CHILD PROTECTION POLICY (Revised January 2024)
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Breathe Music's Child Protection Policy is comprehensive and can be downloaded using the following link:
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The following Child Protection Policy Statement summarises the full policy.
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Policy Statement
It is Breathe Music’s policy to:
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foster a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and the planning and provision of services 

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ensure that staff and volunteers are competent to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and creating an environment where they feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in their safeguarding role 

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remind staff that they should never put themselves at risk and should avoid interaction with a child in any circumstances which might be misinterpreted. 
Breathe Music undertakes that: 

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All staff and volunteers working on behalf of Breathe Music accept responsibility for the welfare and safety of children in their care, for reporting any concerns, and for adhering to the Code of Practice 

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The DSO will make appropriate referrals to child protection agencies and/or Local Authority Designated Officers (LADOs) as and when appropriate and required 

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Information relating to any allegation or disclosure will be clearly recorded and passed on to the DCPP as soon as possible 

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All staff and volunteers working on behalf of Breathe Music will be reminded that any disclosure from a child to an adult must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) and it is for the DSO to determine the action to be taken. Particular care must be taken with confidentiality. The principle is that confidentiality should be maintained where possible, remembering that where an allegation has been made and is being investigated information must of necessity be shared with others (such as social services or the police). In these circumstances however, information will be shared on a need to know basis. Breathe Music is aware that a vulnerable child must clearly understand the circumstances where information might be shared in order to establish that child’s confidence and ensure that any further information is forthcoming.
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A culture of mutual respect between children and those who represent Breathe Music in all its activities will be encouraged, with adults modelling good practice in this context 

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All staff and volunteers with unsupervised access to children will have current enhanced DBS checks 

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Anybody who encounters child protection concerns in the context of their work on behalf of Breathe Music will be supported when they report their concerns in good faith 

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Breathe Music’s policy will be made available to staff and volunteers and actively promoted within the organisation 

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For further information on this statement or any aspect of the full policy (download as above), contact:
Joanne Green
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