Safeguarding Policy Statement

In relation to safeguarding and protection from abuse, a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached the age of 18. An adult at risk of abuse is defined by the Care Act (2014) as someone who is experiencing or at risk of abuse and has needs for care and support which means that they are unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it. 

Arts Council England’s policy is based upon the principles enshrined within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. What this means in practice is a commitment to ensure effective safeguarding arrangements as set out in the statutory guidance “Working Together to Safeguard Children” (2023) and the Care Act (2014) where children, young people and adults at risk of abuse are concerned. 

• The welfare of a child or adult at risk is paramount 
• All children, young people and adults at risk of abuse have the right to protection from harm, whatever their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation 
• Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of discrimination, previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues 
• All concerns and allegations of abuse must be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately, and 
• All staff (paid or unpaid) should know how to respond to concerns 

Arts Council England seeks to promote a positive ethos of collaborative work between the creative and cultural sectors and children and/or adults at risk of abuse. We will take every reasonable step to ensure that children, young people and adults at risk of abuse are protected where: 

• Our own staff are in the unlikely situation of being directly involved in the delivery of creative and/or cultural project or programme of work 
• Our staff recruit or broker relationships between creative and/or cultural practitioners and a third party, and/or 
• We fund a creative and/or cultural organisation or practitioner for a programme of work, or for core work 

The Arts Council promotes safeguarding within the organisation by: 

• Sharing this safeguarding policy statement with all Arts Council staff and trustees 
• Reviewing and updating this policy statement to reflect changes in practice/processes or legislation and guidance 
• Ensuring that our staff are not left unaccompanied with children, young people and/or adults at risk 
• Using safe recruitment practices, including risk assessment for roles which are not eligible for enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, but where staff may be required to work with children, young people and/or adults at risk 
• Having a nominated Executive Board member¹ who oversees safeguarding and having a Designated Safeguarding Lead² (and Deputy) who is a senior member of staff and who is trained in that role  
• Raising awareness, through induction and training, for appropriate staff in recognising possible abuse and what to do about it  
• Having procedures for: 
• Responding to safeguarding concerns about a child, young person or adult at risk of abuse that is involved with a project or activity we fund 
• Managing safeguarding allegations against our staff 
• Whistleblowing 
• Complaints 
• Supporting our own staff in terms of wellbeing and mental health by providing confidential in-house support and access to specialist external provision 

The Arts Council supports others to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk by: 

• Ensuring the terms and conditions under which Arts Council England provides funding to creative and cultural organisations and individuals includes a mandatory requirement to adopt policies and procedures to ensure the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse with whom there is direct contact  
• Publishing a safeguarding policy for grant holders, with clear expectations for grantees and applicants, including what should be reported to the Arts Council and how to do this 
• Providing and signposting to resources on our website that enable applicants and grantees to meet our safeguarding expectations, proportionate to the size of their organisation, scale and nature of their work 

It is the responsibility of the organisations and individuals funded by Arts Council England to ensure that their safeguarding policies and procedures are fit for purpose given the specific nature of their work and the manner in which it is conducted. This includes providing copies of safeguarding policies and procedures, on request. 

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) website has an extensive resource library to assist in the development and implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures that adhere to best practice. 

You can find information about the Arts Council’s safeguarding processes and procedures, including further information and advice for grant holders and applicants, on our website. 

15 April 2024