Safeguarding Policy | Rock's Cool

Rock’s Cool Ltd – Child Safeguarding Policy

Effective: 2025–2026
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mr. Philip Melville

Introduction

Rock's Cool Ltd is an independent music education provider operating within primary schools across Kent. Our mission is to make music accessible, engaging, and empowering for children through practical music-making in a band setting. This policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding and child protection, ensuring that every child who engages with Rock's Cool feels safe, valued, and protected from harm.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the safeguarding and child protection policies of the host schools where Rock's Cool operates. If a school’s safeguarding policy is not readily available, our staff must request access from school leadership. The protection and welfare of children is our paramount concern, and we expect all staff, contractors, and volunteers to uphold this commitment with diligence and care.

Policy Statement

Rock's Cool Ltd recognises its moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We are committed to creating an inclusive, secure, and responsive environment in which children can learn and thrive. We expect all staff, regardless of role, to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct in relation to child safety.

We acknowledge that some children—such as those with special educational needs, disabilities, or adverse home environments—are especially vulnerable. Therefore, we aim to provide tailored support where necessary to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met.

The company’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Mr. Philip Melville, who is trained to oversee all safeguarding concerns and ensure they are dealt with efficiently and in accordance with statutory guidance.

3. Aims of This Policy

We follow three core principles of safeguarding:

Prevention: Promote a culture of safeguarding through staff awareness, positive relationships, and high-quality, inclusive teaching.
Protection: Ensure all staff are trained and confident in identifying and responding to concerns appropriately, following both Rock’s Cool and host school procedures.
Support: Offer guidance and emotional support to students who may have experienced harm and provide ongoing support to staff managing safeguarding issues.

4. Objectives

To achieve our aims, we will:

Collaborate with host school safeguarding teams and follow their policies where applicable.
Ensure all staff complete safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities under Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2024).
Maintain clear reporting procedures for concerns, including escalation to the DSL or host school DSL.
Keep accurate, confidential safeguarding records in line with data protection laws.
Review this policy annually and as required following changes to national guidance.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 All Staff

Every member of Rock’s Cool Ltd has a responsibility to safeguard children and report concerns promptly. Staff must be vigilant and maintain an “it could happen here” mindset.

5.2 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Mr. Philip Melville is the company’s DSL and has overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including online safety and understanding the digital safeguarding provisions in partner schools.

Duties include:

Acting as the main contact for safeguarding concerns within Rock’s Cool.
Coordinating with host school DSLs and external agencies as necessary.
Ensuring staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates.
Being available during working hours to support staff with concerns.

A deputy DSL may be appointed and trained to the same standard to support this role.

6. Training and Safer Recruitment

All staff will complete safeguarding and online safety training during induction and receive regular updates.
We follow safer recruitment practices, including DBS checks, references, and ongoing supervision.

7. Reporting Concerns

Staff must:

Recognise signs of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, neglect) or other risks (e.g., radicalisation, exploitation).
Respond by listening carefully and reassuring the child.
Report any concerns immediately to Mr. Philip Melville and the host school DSL.
Record concerns factually and promptly.

8. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by Mr. Melville and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legislation or best practice.

9. Statutory Framework

This policy aligns with the following guidance:

Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2024)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE, 2018)
The Prevent Duty (DfE, 2015)
The Domestic Abuse Act (2021)
What to do if you're worried a child is being abused (DfE, 2015)

10. Definitions of Abuse

All staff must be familiar with the four main types of abuse:

Physical Abuse – Causing physical harm to a child (e.g., hitting, shaking, burning).
Sexual Abuse – Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities.
Emotional Abuse – Persistent emotional maltreatment that affects a child’s emotional development.
Neglect – Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or emotional needs.

Staff should also be aware of additional safeguarding concerns, including:

Child-on-child abuse (e.g., bullying, sexual harassment)
Sexual exploitation and grooming
Criminal exploitation and county lines
Domestic abuse
Honour-based abuse, including FGM and forced marriage
Children missing education
Online risks, including exposure to harmful content or grooming

11. Children with SEND and Vulnerabilities

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or other vulnerabilities may face additional safeguarding risks. Staff should:

Be alert to signs of distress, withdrawal, or changes in behaviour.
Ensure their concerns are not dismissed as part of a child’s condition.
Offer a nurturing, patient approach when discussing sensitive matters.

12. The Prevent Duty

All staff have a duty to recognise signs of radicalisation or extremism. Any concerns must be reported to the DSL immediately, who will take appropriate action, including referral to the Channel programme if required.

13. Mental Health Awareness

Mental health is closely linked to safeguarding. Staff should:

Notice and report signs of poor mental health, including anxiety, self-harm, or eating issues.
Avoid making clinical diagnoses, but always report concerns to the DSL.

14. Dealing with Disclosures

When a child discloses information:

Stay calm and listen carefully.
Reassure the child they’ve done the right thing.
Avoid leading questions or making promises of confidentiality.
Record the facts accurately and report immediately to the DSL and school’s safeguarding lead.

15. Safeguarding Procedures

The DSL will:

Assess concerns and consult with the school’s safeguarding team.
Decide on next steps, which may include Early Help, referral to social care, or contacting the police.
Keep secure, confidential records of all safeguarding incidents and outcomes.

16. Online Safety

All staff must be vigilant about online risks, including:

Grooming or sexual exploitation online
Sharing of explicit content (“nudes”)
Cyberbullying
Exposure to radical or harmful content

Staff must ensure appropriate online safety training is up to date and be aware of the filtering and monitoring systems used in the schools they work in.

17. When to Call the Police

Staff should contact police directly if:

A child is at immediate risk of harm.
A serious criminal offence is suspected.
Directed to do so by the DSL or safeguarding team.

In other cases, the DSL will consult with relevant safeguarding partners and decide on appropriate action.

18. Record Keeping

All safeguarding concerns must be recorded factually and promptly.
Records are kept securely and shared only on a need-to-know basis with authorised professionals.
Records are retained in accordance with data protection laws and safeguarding standards.

19. Training and Induction

All new Rock’s Cool staff will receive:

Full safeguarding and child protection training during induction
Refresher training annually or when legislation changes
Regular updates via briefings or online modules

20. Safer Recruitment

Rock’s Cool Ltd follows safer recruitment procedures, including:

Enhanced DBS checks
Identity and reference checks
Interview questions that explore safeguarding awareness
Ongoing supervision and monitoring of staff working with children

21. Code of Conduct

All staff must:

Maintain professional boundaries at all times
Avoid one-to-one unsupervised lessons unless agreed and risk-assessed
Never initiate or encourage inappropriate physical or emotional relationships
Report any low-level concerns or breaches of conduct immediately

22. Allegations and Whistleblowing

Any allegation against a staff member must be reported to the DSL and referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) where appropriate.

We maintain a culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns about poor practice or behaviour.
Whistleblowers are protected and supported.

23. Information Sharing

We follow DfE guidance on sharing information where there is a safeguarding concern.
Information is shared lawfully, transparently, and with a clear purpose—namely to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Rock’s Cool Ltd recognises that information sharing is essential for effective safeguarding. We will ensure that:

Information is only shared with individuals who need it to safeguard a child.
Decisions about sharing information are made on a case-by-case basis, based on the nature of the concern and the necessity of sharing.
Where possible and appropriate, consent will be sought before sharing personal information. However, information may be shared without consent if doing so is in the child’s best interests or if there is risk of harm.
Staff understand their responsibility to share concerns early and not to assume someone else will take action.
All safeguarding records are accurate, securely stored, and only accessible to relevant staff and professionals with a legitimate role in safeguarding.
We always comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 when handling personal data.

All staff are trained on the principles of data protection and confidentiality in the context of safeguarding. This ensures that they are equipped to make informed decisions when they need to share information to keep children safe.

24. Related Policies

Safeguarding and child protection are interwoven with many other aspects of our operations and policies. This policy should be read in conjunction with the following documents, all of which are available upon request or on our website www.rocks-cool.co.uk.

Staff Code of Conduct
Behaviour Management Policy
Health and Safety Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
Complaints and Escalation Procedure
Online Safety and Acceptable Use Policy
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Inclusion Policy
Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Risk Assessment Procedures

Each of these policies reinforces and supports the principles outlined in this safeguarding document. Staff are required to be familiar with the policies that pertain to their role and responsibilities and to apply them consistently across their practice.

25. Contacts

For safeguarding concerns, the following contacts should be used:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Mr. Philip Melville
Managing Director, Rock’s Cool Ltd
Email: contact@rocks-cool.co.uk
Tel: 07855894563

Deputy DSL(s)
Deputy DSL to be appointed for future growth.

Local Authority Contacts
Safeguarding concerns that require external referral will be directed to the relevant Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Staff must be aware of the contact details of the host school’s safeguarding team and the local authority in which that school operates.
A directory of regional LADO contacts is maintained by the DSL and is available to all staff.

Emergency Contacts

Police – Emergency: 999 / Non-Emergency: 101
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Childline: 0800 1111
DfE Counter Extremism Helpline: 020 7340 7264

In any situation where a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, staff must call 999 without delay and then report the matter to the DSL as soon as it is safe to do so.

26. Policy Review and Monitoring

This Safeguarding Policy is reviewed annually by the Director and Designated Safeguarding Lead. However, the policy may be updated more frequently if significant changes in legislation, guidance, or practice occur.

The DSL is responsible for ensuring that staff are informed of any amendments and that all versions of the policy remain accessible. A record of updates and reviews is kept on file, including evidence of staff having read and understood changes.

The review process includes:

Consultation with safeguarding professionals where appropriate
Evaluation of safeguarding incidents and how they were handled
Feedback from staff, host schools, and children (where feasible and appropriate)
Monitoring of training and procedural compliance
Cross-reference with current DfE statutory guidance and best practices

This document, once reviewed, is approved by the senior leadership of Rock’s Cool Ltd and forms part of our commitment to providing the highest standards of safeguarding across all our music education services.

Final Statement

Rock’s Cool Ltd believes that safeguarding is a shared, proactive responsibility that sits at the heart of educational excellence. We are dedicated to upholding the principles of child safety and empowerment in every setting in which we work. Every child has the right to feel safe, valued, and heard, and we are committed to playing our part in ensuring those rights are fully protected.

All staff must adhere to this policy at all times and bring any questions or uncertainties to the attention of the Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay.

Approved by:
Mr. Philip Melville
Managing Director & Designated Safeguarding Lead
Rock’s Cool Ltd

Date of Approval:
June 2025
Review Date:
June 2026