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Child protection and safeguarding

Children and young people take part in PILCROW activities because they want to influence something. That only works if they are safe while they do it. This page sets out what we commit to, what we expect from everyone involved, and how to raise a concern.

Our commitment

PILCROW values children and young people as a vital part of the organisation and wants to see them grow and be challenged in a healthy and safe environment. Protecting participants from any form of abuse, violence, exploitation or discrimination is a condition of running an activity, not an add-on to it.

Expected conduct

Everyone acting on behalf of PILCROW, staff, board members, volunteers, contracted trainers and partner organisation representatives, is required to follow these standards. They are not aspirational.

  • No physical, psychological or sexual abuse of a child or young person, in any circumstance and under no pretext, including discipline.
  • No behaviour that could embarrass, degrade, frighten or humiliate a child or young person.
  • No discriminatory treatment, and no favouring of some children over others.
  • No arranging to meet a participant away from an activity without another responsible adult present and without the knowledge of the activity organiser.
  • No photographing or recording of a child without informed consent from them and their parent or guardian, and without explaining how the material will be used.
  • Avoid being alone with an individual child or young person. Where it is unavoidable, first aid, a participant in distress, another responsible adult must know where you are and why.

Consent and supervision

  • Every child or young person taking part is formally registered, with an information and consent form completed by a parent or guardian covering health information and emergency contacts.
  • An attendance register is kept for each session.
  • Groups of participants under sixteen are never left unattended.
  • Trips and outings require a separate signed consent covering that specific activity, and adequate insurance is arranged before the activity runs.
  • Anyone recruited to work with children, paid or volunteer, goes through an application, an interview, identity verification, references and the criminal record checks required under Spanish law, with no unaccompanied access to children until those are complete.
  • Young assistants are always supervised and never carry sole responsibility for a group.

Reporting a concern

If you have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child or young person in connection with a PILCROW activity, tell us. You do not need to be certain, and it is not your job to investigate.

Write to office@pilcrow.es with 'Safeguarding' in the subject line. Concerns are received by the organisation and passed to the designated safeguarding lead on the board. If a child is at immediate risk, contact the emergency services on 112 first, then tell us.

  • Listen and take what you are told seriously.
  • Do not promise to keep a secret before you know what it is, and explain if and why you will need to tell someone.
  • Write down what was actually said, as soon as possible, without adding interpretation.
  • Do not question the child further, and do not investigate yourself, this can make it harder for authorities to act later.

Confidentiality and its limits

We handle safeguarding information on a need-to-know basis and store it securely and separately from general project records. We cannot promise absolute confidentiality: where there is a risk of harm, we are obliged to pass information to the competent authorities, and we will tell the person who raised the concern that we are doing so wherever it is safe to do that.

Safeguarding in mobilities and activities

Erasmus+ mobilities add risk because participants are away from their usual support. Before any mobility we agree in writing with partner organisations who the named responsible adult is for each group, what the reporting route is, what the accommodation and supervision arrangements are, and how a participant can be brought home early if needed. Group leaders receive this briefing before travel, and participants are told at the start of the activity who to speak to and how.

Review

Our safeguarding arrangements are reviewed annually by the board. The full policy document is currently under review to reflect Spanish legal requirements and current designated roles; an updated version will be published here once that review is complete.

Contact

Safeguarding contact for the organisation: office@pilcrow.es. Please write to the organisational address rather than to an individual.