults involved with the project, to work in accordance with this policy, to work with
partner agencies and organisations to ensure child protection policies are understood and
implemented.
Promote a culture where staff, volunteers, guild members feel confident they can
constructively challenge poor practice or raise issues of concern without fear of reprisal.
Consult, discuss and share relevant information, (in line with our commitment to confidentiality
and information sharing protocols)?? in a timely way regarding any concerns about an
individual child with the board or designated person.
Seek advice as necessary from Safeguarding advisors on any relevant matters and other
relevant agencies where child safety issues arise.
Make available professional development, resources and/or advice to ensure all staff,
volunteers and guild members can carry out their roles in terms of this policy.
Ensure that this policy forms part of the initial project induction programme for each member.
Review schedule: Within 3 years (?)
Prevention of Bullying
We will not tolerate bullying of children either by adults or by other children. If any incident of
child-on-child bullying should arise at a Grey Swan Guild event, those involved will be separated
immediately and the parents of the children involved will be asked to deal with the matter. The
Board will review all incidents of child-on-child bullying and assess the likely future risk to
children. If appropriate, the Board will consider banning a child from future events, but only in
full accordance with the rules and procedures of the Grey Swan Guild. Allegations of adults
bullying children will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy.
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.
Managing Behavior, Discipline and Acceptable Restraint
Adults supervising children at Grey Swan Guild 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.
Unacceptable behavior at Grey Swan Guild events for unaccompanied children will generally be
stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group. The micreants will be
suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.
The Grey Swan Guild may apply a further disciplinary sanction; namely the banning of the child
from one or more events over the following 18 months. Any such sanction would be
determined and applied by Guild Founders.
A parent who is aggrieved by this ban may appeal to the Grey Swan Guild who will hear the
views of all relevant persons. The decision of the Grey Swan Guild is then final. Any such
appeals should be made to, and will be determined by Sean Moffitt.
Other Policies
The safeguarding policy should be read together with the other policies and resources of
the Grey Swan Guild (e.g. Privacy, Data Proetction, Values):.
We will require an up to date, criminal records disclosure, from any member of the project(s),
who will be directly interacting with children and young people.
Legal Framework
This policy is drawn up in accordance with all relevant and applicable legislation and guidance
available to the Grey Swan Guild in the jurisdictions it operates within. Chiefly, this policy
operates in accordance with the:
- Children Act of 1989
= United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child
- Children Act 2004
- General Protection Regulation
- Data Protection Act 2018
This Policy is approved and robustly endorsed by the Grey Swan Guild and is due for review
every 12 months.
Date: 13th December 2022
Safeguarding:
privacy@greyswanguild.org