UNUSUAL CROWD THEATRE COMPANY

Safeguarding and Code of Conduct Policy

Effective date: September 2026
Policy owner: Unusual Crowd Theatre Company
Review date: September 2027, or earlier following a significant incident or change in activities

This document should be read alongside the Acting Classes Terms and Conditions and the Emergency Contact and Participant Safety Form.

Policy Statement

Unusual Crowd Theatre Company (UC) is a Cambridge-based theatre company committed to creating welcoming, inclusive, collaborative and professionally run creative environments.

Everyone involved in our productions, classes, workshops and other activities has the right to participate in an environment that is safe, respectful and free from bullying, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, exploitation, coercion and abuse.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone working with or participating in UC is expected to read, understand and follow this policy.

This policy combines:

our organisation-wide Code of Conduct;
safeguarding expectations;
online conduct;
safe-working requirements for classes and workshops;
safe-working requirements for productions;
procedures for reporting and responding to concerns; and
our organisational safeguarding responsibilities.

Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to:

company members;
class and workshop participants;
actors and performers;
tutors and visiting practitioners;
directors and assistant directors;
producers and production managers;
stage-management and technical teams;
designers and other creatives;
paid and unpaid crew;
contractors and freelancers;
volunteers;
photographers and filmmakers;
board or committee members;
auditionees;
guests and observers; and
anyone else taking part in an activity organised by UC.

It applies:

during auditions, rehearsals, classes, workshops and performances;
in theatres, rehearsal rooms, classrooms and other hired venues;
backstage and in dressing or changing areas;
during get-ins, technical rehearsals, fit-ups and get-outs;
at meetings, social events and theatre trips organised by UC;
during course-related or production-related travel;
in online meetings, apps, email, group chats and messaging;
on UC’s social-media pages and accounts; and
during personal contact arising from participation in UC.

This policy applies to behaviour in person and online.

UC’s current classes and productions are intended for adults. Before involving anyone under 18, UC will adopt and implement a separate child safeguarding policy and appropriate procedures.

Our Values

Community

We aim to build supportive and collaborative creative environments in which people feel that they belong and can contribute.

Inclusivity

We welcome and value diversity in all its forms. We aim to remove unnecessary barriers and consider reasonable adjustments wherever practicable

Respect

We expect all interactions to be considerate, professional and kind. We respect each person’s identity, privacy, body, time, experience and personal boundaries.

Creativity

We encourage artistic exploration and freedom of expression within a framework of consent, care and mutual respect.

Responsibility

Everyone has a responsibility to follow safety instructions, respect agreed boundaries, recognise risks and speak up when something may be unsafe.

All Members, Participants and Practitioners

How We Treat Each Other

We recognise that we are all individuals and that diversity is one of our strengths.

Everyone will be treated with equal respect regardless of their role, experience, employment status, professional background, age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic or cultural background, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, gender identity or gender expression, including non-binary identities, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, neurodivergence, health condition or any other aspect of their identity.

Rude, dismissive, belittling, hostile or deliberately disrespectful behaviour is not acceptable, whether directed at someone in person, in writing or through an online channel.

No one should be made to feel less important because they are:

working unpaid or volunteering;
new to the industry;
returning to acting after time away;
participating in a community capacity;
working in a junior or supporting role; or
less experienced than another person.

We value connection and camaraderie while recognising that people express friendship and affection in different ways.

Consent and personal boundaries must be respected at all times. When someone says “no”, expresses discomfort or asks for something to stop, this must be respected immediately and without challenge, pressure, teasing or judgement.

Humour is an important part of theatre culture, but one person’s “banter” may be another person’s embarrassment, exclusion or distress. Everyone is expected to consider how their words and actions may affect others.

Professional Boundaries and Personal Contact

Professional boundaries help create safe and inclusive creative environments.

People must ask before:

hugging or touching someone socially;
requesting or using personal contact details;
contacting someone privately outside an agreed UC channel;
following or messaging a private social-media account;
sharing another person’s personal information; or
photographing or recording someone.

If someone asks for personal contact or communication to stop, the request must be respected immediately.
Continued or repeated communication after a boundary has been set may be treated as harassment.

No one may use their role, professional influence, casting power, teaching position, access to opportunities or connections within the industry to pressure another person into personal, romantic or sexual contact.

People should not be pressured to disclose private information about their health, disability, trauma, relationships, sexuality, family or personal history.

Only information relevant to safety, access requirements, a reasonable adjustment or an agreed creative task should be requested.

Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination

Everyone has the right to participate in an environment that is free from:

bullying;
harassment;
sexual harassment;
intimidation;
victimisation;
discrimination;
threats;
stalking;
hate speech;
humiliation;
coercive behaviour;
retaliation; and
abuse of authority.

These standards apply regardless of whether the behaviour takes place:

face to face;
in writing;
by telephone;
through an app or group chat;
by email;
on social media; or
outside an official session where the contact arose through UC.

Harassment, bullying or discrimination connected with disability, neurodivergence, gender identity or a non-binary identity will not be tolerated.

Deliberate or repeated misgendering, deadnaming, mocking of access requirements or refusal to respect a person’s stated pronouns may be treated as harassment.

Reasonable mistakes should be corrected respectfully. Persistent or deliberate behaviour after someone has been corrected may constitute a breach of this policy.

A pattern of smaller incidents may constitute harassment even where an individual incident might appear minor.
Someone’s intention does not automatically remove the impact of their behaviour. When a person is told that their behaviour has caused discomfort or crossed a boundary, they are expected to listen and respond appropriately

Sexual Harassment and Sexualised Behaviour

UC does not tolerate language or behaviour that is sexually objectifying, intrusive, aggressive, suggestive, intimidating or inappropriately personal.

This includes:

sexual comments or jokes directed at another person;
comments about someone’s body, attractiveness or sexual history;
unwanted sexual attention;
repeated requests for dates after someone has declined;
sexual messages, images or material;
unwanted physical contact;
sexualised “banter”;
deliberately creating an intimidating or sexualised environment;
displaying sexual material without a clear creative reason and advance warning;
pressuring someone to discuss their sex life or relationships; and
offering professional opportunities in exchange for romantic or sexual attention.

A person will not be disadvantaged for rejecting sexual or romantic attention.

Raising Concerns Without Retaliation

No one will be penalised, excluded or treated unfavourably for:

raising a concern in good faith;
supporting another person who raises a concern;
reporting something they witnessed;
declining physical contact;
withdrawing consent;
requesting an adjustment;
stepping out of an exercise;
challenging discriminatory behaviour; or
participating in a safeguarding review.

Retaliation, intimidation or interference following a report will be treated as a separate serious breach of this policy.

Online Code of Conduct

The same standards of conduct apply online as they do in person.

This section applies to:

the Members Area and Unusual Crowd app;
course and company discussion areas;
WhatsApp or other group chats;
email;
direct messages;
video calls;
shared drives and folders;
online auditions and self-tapes;
social-media pages and groups; and
any other digital platform used for UC activities.

Appropriate Use of Online Spaces

Official channels should be used for their intended purpose.

Course and production spaces may be used for:

administrative updates;
rehearsal or class information;
learning resources;
discussion of relevant exercises;
production planning;
professional development;
agreed opportunities;
agreed recordings and supporting materials; and
social arrangements directly connected with the group.

Important administrative channels should not be overwhelmed by unrelated conversation.

No one is expected to be available at all times or to respond immediately to non-urgent messages. Reasonable boundaries around evenings, weekends and personal time should be respected.

Unacceptable Online Conduct

Online spaces must not be used for:

bullying, harassment or discriminatory language;
sexually suggestive or explicit messages;
threats or aggressive behaviour;
deliberate or repeated misgendering or deadnaming;
mocking disability, neurodivergence or access requirements;
repeated unwanted personal messages;
pressuring someone to move from an official channel to private messaging;
sharing another person’s contact details without permission;
gossiping about a safeguarding concern;
circulating private information;
posting humiliating or misleading material about another person;
impersonating another person;
disrupting the group’s ability to receive important information; or
contacting someone after they have asked for communication to stop.

Privacy, Screenshots and Recording

Participants must not:

take or circulate screenshots of private messages without permission, except where reasonably necessary to preserve evidence of a concern;
record an online meeting without the organiser’s permission and the knowledge of everyone attending;
download or forward another person’s learning recording without permission;
share private group content outside the group;
post another person’s image, performance or personal information online without permission; or
share login details or allow an unauthorised person to access a UC space.
Evidence of harassment or another safeguarding concern may be preserved and shared privately with an appropriate safeguarding contact.

Direct Messages and Social Media

Participation in a class or production does not give anyone automatic permission to begin personal communication with another participant.

If someone asks for communication to remain within the official group, that request must be respected.

No one should be pressured to:

connect on personal social media;
share a personal phone number;
join an unofficial group;
disclose their location; or
respond to private messages.

Tagging someone in social-media content should only take place with their permission.

Moderation

UC may:

moderate online discussions;
remove inappropriate material;
restrict someone’s access to a group;
preserve content relevant to a concern;
move a discussion to a more suitable channel; or
suspend someone’s online access while a serious concern is considered.

Safeguarding disclosures should be sent privately to an appropriate contact rather than discussed in a group chat.

Classes and Workshops

Role of the Tutor

The Lead Tutor for each class or workshop is the key safeguarding contact during that activity.

The Tutor is responsible for:

signposting participants to this policy and explaining where it can be found;
making participants aware of how and with whom they can raise a concern;
establishing clear group expectations;
planning appropriate exercises;
identifying foreseeable risks;
explaining physical-contact work before it begins;
checking consent;
monitoring physical and emotional safety;
offering reasonable adjustments where practicable;
responding to accidents, distress and boundary concerns; and
reporting serious concerns to one of UC’s Safeguarding Support People.

Visiting tutors and practitioners must be signposted to this policy and agree to follow it before working with participants.

Participation and Feedback

Participants are expected to engage constructively with exercises, direction and feedback.

However, active participation does not require a person to ignore:

pain;
injury;
disability or an access requirement;
emotional distress;
a personal boundary;
an unsafe instruction; or
inappropriate conduct.

Participants may ask questions, request clarification, pause, observe or ask for another way of approaching an exercise.

Being “open to notes” does not mean that someone must immediately follow a direction that conflicts with their safety or an agreed boundary.

Feedback should be:

constructive;
specific;
proportionate;
focused on the work;
relevant to the exercise; and
delivered without humiliation or personal criticism.

Peer feedback should be given within the structure established by the Tutor.

Physical Work and Consent

Classes may include movement, floor work, partner exercises, voice work, contact exercises and contact improvisation.

Accepting a place confirms that the participant understands physical work is involved. It does not amount to advance consent to every exercise or every form of contact.

Consent must be:

informed;
specific to the activity;
freely given;
ongoing; and
capable of being changed or withdrawn.

Silence, previous participation or familiarity with a partner must not be treated as consent.

Before contact work, the Tutor should explain:

the purpose of the exercise;
the likely type and intensity of contact;
the body areas likely to be involved;
the roles of each participant;
any foreseeable risks;
available adjustments; and
how to pause or stop.

Participants must have an opportunity to ask questions and communicate boundaries.

Where partners have different boundaries, the narrower boundary applies.

Contact must remain within what has been explained and agreed. Participants must not add, intensify or prolong contact without checking again.

A participant may stop an exercise without explaining their reason to the whole group.

No one may restrain a person who is withdrawing or ignore signs of pain, panic, freezing, distress, dissociation or loss of balance.

Intimate Contact in Classes

Unless a class has been specifically advertised and arranged as intimacy training, the following are not included in

UC classes:

kissing;
nudity;
simulated sexual activity;
sexualised touching; or
contact with breasts, genitals, buttocks or the groin.

Contact exercise and contact improvisation must not be used to introduce intimate or sexualised contact.

Any future intimacy training would require separate advance information, appropriately experienced direction and a specific consent process.

Physical Corrections, Lifts and Higher-Risk Movement

A Tutor or participant must ask before using touch to provide a physical correction. A verbal or demonstrated alternative should be offered wherever practicable.

Lifts, throws, falls, restraints, neck pressure or exercises involving one person supporting another person’s weight must only be included where they have been:

specifically planned;
appropriately risk-assessed;
progressively taught; and
actively supervised.

Emotional Safety

Actor training can involve emotionally demanding material. UC classes are training environments and are not therapy.

Participants will not be required to reveal or relive personal trauma as evidence of commitment or as an acting technique.

Potentially distressing content should be identified in advance where reasonably possible. Participants may request an adjustment, observe or step out.

The Tutor should allow time to reset or de-role following unusually demanding work and should follow up where a participant appears distressed.

Health, Access and General Safety

Participants should tell the Tutor, privately if preferred, about an injury, allergy, access requirement, health condition or limitation that could affect safe participation.

Only information needed for safe participation or a reasonable adjustment should be requested.

Participants must:

work within their limits;
stop if they experience pain, dizziness, breathing difficulty, distress or loss of control;
update the Tutor about relevant changes;
not attend while infectious;
cover open wounds;
wear appropriate clothing and footwear;
remove or secure jewellery when instructed;
follow venue and emergency procedures; and
attend sober and able to participate safely.

UC will consider reasonable adjustments and alternative approaches wherever practicable.

The Tutor may modify or stop an exercise where there is a reasonable safety concern.
Accidents, injuries and near misses must be reported promptly.

Learning Recordings and Sharing

Recording and reviewing practical work may form a required part of UC classes and workshops. Recordings may be uploaded to the restricted Members Area or Unusual Crowd app for learning, feedback and class-development purposes.

Participants may access these recordings only for the purpose for which they have been shared.

Participants must not, without appropriate permission:

download or forward another person’s recording outside the relevant group;
post it on a public website or social-media platform;
add it to a showreel;
use it for personal or professional promotion;
edit it in a way that is misleading, humiliating or harmful; or
reuse it for another purpose.

Access to a recording through the Members Area or Unusual Crowd app does not give permission to copy, publish or distribute it.

UC’s recording, use and publication of photographs and videos—including promotional use and the right to opt out—are governed by the applicable Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Cast and Production Teams

Auditions and Casting

Auditions should be run professionally, transparently and safely.

Where a role involves intimacy, simulated violence, partial undress, stage combat, highly physical work or potentially distressing material, this should be disclosed before the audition wherever reasonably possible.

Auditionees must not be:

asked to undress unexpectedly;
asked to perform unannounced intimate contact;
required to attend an inappropriate private location;
pressured into physical contact;
recorded without their knowledge; or
told that accepting inappropriate conduct is necessary to obtain a role.

Where physical or intimate material is relevant to casting, the audition process must use clear boundaries and appropriately adapted material.

Self-tapes and audition recordings must only be accessed by people involved in the casting decision and must not be used for another purpose without permission.

Attendance and Punctuality

Cast and production-team members are expected to attend agreed rehearsals, calls and performances and to arrive punctually and prepared.

Known or potential absences should be communicated as early as possible.

Production teams should:

provide schedules with reasonable notice;
avoid unnecessary last-minute changes;
use people’s time efficiently;
communicate significant changes clearly; and
consider access, welfare and caring responsibilities where practicable.

Rehearsal and Performance Environment

Everyone is expected to be present, engaged and respectful during rehearsals and performances.

When not actively rehearsing, people should avoid disrupting the work of others.

Phones should normally be switched to silent and used only where:

required for the rehearsal or production;
needed for an access or medical reason;
an urgent call is expected and has been communicated; or
the person leading the session has agreed.

Shouting at another person is not acceptable. Swearing must not be directed at someone or used aggressively.

Direction and feedback should be clear, constructive and focused on the work.

No Director, Producer or other person in authority may use humiliation, fear, intimidation or personal criticism as a directing or management technique.

Intimacy, Nudity and Sexual Content

Scenes involving intimacy, sexual content, partial undress, nudity or heightened vulnerability must be discussed in advance.

These scenes must be:

planned rather than improvised;
limited to the contact required for the production;
approached through specific and ongoing consent;
rehearsed only with necessary people present;
reviewed when material or casting changes;
documented clearly enough that agreed choreography can be repeated; and
managed with appropriate expertise where the nature of the work requires it.

Consent to one action does not imply consent to another.

Consent may be changed or withdrawn. Where this affects the production, the team should work collaboratively to find a safe alternative rather than pressuring the performer.

There must be no last-minute addition of intimate contact.

No photographs or recordings may be taken during a closed rehearsal or while someone is undressed unless this has been specifically agreed in advance.

Stage Combat, Weapons and Physical Action

Stage combat, falls, restraints, simulated violence, weapons and other higher-risk physical action must be:

appropriately risk-assessed;
choreographed;
taught by a suitably competent person;
rehearsed progressively;
performed consistently;
checked before performance; and
stopped if conditions become unsafe.

Weapons, including replicas and prop-edged weapons, must be stored, transported and used responsibly.

No one may introduce an unplanned weapon, movement or physical action into a rehearsal or performance.

Costumes, Changing and Personal Privacy

Costume requirements involving partial undress, restrictive clothing, body exposure or significant physical contact should be explained as early as possible.

Performers must be provided with reasonable privacy when changing.

People must not:

enter a changing space without appropriate warning;
take photographs or recordings in a changing area;
make unnecessary comments about another person’s body;
pressure someone to change in front of others; or
use costume fittings to introduce unagreed intimate contact.

Alternative changing arrangements should be considered where reasonably required for privacy, disability, religion, gender identity or another access need.

Technical and Venue Safety

Production teams must follow appropriate venue and activity risk assessments.

This includes risks connected with:

scenery and set construction;
raised platforms;
cables, wires and ropes;
lighting and electrical equipment;
props and weapons;
special effects;
get-ins and get-outs;
manual handling;
audience access;
fire safety; and
working alone or outside normal venue hours.

People should only operate equipment or perform tasks for which they are competent and authorised.

Hazards, damaged equipment, accidents and near misses must be reported promptly.

Alcohol, Drugs and Welfare

Rehearsals, classes and performances must be attended sober and clear-headed.

Intoxication or impairment that affects safety, conduct or professionalism is not acceptable.

Where alcohol is used as a prop, a safe non-alcoholic substitute should normally be used.

Everyone is encouraged to look out for the welfare of others and to raise concerns where someone appears distressed, unsafe, seriously unwell or unable to protect themselves.

Safeguarding

What Safeguarding Means

Safeguarding means taking reasonable action to prevent harm and responding appropriately when there is a concern about someone’s safety or welfare.

A concern may involve:

physical abuse;
sexual abuse or exploitation;
psychological or emotional abuse;
bullying or harassment;
discriminatory abuse;
financial or material abuse;
domestic abuse;
neglect or an act of omission;
organisational abuse;
modern slavery;
self-neglect;
grooming;
coercive control;
online abuse;
hate crime;
abuse of authority;
unsafe working practices; or
retaliation following a report.

A person does not need proof before raising a concern.

Not every breach of this Code will meet the legal definition of a safeguarding concern. However, UC may still act under its conduct, safety or disciplinary procedures.

Safeguarding Contacts

Classes and workshops

The Lead Tutor is the key safeguarding contact during the class or workshop.

A participant may speak to the Tutor during or after a session or ask to arrange a private conversation.

A participant may instead approach one of UC’s Safeguarding Support People if:

they would prefer not to speak to the Tutor;
the concern involves the Tutor;
the Tutor is unavailable;
they would like additional support; or
they are dissatisfied with how the concern has been handled.

Productions

A concern arising during a production may be raised with:

the Director;
the Producer;
the Production Manager or Stage Manager; or
one of UC’s Safeguarding Support People.

A person does not have to raise a concern with the Director or production team before approaching a Safeguarding Support Person.

Safeguarding Support People

UC’s Safeguarding Support People are:

Amy Lee
Pat Wade

The Safeguarding Support People are available to:

listen to concerns;
provide support;
consider immediate safety;
explain possible next steps;
make and securely retain appropriate safeguarding records;
arrange an impartial response;
seek specialist advice; and
make or support an external referral where necessary.

They can be contacted at:

help@unusualcrowd.co.uk

Please use the subject line:

Private – Safeguarding

If a concern involves Amy Lee, it should be raised with Pat Wade, another suitable activity contact or an appropriate external organisation.

If a concern involves Pat Wade, it should be raised with Amy Lee, another suitable activity contact or an appropriate external organisation.

If a concern involves both Safeguarding Support People, the person may contact the police, the relevant local-authority safeguarding service, Equity or another appropriate external organisation directly.

No one is required to complete UC’s internal reporting process before contacting an external safeguarding or support service.

How to Raise a Concern

If someone is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical help, call 999.

Where there is no immediate danger:

Raise the concern with the appropriate Tutor, Director, Producer, Stage Manager or Safeguarding Support Person.
Explain what happened, when and where it happened, who was involved and whether anyone remains at risk.
Preserve relevant messages, recordings or other evidence.
Do not investigate, confront the person or circulate the allegation yourself.

Concerns may be raised by:

the person directly affected;
a witness;
someone receiving a disclosure; or
someone who has noticed a concerning pattern.

Anonymous concerns will be considered where possible, although anonymity may limit the action UC can fairly take.

No one is required to complete UC’s internal process before contacting the police, local authority, Equity or another appropriate service.

Responding to a Disclosure

A Tutor, Director, Producer, Stage Manager or Safeguarding Support Person receiving a disclosure should:

listen calmly;
take the person seriously;
thank them for speaking up;
check whether anyone is in immediate danger;
ask only what is necessary to understand the immediate concern;
avoid leading questions;
not investigate or seek proof;
not promise secrecy or a particular outcome;
explain what will happen next;
make a factual record as soon as possible;
use the person’s own words where possible;
separate fact from opinion;
record any immediate action taken;
preserve relevant evidence; and
share the concern promptly with an appropriate safeguarding contact.

The person receiving the concern must not confront the person complained about, circulate the allegation or organise a group discussion about it.

How UC Will Respond

UC will:

consider immediate safety;
listen without blame;
identify a suitable and, where possible, impartial person to respond;
make and securely retain a factual record;
consider the wishes of the person affected;
explain the limits of confidentiality;
consider interim protective measures;
obtain specialist advice where needed;
refer externally where required;
keep the person raising the concern reasonably informed; and
take proportionate action.

Interim measures may include:

changing partners or working arrangements;
adding supervision;
restricting communication;
separating individuals;
pausing an activity;
temporarily suspending attendance; or
removing someone from an online space.

These measures are precautionary and do not represent a final finding.

UC will not require someone reporting abuse, harassment or a serious boundary violation to mediate directly with the person complained about.

Concerns About a Tutor, Director, Organiser or Safeguarding Support Person

Where a concern involves someone with authority, it must not be passed to that person to investigate or manage.

The concern should be handled by another suitable and impartial person.

Where the concern involves:

a Tutor, contact a Safeguarding Support Person or another suitable activity contact;
a Director, contact the Producer, Stage Manager or a Safeguarding Support Person;
the Producer, contact the Director, Stage Manager or a Safeguarding Support Person;
one of UC’s Safeguarding Support People, contact another Safeguarding Support Person, another suitable impartial contact or an appropriate external organisation; or
all of UC’s Safeguarding Support People, contact an appropriate external organisation.

If any suggested contact has personal involvement or another actual or potential conflict of interest, the concern should be directed to a suitable impartial person or appropriate external organisation.

Protecting UC’s reputation must never take priority over someone’s safety or the fair handling of a concern.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Safeguarding matters will be handled discreetly, but absolute confidentiality cannot be promised.

Information will only be shared with people who need it to:

protect someone;
obtain advice;
consider a concern fairly;
comply with a legal or regulatory obligation;
meet an insurance requirement; or
make an external referral.

Where safe and lawful, the person affected should be told before information is shared and their wishes should be considered.

However, information may need to be shared without consent where:

someone is in immediate danger;
a child may be at risk;
an adult at risk may be experiencing abuse or neglect;
another person may be at risk;
a serious crime may have occurred; or
there is another legal obligation to act.

Safeguarding Records

Safeguarding records must be:

factual;
dated;
written as soon as practicable;
stored securely;
kept separately from ordinary course or production discussions;
restricted to people who need access; and
retained in accordance with UC’s safeguarding, legal and insurance requirements.

Messages, screenshots or recordings relevant to a concern should be preserved securely and must not be circulated unnecessarily.

Organisational Responsibilities

UC will work to reduce safeguarding risks by:

making this policy readily available;
naming safeguarding contacts for activities;
signposting participants, members and workers to this policy;
briefing tutors, directors, producers and visiting practitioners;
using appropriate role descriptions and agreements;
obtaining references or carrying out checks where proportionate;
undertaking DBS checks where a role is legally eligible and the check is appropriate;
carrying out suitable risk assessments;
explaining reporting routes at the start of activities;
keeping emergency and safeguarding contacts accessible;
responding to concerns promptly;
reviewing incidents and near misses;
maintaining appropriate insurance;
protecting personal and safeguarding information; and
reviewing this policy regularly.

A policy alone does not create a safe environment. People with safeguarding responsibilities must understand how to receive, record and escalate a concern.

Consequences

UC reserves the right to take appropriate and proportionate action where this policy is breached.

Action may include:

a conversation or clarification of expectations;
a verbal or written warning;
additional guidance, supervision or training;
changing partners or working arrangements;
restricting online access or communication;
temporary suspension;
removal from a class, workshop or production;
ending an arrangement with a tutor, volunteer, freelancer or contractor;
reporting the matter to a venue, professional body or insurer; or
referral to the police, local authority or another appropriate organisation.

Informal resolution or mediation will only be considered where it is safe and appropriate. It will not be imposed on someone reporting abuse, harassment or a serious boundary violation.

Serious concerns may require immediate protective action before all the facts have been established

External Contacts

Immediate danger or urgent medical assistance: 999

Police non-emergency: 101

Cambridgeshire Adult Social Care
0345 045 5202, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm

Emergency out of hours: 01733 234 724

Cambridgeshire Children’s Social Care
0345 045 5203

Equity Safe Spaces
020 7670 0268

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and sooner where:

there is a serious safeguarding incident;
a new type of activity is introduced;
UC begins working with children;
the organisation’s structure changes;
relevant law or professional guidance changes;
a risk assessment identifies a gap; or
feedback indicates that the policy is not working effectively.

The review will be recorded and approved by the people responsible for UC’s governance.

Agreement

Everyone involved in a UC class, workshop or production is expected to confirm that they have read and understood this policy.

Agreement to follow this policy does not waive anyone’s legal rights and does not amount to advance consent to physical contact, recording, intimacy or any particular creative activity.