The Dance School Safeguarding Working Group is a collective voice promoting high standards of safeguarding in the Dance School sector in order to protect children and young adults.
Created by like-minded professionals and academics in the dance school and safeguarding sectors, the group has the following mission:
To help protect children and vulnerable adults who attend dance teaching in out-of-school settings (“the sector”) in the UK by supporting and facilitating the implementation of high standards of safeguarding.
Professor Peter Flew, Chair, Safer Dance - the Dance School Safeguarding Working Group
Trustee, Royal Academy of Dance
Stop press - Webinar postponed. We will let you know of a new date
Webinar - “Safeguarding and Effective Communication: A Mini Workshop” on 24/3/25 at 12.30pm
We are delighted to be hosting another webinar for our members. We think this practical workshop will help everyone in their understanding of safeguarding concerns and how best to gather the necessary information, which is vital to making a sound referral to external agencies where necessary. Please share these webinar details with others in your organisation or networks that would benefit from it.
The workshop will look briefly at safeguarding generically and then examine attendees' perceptions of safeguarding concerns in addition to presenting the theory and science behind questioning children and vulnerable adults where a concern has been raised.
The workshop will be presented by Keith Harbottle and Dr Laura Farrugia
Webinar - Safeguarding Adults in Physical Activity
As promised, we hosted another in our series of interesting and free Lunchtime Conversation webinars.
We spoke to Cath Sykes and Laura Thorpe from the Ann Craft Trust (ACT), the leading centre for safeguarding adults in sport and physical activity.
The webinar covered who comes under the category “safeguarding adults” (hint – it is more people than you think!), what this looks like in practice and the work being undertaken in the performing arts sector. It was also a chance to introduce the ACT roadmap and other resources. The roadmap has been designed to help organisations to develop effective safeguarding strategies (https://www.anncrafttrust.org/understanding-the-risks-in-your-sport-or-activity-organisation/).
This webinar was hosted by One Dance UK and a recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/a7kskVSd7Ds
New resource: Eating Disorders and Dance
We have worked with SEED (the Eating Disorder Support Service) to adapt their work on this important issue. You can find it here on our resources page.
Lunchtime conversation on information sharing
To complement the guidance on information sharing we hosted a webinar for the dance school industry. You can find it here on our YouTube Channel and on our resources page.
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. This can be found on our resources page
New 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/.
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. See our resources page
Panorama programme on ballet schools
If anyone has any worries about safeguarding issues which may have happened or are happening in dance schools, please refer to our Where to find support page
A 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. See our resources page.
The 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. See our resources page.
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. See our resources page.
The 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. You can find it here on our YouTube Channel and on our resources page.
One-page reminder for dance teachers
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. See our resources page.
DBS 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 and resources page.
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. More details on our resources page. The course can be found here: Free Safeguarding in Sport & Physical Activity Course
DBS 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 and resources page. A second briefing on barring will be on Tuesday 8th November from 1pm to 2:30pm.
NSPCC 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
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.
Download the guidance on our Resources page.
Free Guide to Recruiting a Specialist Dance Teacher, created by industry experts, now available to support school leaders.
Primary and Secondary School leaders are encouraged to bring the transformational joy of dance into their schools, but they must not be dazzled by an impressive list of performances on a CV.
Download a free guide on our Resources page.
What to do if you are worried about a child or need to talk to someone about a non-recent incident of child abuse
If you are worried about anything which may have occurred in or around the out-of-school dance school sector, please follow the recommended guidance (DfE link), namely:
If you have concerns about an organisation or event, first raise concerns with the provider. If the situation is not resolved, please escalate the issue by calling the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by contacting the local authority designated officer (LADO). To find your local authority, go to Find your local council and enter the postcode of your setting.
Please note the LADO role exists in England only. In the devolved nations please contact:
· Scotland: contact the local social work team and Police Scotland
· Northern Ireland: Health and Social Care Trust Gateway Service Team and Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI)
· Wales: local child protection services and the police
If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, please call the police on 999.
If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact the NSPCC Helpline on
0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
Children and young people can call Childline (24-hour helpline) on 0800 1111 to talk over any worries.
For further information about child abuse see NSPCC guidance: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/what-if-suspect-abuse/
Abuse against adults
Any instances of abuse against adults can be reported to the local authority adult social care services. Contact details can be found on your local authority website.
Go to "Where to find support" page for further information.
