Safeguarding Policy
The Voice Hub
Review date: 16 October 2026
Next review: 16 October 2027, or sooner following an incident or relevant change
Our commitment
The Voice Hub is committed to protecting students from harm and providing a respectful environment for learning. Concerns must be taken seriously, acted on promptly and handled sensitively.
This policy applies to everyone teaching or working on behalf of The Voice Hub, including contractors and volunteers. It covers in-person and online tuition, group activities and related events.
A child is anyone under 18, including students aged 16 or 17. Adult safeguarding applies where someone has care and support needs, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and cannot protect themselves because of those needs. Professional boundaries apply to every student.
Safeguarding contact
Our safeguarding lead is Aidan Smith.
Telephone: 07511 040588
Email: aidan.smith@thevoicehub.org
Students, parents, carers and teachers may raise a concern with Aidan. These details are not an emergency service. If Aidan is unavailable, the concern involves Aidan, or independent help is preferred, contact the appropriate service below. You do not need The Voice Hub's permission to do so.
Independent help and reporting
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not wait for a reply from The Voice Hub.
Concerns about a child in Gloucestershire: Children and Families Front Door: 01452 426565, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. Emergency Duty Team: 01452 614194 or 01452 614758 for out-of-hours concerns that cannot safely wait. Council children's safeguarding contacts: Gloucestershire children's safeguarding contacts.
Concerns about someone working with children, including the safeguarding lead: Gloucestershire Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): 01452 426994; amadmin@gloucestershire.gov.uk. LADO advice and referral information: Gloucestershire LADO advice and referrals.
Concerns about an adult at risk: Adult Social Care Helpdesk: 01452 426868; Socialcare.enq@gloucestershire.gov.uk. Gloucestershire adult safeguarding information: Gloucestershire adult safeguarding information.
For students elsewhere, including online students, contact the relevant local authority safeguarding service. Report suspected crime without an immediate emergency to the police on 101.
Responding to concerns
Teachers must report concerns promptly without waiting for proof or assuming someone else will act. This includes suspected abuse, neglect, grooming, exploitation, bullying, discrimination, domestic abuse and harmful behaviour between students.
When someone shares a concern, listen calmly, avoid leading questions and reassure them that telling someone was the right thing to do. Never promise secrecy. Explain that information may need to be shared to protect them or others.
Make a factual record promptly, including dates, observations, the person's own words and actions taken. Report to the safeguarding lead and, where necessary, safeguarding services or the police. Urgent referrals must not wait for the lead's availability.
Teachers must not investigate alleged abuse or confront the person concerned. Preserve relevant information and follow the appropriate authorities' advice.
Involve parents or carers unless doing so could increase risk or compromise an investigation. For adults, seek their views and consent wherever possible, while recognising that serious risk or legal obligations may justify sharing information without consent.
Professional conduct and physical contact
Everyone working for The Voice Hub must maintain professional boundaries and treat students with dignity. Humiliation, threats, discriminatory remarks, sexualised behaviour, physical punishment, favouritism and exploitation are unacceptable.
Teachers must not develop romantic or sexual relationships with children or adults at risk whom they teach.
Before considering physical contact for a teaching purpose, first consider demonstration or another approach. Explain any proposed contact, ask the student's permission and respect refusal or discomfort immediately. No student must feel obliged to agree.
Safe teaching, supervision and collection
Teachers must avoid being the only adult in a building with a child. If this is unavoidable, prior written agreement from the parent or carer is required, alongside suitable risk controls.
Before teaching begins, agree parental involvement, supervision, collection and emergency arrangements. Consider age, additional needs, the student's wishes and the setting.
Children must not be left waiting alone after activities. The teacher or an appropriately checked colleague must remain until collection, unless the parent or carer has expressly agreed an appropriate independent-departure arrangement.
Avoid transporting a child alone. Where transport is essential, obtain parental consent and agree safe arrangements beforehand.
Group activities may run only when the planned staff are present. Staffing and supervision must follow a risk assessment considering ages, needs, numbers, activities and venue. A person competent to provide first aid must be present during activities.
Check rooms and equipment, identify fire and evacuation procedures, provide access to a suitable first-aid kit and have a working telephone available. Apply these arrangements to off-site activities too.
Communication with children
Use The Voice Hub's communication arrangements wherever possible. Communications must be professional, transparent and open to scrutiny.
Essential direct communication with a child requires parental permission. Personal contact details may be exchanged only with agreement from the parent or carer and Aidan. Include parents or carers appropriately, unless safeguarding advice indicates otherwise.
Text messages should be used only when other communication methods are impractical. Teachers must not privately message children through social media, seek personal social-media relationships or ask children to keep communications secret.
Online lessons and recordings
Use professional accounts, suitable surroundings and appropriate meeting-access controls. Agree parental involvement and what happens if the connection fails or a concern arises.
Do not record lessons or share photographs or videos without prior informed agreement. Specify the purpose, access, retention and secure deletion arrangements. Consent to tuition does not automatically authorise publicity.
Suitability, training and records
Before teaching children begins, The Voice Hub requires identity and reference checks and completion and review of the appropriate DBS check. Check levels must reflect the role's lawful eligibility. Adult-facing roles must also be assessed for appropriate checks.
Everyone covered by this policy must understand their responsibilities, receive appropriate induction and training, and report concerns about colleagues or working practices. A DBS certificate does not replace ongoing safeguarding.
Refer allegations appropriately, including to the LADO for concerns about adults working with children. Fulfil any applicable legal duty to refer to the DBS.
Safeguarding records must be accurate, stored securely and shared only where necessary and lawful. Support students to communicate concerns accessibly; additional needs must never be used to dismiss signs of harm.
Review this policy annually and after significant incidents or changes. Its approach follows DfE tuition-provider guidance (DfE out-of-school settings code of practice), NSPCC tutor guidance (NSPCC safeguarding guidance for tutors) and professional guidance from the Musicians' Union (Musicians' Union safeguarding code of conduct) and ISM (ISM safeguarding for remote lessons).