Safeguarding at Corley & Fillongley Photographic club
VULNERABLE ADULT AND YOUNG PEOPLES POLICY
Corley & Fillongley Photographic Club (hereafter referred to as CFPC) exists to encourage an interest in photography, both within the general membership and in the wider community. In this context the club is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults and young people will be welcome to join CFPC and take part in its activities.
The club will carry out its duty of care to protect, disabled people, vulnerable adults and young people from harm when visiting the club or attending a club event. The club recognises the United Kingdom legislation covering the protection of both vulnerable adults and young people, including club members. The legislation aims to protect all personnel against sexual abuse, violence, exploitation, emotional abuse including bullying.
In creating this document, the club acknowledges and recognises the advice given by The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain and this will need to be reviewed every year following the clubs AGM or notification of change either from PAGB or MCPF.
Club Guidance
When visiting the club, all visitors, and members under 18 years of age must first contact a committee member with the accompanying person.
Whilst the club accepts it has a duty of care to all members and will do everything in its powers to ensure there is no inappropriate behaviour or event that will contravene the guidance, it will be the responsible adult or parent that will always be responsible for the person in their charge.
This will apply to all club outings, visits to other clubs and ad hoc meetings at other locations. When joining the club, the membership application form for young or vulnerable person must be signed by their parent/guardian/ carer or in the case of a vulnerable adult by a responsible adult to signify acceptance of this policy.
In the case of young members as defined in this policy, if the member is not to be accompanied at meetings by their parent/guardian/ carer, they must advise the committee in writing prior to the meeting the name of the designated responsible adult(s) taking their place.
In the case of a vulnerable adult, they should always be accompanied by a legally responsible person.
If the club holds an event that is deemed to fall under the guidelines listed here, the young person will be excluded from that event (i.e., implied nude or nude photography)
USE OF YOUNG PEOPLE OR VULNERABLE PEOPLE AS MODELS
From time to time, the club may employ the services of young people or vulnerable people to act as photographic models. A club model consent form (below) must be signed by a parent, guardian, carer, or responsible adult prior to any photographs being taken.
The parent, guardian or responsible adult must always be in attendance with the young person or vulnerable person whilst photography is taking place
No images are to be published on social media of any kind without written permission of the parent/ guardian or responsible adult, see the consent form
Under no circumstances should the name of the model who falls into this category ever accompany an image posted on social media.
At all times club members should not touch the model but ask the model, parent or guardian or responsible adult to reposition them, adjust clothing, hair etc as needed.
At all times total respect should be given to the vulnerable or young person and bad or abusive language should be always avoided. Prior to any photographs being taken, the club membership will be notified at the start of the evening that a person that falls under these Safeguarding guidelines is present, and these rules apply on that night
ACCEPTABILITY OF IMAGES AND CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
During the Club’s Annual Programme, portfolios of work covering a wide range of photographic styles and content are frequently shown at meetings.
The range of content of these images is expected to be like those shown to the public in exhibition galleries. Whether or not images are inappropriate should be judged within this context.
It is illegal to take, distribute indecent images of any kind.
Club members should be made aware of the provisions in the protection policy and be reminded of their responsibilities in this respect with some emphasis placed on acceptable language and general behaviour when vulnerable individuals and young people are present.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
All members of the club will take reasonable care of themselves and look after each other
All Members should always consider the wellbeing of vulnerable adults and young person’s when they are visiting a club’s event. Vulnerable adults and young persons should never be asked to handle or operateequipment unless fully supervised
REPORTING INCIDENTS OR ALLEGATIONS
It is the responsibility of ALL members of the club to be alert to incidents which may involve issues listed above.
If you think a vulnerable adult or young person is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 and then notify a member of the clubs committee.
If it is less urgent and you are worried about the welfare of a member who is a young person or vulnerable adult contact the club committee whose details are listed on the club website.
The troubled member will share the information with the welfare officer or committee who will deal with the issue professionally.
Where incidents are referred to the police or external agencies, the accused member will have their membership suspended immediately until the agencies have determined if an offence was committed.
Local incidents where claims have made but not serious enough to involve the agencies can be held at club level.
The individual will be called to appear with a friend (if they require) along with the person making the allegations to come in front of a full committee explaining what had happed so the committee can decide what the appropriate action can be taken to avoid the incident happening again
WELFARE OFFICERS DUTY
The officer or committee member will fill in an incident form before contacting the official agencies
The officer will share the information about the members concerns with agencies who need to know such as police or social services and involving parents, guardian, carer, and appropriate person.
A copy of all written records, reports, notes, and correspondence relating to any incident, will be kept securely by the Secretary.
It will be the Welfare Officer’s duty to give a full report back to the committee as soon as possible
CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
A database of members’ contact details is maintained by the club Membership Secretary.
Care is taken to protect this information, which is not published or circulated to the club membership and is only supplied to a member if the secretary agrees that this is justified.
The contact details, including email address, of any vulnerable member will be integrated into this database, unless a request for its omission is received from the vulnerable member’s carer or the young person’s parent or guardian, through the completion of the relevant section of the Membership Form.