Safeguarding and Code of Conduct for YMS Croydon
This document has been produced by YMS Croydon in accordance with the Musician’s Union guidance and advice.
All YMS teachers and staff members are required to read this document fully and update their relevant Safeguarding certification on a regular basis as organised by YMS Croydon.
This Code of Conduct describes expected behaviours from YMS teachers working in 1:1 or group instrumental/vocal teaching, outreach, workshop leading, ensemble coaching or any other related environment. It also applies to team members working with children and vulnerable adults in other capacities.
This Code of Conduct is designed to ensure the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults who engage in musical activities led by the YMS team. It aims to prevent risk to all parties, provide advice on how to proceed if risk is identified, and set out the member’s safeguarding responsibilities.
Key behaviours
All YMS teachers should:
Commit to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding and child protection, knowing that creating a safe environment for all is everyone’s responsibility.
Maintain high standards of personal behaviour. Be friendly and approachable but professional in your interactions. Never use inappropriate language. Never engage in personal relationships with students, including those over 16 if the relationship is professional. Do not befriend students or share details of your private life with them. Never work under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or smoke in front of students.
Abide by the MU’s Music Sector Code of Conduct, designed to tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination. Understand that these behaviours are never acceptable.
As well as following this Code of Conduct, be aware of the YMS safeguarding policy.
Develop an understanding of the various issues that can cause students harm, using this knowledge to remain vigilant to risks and promote a safe environment for learning.
Acquire a basic knowledge of, and be able to identify, the signs of the four most common forms of the abuse: emotional, physical, sexual and neglect.
Be aware that those experiencing abuse can be any age, gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality or faith; and that those who abuse can be any age, gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality or faith.
Understand and be able to identify grooming behaviour. Never intentionally behave in any way that could be perceived as grooming.
Report any concerns or disclosures to an appropriate authority.
Keep records about children and vulnerable adults securely protected and retain them for no longer than necessary, whether records are physical or digital.
Ensure that consent is gained from all relevant parties for all photos or film of students, and that these are stored securely and retained no longer than necessary.
Maintain an up-to-date DBS check using the online DBS Update Service (England and Wales only). If based in Scotland or Northern Ireland, maintain equivalent checks.
Communications
All YMS teachers should:
Communicate all information with guardians via email only. Avoid direct communication with the student. For all group class announcements, info@ymscroydon.com should be Bcc’d to ensure broadcasted information is known within the leadership team. It is under the teacher’s discretion if they wish to phone a parent/guardian directly or use the YMS phone number.
Use professionally appropriate photographs for email, text messaging, social media profiles and so on, making every effort to avoid inappropriate photographs being seen by students.
Where possible, use a professional email address or point of contact that is specifically for YMS teaching work. For example, ‘name’-yms@gmail.com
Restrict profiles on social media so that these do not automatically accept contact requests and cannot be viewed by students.
Never communicate with a student via social media such as Instagram, Facebook etc, or give unnecessary personal details to a student.
Delivering lessons in person
All YMS teachers should:
Dress appropriately and professionally.
Respect students’ personal space and avoid inappropriate physical contact. Never use physical contact as a form of punishment.
If physical contact is deemed necessary for teaching, ask permission first and explain clearly what will happen. Stop or avoid touch if the student does not give consent or seems uncomfortable.
Try to avoid teaching in a room that is far away from other people or activity. A room with a window is advisable to promote a feeling of openness and transparency.
Avoid a room layout where you are positioned between the student and the door.
Try to match the student’s eye level as far as possible when teaching, rather than standing over them or sitting below them on a low chair, for example.
Never make suggestive or inappropriate remarks to a child, such as innuendo, swearing, or discussing intimate relationships. Avoid sarcasm or remarks that could be misinterpreted.
Never engage in grooming behaviour or behaviour that could be perceived as grooming.
Delivering lessons online
When teaching online, YMS team members should follow any applicable guidance from the above list for delivering lessons in person. They should also:
Ensure that guardians are fully informed that online teaching is happening and are given information about appropriate practice relating to it.
Use video calling apps for lessons only and no other purposes.
If recording is necessary, record audio only and delete the recording if it was created to be given to a student. If the recording needs to be retained, for example if a lesson is to be observed as part of a professional development programme, explain this to guardians and agree a date by which the recording will be deleted.
Dress appropriately and professionally as for a face-to-face lesson.
Use a neutral background and/or a background blurring setting.
Terminate the call if the student wears excessively informal attire, has an inappropriate background or behaves inappropriately, and communicate the reason with guardians and/or line manager afterwards.
Reporting disclosures and concerns
YMS team members should disclose information to the DSL as soon as:
A safeguarding disclosure is made by a student.
Other concerns such as:
bruising or evidence of physical injury on the student, not obviously the result of a normal accident.
Unusual behaviour by the student.
If a member suspects that a student is infatuated with them.
Suspicious or worrying conduct of another adult, including a teacher or guardian.
Responding when a disclosure is made
YMS team members should:
Listen carefully, openly and without judgement.
Reassure the student that they are doing the right thing by disclosing and will be taken seriously.
Tell the student that it will be necessary to report what they are saying, and that confidentiality cannot be promised. If this causes the student to end the disclosure, report this.
Allow the student to make the disclosure at their own pace, asking questions for clarification only and not to persuade answers.
Try to avoid excessive emotion, even if what is being disclosed is distressing.
Tell the student what will happen next and who the information will be shared with.
Make a written record of what was said as soon as possible, noting the date and time and using the student’s own words as far as possible. Anonymise student information on written notes as far as possible, e.g. by using initials.
Ensure that no information about the disclosure is shared outside of the reporting process.
Reporting a disclosure
YMS team members should:
Report any disclosure as soon as possible to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL). Note that this person may be referred to as the designated safeguarding officer or other title.
Refer to notes for accuracy when reporting.
Call the police if you are concerned that there is immediate danger or a crime has taken place. Seek medical help if a child or vulnerable adult is seriously injured.
Keep notes of when, how and to whom any disclosure, concern or allegation is reported. Anonymise student information in writing, e.g. using initials only.
Follow up a verbal referral with a written note or email to create an evidence trail showing that the referral was made. Anonymise student information in writing (unless making a referral to the police, children’s social care or the NSPCC).
Be aware that once a disclosure has been reported, only limited information on what follow-up action has been taken may be provided, depending on confidentiality.
Contact the MU for advice if any referral or reporting is not processed satisfactorily.
Reporting other concerns
YMS team members should:
Keep notes with dates and times, e.g. when unusual behaviour took place, or when/where an unusual injury was noted.
If serious, follow the same process as for reporting a disclosure.
If less serious, use judgement. It may be more appropriate to speak to a student’s classroom teacher, for example, than to go to the DSL.
Use of photos/videos:
YMS team members should:
Where possible, photos/videos should not have a student’s face in view.
Never take photos/videos during any lesson unless agreed with the DSL and written consent has been provided by every parent/guardian of the class involved.
Never share photos/videos of YMS students to personal social media unless the parent/guardian of children in shot have provided written consent for the photo/video to be shared on social media.
Be aware that although every parent/guardian is required to agree to photos/videos being taken during whole school events, YMS team members should refrain from sharing photos/videos on behalf of YMS or for their own promotion without receiving written permission for that media item from a parent/guardian.
Be aware that private galleries are made available only to attendees of school events which can be accessed by a unique link. Should a photo wish to be used by the YMS team, written permission should be gained first as detailed above.
All YMS group tutors are required to complete and submit the following certification before starting their teaching position:
Safeguarding for Music Groups as provided by Child Protection Company
Enhanced DBS Check
All YMS 1:1 tutors are required to complete and submit the following certification before starting their teaching position:
Safeguarding for Individual Music Lessons as provided by Child Protection Company
Enhanced DBS Check