Safeguarding

"I love how welcoming and supportive everyone around us is and how the vibe is so positive!" Dancer, U.Dance South East Regional Platform 2024

Safeguarding
Please consider the safety and well-being of your dancers and refer to your organisation/school/group’s safeguarding policy and risk assessment when working with children and young people. 

Your dance piece must be appropriate for a family audience of all ages.

Content: Only include age-appropriate movements, themes and issues for your group or individual dancer.

Costumes: No revealing costumes, no costumes with a nude effect, no costumes that sexualise young people. 

Music: No swearing, no violent language and no explicit or age-inappropriate content.  

Check out the U.Dance Good Practise Film  produced by our friends at Dance4.
 

Group Leader / Chaperone details & Body Of Persons Approval (BOPA) 
The event organisers, South East Dance and MÓTUS, will be applying for a BOPA from their respective local authorities for the U.Dance South East Regional Platforms. 

Please note: 

For each group, regardless of size, there must be at least two group leaders/supervising adults. For groups with over 12 participants there must be at least three group leaders/supervising adults. Soloists must be accompanied by an adult.
 

In accordance with local council requirements, group leaders/supervising adults must have a valid Enhanced DBS, be safeguarding trained and have gone through safer recruitment checks by their organisation. See NSPCC guidance on safer recruitment here. 
 

Any adults going backstage and interacting with children & young people, including those helping with costume changes, must hold an Enhanced DBS check.

If any performers in your group are under school leaving age (turning 16 or older in this academic year) and the performance is not part of an official school trip, Licenced Chaperones are required to supervise your group. 
 

Soloists under school leaving age must be supervised by a Licenced Chaperone or their parent. 

Licenced Chaperones should never be left to supervise or accompany more than 12 children at a time, therefore it is each group’s responsibility to ensure that they have a licenced chaperone at a ratio of 1:12 at all times.  

You may choose to have extra group leaders or supervising adults in addition to your required Licenced Chaperones. These additional supervising adults are not required to have a chaperone licence, but they must have an Enhanced DBS and be safeguarding trained. 

Parents may also chaperone their own children but must not be responsible for any other young people within that group. Parents must have a valid Enhanced DBS, have completed safeguarding training and, where relevant, hold a Chaperone Licence.

For example, you might have a group of 20 young dancers, this means at a minimum you are required to have two licenced chaperones. We also require at least one extra group leader/supervising adult, this could be another Licensed Chaperone OR a someone who is Enhanced DBS checked. 

For those who are joining one of the U.Dance South East Regional Platforms as an official mainstream or special educational school trip an example may be: a group of 15 young dancers are required to be chaperoned by two of their regular school teachers, this group could also be accompanied by parents who chaperone their own child. 

For those based in Milton Keynes, for more information or to apply for a Chaperone Licence click here.
For those based in Brighton, for more information or to apply for a Chaperone Licence click here.

For those based elsewhere, for more information or to apply for a Chaperone Licence click here. 

If a Chaperone Licence is required, please ensure these are applied for as soon as possible as they can take some months to be processed.  
 

The event organisers for each platform will request to see Chaperone Licences and DBS certificates and/or online government DBS subscription service details for all supervising adults and those interacting with children and young people as part of the event. 
 

Group leaders/supervising adults should match the gender of the participants where possible.

The BOPA applies to soloists and groups with dancers of compulsory school age. If selected for the platform, group leaders/teachers with dancers of compulsory school age will be required to provide details for the BOPA. 
 

South East Dance and MÓTUS will provide full details to all selected groups and soloists regarding what information to provide regrading chaperones & supervising adults and for the BOPA.
 

Safeguarding training
For each group or soloists selected for the U.Dance Regional Platform, the Safeguarding Lead at their organisation should ensure that each supervising adult has undertaken training on safeguarding children and young people within the two-year period prior to the Regional Platform. 

NOTE: One Dance UK and Safer Dance have partnered with High Speed Training to provide a free safeguarding course so please pass on to group leaders & supervising adults who need it: https://www.onedanceuk.org/training-and-cpd/free-safeguarding-training-one-dance-uk-x-high-speed-training 
 

Public Liability Insurance and Risk Assessment – Making Waves in Brighton
Please be prepared to provide proof of Public Liability Insurance (PLI) cover and an up-to-date Risk Assessment if selected for Making Waves on 18 April 2027. 

You may have your own individual PLI cover for working with your group, or this might be your school or organisation’s PLI that covers you/the group leader/teacher for working with this group. 

Soloists working independently and who are not as part of a school or group will not be required to have Public Liability Insurance cover. 

Please contact Naomi at South East Dance if you have any questions. 
Email contact: naomi.poole@southeastdance.org.uk