Online Child Safeguarding Statement And Policy

Committed to Safeguarding & Promoting Members’ Welfare

September 2020

It is the policy of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland (CBOI & PEACE PROMS) to safeguard the welfare of all the children and young people who participate in any of our music education and performance programmes. CBOI & PEACE PROMS is committed to providing a positive and progressive environment to facilitate the best possible educational outcome for participants and members. The welfare of the children and young people who participate in our programmes is paramount.

This policy extends the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland’s & Peace Proms’ Child Safeguarding Statement and the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland’s & Peace Proms’ Child Protection Policy, both of which are available on www.cboi.ie and www.peaceproms.com

Online choral and instrumental education

In facilitating access to instrumental, orchestral and choral education for our members and participants, CBOI & Peace Proms extends the opportunity to study and learn with specialist tutors via the internet using video, videotelephony including Zoom, Skype or other similar services. We also use video libraries of materials provided by our tutors and staff which can be accessed through our Database. In providing these resources and opportunities, we commit to adhering to the following best practices in the interest of safeguarding both members, participants and tutors and staff.

Child Protection Concerns Related to Online choral and instrumental education

Teaching children and young people remotely may raise the following concerns in relation to child protection:

The situation introduces the student/member/participant/child/young person to the idea of communicating with an adult that is not part of their family group over the internet. This is not a practice that should come to be considered normal by the student/member/participant/child/young person and it should be emphasised by parents / guardians that communicating in this manner is something that requires permission and supervision.
This method of teaching invites the tutor into the student/member/participant/child/young person’s home, and vice versa, without being physically present and, therefore, possibly unknown to other members of either household. There should be an awareness on behalf of all involved that there is someone virtually present in their home and that everyone’s actions need to be reflected in this. Insofar as is possible, the teaching situation should closely reflect that of teaching in a music school;
The possibility exists for distribution of recordings of lessons on the internet by the student/member/participant/child/young person, parents / guardians, the tutor or CBOI & PEACE PROMS. This may be desirable at times, such as for practice purposes or using the recordings to promote the usefulness of online platforms and best practice in the area. However, agreement of all parties is required before any materials are distributed.
CBOI & PEACE PROMS tutors and staff undertake to report any concerns around child welfare to the CBOI & PEACE PROMS Designated Liaison Person in line with our Child Protection Policy. This relates not only to the student/member/participant/child/young person but to the welfare of any child in the location in which they are working, physically or virtually. The name and contact details of the Designated Liaison Person are included in the current CBOI & PEACE PROMS Child Safeguarding Statement available from www.CBOI & PEACE PROMS.ie.

Parental Consent

Consent of parents / guardians shall be sought for the purposes of:

Engaging with the young person in their home, or other locations as decided, via internet videotelephony
The recording of such lessons specifying the purposes for which recordings may be used.

Location and Supervision of tutorials, lessons, rehearsals, music education and performance undertakings and events

All lessons whether individual or group should be held in an area of the home that is open and accessible to the parents / guardians of the student/member/participant/child/young person.
Lessons will, however, need to be held in an area where student/member/participant/child/young person and tutor can concentrate on the lesson without unnecessary interruption. This may be hard to balance with younger children in the house and may take a few lessons to establish a good routine. All concerned need to show some patience in forming a routine and be willing to discuss ways to improve concentration during lessons.
Ideally, a parent / guardian or other responsible person should be present with the student/member/participant/child/young person throughout the duration of the lesson. As trust is built, this may be relaxed with the written consent of all involved.

Videotelephony Addresses

All lessons and student/member/participant/child/young person-tutor interactions on student/member/participant/child/young persons’ part must take place using videotelephony addresses that are controlled by or fully accessible to parents / guardians.
All lessons and student/member/participant/child/young person-tutor interaction on tutors’ part must take place using organisational addresses that are provided by and controlled by CBOI & PEACE PROMS or tutors’ address which have been approved by CBOI & PEACE PROMS sole for use during scheduled CBOI & PEACE PROMS individual or group lessons.
The tutor should not use their own personal videotelephony addresses for the purposes of contact with the student/member/participant/child/young person for any reason other than a lesson that has been scheduled and approved by CBO & PEACE PROMS.

Open Door Policy

CBOI & PEACE PROMS operates an open-door policy in relation to online platforms. This means that organisational staff have access to individual teaching “rooms” or accounts and may join a lesson at any time. This is similar to open door policies existing in the non-virtual world which provide right-of-access for the safeguarding of young people.

Alternative Contact Methods

All arrangements / re-arrangements of lessons/rehearsals/workshops of under-18 student/member/participant/child/young persons must be made through a parent / guardian or with the knowledge of parents / guardians.
Student/member/participant/child/young person and tutor are not to communicate via alternative telephony / electronic methods other than those specifically agreed with the parent / guardian.
Any and all communications between student/member/participant/child/young person and tutor must be fully controlled by or accessible to parents / guardians.

Grounds for Concern

The grounds for concern laid out in CBOI & PEACE PROMS’s Child Protection Policy shall apply in all lessons given over the internet and shall apply to all children in the student/member/participant/child/young person’s home. This includes things that happen in the background or off-camera.

If a parent / guardian has any concerns about the process or relationship between student/member/participant/child/young person and tutor, they should contact CBOI & PEACE PROMS’ Designated Liaison Person to discuss the situation. CBOI & PEACE PROMS undertakes to investigate all complaints or concerns regarding its teaching staff in line with our Child Protection Policy and our Complaints Policy, both available from www.CBOI & PEACE PROMS.ie.

Raising Concerns

Concerns for the welfare of student/member/participant/child/young persons will be dealt with in line with CBOI & PEACE PROMSs Child Protection Policy.

Recording of Lessons/Rehearsals/Workshops

We recognise the pedagogical usefulness of sometimes recording lessons and also the usefulness of recordings in promoting online music tuition and participation. Online platforms will not be routinely recorded but may be recorded for practice purposes or for documenting and promoting CBOI & PEACE PROMS activities.

Lessons/Rehearsals/Workshops can only be recorded with the specific consent of all involved, student/member/participant/child/young persons, tutors, parents / guardians
The purpose(s) of recording shall be agreed and adhered to
The storage location(s) of recordings shall be agreed to and adhered to: generally-speaking, recordings of CBOI & PEACE PROMS activities will not be allowed to be stored on the personal machines of tutors unless there is a specific reason to do so
All other data collected in relation to the student/member/participant/child/young person will be dealt with in line with CBOI & PEACE PROMS’s Data Protection Policy.

*** Peace Proms Reimagined 2021** – School Participation

All schools (co-ordinating Teachers and/or Principal) participating in Peace Proms Reimagined 2021 agree to take full responsibility for ensuring that a parent/carer of each participating child has given written consent allowing their child to take part in the programme and ensuring that parents/carers understands that :

the programme is currently being delivered online as live workshops and performances have been temporarily suspended due to Covid-19
as part of the programme photographic, and/or audio/video recording may be submitted to the CBOI & Peace Proms and that their child’s image may appear in future media productions including but not exclusive to brochures /booklets /leaflets /posters /flyers and video/DVD productions /presentations /advertisements which may appear in the media including but not exclusive to PrintMedia, Broadcast Media, Outdoor or Out of Home Media and Internet Media including social media platforms.
online choral sessions may take place as part of the programme with the CBOI Peace Proms conductor, choreographer or another member of the CBOI Peace Proms team.

All schools (co-ordinating Teachers and/or Principal) participating in Peace Proms Reimagined 2021 further agree that the school’s online safety protocols are in place and adhered to.

Child Safeguarding

CBOI & PEACE PROMS’s Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Protection Policy are available from www.cboi.ie and www.peaceproms.com