Share Your Story Through Art (SYSTA) Community Interest Company Safeguarding Policy

SYSTA helps participants to find their creative voice with the freedom to explore, experiment, have fun and share their creativity and stories with others through the arts, raising awareness of, and support for, issues important to them. SYSTA uses creative and artivist skills in a variety of visual art forms in order to bring about collective positive social change, and to support participants’ own well-being. All of SYSTA’s work is guided by principles of: respect for each other and the planet, empathy, kindness, resilience, self-belief, wellness, positivity, teamwork, community building, collaboration, support of others, innovative future thinking, political agency, activism, environmental awareness, the valuing of traditional and indigenous knowledge of the local community/region/planet, confidence and coping with eco-anxiety/uncertainty.

Policy Statement

SYSTA believes that no person should experience harm, abuse or neglect of any kind. SYSTA is committed to ensuring the safety of its service users, staff, volunteers, and anyone else with whom it comes into contact, enabling them to have the best outcomes, both creatively and personally.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure the safety and welfare of all people who receive SYSTA services. SYSTA commits to a practice that protects its service users, staff, volunteers, and anyone else with whom it comes into contact emotionally and physically. Before, during and after its events, SYSTA will listen to what event participants say, take their views seriously, and work with them collaboratively when deciding how to support their needs. 

This policy applies to everyone who works with or for SYSTA, and is of particular relevance for individuals who qualify as vulnerable.

Legal Framework 

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children and adults, including: 

• Children Act 1989 

• United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991 

• Data Protection Act 1998 

• Sexual Offences Act 2003 

• Children Act 2004 

• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 

• ‘Working together to safeguard children’ to safeguard and promote the welfare of children HM Government March 2015 

• NSPCC Safeguarding Tools 

 

Definitions

Adults qualify as vulnerable – and, as such, must always be safeguarded – if they:

• live in a nursing home or receive similar care in their own home

• access social services

• have a physical or learning disability

• suffer a chronic mental or physical illness

• have a dependency on drugs or alcohol

• are unable to make decisions in their own best interests

The Children Act 1989 outlines duties related to child protection and welfare, recognising that effective safeguarding is necessary for children to grow up and realise their full potential. As such, safeguarding concerns all children, but some will need additional protections. Children qualify as vulnerable – and thus in need of additional protections – if they:

• have additional needs (including special educational needs)

• experience an unstable home life

• have parents/carers who experience chronic illness or substance dependency

• are children in care

SYSTA recognise that: the welfare of the child/young person is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989 - all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

SYSTA’s Responsibility

SYSTA has a statutory responsibility to follow up on signs that its service users, staff, volunteers, and anyone else with whom it comes into contact may be experiencing abuse. According to the Care and support statutory guidance , the ten types of abuse are:

• Physical abuse

• Domestic violence or abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Psychological or emotional abuse

• Financial or material abuse

• Modern slavery

• Discriminatory abuse

• Organisational or institutional abuse

• Neglect or acts of omission

• Self-neglect

Evidence of any one indicator from the above lists should not be taken on its own as proof that abuse is occurring. However, it should alert SYSTA to make further assessments and to consider other associated factors. 

SYSTA’s Safeguarding Guidelines

SYSTA recognises that levels of vulnerability may vary depending on previous experiences, levels of dependency, communication needs or other issues.

SYSTA is committed to ensuring the privacy of its service users, staff, volunteers, and anyone else with whom it comes into contact, and will deal with any vulnerabilities in a respectful manner.

SYSTA will keep its service users, staff, volunteers, and anyone else with whom it comes into contact safe by:

• ensuring that all SYSTA staff and volunteers have a current DBS certificate, suitable to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

• providing all SYSTA staff and volunteers with a copy of the SYSTA Safeguarding Policy.

• explaining to all SYSTA staff and volunteers how to recognise and appropriately report any safeguarding issues that could arise before, during or after SYSTA events. 

• committing to anti-discriminatory practice which ensures that all people have the same protection before, during and after SYSTA events regardless of their age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity. 

• recognising the additional needs of people from minority ethnic groups, refugees and the disabled, and the barriers they may face, especially around communication.

• expecting participants at SYSTA events to be polite and respectful to all around them. 

• implementing an effective e-safety and GDPR policy and related procedures for all adult or child partner organisations (e.g., Libraries, Schools or Community Group etc.) with whom SYSTA collaborates.

• ensuring that no photographs, videos, audio or other content from SYSTA workshops are shared on websites and social media unless explicit permission by workshop participants has been granted.

• sharing safeguarding concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving partner organisations appropriately. 

SYSTA are committed to reviewing this policy and good practice annually.

Raising Concerns

Any concerns regarding safeguarding during SYSTA workshops will be dealt with professionally and swiftly. Staff and volunteers will immediately notify SYSTA workshop leaders of their concerns. SYSTA will consult with the representatives of collaborating organisations responsible for the participating group, who will then take any issues forward as appropriate. SYSTA will follow this up within one week and if not satisfied this has been actioned will report the incident with agencies who need to know. 

If you are worried about a child or an adult please call Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8020

In the event of an emergency, call 999.

The SYSTA designated safeguarding lead is Emma Skeet 

Contact systaworkshops@gmail.com

This policy was last reviewed on: 20/12/2024 at a Directors Meeting