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DIGITAL SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Scope and Purpose

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, contractors, freelancers, trainees, work placements or anyone working on behalf of The Audio Story Company.

 

This document provides the guidelines for all collaborators to keep themselves, and the young people they work with safe, when working online and communicating via digital channels. 

 

The purpose of this policy is to: ​

  • Protect children and young people who take part in the testing phase of the activity.

  • Provide The Audio Story Company team members with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection when working on digital projects and online platforms. 

 

We believe that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects them. 

 

Legal Framework and National Guidance

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance, that seeks to protect children and their personal information

  • Data Protection Act 2018

  • Children (Scotland) Act 1995

  • Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007

  • NSPCC Undertaking Remote Teaching Safely

  • SCVO Guidance

  • Get Safe Online

  • DigiSafe

 

Disclaimer

The information in this document is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. This document is a guideline, and can(will) be altered or changed in line with relevant national government, local authority, societal and cultural circumstance.

 

Communication via Digital Platforms (Personalised Audio Story Experience Specific)

  • All contact and/or communication with young people will be carried out through their responsible adult (parent/carer/guardian). Their responsible adult will be our direct point of contact throughout the testing phase of our project and they will receive the final product on behalf of the young person.

  • Only gather necessary and essential personal information about the young person in relation to the creation of their story. 

  • The final creation (story) will be sent to the responsible adult of the young person/people and is intended for their use only.

  • Information will be collected via an online form, on a secure page of our website. Part of the research and development is to generate the best working practice for this.

 

Communication via Email

  • Email communication to participants/audience will be done via company specific email accounts.

  • The Audio Story Company team members will always use clear language to avoid any misunderstanding on the part of the recipient. It may be appropriate to copy in another team member for transparency. 

  • Any team member(s) who have concerns regarding the content of an email they send or receive from a young person or a young persons responsible adult should consult the Safeguarding Lead, as named above

 

Communication via Social Media​​

  • Contact with young people or a young persons responsible adult will only take place through official The Audio Story Company organisational accounts.

  • If a Scottish Youth Theatre employee or Freelance Artist receives content from a young person which they believe is inappropriate they will not forward the content or delete it but immediately contact the Lead Safeguarding Officer to report the content and follow the safeguarding incident procedure of the company (see main Safeguarding Policy).

  • Current active social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

 

Storage of Personal Information (Personalised Audio Story Experience Specific)

  • Information will be securely stored, on Hard Disk, for the duration of the research and development.

  • Only Calum Paterson and Sarah Miele will have direct access to the information and to the Hard Disk that it is stored on.

  • The final copy of the story will be kept securely by us, solely for archival purposes, and will not be distributed or shared. 

  • Personal Information will be destroyed upon completion of individual story creation.

  • No personal images or video will be collected or stored, in relation to the creation of personalised immersive audio stories.

 

Sustaining Future Safeguarding

We believe in keeping our participants and audience safe, during our research and development and are fully committed to the following:

  • Reviewing this policy as per the Review Date, stated above

  • Reviewing this policy when new local or national government advice is issued.

  • Undertaking digital safeguarding training.

  • Staying up to date with the latest guidance, published by the NSPCC.

  • Becoming active members of the SCVO.

  • Staying up to date with the latest guidance and advice, published by Get Safe Online.

  • Establishing our best working practice of Safeguarding Online Activity.

​

Updated on 1st September 2023

Calum Paterson

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