Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy

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1 Imperial War Museum 1. Introduction and definitions 1.1 Thousands of children and young people visit the Imperial War Museum (IWM) 1 every month. Most of these children visit with family and friends, or visit as part of organised school/youth groups. While the primary responsibility for children's welfare at IWM rests with the supervising adult(s), IWM wishes to ensure that all children and vulnerable adults are safe and protected from harm whilst on its premises, in accordance with the principles of Every Child Matters A person is defined as a child, legally, until they reach their eighteenth birthday. Until that time they are the legal responsibility of their parents/carers, even if that person is not present. Children entering IWM buildings, historic sites and galleries without direct supervision will be welcomed if they are behaving appropriately. However, the Museum reserves the right to deny access to children if they are not accompanied by an adult. 1.3 There is no single standard definition of a vulnerable adult in law. However, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has adopted the following definition: A vulnerable adult is a person who is, or may be, in need of community care services because of mental disability or other disability, age or illness and who is, or may be, unable to take care of themselves or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. 1.4 The Imperial War Museum also wishes to protect its staff from unfair allegations: the guidelines in this policy and accompanying procedures will ensure that there is no doubt over obligations and standards. This policy applies to all permanent and temporary staff, volunteers, freelancers and consultants, and to contractors employed by the Museum. It has been revised in line with recent legisation (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006) and MLA guidance (Every Child Matters. Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults in museums, libraries and archives, September 2007). 2. statement 2.1 The Imperial War Museum supports the Every Child Matters: Change for Children agenda, which asserts that every child should have the support to: Be healthy Stay safe 1 References in this policy document to Imperial War Museum, IWM, or the Museum cover all branches and outreach activities of the Imperial War Museum. 2 Every Child Matters: Change for Children is the government s strategy for the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19. For more information please see

2 Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well-being 2.2 The Museum s responsibility for safeguarding the children and vulnerable adults using its sites and services is: To ensure that all its staff, volunteers and contractors are clear about their individual behaviour and responsibilities in regard to the safety and enjoyment of visitors, particularly children and vulnerable adults, through its recruitment, induction and training; To ensure that its physical and virtual spaces are safe and secure and promote enjoyable and positive experiences; To ensure that all suspicions and/or allegations of abuse will be properly investigated and dealt with appropriately and quickly and referred to the appropriate agencies. In particular, if the Museum encounters a case that constitutes, or may constitute, a criminal case against a child, the police will be informed. 2.3 The Museum will therefore ensure that: All staff likely to have regular contact with young people and/or vulnerable adults through their employment are carefully recruited and security-cleared through a check by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) 3 ; All staff, volunteers, freelance, consultant and contracted staff are made aware of the Museum s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults and Procedures through induction by their supervisor or line manager and through regular training; Teachers, group leaders and any other relevant parties are provided with information about the Museum s policy, procedures and expectations regarding the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults; The Museum s complaints procedure is accessible to all visitors, including children and vulnerable adults. 3. Museum responsibilities for this policy 3.1 By creating this policy, the Museum understands that safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is a responsibility that is shared across the whole Museum. However: The Director of Corporate Services is the senior manager responsible to the Museum s Senior Management Team (SMT) for this policy and accompanying procedures; The Personnel Department is responsible for all administrative procedures relating to the selection and induction of staff, including 3 Such CRB checks to allow people to work with vulnerable groups will become part of the work of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) from January 2008.

3 general security and CRB checks, and for advising on any disciplinary action as appropriate; Facilities Management is responsible for ensuring that all general building and security work taking place on Museum premises, including contractors, takes into account this policy and procedures; Site/line managers will monitor implementation of this policy, through quarterly management checks and ongoing assessment, and take appropriate action on any breaches within their areas of responsibility; Branch Directors will be responsible for the appointment and training of at least two safeguarding representatives for their branch. These representatives will be trained to co-ordinate and advise on all safeguarding issues within their branch; All departments delivering public events and activities will take safeguarding issues into account in their risk assessments and incident planning e.g. referring to the safeguarding procedures relating to permission for Film and Photography; All staff have a responsibility to maintain appropriate standards of behaviour and to report lapses in these standards by other members of staff as well as the public. Any concerns or reasonable suspicions of abuse by colleagues should be reported to your own line manager in the first instance; All staff should report public allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards children or vulnerable adults to the appropriate safeguarding representative who will liaise with the Supervising Adult of the group/child concerned and/or the police and social services as necessary. 3.2 The Museum s internal procedures provide further detail about these Museum staff responsibilities. Standards of behaviour for staff are set out in section 6, below. 4. Recruitment 4.1 All appointments to Imperial War Museum posts are conditional upon a satisfactory police security check by the Personnel Department. For many posts this level of check is sufficient. An enhanced disclosure via the Criminal Records Bureau will be required for posts with regular and/or unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults; A risk assessment is carried out for each post prior to appointment by the appropriate line manager to determine the level of security check/crb disclosure needed. This will be written into the job description and application process; 4.3 In addition, all applicants will be required to: 4 Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks are the current practice at time of writing (December 2007). However, from January 2008 the Independent Safeguarding Authority will be established, and it will be necessary for Personnel to revise this procedure accordingly.

4 declare all past and/or current criminal convictions and/or investigations prior to interview; provide satisfactory employer/personal references; complete a satisfactory probationary period; account for any gaps in their employment history. 5. Training 5.1 Supervisors/line managers will provide and explain the content of this policy to all new staff in the course of their induction process; 5.2 Basic child protection awareness training will be given to all members of staff; 5.3 Any individual need for more detailed guidance and training e.g. for safeguarding representatives should be identified by branch Directors and will be provided/facilitated by the Personnel Department; 5.4 Enhanced child protection awareness training will be given to any members of staff with regular contact with children. 6. Standards of behaviour for Imperial War Museum staff, volunteers and contractors 6.1 The Imperial War Museum wishes to protect its staff, volunteers and contractors from unfair allegations and to enable them to ensure that they do not find themselves in potentially compromising situations. At the same time, the Museum wishes its staff to feel empowered to help safeguard children and vulnerable adults. Therefore, Museum staff, volunteers and contractors will: Approach any child in apparent distress and offer help, but ensure that they and the child are as visible as possible in a public space; Seek assistance from colleagues or supervisors in any situation involving children and/or vulnerable adults so that staff avoid finding themselves alone with a vulnerable person; Be aware of the possibility of danger from others and explore situations that seem suspicious; Keep a lookout for children apparently unaccompanied and communicate the details of any lost children to the site manager/the appropriate safeguarding representative; Keep any lost children in a public area where they can be clearly seen; Report any suspicion of abuse or inappropriate conduct immediately to their own line manager, or to an appropriate safeguarding representative, who will in turn inform the Supervising Adult (provided they are not the alleged abuser). Concerns about the conduct of the Supervising Adult will be reported directly to their group s organisation e.g. a school and/or the police, as appropriate. 6.2 Museum staff, volunteers and contractors will not:

5 6.2.1 Touch or in any way engage in unnecessary or inappropriate physical contact with a child, or other visitor to the Museum; Physically restrain a child or young person, or any visitor, except in exceptional circumstances (e.g. to prevent injury, damage to property or the Collections, or to prevent theft) and even then be careful to use only the minimum restraint necessary; Make inappropriate or suggestive comments or gestures, or use foul, abusive or racist language to any visitor; Physically assault or abuse any visitor; Do things of a personal nature for children that they can do for themselves or that a Supervising Adult can do for them, such as accompanying them to the toilet, helping them with their clothing etc.; Travel alone in an enclosed private vehicle with otherwise unaccompanied children or young people; Treat any child or vulnerable adult for first aid without the presence and consent of a supervising adult of the same sex as the child/vulnerable adult. 7. Standards of behaviour and responsibilities for Group Leaders/Supervising Adults when visiting the Museum 7.1 The Imperial War Museum wishes to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm whilst in the Museum. In addition to the Museum s responsibilities, we expect that all Group Leaders/Supervising Adults will fulfill their own responsibilities. 7.2 In particular, all Group Leaders/Supervising Adults will: Ensure that they comply with the Museum s guidance on the recommended ratio of supervising adults to children (as laid out in the accompanying procedures to this policy document); Ensure they supervise the children/vulnerable adults at all times during the visit; Ensure that the children/vulnerable adults in their care behave appropriately whilst on Museum premises (particularly bearing in mind the sensitive nature of some IWM exhibitions or displays, such as The Holocaust Exhibition); In the case of an accident, contact a member of Museum staff immediately; In the case of a lost child, contact a member of Museum staff immediately; Ensure adequate insurance cover for their group; Follow instructions from members of Museum staff in the event of any emergency or incident, including but not restricted to fire, security, or health and safety threats. 7.3 Group Leaders/Supervising Adults will not: Verbally or physically abuse a child/young person;

6 7.3.2 Have in their possession, or consume, alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs on the Museum premises; Smoke on the Museum premises. 7.4 The primary responsibility for the welfare of the children/vulnerable adults in their care rests with Group Leader/Supervising Adult all times. The Museum s safeguarding representatives will communicate any concerns to the Group Leader/Supervising Adult in accordance with item (unless that person is the source of concern) and follow this up after the visit, as appropriate. Concerns about the conduct of the Group Leader/Supervising Adult will be reported directly to the group s organisation and/or the police, as appropriate. 8. Standards of behaviour for groups visiting the Museum 8.1 The Museum wishes all visitors to have an enjoyable stay. We therefore expect all visitors to have courtesy and respect for others and for Museum property at all times while visiting the Museum. 8.2 Group Leaders should therefore not allow members of their group to: Use threatening, abusive or violent behaviour or language of any kind whilst on the premises, to Museum staff or other visitors; Vandalise Museum property or displays; Leave litter on the Museum premises; Enter areas of the Museum that are cordoned off; Smoke; Consume alcohol outside designated areas such as the cafés/picnic areas, or use illegal drugs. 8.3 In the event that any of the above standards are not met, the Museum reserves the right to refuse admission and/or ask the group to leave. 9. Review of this policy 9.1 This policy will remain under permanent rolling review based on the lessons learned from actual incidents. 9.2 This policy will be formally reviewed every two years from the date of its approval by the Trustees. Schedule of formal review TBC.