Policy statement
ABRSM is a charitable company established by four Royal Schools of Music for the benefit of music education. Its core activity is the operation of an authoritative and internationally recognised exam and assessment system to encourage and motivate players and singers at all levels through the provision of goals and the measurement of progress.
ABRSM acknowledges it has a responsibility for the safety of children undertaking its exams or otherwise under its temporary care. It also recognises that good safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures are of benefit to everyone involved with ABRSM’s work, including staff, as they can help protect them from erroneous or malicious allegations.
ABRSM is committed to practices which protect children from harm. For the purpose of this policy, ABRSM’s staff include not only its employees but also the examiners, Honorary Local Representatives and stewards. All staff who have unsupervised access to or contact with children are required to:
- recognise and accept their responsibilities;
- develop awareness of the issues which can cause children harm; and
- report concerns following the procedure below.
ABRSM will endeavour to safeguard children by:
- adopting safeguarding and child protection procedures and a code of practice for all who work on behalf of the organisation;
- reporting concerns to the authorities;
- following carefully procedures for recruitment and selection of staff, examiners and volunteers; and
- providing effective management for staff, examiners and volunteers through support and training.
ABRSM is also committed to reviewing its Safeguarding & child protection policy and code of practice at regular intervals.
It is ABRSM’s policy that:
- All staff working on behalf of ABRSM accept responsibility for the welfare of children who come into contact with ABRSM in connection with its tasks and functions, and that they will report any concerns about a child or somebody else’s behaviour, using the procedures laid down.
- There is a Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) within ABRSM who will take action following any expression of concern and the lines of responsibility in respect of child protection are clear.
- The DSP knows how to make appropriate referrals to statutory child protection agencies.
- All those who are involved with children on behalf of ABRSM should adhere to the Code of Practice in relation to children.
- Information relating to any allegation or disclosure will be clearly recorded as soon as possible, and there is a procedure setting out who should record information and the time-scales for passing it on.
- The Children Act 1989 states that the “welfare of the child is paramount”. This means that considerations of confidentiality which might apply to other situations should not be allowed to over-ride the right of children to be protected from harm. However, every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned when an allegation has been made and is being investigated, see appendix C.
- ABRSM’s policy on duty of care to children will be referred to or included in recruitment, training, moderation and policy materials where appropriate, and the policies are openly and widely available to staff and actively promoted within the organisation.
- A culture of mutual respect between children and those who represent ABRSM in all its activities will be encouraged, with adults modelling good practice in this context.
- All staff, examiners, volunteers and anyone in paid or unpaid work on behalf of ABRSM with unsupervised access to children will be vetted appropriately.
- It is part of ABRSM’s acceptance of its responsibility of duty of care towards children that anybody who encounters child protection concerns in the context of their work on behalf of ABRSM will be supported when they report their concerns in good faith.