Safeguarding

First Story is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children who come into contact with our staff and we fully recognise our responsibilities for child protection.

We consider the suitability of all staff who work with children as part of their role at First Story. As a matter of policy, First Story conducts enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on all staff and only makes an offer of employment or engagement if the disclosures from such checks are deemed to be satisfactory. A further DBS check is required at least every three years (or more often if we deem it reasonably necessary).

Our safeguarding policy applies to all First Story employees and sets out all staff members’ responsibilities when working or coming into contact with children in the course of their work for First Story (including for example, during workshops, events, work experience or placements, or online support via approved platforms). We now have a code of conduct for all staff involved in programme delivery.

All partner schools’ staff are responsible for supporting their school in protecting children when they take part in First Story activities. In addition, First Story expects its own staff to comply with the safeguarding policy of the school in which they are working and we look to the school to facilitate compliance with that policy. Any events that operate outside of a school (including remote learning/online events) are compliant with First Story’s own policies and secured consent of both schools and parent/guardians.

Safeguarding Policy

This policy consists of our safeguarding statement, safeguarding procedures and online safety notice. 

A. SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT 

Purpose and scope of this policy 

First Story supports children and young people to realise their potential by providing extracurricular support and enrichment activities that foster creativity, literacy and talent.  

The purpose of this policy is: 

• to protect such children and young people from harm; and
• to provide First Story staff, as well as children and young people and their schools and families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to protection of children and young people. 

Application of this policy 

In this policy:  

• children means children and young people under 18, and child should be understood accordingly; and
• staff means First Story employees, writers-in-residence, consultants, contractors, freelancers, agents, trustees and volunteers. 

This policy applies to all staff and sets out all staff members’ responsibilities when working or coming into contact with children in the course of their work for First Story (including, for example, during workshops, events, work experience and placements or online support via approved platforms). 

In addition, First Story expects its staff to comply with the safeguarding policy of the school in which they are working, and looks to the school to facilitate compliance with that policy.  Failure to comply with this policy, or the school’s policy, will be taken extremely seriously and may require us and/or the school to take action.  Anyone who runs an event outside a school (including remote learning and/or online events) must comply with First Story’s own policies and secure the consent of both the participating school(s) and parents/guardians. 

Staff should also refer to our code of conduct for programme delivery for additional guidance on what types of behaviour are acceptable and what types of behaviour are inappropriate. 

Although First Story staff do not ordinarily work with vulnerable adults, all staff should be aware that many of the issues that arise in the context of working with children (along with other issues) may arise in the context of working with vulnerable adults.  Wherever relevant, staff should consult with our Designated Safeguarding Officer about legal requirements and best practice in relation to vulnerable adults. 

Legal framework 

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children and young people in England.  A summary of the key legislation and guidance on child protection is available from nspcc.org.uk/childprotection. 

Core principles 

First Story believes that: 

• it is always unacceptable for any child or young person to experience any kind of abuse; and  

• we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to operate in a way that protects them.  

First Story recognises that: 

• the welfare of each child and young person is the paramount consideration; 

• working in partnership with schools, children, young people, their parents/guardians, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting the welfare of children and young people; 

• all children and young people, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity or any other attribute, have a right to protection from harm or abuse;  

• some children and young people are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of discrimination, previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues; and 

• for children and young people who are additionally vulnerable, extra safeguards may be needed to keep them safe from abuse.  

First Story will seek to keep children and young people safe by: 

• treating all children and young people with care, respect and dignity; 

• appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer for children and young people, a Deputy Safeguarding Officer and a lead trustee for safeguarding; 

• adopting safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and codes of conduct for staff; 

• developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related processes; 

• ensuring that all staff recognise that they may be perceived by children and young people as trusted representatives of First Story; 

• providing suitable levels of support and training to staff consistent with their involvement with children and young people in the workplace; 

• identifying and assessing appropriately any relevant risks of its activities arranged for children and young people; 

• practising safe recruitment by checking the suitability of staff who work with children and young people; 

• recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance; 

• making sure that children, young people, parents/guardians, carers and families know about the organisation’s safeguarding policies and procedures and what to do if they have a concern; 

• using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents/guardians, carers and families appropriately; 

• using our safeguarding procedures to manage any allegations against staff appropriately; 

• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment, and ensuring that we have policies and procedures to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise; 

• ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place; 

• ensuring that any allegations of harm or abuse or concerns over any child’s or young person’s welfare are taken seriously and responded to promptly and appropriately, including, wherever relevant, by reporting them to the school’s safeguarding team; 

• ensuring that staff work closely with the school in which they are operating to comply with the school’s policies (including by requiring a member of the school staff to be present at all times); 

• ensuring that any events that take place outside of school (including those online) will involve an increased First Story staff presence and make use of additional partner support to ensure that the safety of participants is maintained; 

• ensuring that communication with children and young people is open and clear, and that, where appropriate, records of official communication are kept (including online support in accordance with our privacy policy); 

• ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people and staff, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance; and 

• building a safeguarding culture where staff, children, young people, parents/guardians, carers and their families treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns. 

In following this policy, staff will always be expected to maintain a sense of proportion and to safeguard each child’s and young person’s welfare as a priority.

Designated Safeguarding Officer role description 

For all children’s and young persons’ programmes, events and activities organised or approved by First Story, the Designated Safeguarding Officer will lead on safeguarding, raising awareness of this policy and its guidelines among other staff and, where appropriate, the children and young people and their parents/guardians, carers and families.  

The Designated Safeguarding Officer will:  

• agree with the board of trustees of First Story which positions require enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks;  

• be the focal point for all safeguarding questions; 

• have responsibility for providing advice and guidance to staff who, during the course of their work, believe that a child or young person may be at risk of harm and/or have concerns over a child’s or young person’s welfare; and 

• ensure that the schools with which First Story is working make available and explain their safeguarding policy to relevant First Story staff. 

The Deputy Safeguarding Officer will undertake the activities outlined above in the absence of the Designated Safeguarding Officer. The Designated Safeguarding Officer and Deputy Safeguarding Officer shall receive appropriate training and support to undertake their roles.   

Safer recruitment process 

First Story will consider the suitability of all staff who work with children and young people as part of their role at First Story.  To do so, First Story will carry out the following checks: 

• Our Designated Safeguarding Officer will be subject to enhanced DBS checks.  Enhanced DBS checks contain the same information as standard DBS checks, but with the addition of local police-force information considered relevant by Chief Police Officer(s). 

• If, in the course of a staff member’s employment or engagement by First Story, their role would involve unsupervised work with children, an enhanced DBS check will be required before such role may be undertaken. 

• Where an existing staff member’s role has changed to include working with children, they may be required to complete further DBS checks before undertaking those new responsibilities. 

• Any member of staff who has been convicted of an offence relating to children (and/or is subject to any disciplinary action or sanction relating to children) will not be permitted to work on any activity that involves contact with children. 

Supporting documents 

This policy should be read alongside the safeguarding procedures and online safety policy below, as well as our other organisational policies, procedures, codes of conduct, guidance and other related documents (which are made available to our staff via shared cloud storage), including our:  

• code of conduct for programme delivery; 
• code of conduct for staff; 
• anti-harassment policy; 
• complaints procedure; 
• whistleblowing policy;
• health and safety policy; and 
• privacy policy and consent form,  

alongside any induction, training, supervision and support that we provide to staff. 

Contact details 

Designated Safeguarding Officer 

Name: Beth Goddard
Phone/email: 07541 739 306 beth.goddard@firststory.org.uk   

Deputy Safeguarding Officer  
Name: Rachael Bamber 
Phone/email: 07355 563 340 rachael.bamber@firststory.org.uk   

Lead trustee for safeguarding 
Name: Sarah Marshall 
Email: info@firststory.org.uk  (to be marked for such trustee’s attention) 

We are committed to reviewing our safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct annually to reflect developments in best practice from time to time. 

This policy was last reviewed in August 2025.   

B. SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES

1. Responding to concerns about a child’s or young person’s welfare  

As an organisation working with schools, First Story ensures that our staff undertake regular training, including information on indicators of abuse and neglect as set out in “Keeping children safe in education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges” for physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect, which can happen online or in person.  Any concerns about a child’s or young person’s welfare should be reported immediately following the procedures below. 

• Staff should remember that they are not formally trained to deal with situations of abuse or concerns over a child’s or young person’s welfare or to decide whether abuse has occurred.  For safeguarding advice and guidance, staff should contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer. 

• All concerns, allegations, or actual incidents under the supervision of First Story shall be promptly reported to the Designated Safeguarding Officer. Any concerns must be kept confidential and should not be discussed with anyone other than staff involved in safeguarding. 

• If a child or young person discloses that they are experiencing abuse, it is important to reassure them that they have done the right thing in informing a member of staff.  Staff should never promise a child or young person to keep anything a secret and should explain that information may need to be shared with other agencies.  If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice, staff may direct them to Childline.  Calls to 0800 1111 are free, and children can also contact Childline online. 

• In the absence of the Designated Safeguarding Officer, staff should share concerns with the Deputy Safeguarding Officer, who will take responsibility for following up. 

• The Designated Safeguarding Officer will investigate any concerns and/or allegations immediately and contact external agencies as appropriate.  Those may include the school safeguarding team if an incident or disclosure occurred while school staff were in loco parentis, as well as local child protection services and the police if a child is in immediate danger. 

• If further advice to protect a child is needed, the Designated Safeguarding Officer may also contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. 

• Any staff who were involved in sharing the concern will be debriefed.
  

2. Managing concerns or allegations about staff 

Any concerns or allegations about staff should be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Officer immediately.  All concerns will be taken seriously and responded to promptly and appropriately.  In relevant cases, a concern may result in the invoking of suitable procedures, such as disciplinary and/or grievance procedures. 

3. Managing concerns or allegations about a young person 

If a child or young person displays inappropriate or harmful behaviour, the Designated Safeguarding Officer should be informed immediately.  All concerns will be taken seriously and responded to promptly and appropriately. 

4. Storing safeguarding records 

The Designated Safeguarding Officer will keep appropriate written records of all safeguarding incidents and ensure that all such records are kept securely locked (including any digital records in accordance with our privacy policy).   

All information in relation to such incidents should be recorded and must include as a minimum: 

• the date and time of the disclosed concern/allegation and reported incident; 

• details given about the incident; 

• an indication of the parties involved; 

• details of any action that First Story has taken; and 

• details of any relevant further reporting actions (e.g. to relevant agencies and organisations).   

If, for any reason, it is decided that it is not appropriate to consult with a relevant statutory agency, a full explanation must be documented.  

An indication of how First Story proposes to deal with the matter will be given within 21 days, but more quickly where reasonably possible.  An indication of the likely timescales involved in providing a final response will also be provided.   

If it is not possible for initial enquiries to be completed within 21 days, the external specialist organisation will provide telephone feedback to explain the situation.  If a decision is made not to investigate further, an explanation of the reasons for the decision will be provided.   

C. ONLINE SAFETY NOTICE 

This notice and the processes that it underpins apply to all First Story staff and students. 

The overall aims of this notice are: 

• to protect children and young people who receive First Story’s services and who make use of information technology (such as mobile phones, games consoles, social media, online communities and the internet) as part of their involvement with us;  

• to provide staff with the overarching principles that guide our approach to online safety; and 

• to ensure that, as an organisation, we operate in line with our values and within the law in terms of how we use information technology.   

We recognise that: 

• the welfare of the children and young people who come into contact with our services is paramount and should govern our approach to the use and management of electronic communications technologies;  

• all children and young people, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity or any other attribute, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse; 

• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, guardians, carers and families and other agencies is essential in promoting children’s and young people’s welfare and in helping children and young people to be responsible in their approach to online safety; and 

• the use of information technology is an essential part of all our lives, given that:  

1. it is involved in how we as an organisation gather and store information, as well as how we communicate with each other; and 

2. it is also an intrinsic part of the experience of our children and young people, and is greatly beneficial to all, 

but it can present challenges in terms of how we use it responsibly and, if misused either by an adult or a child or young person, can be actually or potentially harmful to such user.  

We seek to promote online safety by:  

• appointing an online safety co-ordinator; 

• developing a range of procedures that provide clear and specific directions to staff on the appropriate use of ICT (including codes of conduct that give additional operational context);  

• supporting and encouraging the children and young people using our service to use the opportunities offered by mobile phone technology and the internet in a way that keeps themselves safe and shows respect for others; 

• supporting and encouraging parents, guardians, carers and families to do what they can to keep their children and young persons safe online and when using their mobile phones and game consoles (including issuing our own guidance or that of trusted sources to help them navigate our online provision safely); 

• supporting school codes of conduct for children and young people; 

• incorporating statements about safe and appropriate ICT use into codes of conduct both for staff and for programme delivery; 

• using our procedures to deal firmly, fairly and decisively with any examples of inappropriate ICT use, complaints or allegations, whether by an adult or a child or young person (which may include breaches of filtering, illegal use, cyberbullying, or use of ICT to groom a child or to perpetrate abuse); 

• informing parents, guardians, carers and teachers of incidents of concern as appropriate;  

• reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly;  

• providing adequate physical security for ICT equipment;   

• ensuring that user names, log-ins and passwords are kept confidential, and issuing additional guidelines and support as required;  

• using only official email accounts provided via the organisation, and monitoring those as necessary;  

• ensuring that personal information about the adults and children who are involved in our organisation is held securely, shared only as appropriate and processed in accordance with our privacy policy; 

• ensuring that images of children, young people and families (including still images and video) are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given;  

• any social media tools used in the course of our work with children, young people and families must be risk-assessed in advance by the member of staff wishing to use them and must comply with our privacy policy;  

• providing effective management for staff on ICT issues, through supervision, support and training; and 

• examining and risk-assessing any emerging new technologies before they are used within the organisation. 

Contact details 

First Story’s online safety co-ordinator is currently Rose Condo. 
Phone/email: 07594 935 062 rose.condo@firststory.org.uk