Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

PALM BEACH TEENS

1. Policy Statement

Palm Beach is a community venue delivering supervised, not-for-profit youth events for young people aged 12–17 years (School Years 7–11) operated by Community Projects Base C.I.C.

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people who attend our events.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and we take all reasonable steps to provide a safe, welcoming, inclusive and well-managed environment where young people can enjoy positive social experiences.

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, contractors, security personnel, photographers and anyone working on behalf of Palm Beach/Community Projects Base C.I.C.

2. Legal Framework

This policy is informed by:

The Children Act 1989 & 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government)
NSPCC safeguarding guidance
UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018

For the purposes of this policy, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

3. Scope of Events

Palm Beach Teens Under 18 events are:

Strictly for young people aged 12–17 (School Years 7–11 only)
Alcohol-free events
Supervised by trained staff and SIA-licensed door supervisors
Not-for-profit, with proceeds reinvested into community projects

Palm Beach is not a childcare provider; however, we operate with a clear duty of care and safeguarding responsibility during organised youth events.

4. Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Event Manager acts as the Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for all Palm Beach Teens events.

The DCPO is responsible for:

Leading safeguarding practice at events
Ensuring staff understand safeguarding responsibilities
Monitoring and recording concerns
Making referrals to appropriate authorities where required
Liaising with parents, guardians, police, local authority and safeguarding partners
Ensuring safeguarding procedures are reviewed and updated

A deputy safeguarding lead will be identified where appropriate.

5. Safer Recruitment & Staffing

Palm Beach ensures that:

All staff, volunteers and contractors are DBS checked
SIA-licensed door supervisors are present at every event
Staff receive safeguarding awareness training
Professional boundaries and appropriate conduct are maintained at all times

6. Recognising Abuse & Safeguarding Concerns

Palm Beach recognises that abuse and safeguarding concerns may include:

Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Peer-on-peer abuse, including bullying, intimidation, coercive behaviour or physical harm between young people
Online harm, including cyberbullying, grooming concerns or inappropriate contact linked to Palm Beach Teens under 18's Events activities

Staff are expected to remain vigilant and report any concern, however small, to the DCPO.

7. Reporting & Responding to Concerns

Safeguarding concerns should be reported to the Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO) as soon as possible.

While immediate reporting is strongly encouraged, Palm Beach recognises that some concerns may only come to light after an event has taken place. Any concern raised retrospectively will still be taken seriously, recorded appropriately, and reviewed in line with safeguarding guidance.

No concern will be dismissed solely due to timing.

Staff and volunteers are not expected to investigate safeguarding concerns; their responsibility is to observe, record and report concerns to the DCPO.

Where appropriate, referrals may be made to:

Children’s Social Care
Police
Other relevant safeguarding authorities

8. Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers

Any allegation made against a member of staff, volunteer, contractor or photographer will be taken seriously and handled sensitively.

The DCPO will carry out an initial risk assessment and determine appropriate next steps, which may include:

Increased supervision
Temporary adjustment of duties
Referral to appropriate authorities
Suspension from duties where necessary to safeguard young people

Any action taken will be proportionate, fair, and in line with safeguarding guidance and employment best practice.

9. Behaviour, Bullying & Conduct

Palm Beach operates a zero-tolerance approach to:

Bullying
Violence
Threatening or antisocial behaviour

Any young person displaying such behaviour may be:

Removed from the event
Have parents or guardians contacted immediately
Banned from future events for a defined period

10. Entry, Searches & Substances

To maintain a safe environment:

Entry is subject to age verification (School Years 7–11)
Safety searches may be conducted with consent
Alcohol, illegal substances and weapons are prohibited
Refusal to comply with safety measures may result in refusal of entry

11. Smoking & Vaping Policy

Palm Beach Teens events promote a non-smoking and non-vaping environment.

Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited inside the venue
Palm Beach does not encourage smoking or vaping by young people
A supervised outdoor area may be designated during events
Any young person found vaping inside the venue will have the vape confiscated and it will not be returned

This policy is applied sensibly and proportionately, prioritising safety, supervision and harm reduction.

12. First Aid & Welfare

Qualified First Aiders are present at all events
A designated First Aid area is available
Welfare concerns are escalated to the DCPO immediately

Young people may be provided with access to a mobile phone at their request to contact parents or guardians regarding travel or collection.

13. Collection & Departure Safeguarding

Palm Beach takes reasonable steps to ensure young people leave events safely.

Staff may challenge departures where safeguarding concerns arise
Parents or guardians may be contacted to confirm collection arrangements
No young person will be knowingly placed in an unsafe situation upon leaving

14. Photography & Media Policy

Photography and filming may take place at Palm Beach Teens events for promotional and safeguarding purposes.

Safeguards include:

All photographers are DBS checked
No photographer will have sole access to children
No images taken of distress or inappropriate situations
No personal identifying information attached to images

Parents, guardians or young people may request:

Not to be photographed
Removal of images at any time

All requests will be respected promptly.

15. Online Safety & Social Media

Palm Beach operates official social media channels (including Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook) for the purpose of promoting events, sharing information and celebrating positive youth experiences.

We recognise that online spaces form part of young people’s social world and may present safeguarding considerations.

To support online safety:

Official Palm Beach Teens social media accounts are managed by authorised adults
Content shared is age-appropriate and aligned with our safeguarding values
Comments and interactions are monitored where reasonably practicable
Any safeguarding concerns identified online will be reported to the DCPO and managed in line with this policy

Palm Beach does not facilitate private online communication between young people and does not accept responsibility for interactions that take place outside of official Palm Beach-managed platforms.

Parents and guardians remain responsible for their child’s online activity and digital safety outside of Palm Beach-managed channels.

16. Confidentiality & Data Protection

All safeguarding records are:

Treated confidentially
Stored securely
Shared only with appropriate safeguarding authorities when required

Palm Beach complies fully with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

17. Policy Review

This policy will be:

Reviewed annually
Updated in line with changes to legislation or safeguarding guidance
Communicated to staff, volunteers and stakeholders

18. Commitment

Palm Beach is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and positive environment where young people can socialise, express themselves and thrive.

Safeguarding is central to everything we do.

Content Notice

All content on this page has been created by Palm Beach Teens and is owned by Community Projects Base C.I.C.
This content is protected under copyright law. Unauthorised reproduction, copying or reuse of this material without prior written permission is not permitted.

​PALM BEACH TEENS