Child Protection Policy

This policy will be handed to team members to read and to be understood by all team applicants

LifeStream Europe Policy: Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People
Lifestream Europe recognises the importance of ministry to children and young people, and it’s responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of Children and young people entrusted to the festival’s care. All Team members must accept that the welfare of the child is paramount. The highest standards towards children and young people will be maintained in all pastoral, counselling, worship, prayer and recreational circumstances. All Team members may have contact with children and young people; and so we follow legal procedures and will ask all team members whether they have been subject to criminal or civil proceedings, and whether they have caused harm to children.

Clear recruitment procedures, training and supervision are essential for achieving a high-quality service to children and young people participating in LSE activities. It is the duty of all people working with children and young people to prevent abuse and unsafe situations from occurring. All workers are also required to report any abuse disclosed, discovered or suspected, in line with these procedures. LS Europe will collaborate fully with the statutory and voluntary authorities concerned with investigating abuse. It is important to note that it is the responsibility of the Police and Social Services to investigate the truth of any allegation of abuse.

All who are on team will be notified on the guidelines for:
Good Practice Guidelines
Dealing with an allegation

LS Europe has a duty to report all allegations of abuse to the relevant statutory and voluntary authorities. Allegations may come directly from a child or young person, or from a fellow team-worker, or from an adult. Allegations may refer to a family member, or to someone outside the family such as a teacher, youth leader, or pastor etc. No groups of people are exempt from being abusers or from being abused.
Abuse falls into four broad categories, which can be defined as follows:
Physical Injury
Any injury to a child or young person caused by a parent or family member, or another person who is responsible for their care, or in loco parentis.
Neglect
A failure to meet a child or young person’s basic needs for food, warmth, protection and care.
Emotional Abuse
The persistent, severe emotional ill-treatment or rejection that severely affects the emotional and/or behavioural development of a child or young person.
Sexual Abuse
The use of a child or young person to meet an adult’s sexual desires.