SAFEGUARDING and CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

1. Introduction
Jigsaw Arts is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for
all children and young people participating in our activities.

This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy outlines our commitment to
promoting the welfare of children, preventing abuse, and responding
effectively to any concerns or allegations.

We will give equal priority to keeping all children and young people
safe regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race,
religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

2. Legal Framework
Our commitment to safeguarding is underpinned by the following key
legislation and guidelines:

• 2.1 Children Act 1989 and 2004: We adhere to the principles
and provisions of the Children Acts, which set out the legal
framework for the protection and welfare of children.

• 2.2 Working Together to Safeguard Children: We follow the
guidance outlined in the government’s “Working Together”
document, promoting effective multi-agency working to
safeguard children.

• 2.3 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS):All staff and
volunteers working with children will undergo the necessary DBS
checks in accordance with legal requirements.

3. Responsibilities
• 3.1 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):Jigsaw Arts has
appointed a Designated Safeguarding Lead who will take lead
responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across thewhole network. The DSL will undergo appropriate training to
fulfil their role.
The DSL is Rachel Lochhead. She can be contacted by email
dsl@jigsaw-arts.co.uk

•3.2 Franchisees
Each franchisee will be appointed as Child Protection Officer for
their own school and undergo safeguarding and child protection
training. Where a manager is employed to oversee the running of
the school at the weekend, they will also attend safeguarding
training and act as the Child Protection Officer in absence of the
franchisee.

• 3.3 Staff and Volunteers: All other staff, teachers, assistants
and volunteers have a responsibility to safeguard children and
report any concerns to the Child Protection Officer or DSL. They
are made aware of this policy during the induction and teacher
training and will be reminded of this policy at the beginning of
each term in the pre term meeting run by their franchise owner.
All staff must be aware of and adhere to this policy.

• 3.4 Parents and Guardians: Parents and guardians are
encouraged to communicate any concerns regarding the welfare
and safety of their children with the DSL.

4. Code of Conduct
• 4.1 Professional Conduct: All staff and volunteers will adhere to
a code of conduct that emphasizes appropriate and professional
behaviour when working with children. See Staff Code of
Conduct Policy.

5. Recruitment and Training
• 5.1 Recruitment: Robust recruitment procedures, will be in place
for all staff and volunteers working with children.

a) References – All employees must provide two references of previous employers.

b) Enhanced DBS – All employees must provide an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services Certificate dated within 3 months of the interview date. All employees with out ofdate certificates are submitted by Jigsaw Arts for an updated DBS certificate.

c) Update Service – Jigsaw Arts encourages employees to join the
DBS Update services which allow employers to check a DBS
status at any time without delay.

d) Jigsaw Arts never allows a member of staff to work with children
without the above checks complete. Our DBS checks are carried
out by Capita Recruitment Vetting Service.

• 5.2 Training: Staff and volunteers will receive regular
safeguarding training to ensure they are aware of signs of
abuse, reporting procedures, and their responsibilities. As we
have a high turnover of staff due to the nature of the business,
this will be communicated with all teachers at the beginning of
every term during the pre-term meeting.

6. Recognizing and Responding to Concerns
• 6.1 Signs of Abuse: Staff will be trained to recognize signs of
abuse, neglect, or other safeguarding concerns.

• 6.2 Reporting Procedures: Clear procedures will be in place for
reporting concerns to the CPO at the school or the DSL, who will
follow the appropriate channels for further action.
You can also contact NSPCC Helpline or Childline for further advice.

7. Confidentiality
• 7.1 Information Sharing: Information will be shared on a
need-to-know basis only, and confidentiality will be maintained
in line with legal requirements.

8. Communication with Parents/Guardians
• 8.1 Transparency: Jigsaw Arts will maintain open and
transparent communication with parents and guardians,
informing them about the safeguarding policy and procedures.

9. Taking photographs and videos
All parents and guardians are asked at the booking stage to give
permission for us to take photos and videos of their children while in
sessions at the school. If they do not wish us to take photos or videos
of the children at this point, they are asked to let us know this in
writing. The franchisee/manager of the school will ensure no photos
are taken of this child.

Teachers and assistants are not permitted to take photos or videos of
the students at the school. Only the franchisee/manager will be
permitted to do so.

If teachers need to record any of the work, they
should ask the manager.

10. Mobile Phones
Teachers are permitted to use their mobile phones for music purposes
only. No photography, phone calls or messaging is permitted during
class time except in case of emergencies.

Students may bring their phones into Jigsaw; however, they must be
kept securely inside their bags for the duration of the session.

Students are not permitted to take photos on site of other students, and must be mindful that we have a wide age range of children on the
premises.

11. Review and Revision
This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy will be reviewed
annually, or more frequently if there are changes in legislation, best
practices, or other relevant factors.

Last Updated: 19th March 2026