South Warwickshire Literary Festival Health and Safety Policy
Duty of Care Statement
South Warwickshire Literary Festival will take all reasonably practicable steps to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and environment for all volunteers and any other people who are directly affected by our activities, such as members of the public at our events.
Responsibility
1. For health and safety at all events and activities organised by the Festival, overall and final responsibility will be delegated to a named individual for each event or activity, normally the festival director. This individual will be responsible for ensuring that this policy is upheld.
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General arrangements
1. A risk assessment will be carried out for the festival. The format and contents of the risk assessment will be reviewed annually.
2. A pre-event safety checklist to be completed prior to the event. This safety checklist will be completed by the festival director or by a member of the festival team.
3.The festival director will brief all volunteers on their duties, including the emergency evacuation procedures.
4.The festival director will make a safety announcement to the audience, including emergency evacuation procedures.
5. The festival director will make sure all volunteers at events and activities are aware of the location of fire exits before the audience enters the event / activity venue.
6. All volunteers will be made aware of the precautions they need to take as noted on the relevant safety checklists.
7. Neither the festival director nor any volunteer will run an event or activity on their own, and at least two festival personnel should stay at an event until it is finished and the last attendees have left.
8. An accident record book will be maintained and taken to all event venues.
9. South Warwickshire Literary Festival also has a Safeguarding Policy for Young People that all volunteers will be made aware of prior to assisting with events
This policy will be reviewed annually by the festival team.
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Child Protection Policy
The South Warwickshire Literary Festival is committed to ensuring safe a environment for children and young people and believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind.
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The purpose of the policy:
1. to provide protection for the children and young people who participate in our Festival
2. to provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child or young person may be experiencing, or be at risk, of harm.
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We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people by a commitment to recommend best practice that protects them. This policy applies to our directors, volunteers, sub-contractors, students or anyone working on behalf of the Festival.
We recognise that:
1. the welfare of the child/young person is paramount
2. all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
3. working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
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We will seek to safeguard children and young people by:
1. valuing them, listening to and respecting them
2. adopting child protection guidelines through procedures and safe working practice for staff and volunteers
3. providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision and support.
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The Festival will ensure that:
1. A designated Festival Safeguarding Officer is present at each event, usually the Festival Director.
2. No Festival personnel are permitted to be alone with a child except in cases of emergency (e.g. first aid is required), or the child would otherwise be in danger.
3. All Festival personnel wear an official Festival identity badge at each session.
4. All teachers/parents/guardians /carers are asked to report all incidents of any nature to a member of the Festival team.
5. All reported incidents will be handled in accordance with the Safe Working Practice and Festival Child Protection best practice advice.
6. No unauthorised photography, audio or video recording of children and young people is allowed at the South Warwickshire Literary Festival.
Where parents/guardians/carers do not wish photos to be taken at all, then the responsible adult attending should ensure that their child is not included in official photos.
This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner in light of any changes in legislation or guidance.
