Safeguarding Policy | Buxton Opera House

Updated: March 2025

Any queries relating to this document should be addressed to Allie Spencer, Head of Learning and Engagement: aspencer@boh.org.uk

Buxton Opera House (BOH) commitment to safeguarding

BOH welcomes individuals of all ages and backgrounds to visit the building and take part in activities, as audience members, workshop and event participants, and casual visitors. BOH activities also take place outside of the building in community spaces, digital spaces, schools, and organisations across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and the High Peak. They can also access BOH via our Website and social media platforms.

We are committed to creating and maintaining the same protection, and safest possible environment, for people of all ages, genders, sexual orientation or identity, racial heritage, religious beliefs and cultures, health conditions, those with or without disabilities, and from any model of family life.

About this Policy

Our safeguarding policy and guidelines recognises our duty to actively safeguard the welfare of all children and all adults at risk. This is a responsibility of every member of staff, including freelancers and volunteers, at the theatre. To achieve this, BOH has developed a policy and set of procedures to be followed by all individuals, whether they are directly employed by the company, engaged as freelancers on behalf of the company, or are volunteers.

This policy acknowledges that abuse exists and can present itself in many different forms including physical, emotional, neglect and sexual. It also acknowledges that abuse can be perpetrated by anyone.

The procedures outlined in this policy will allow all staff and volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific safeguarding issues.

How we will do this:

Designated Safeguarding Officer

The overall responsibility for safeguarding lies with the Leadership Team and Trustees of BOH. The Trustees have appointed the Head of Operations (Deputy CEO) as the Safeguarding Lead. In addition, there is a team of Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO). See below for contact details.

The role of the DSO is, in close liaison with the Safeguarding Lead, to lead on day to day safeguarding for BOH. This will include:

Attending safeguarding training and keeping up to date with current legislation and developments in the field of child and vulnerable adult protection and safeguarding.
Acting as the main point of contact for BOH’s employees and volunteers on matters of safeguarding and good practice for working with children and adults at risk.
Identify and respond to safeguarding issues, raising and sharing concerns and making referrals when necessary.
Ensure that everyone is clear about how to report a concern and staff, volunteers and freelancers are familiar with and up to date with safeguarding procedures.
To ensure that sufficient training is given to those who need it including delivering quarterly safeguarding training for new starters, freelancers and casual staff and refresher training for all staff.
To review and revise policies and procedures on a regular basis and particularly after any concern has been raised.
Encourage a culture of openness in which people feel able to fully engage and support safeguarding practice.

In consultation with the Safeguarding Lead, the DSOs will respond to safeguarding concerns from staff, parents, participants, public and outside agencies. Together, the DSOs and Safeguarding Lead will act on any allegations and incidents in liaison with partners and relevant agencies.

There may be circumstances where the concerns are about poor practice rather than abuse; in these cases, it is still important to report and investigate as this may be just one of a series of other instances which, taken together, give cause for concern.

Procedures

Please read the relevant safeguarding procedures for full information on:

Training

All BOH staff, volunteers, and freelancers as part of the Engagement pool will be required to attend our bespoke inhouse Safeguarding training as part of their induction. Training will be
delivered three times a year. All staff will be required to attend a refresher training course every two years.

Dissemination

BOH will make the Safeguarding Policy available to all staff, freelancers, and volunteers. It should be made clear that failure to conform to the policy could result in disciplinary action and possible exclusion from the organisation. All new staff, freelancers and volunteers will be required to sign a declaration that they have read the Safeguarding Policy and agree to abide by the procedures outlined within it. (See Appendix A).

BOH will ensure all participants understand and are aware of the importance of safeguarding and BOH’s commitment to ensuring their welfare and safety is central to their engagement with us.

When BOH is working in partnership with another organisation or agency (e.g. a school, community group, hirer), they will be made aware that this policy is in place and sent a copy with any contract or partnership agreement. This policy will be available to all BOH staff, volunteers and any outside organisations or individuals, and is published on our website. Requests for copies of the documents should be submitted to the Safeguarding Lead or any DSO.

Legal Framework

This policy and related procedures are written against the following legal requirements:

Children’s Act 1989 Backbone for current law protecting children in UK focused on social
worker responsibility to safeguard children
Children Act 2004 This adds to and strengthens the Children’s 1989 Act. It encourages agencies to work together, share information and tightens up accountability.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child – Children have a right to be free from any form of abuse
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) - statutory guidance about sharing information.
What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused (2015)
Information Sharing: practitioners’ guide (2018) for information sharing for under 18s without consent
Adoption and Children Act 2002: expanded definition of harm to include witnessing domestic abuse
Sexual Offences Act 2003 Made the abuse of ‘Position of Trust’ illegal, also made ‘grooming’ a criminal offence
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003: FGM is illegal in England and Wales under this Act. It introduced a mandatory reporting duty to report ‘known’ cases to the Police in 2015
Care Act 2014 Backbone for law supporting adults (over 18s) at risk, placing them at the centre of the process
Mental Capacity Act 2005
Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Human Rights Act 1998
Police Act 1997 Made it a criminal offence for an employer not to take sufficient steps to check an employee.
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: was passed to help avoid harm, or risk of harm, it prevents people who are considered unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults from accessing them through their work. Established DBS as a single decision-making group. Manage barred lists.

This policy should be read in line with our other policies:

Code of Conduct
Equality and Diversity
Bullying and Harassment
Disciplinary
Social Media Policy
DBS protocol
Safer Recruitment

BOH Commitment to Equality

The BOH, Board and staff are committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in the Company’s employment practices, in the work we deliver, as well as our work in Engagement and Artistic delivery. Our underlying principle is that all individuals are unique and have something different to offer. Our aim is to fully engage with our staff and our audience to value these differences and utilise everyone’s talents.

The Company recognises our responsibility to reflect the diversity of the community we serve.

We will pursue strategies to ensure that our employees are truly representative and that our services are that of an inclusive organisation. Cultural diversity will also inform the Company’s business plan and artistic planning (Please see BOH Equality and Diversity Policy for full details).

Responsibility and Review

It is the responsibility of all BOH staff, freelancers and volunteers to adhere to this policy and its guidelines. The effectiveness of this policy and its related procedures will be monitored and developed where necessary by the DSOs, Safeguarding Lead and Leadership team.

A Safeguarding working group meets quarterly with responsibility to regularly review Safeguarding policy and procedures, chaired by the Safeguarding Lead with the DSOs.
The Board of Trustees will review the policy annually.

The policy will be reviewed March 2026.

Contacts

The Buxton Opera House staff members with responsibility for Safeguarding are:

Jonathan Thompson, Head of Operations and Deputy CEO
Telephone: 01298 211863
Email: jthompson@boh.org.uk

Allie Spencer, Head of Learning and Engagement
Telephone: 01283 211864
Email: aspencer@boh.org.uk

Kerry Allsop, Creative Learning Director
Telephone: 01298 211865
Email: kallsop@boh.org.uk

Jane Moulder, Board of Trustees

All queries and concerns in relation to any aspect of safeguarding should be addressed to a DSO.

In case of emergency or if there is no way of contacting a DSO please contact:

Derbyshire County Council
01629 533190