Health and safety policy

TURNING POINTE HEALTH AND SAFETY STATEMENT

We are committed to providing and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for all staff, ensuring that our work does not adversely affect the health & safety of dance students, parents and visitors. To achieve these aims our Academy will;

• Ensure that, as a minimum, we comply with relevant legislation and management standards, that we effectively manage all significant risks associated with our activities, workplaces, equipment and facilities.
• Recognize that the management of health & safety is a core function and is as important as any other aspect of our business performance
• In accordance with our aim to be a good & caring employer, promote a positive health & safety culture, with managers visibly demonstrating their commitment to achieving high standards of health, safety & risk management.
• Ensure roles & responsibilities for delivering our health, safety & risk management arrangements are clearly defined & communicated, with successful delivery monitored via our performance management & appraisal procedures.
• Provide adequate resources, proportionate to the level of risk, to ensure the effective delivery of this policy & our associated management arrangements
• Ensure that all our employees are competent to carry out their work without risk to themselves or others, by providing adequate training, information & supervision.
• Promote effective employee involvement & support the role of safety representatives in the delivery of our health, safety & risk management arrangements.
• Recognize that premises we hire, and dance spaces, should be fit for purpose.
• Learn from any accidents, hazardous events or work-related ill health & regularly monitor, review & report on health & safety performance.
• Monitor the health of our employees, where appropriate, & provide them with support.
• Ensure that our staff employed to work with us are competent & that they conduct their activities giving due regard to the safety of staff, students & others.

 

TURNING POINTE SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The purpose and scope of this policy statement

The purpose of the safeguarding policy is to ensure that every child that attends our dance school is safe and protected from harm.  All staff have a responsibility to ensure that children have a safe environment to dance in.  All staff have a responsibility to ensure any allegations of abuse are reported to the appropriate authorities.  Turning Pointe will report to the MOI Child Protection Centre when required to report safeguarding incidences. Where children are at a significant risk, staff have a duty of care to take immediate action.

The Scope of our policy includes all of our students below the age of 18 years old.

 

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in the UAE. A summary of the key legislation is available from https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/children-safety

 

We believe that:

• children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind
• we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practice in a way that protects them.

 

We recognize that:

• the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

 

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people.
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff.
• providing effective management for staff through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently
• recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
• recording, storing and using information professionally and securely.
• making sure that children, young people and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
• ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people and staff, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
• building a safeguarding culture where staff, children, young people and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – Turning Pointe Deputy Principal (Lorna Martin Fox)

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will ensure the safeguarding policy is reviewed annually, that all staff have completed the appropriate level of safeguarding training for their role, and is the key point of contact for all staff concerning and safeguarding issues they may have.

Responsibilities of all members of staff:-

All members of staff will complete the training requested by the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If, following a conversation about safeguarding concerns with the DSL, a decision is made to report such concerns, key numbers can be found in the studio office.

However, where a child is in immediate need, to protect the child, the police should be called on 999.

 

For more information on the UAE Child protection guidelines that we follow and adhere to, please see the below link

https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/children-safety

Turning Pointe possesses public liability insurance for the protection of staff and students.

All Turning Pointe teachers have police clearance certificates, are First Aid trained and regularly attend Child Protection and Safeguarding Training.

 

Contact details

Nominated child protection lead

Name:  Lorna Martin Fox – Deputy Principal

Email:  Lorna@turningpointe.ae

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. This policy statement and accompanying procedures will be reviewed on the 1st September 2024.

 

Turning Pointe Standard Operating Procedures During Covid-19

• Equipment will be sanitized after every use
• Turning Pointe will provide Sanitizers in all studios.
• Social distancing will be applied as per Dubai Sports Council recommendations.
• All students, parents and teachers must wear a mask at all times. Masks are optional for children under 6 years old.
• Any person having a cough, temperature, breathing difficulty, respiratory disease or immunodeficiency, shall not be allowed to participate.
• Any updated guidelines issued from health authorities will be observed and strictly followed.
• Numbers of students per classes will be restricted following guidelines from the Authorities . (venue dependant)
• Turning Pointe have obtained the correct permit to operate at this time from the relevant authority.