Child Protection Policy

Last Updated: February 2025

Dance World Cup is an amateur international dance competition that provides thousands of educational performance opportunities for children and young people worldwide. We are committed to ensuring safe environments for all children and young people, and we firmly believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people by implementing best practices to protect them.

This policy applies to our Board of Directors, paid staff, judges, volunteers, students, or anyone working on behalf of Dance World Cup Ltd.

Our Commitment to Child Protection

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the child or young person is paramount.
• All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
• Working in partnership with children, young people, parents, carers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
• Safeguarding responsibilities extend to both physical and online environments.

Purpose of This Policy

• To provide protection for children and young people participating in Dance World Cup events.
• To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures to follow if they suspect a child or young person is experiencing or at risk of harm.

How We Safeguard Children and Young People

We will ensure safety by:

• Valuing, listening to, and respecting children and young people.
• Adopting child protection guidelines, procedures, and safe working practices for staff and volunteers.
• Implementing measures to safeguard children in both in-person and online interactions.
• Sharing information about child protection and safe working practices with children, parents, staff, and volunteers.
• Sharing concerns with appropriate agencies and involving parents and children where appropriate.
• Ensuring the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers, including checks for roles involving direct contact with children.
• Providing ongoing safeguarding training and supervision for staff and volunteers.
• Implementing a clear reporting structure for any safeguarding concerns, with a designated safeguarding officer available at all events.

Online Safety Considerations

• Dance World Cup acknowledges the increasing risks associated with online interactions. We will implement safeguards to protect children and young people from online abuse.
• Staff, judges, and volunteers will adhere to guidelines for appropriate online interactions, including communication via official Dance World Cup channels only.
• Parents and guardians will be informed about online safety practices and encouraged to monitor their child’s digital interactions related to the competition.

Reporting Concerns

If any member of staff, volunteer, parent, or participant has concerns about the safety or well-being of a child, they must report it immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO). The DSO will follow established procedures, which may include contacting social services or other relevant authorities.

Annual Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually every February, in line with guidance from Safe Network and updated as necessary to reflect any changes in legislation and best practices. Any updates will be communicated to all staff, volunteers, and relevant stakeholders before the start of any Dance World Cup event.