Child Protection Policy

1. Purpose & Scope

Urban Tribe provides community-focused, child-led play, creativity, and exploration sessions for children aged 4 to 12. The fundamental purpose of this policy is to safeguard all children participating in our activities from harm, neglect, and abuse.

Because Urban Tribe operates strictly on a parent-present/caregiver-present basis, this policy sets out the shared standards and mutual responsibilities between Urban Tribe facilitators and attending adults to cultivate a safe, transparent, and supportive space. This policy applies to all facilitators, volunteers, and participating families.

2. Core Principle: Caregiver Responsibility

• Ultimate Duty of Care: Urban Tribe sessions are strictly not drop-off sessions. Parents, guardians, or designated adult caregivers must remain on-site, within reasonable sight and earshot of their children, for the entire duration of every session.
• Legal Responsibility: Legal responsibility and primary duty of care for any child remain entirely with their accompanying adult at all times.
• Communal Respect: While parents look after their own children, all attending adults agree to uphold a safe space, treating all children and other parents with dignity, patience, and kindness.

3. Safeguarding Expectations for Attending Adults

To maintain a positive environment for all children, attending adults agree to adhere to the following code of conduct:

• Positive Guidance: Only a child's own parent or caregiver may discipline or physically guide that child. No adult may use physical chastisement, aggressive shouting, or demeaning language toward any child — their own or someone else's.
• Intervention Boundaries: If peer conflicts arise, parents are encouraged to support gentle de-escalation and communication. If an immediate physical hazard occurs (e.g., a child about to fall), any nearby adult is expected to act protectively, immediately alerting the child's caregiver and an Urban Tribe facilitator.
• Intimate Care: Toileting, changing, and administration of any medications must be carried out exclusively by the child's own parent or guardian. Urban Tribe facilitators do not assist with intimate care.

4. Digital & Photography Policy

To respect the privacy of families and protect children digitally:

• Personal Photography: Parents are welcome to photograph their own children. However, care must be exercised to ensure other children are not clearly identifiable in the background without the explicit verbal permission of their caregivers.
• Organisational Media: Urban Tribe will only photograph or film sessions for promotional or community purposes if explicit, written photo consent has been obtained from the parent beforehand. Consent can be revoked at any time.

5. Role & Training of Urban Tribe Facilitators

Although facilitators do not provide direct childcare in lieu of parents, Urban Tribe leaders commit to:

• Enhanced DBS Vetting: Holding an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Environmental Safeguarding: Performing dynamic risk assessments of materials, spaces, and equipment before and during every session.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Maintaining active DSL training to receive and act upon any welfare concerns.

6. Responding to and Reporting Concerns

If a facilitator or an attending parent notices signs of distress, suspicious injuries, or witnesses behavior that causes concern:

1. Record: Accurate, factual notes of the observation or incident will be documented without speculation.
2. Support: The immediate physical safety and emotional comfort of the child will be prioritized.
3. Escalate: If a child is deemed to be at risk of significant harm, Urban Tribe will promptly contact the local authority Children's Social Care Team (Sheffield Children's Safeguarding Hub) or the police, in strict accordance with UK statutory guidance (Working Together to Safeguard Children).

7. Policy Review & Contact

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner upon statutory UK legislative updates. Questions or safeguarding queries should be directed in confidence to hello@urbantribe.org.uk.