Child Protection in Arts: Frequently Asked Questions

Recognition, Responding, Referring and Recording

1. “What is abuse?”

2. “I’m an artist – Child Protection isn’t my job, that’s for social workers…isn’t it?”

3. “Being smacked as a child never did me any harm. Surely it’s not up to me to  report things like that?”

4a. “What should I do if a young person told me they were being abused?”

4b. “If a young person tells me their friend is being abused, what do I say?”

4c. “If a young person says they don’t want to go home at the end of an evening session what should I do?”

5a. “How far is it my responsibility to recognise abuse?”

5b. “What if the child is bruised/injured? ”

5c. “What might be the physical signs of abuse?”

5d. “If a child is being abused, will they behave differently?”

6. “What should I do if I suspect there’s Domestic Violence happening next door?”

7. “Should I talk to parents about my concerns?”

8a. “Who could I contact to get advice?”

8b. “What if I tell my Designated Person my concerns but it turns out I’m wrong?”

9. “Social workers meddle in family life and want to take children into care…don’t they?”

10.  “There are children with special needs in the group; are there specific child protection issues I should be aware of?”

11a. “What is a ‘vulnerable adult’?”

 11b. “How do I know if I am working with a vulnerable adult?”

 11c. “What do I need to know if I am working with a vulnerable adult?”

11d. “How do we deal with children, young people or vulnerable adults going to the toilets?” 

11e. “Are refugees or asylum seekers vulnerable adults?”

12a. “What is a ‘carer’?”

12b. “If I am working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, am I considered their carer?”

12c. “What is a ‘position of trust’?”

12d. “What is meant by ‘sole charge’?”

12e. “What does in ‘loco parentis’ mean?”

13a. “What are my responsibilities if an employee or volunteer is accused of abuse?”

13b. “Why do children make false allegations of sexual abuse?”

Preventing Abuse

14. “What should I be doing to ensure good Child Protection practice?”

15a. “Can I photograph/film the children/young people/vulnerable adults I work with?”

15b. “We use the internet in our arts workshops and in promoting our work; is there anything we need to know in relation to protection issues?”

16. “I’d never thought that my lyrics might cause a problem for young people.”

17. “What about staffing ratios?”

18. “What about health and safety in arts practice?”

19. “Will my organisation need to register as a daycare provider for children?”

Child Protection Procedures

20. “I know Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility but where do I start?”

21. “We have to have a Child Protection policy and procedures to apply for grants; what do they look like?”

Recruiting Safely

22. “How can we deter abusers from getting involved in the organisation/project?”

Criminal Records Bureau and the Disclosure Service

23a. “Who needs a C.R.B. check and how do I apply for them?”   

23b. “How do I find an artist to work with?”

23c. “What is a Disclosure check?”

23d. “Do I need a Disclosure check if I am working with a teacher, youth worker or other adults who are in a carer-type role?”

23e. “In a Disclosure, what information is given?”

23f. “How do I know what level of Disclosure is needed?”

23g. “If I get a Disclosure, do I still need references?”

23h. “Does the Disclosure service cover UK artists who live anyway in the UK?”

23i. “How can I check on an artist from abroad?”

23j. “What is List 99?”

 23k. “How do I make sure someone is not on List 99?”

 23l. “Who has access to Disclosure information?”

23m. “I’m an artist who will be checked through the Disclosure process. What do I get after the process has been completed?”

23n. “My organisation works with ex-offenders – what will that mean in terms of Disclosure checks?”

23o. “Does a Disclosure check include ‘spent’ convictions?”

23p. “How significant are driving offences?”

23q. “How long does it take to get the Disclosure check through?”

Working with Disclosure Checks

23r. “My organisation offers a database/directory/telephone advice service to provide names of artists and arts facilitators to work with children/young people/vulnerable adults. Do the artists and facilitators that we provide the names of need to have Disclosure checks before we give their names and contact details to education or care institutions?”

23s. “For how long is a Disclosure Check considered current?”

23t. “Some LEAs require a new Disclosure check for each project that an artist is involved in at a school setting, even if the artist was recently in the same setting for a different project and had a Disclosure check for that work. Can they legally demand this?”

23u. “In a touring company, artists work across various LEA borders: do the artists have to be checked in each LEA or is a single check sufficient?”

23v. “Do ‘work experience’ hosts need to be checked?”

23w. “Do mentors need to be checked?”

23x. “Where someone goes into an educational setting, accompanied by staff, for just a day or two, is Disclosure really necessary?”

23y. “School groups, etc come to our organisation to take part in arts projects. Do our staff and the project artists need Disclosure checks?”

23z. “What if I can’t get a registered body to process my Disclosure application (or the application of someone I am hiring)?”

23z.1. “What does it cost to get a Disclosure processed through a registered body?”

23z.2.“Should our organisation register with the Criminal Records Bureau to process Disclosure checks?”