Resources
Information Sharing Lunchtime Conversation
Receiving an allegation against a dance teacher, volunteer or guest is a difficult situation for anyone involved in dance. While wanting to do the right thing to protect children and adults from harm, people have genuine worries about what they can and cannot share and to whom. This “lunchtime conversation” allowed participants to hear advice on this topic and to ask questions of members of Safer Dance. This is now on our YouTube Channel or click on the embedded video.
March 2024
Guidance on information sharing if confronted with allegations about a dance teacher
Dance association leaders met with safeguarding experts, including Local Authority Designated Officers, to share expertise on this important topic. Safer Dance has summarised this into a handy guide.
March 2024
Safer Dance Information Sharing Resource.pdfNew NSPCC / CPSU blog on safeguarding in dance
Our colleague Fiona Becker from the NSPCC has written a blog about safeguarding in dance: https://thecpsu.org.uk/news/2023-11-safeguarding-in-the-dance-sector/.
November 2023
A simple guide to Safer Recruitment in Dance
We have created a simple guide to help you ensure you recruit staff, visitors and volunteers safely. A more detailed guide can be found within the Better Hiring Toolkit, available here.
October 2023
Simple Safer Recruitment Guide September 2023.pdfUpdated government guidance for out-of-school settings including dance schools
On 19th September 2023, the DfE published updated guidance, which can be found here. Some posters and resources are attached.
September 2023
14.227_DFE_Safeguarding_Provider Guidance_Annex B_v7a_Web.pdf14.227_DFE_OOSS_Posters_Update_A3_v3_Print marks[74].pdf14.227_DFE_Safeguarding_Parental Guidance_Annex C_v8a_Web.pdf14.227_DFE_OOSS_Posters_Update_A3_v3_Print[74].pdf14.227_DFE_OOSS_Provider Leaflet_Annex D_v5a_Web.pdfA simple guide to Touch and Consent in Dance
We have created a simple guide to help you look after your dance students when you need to touch them to help them learn effectively.
September 2023
Touch and Dance.pdfThe Power of Language session 2 - Mental Health
This session supports dance teachers who engage with young people who may have issues with poor mental health. Nicole Lekka (Consultant Psychiatrist), Will Centurion (Counselling and Life Coaching for Actors, Singers and Dancers) and Maria Kolitsida (University of Birmingham) were the presenters.This is now on our YouTube Channel or click on the embedded video.
July 2023
DBS Briefing on Barring
Mini-Guide to DBS for Dance Teachers
Following last year's DBS webinar led by Cathy Taylor (DBS webinar) , we have created a summary with some examples from the world of dance schools to help you interpret the rules
July 2023
Safer Dance Quick Guide-DBS checks for Dance Teachers v2.pdfThe Power of Language session 1 - Neurodiversity
Safer Dance hosted the first in a series of lunchtime conversations surrounding the theme of "The Power of Language". This session was led by Martin Wilson of TIN Arts on Neurodiversity. This is now on our YouTube Channel or click on the embedded video.
February 2023
Safeguarding Quick Checklist
Following a request for something simple and helpful, we have created a handy one-page checklist for dance teachers with a reminder of the key issues you need to address to keep your school safe.
January 2023
Simple Checklist for Dance Teachers.pdfDBS Briefing on Barring
We were delighted that Cathy Taylor from the Disclosure and Barring Service gave us a second briefing - this time on Barring. This is now on our YouTube Channel or click on the embedded video.
November 2022
Free Safeguarding in Sport & Physical Activity Course
We are pleased to introduce a free online course created by Paul Stewart, Safeguarding Trainer to the EFL/Premier League, and former professional footballer with England, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. The course can be found here: Free Safeguarding in Sport & Physical Activity Course
October 2022
PS Safeguarding in Sport Course PDF.pdfDBS Briefing on Eligibility
We were very pleased that Cathy Taylor from the Disclosure and Barring Service joined us for a briefing on eligibility for checks. This is now on our YouTube Channel or click on the embedded video. A second briefing on barring will be on Tuesday 8th November from 1pm to 2:30pm.
October 2022
Lunchtime talk on Safer Recruitment in Dance
Our summer lunchtime talk on Safer Recruitment in Dance with Chloe Meaney of the NSPCC is now on our YouTube Channel
October 2022
NSPCC create guidance on Preventing Abuse in Positions of Trust in Dance
The law relating to children aged 16 and 17 has changed. We asked the NSPCC to create a version of their guidance document specifically for dance. Thank you to the NSPCC for this helpful document.
July 2022
Positions of Trust Briefing - Dance.pdfThe Safer Dance Guide to recruiting a Specialist Dance Teacher
How do you tell the difference between a great dancer and a great dance teacher? As part of our mission to improve safeguarding within dance, we have create a handy guide for Primary and Secondary School leaders who wish to hire a dance teacher for either curriculum delivery or to run an after-school club.
Dance can be transformative for children but, as the guide says, “Don’t be dazzled by an impressive list of performances on a CV”
May 2022
Recruiting Dance Teachers for Primary & Secondary Schools.pdfFree resources for Dance Teachers
We have put together a handy set of materials which we hope will support you and your desire to improve safeguarding in your dance teaching:
Make a pledge
Why not display your commitment to safeguarding for all to see? By putting up a Dance Teachers' Safeguarding Pledge poster, you are making this very clear. The posters can be found here: Pledge Posters
Watch the video
Watch a short video on dance-specific safeguarding issues to consider here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntqiaa7u1_I
Who to tell
Not sure who to tell if you have concerns? Check out One Dance UK's useful guide https://www.onedanceuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/safeguarding-1-v8.pdf
Display Childline posters
Display Childline posters in your dance school https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/childline-posters-wallet-cards
The Ann Craft Trust - advice on safeguarding adults
The Ann Craft Trust
Everyone has a right to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone deserves to be safe.
The Ann Craft Trust is a leading authority in safeguarding adults and young people at risk. Our aim is to create a world where people live safely, free from the risk of abuse. Through pioneering training, practice reviews and contributing to world-leading research, ACT supports organisations to safeguard adults and young people at risk and minimise the risk of harm.
We believe that all organisations should commit to creating a safe environment for everyone.
Why do we need to Safeguard Adults?
Everyone has the right to live their life free from violence, fear and abuse. All adults have the right to be protected from harm and exploitation.
The Care Act 2014 recognises that abuse of adults is linked to circumstances rather than the characteristics of the people experiencing the harm. This legislation also recognises that some adults are more at risk than others. As some are unable to protect themselves, statutory safeguarding duties apply to any adult who:
Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and;
Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect; and;
As a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.
Safeguarding in the wider context
There will be situations concerning people who don’t meet the criteria for being referred to the Local Authority as an Adult at Risk, but who are nonetheless at risk of harm. In those situations, it is important to have in place internal policies and procedures to manage the concerns while signposting to external support organisations.
What ACT can offer
The Ann Craft Trust has a dedicated team working to support the Sport and Activity Sector. We have a range of resources available on our website including:
Safeguarding policies and procedures templates
Guidance documents concerning legislation and good practice
Regular podcasts and blogs
Bespoke safeguarding in sport and activity training and eLearning courses
In addition, we’re asking organisations to commit to focusing on and improving their cultures through the #SaferCultureSaferSport campaign. We’ve developed a range of tools to help you do this. Head to our online Safer Culture hub to learn more.
For more information visit https://www.anncrafttrust.org/
March 2022
Safer Dance - Supporting the Conversation
Published July 2021
"Safer Dance - Supporting the conversation" is a resource for Safeguarding Leads across all sectors to increase understanding of the particular safeguarding issues which relate to dance in out-of-school settings. This will be most useful for those who run dance schools and those who work with or support children who attend such schools
We hope that you find the document useful in your practice and as an aid to discussions about safeguarding in dance with others. Please be aware that to someone new to safeguarding, reading this document ‘cold’ without a briefing or discussion of some of the concepts, could prove shocking to the reader, as the content will encourage the mind to travel to difficult places. This document would most usefully help form the basis for several conversations in which the focus of the conversation is one element or area of consideration that is covered in the document. The complete document itself could then be a useful aide memoire and/or further resource.
If you have any questions, concerns or wish to feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Safer Dance - Supporting the Conversation.pdfKeeping children safe in out-of-school settings
New Department for Education guidance intended for dance schools and their parents:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings
We highly recommend all dance schools engage with this guidance designed to ensure the children you teach are safe.
The Dance School Safeguarding Working Group aims to produce supplementary documents for the dance school sector.
