Hopscotch is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and staff attending our holiday clubs. We take all reasonable steps to ensure children are safe, well supervised, and cared for by suitable adults at all times. We safeguard children and staff through the following measures:
Safe staffing and supervision We provide adequate and appropriate staffing levels to meet the needs of children at all times, ensuring effective supervision during activities, transitions, outings, and free play. Staff deployment is regularly reviewed to maintain children’s safety and wellbeing.
Safer recruitment practices All job applicants are informed that roles working with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are made aware of required suitability checks prior to appointment. Applicants who are rejected due to disclosed information have the right to know and challenge this decision.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks Enhanced DBS checks are completed for all staff, volunteers, and students before they begin working at Hopscotch. Ongoing suitability is monitored, and we regularly re-check criminal history using the DBS Update Service where applicable.
References
Two recent references (within 5 years) sought prior to start
Interviews
All new staff will undergo at least 1 interview led by the Holiday club manager with a second person present using pre-approved questions.
Ongoing suitability monitoringStaff, volunteers, and students are given regular opportunities to declare any changes that may affect their suitability to work with children, including health concerns or changes in personal circumstances. Safeguarding concerns, training needs, and individual child needs are discussed appropriately with management.
Compliance with statutory guidanceWe comply with relevant Ofsted requirements and safeguarding legislation when carrying out suitability checks and recruitment processes for all staff, volunteers, and students.
Clear role boundaries Volunteers and students are never left unsupervised with children and do not take responsibility for personal care or behaviour management without direct staff oversight.
Reporting safeguarding concerns In line with the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Childcare Act 2006 (as amended), we report to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) any individual who is dismissed or resigns due to safeguarding or child protection concerns.
Visitor and site security procedures All visitors and contractors are required to sign in, wear identification, and are supervised at all times while on the premises. No unauthorised person is permitted unsupervised access to children.
Safe environment and vigilance Staff remain vigilant in safeguarding the holiday club environment, including monitoring entrances, boundaries, and outdoor spaces, and being alert to unfamiliar individuals or potential risks.
Staff behaviour and professional conduct We maintain a Staff Behaviour Policy to identify and respond to concerning behaviour or changes in conduct. Staff are expected to report concerns about themselves or others to management promptly to protect children and support staff wellbeing.
Whistleblowing and culture of openness All staff have access to and understand the whistleblowing policy. We promote a culture where concerns are taken seriously and reported without fear of reprisal.
Safeguarding training and awareness Staff are trained to recognise signs of inappropriate behaviour, including excessive one-to-one attention, inappropriate language, boundary violations, or misuse of images or technology. Any concerns are reported and acted upon immediately.
Monitoring and support through observation Regular peer and manager observations are carried out to maintain high standards of care, support professional development, and provide opportunities for staff to raise concerns.
Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities
The Nominated Individual who is registered with Ofsted for Hopscotch Holiday Club is Chief Executive Officer, Philip Ford. The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer are Company Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) and are responsible for safeguarding matters across the company.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Hopscotch Holiday Club’s Is comprised of the Holiday Club manager – Lily Knight and a Deputy Manager. The Holiday Club DSL’S work closely with the Chief Operating Officer. They are responsible for passing on concerns or making referrals. In the DSL’s absence, the next most senior member of staff, usually the Deputy DSL, will assume responsibility.
One of the Company DSLs (i.e. Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operating Officer) will always be available to be contacted to discuss any safeguarding matter. Contact details are set out in the Safeguarding at Holiday Club Poster. If any concerns relate to the Nominated Individual or the Chief Operating Officer then concerns can be raised with other company DSLs or Ofsted can be contacted directly. Details of how to do that are listed later in this document.
The Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
We have named persons within each Holiday Club setting who take lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinate child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL). These will usually be the Holiday Club Manager and Deputy Managers will be trained to DSL standards for when Managers might not be present.
There should always be at least one DSL person on duty during the opening hours of every Hopscotch setting. The designated persons will receive comprehensive training at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis. Holiday Club DSLs are responsible for all safeguarding matters relating to their specific Holiday Club setting.
Failure to properly implement these policies and procedures, as set out in this policy, could be seen as a failure to properly protect the wellbeing and welfare of children in their care and could result in disciplinary action being taken where needed.
DSLs should support the ongoing development and knowledge of the staff team with regular safeguarding updates.
The role of the DSL is to ensure that the settings safeguarding policy and procedures are reviewed and developed in line with current guidance; and develop staff understanding of the settings safeguarding policies.
They will achieve this through the following actions:
Take the lead on responding to information from the staff team relating to child protection concerns
Provide advice, support and guidance on an on-going basis to staff, students and volunteers.
To identify children who may need early help or who are at risk of abuse
To help staff to ensure the right support is provided to families
To liaise with the local authority and other agencies with regard to child protection concerns
To ensure policies are in line with the local safeguarding procedures and details
Disseminate updates to legislation to ensure all staff are kept up to date with safeguarding practices
To manage and monitor accidents, incidents and existing injuries; ensuring accurate and appropriate records are kept
Attend case conferences and external safeguarding meetings, as requested, by external agencies.
Responding to Safeguarding Concerns
All safeguarding concerns should be passed on to the Holiday Club or company DSLs as soon as possible. In the first instance concerns might be shared verbally but this should be followed up with a written Record of Concern (RoC) form. Information should be factual and claims need to be substantiated. Blank RoC forms should be available to all staff at all times and the Holiday Club Management Teams are responsible for ensuring staff are aware of where they are kept.
Alternatively, staff can also request one from office@hopscotchmail.com On receipt of any safeguarding information or a RoC the DSL should review the information presented to them and make a decision based on the assessed risk, which should reflect the history of the child. If available, Safeguarding Chronology Forms 🖊️Forms, should be referred to for context.
If the DSL feel it meets the threshold for referral they need to notify parents unless it would place the child at significant risk or compromise a possible criminal investigation. They should then make contact to the relevant local authority organisation i.e. Front Door for Families (Brighton & Hove) or Single Point of Access (SPoA).
Advice might be sought first before making a formal referral. Referrals made verbally must be confirmed in writing within 24 hours.
If it is believed a child is in direct danger, the police should be contacted on 999 immediately.
If the threshold for referral is not met the DSL should complete a Safeguarding Chronology form and ensure staff monitor specific aspects of the child’s presentation, behaviour, attendance, etc. with a timescale for frequent review.
Any further safeguarding concerns should take information on this form into account and make a decision based on the whole picture, not just a single incident. Advice can always be sought from on the above from the Company DSLs, either the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer.
Responding to suspicions of abuse or disclosures
Listen to the child, offer reassurances and give reassurances that action will be taken
Do not question the child, although it is OK to ask questions for the purpose of clarification.
Make written records date and time, exact words spoken, the name of person disclosed to and any witnesses. Signed and kept securely in safeguarding file.
Ensure the DSL follows the correct procedures, as set out below.
not allow this, for example, where it is believed that the child may be placed at risk.
Child-on-Child Abuse (Peer Abuse)
Child-on-child abuse occurs when a child causes harm to another child. This can happen both inside and outside the holiday club and may be a single incident or a pattern of behaviour. All child-on-child abuse is treated as a safeguarding concern, not a behaviour issue, and is managed in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (where applicable). Types of child-on-child abuse may include:
Sexual harassment or unwanted sexualised behaviour
Sexual violence or assault
Exploitation or coercion
Harmful or inappropriate sexual behaviour
Pressuring or forcing another child to do something they do not want to do
Signs staff should be alerted to include:
Unexplained changes in behaviour, mood or confidence
Withdrawal from activities or friendships
Fear of certain children or reluctance to attend sessions
Distress, anxiety, or emotional upset after sessions
Use of sexualised language or behaviour that is not age-appropriate
Physical injuries with unclear explanations
Children reporting concerns about another child’s behaviour
How we respond:
Any concerns about child-on-child abuse are reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and recorded appropriately. Children are listened to, reassured and supported, and safeguarding measures are put in place to protect all children involved. The DSL will assess risk, determine appropriate next steps, and involve parents and external agencies where required, ensuring that actions taken are proportionate and focused on keeping children safe.
Informing Parents of any Safeguarding Concerns
Parents are normally the first point of contact. Concerns are discussed with parents to gain their view of events, unless it is felt that this may put the child at risk or interfere with the course of a police investigation.
Parents are informed when we make a record of concerns in their child’s file and that we also make a note of any discussion we have with them regarding a concern. If a suspicion of abuse warrants referral to the Front Door for Families parents are informed while the referral will be made, except where the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board does not allow this, for example, where it is believed that the child may be placed at risk.
Reporting Procedures and Making a Referral
In line with the statutory framework, the Designated Safeguarding Lead should be responsible for liaising with the relevant authorities. These are different depending on the circumstances, who is involved, and which local authority the setting is located.
How to contact external agencies in Brighton and Hove:
If we believe that a child is in immediate danger, we will call 999 to report this to police.
Anonymous Concerns
Anonymous reports may be considered but are generally less likely to be acted upon unless they raise serious and verifiable concerns. Open Door Policy Hopscotch encourages an open environment where concerns can be discussed freely. Your voice matters in keeping children safe.
Code of Conduct for Parents, Carers and Visitors to Hopscotch Holiday Club
All visitors, including external agencies, visiting the premises must respect this setting’s policies and procedures at all times and not discuss overheard conversations or information regarding children and families outside the setting.
Any concerns regarding safeguarding must immediately be advised to the DSL. As part of our safeguarding protocol, we have set out our expectations of how Hopscotch parents, carers and visitors should behave whilst at any Hopscotch setting, either inside or outside.
Unacceptable behaviour directed towards Hopscotch staff and other persons in the setting is not acceptable. Furthermore, Hopscotch strives to provide safe places where relationships between staff and parents demonstrate mutual respect and shared responsibility for children’s welfare, development and progress.
We therefore ask that parents, carers and visitors to any of our settings refrain from:
Shouting at children on or close by to our Holiday Club premises.
Using any kind of inappropriate or offensive language when in the vicinity of the Holiday Club setting.
Discussing sensitive issues within earshot of your child, other children or adults.
Any kind of aggressive, abusive or bullying behaviour (examples include threats, physical violence, personal verbal abuse, derogatory remarks and rudeness, inflammatory statements and unsubstantiated allegations).
Any kind of inappropriate or abusive behaviour with Hopscotch staff, parents or Hopscotch social media channels on social media platforms.
Taking photos or videos of children on the premises.
Using your mobile phone anywhere on the Holiday Club premises.
Collecting your child(ren) from the Holiday Club if you have consumed alcohol, medication or other substances which have affected your judgement or responses.
Persistently making the same or similar complaint, despite the matter having been fully addressed / investigated under the complaints procedure or seeking an unrealistic outcome with intent to persist until the desired outcome is achieved.
Depending on the circumstances, if deemed serious enough by Hopscotch Management, any of the eventualities above might lead to the termination registrations and bookings at Hopscotch. In such a scenario all fee’s paid to date for future bookings will be kept due to our no refund policy on Magic Booking.
Please note that any behaviour by a parent or carer which raises possible safeguarding concerns regarding the welfare of a child will be responded to in line with our setting safeguarding procedures.
Whistleblowing and Complaints
A separate complaints procedure exists which should be followed by any individual who has concerns about staff or practice in the setting.
All concerns regarding Safeguarding must be directed to the DSL.
If the complaint relates to the DSL, the complaint must be directed to the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operating Officer
If the complaint relates to these, the complainant should contact the LADO.
Further information is available in the Hopscotch Whistleblowing Policy, at the end of this policy.