Safeguarding Policy

1. Purpose of this policy

Big Tree Night is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and enjoyable event for everyone who attends, particularly children, young people and adults who may be at risk.

Big Tree Night is a free annual community event held in Shepperton High Street and is organised by a small team of volunteers. Thousands of people attend each year, including many families with children.

This policy sets out how Big Tree Night will:

• promote the welfare and safety of children, young people and adults at risk
• reduce the risk of harm, abuse or inappropriate behaviour
• respond to safeguarding concerns
• deal with lost or separated children
• ensure volunteers, contractors, stallholders and others involved in the event understand their safeguarding responsibilities

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

2. Our safeguarding principles

Big Tree Night believes that:

• everyone has the right to enjoy the event safely and without abuse, harassment, discrimination or exploitation
• the welfare of children and adults at risk is paramount
• safeguarding is everyone's responsibility
• concerns should be taken seriously and acted upon promptly
• information about safeguarding concerns should only be shared with those who need to know
• no volunteer, stallholder, contractor or other person involved with Big Tree Night should use their position to establish an inappropriate relationship with a child or adult at risk

Big Tree Night will seek to follow current safeguarding guidance and work with the appropriate statutory authorities where necessary.

3. Responsibility for children attending Big Tree Night

Big Tree Night is a public community event and does not provide childcare or take responsibility for supervising children attending the event.

Children remain the responsibility of their parent, guardian or accompanying responsible adult while attending Big Tree Night.

Parents and carers are encouraged to:

• supervise children appropriately at all times
• agree a meeting point with older children in case they become separated
• make sure younger children know who they are attending with
• immediately report a missing child to a Big Tree Night volunteer, steward or police officer

4. Safeguarding Lead

Big Tree Night will appoint a Safeguarding Lead for the event.

Safeguarding Lead: Chantal Mitchell, BTN Chairman
Contact: chairman@bigtreenight.uk

The Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

• receiving and recording safeguarding concerns
• deciding whether a concern needs to be referred to Children's Services, Adult Social Care, the police or another appropriate authority
• ensuring safeguarding incidents are dealt with sensitively and promptly
• ensuring relevant volunteers know how to report concerns
• ensuring records are stored securely
• reviewing this policy annually

Any immediate danger or suspected criminal offence should be reported directly to the emergency services.

5. Expectations of volunteers and organisers

Big Tree Night volunteers and organisers must:

• treat children, young people and adults at risk with dignity and respect
• behave appropriately at all times
• avoid being unnecessarily alone with a child
• avoid physical contact unless it is necessary and appropriate, for example to prevent immediate injury
• never make sexual, suggestive, intimidating or inappropriate comments
• never use inappropriate language towards a child
• never give a child alcohol, tobacco, vaping products or any illegal substance
• never invite a child they have met through the event to meet privately
• report any safeguarding concern promptly
• never promise to keep a safeguarding disclosure secret

If a child needs assistance, volunteers should wherever possible work in view of another adult or in a public area.

6. Stallholders, performers, contractors and other participants

Stallholders, performers, contractors, sponsors and other organisations taking part in Big Tree Night are expected to behave appropriately towards children and adults at risk.

Where an organisation provides an activity specifically involving children, that organisation remains responsible for:

• its own safeguarding procedures
• appropriate supervision
• any DBS checks required for its staff or volunteers
• obtaining any necessary parental consent
• ensuring its activities are suitable and safely managed

Big Tree Night may refuse or terminate participation by any person or organisation whose behaviour creates a safeguarding concern.

Serious concerns will be referred to the appropriate authorities.

7. Santa and children's activities

Activities involving direct interaction with children, including Santa's grotto or similar attractions, require particular care.

Big Tree Night will seek to ensure that:

• activities take place in an open or appropriately supervised environment
• a child is not unnecessarily left alone with an adult involved in the activity
• parents or carers remain responsible for supervising their children
• photography is handled appropriately
• anyone undertaking a role which legally requires a DBS check has the appropriate check in place

Where an external organisation provides an attraction or children's activity, it is responsible for ensuring its staff and volunteers are appropriately vetted and supervised.

8. Lost or separated children

Any child who appears to be lost or separated from their parent or carer should be treated as a safeguarding matter.

If a lost child approaches a volunteer, or a volunteer becomes aware of one:

1. The child should be kept in a safe and visible location with at least two responsible adults where practicable.
2. The Safeguarding Lead or designated event control point should be informed immediately.
3. The child should be reassured but should not be questioned unnecessarily.
4. Reasonable information may be obtained to help locate the child's parent or carer, such as their name and who they attended with.
5. Public announcements should not disclose unnecessary personal information about the child.
6. The identity of any person claiming the child should be checked as far as reasonably possible before the child is reunited with them.
7. If there is any doubt, concern or significant delay in locating the responsible adult, the police should be contacted.

If a parent or carer reports a missing child, the Safeguarding Lead or event control point should be informed immediately and the police contacted where appropriate.

A record should be made of significant lost-child incidents.

9. Responding to a disclosure or concern

A safeguarding concern might arise because:

• a child or adult tells someone they are being harmed
• someone witnesses concerning behaviour
• unexplained injuries or behaviour give cause for concern
• an allegation is made about a volunteer, stallholder, contractor or other participant
• someone appears to be at immediate risk

If someone discloses abuse or harm:

• listen calmly
• take what they say seriously
• do not interrogate them or ask leading questions
• do not attempt to investigate
• explain that the information may need to be shared with someone who can help
• record what was said as accurately as possible
• report it promptly to the Safeguarding Lead

Where there is an immediate risk of harm, call 999.

Safeguarding concerns about a child may also need to be referred to Surrey Children's Services or the police.

10. Concerns about volunteers or other adults involved in the event

Any concern or allegation that a volunteer, contractor, stallholder, performer or other adult involved with Big Tree Night has:

• harmed a child
• behaved in a way that may have harmed a child
• committed an offence involving a child
• behaved in a way that suggests they may pose a risk to children

must be reported immediately to the Safeguarding Lead.

The matter must not be investigated internally before appropriate safeguarding advice has been obtained.

Where appropriate, Big Tree Night will seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer or other relevant safeguarding authority.

The individual concerned may be asked to stop carrying out their role while the matter is considered.

11. Photography and video

Big Tree Night is a public community event and photographs or video may be taken by:

• visitors
• local media
• Big Tree Night representatives
• authorised photographers

Big Tree Night cannot prevent general photography in a public place. However:

• photography must not be intrusive or inappropriate
• no drone photography or video should be undertaken without the appropriate permissions
• concerns about suspicious or inappropriate photography should be reported to a volunteer or the Safeguarding Lead
• official photographers should be identifiable where practicable
• close-up images of an identifiable child used for promotional purposes should only be used where appropriate permission has been obtained
• personal information identifying a child should not be published unnecessarily alongside an image

12. Social media and online contact

Big Tree Night representatives should not use event-related contact with a child to establish private or inappropriate communication.

Where communication with someone under 18 is necessary, it should wherever possible:

• include their parent or carer
• use official Big Tree Night communication channels
• relate only to legitimate event business

Safeguarding concerns received through the website, email or social media should be passed to the Safeguarding Lead.

13. Adults at risk

Although this policy focuses particularly on children, Big Tree Night also aims to safeguard adults who may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Any concern that an adult attending the event may be at immediate risk should be reported to the Safeguarding Lead or emergency services as appropriate.

The same principles of listening, recording, reporting and not attempting to investigate apply.

14. Emergencies

If anyone is believed to be in immediate danger:

Call 999.

Event safety, first aid and safeguarding arrangements should work together. A medical emergency should not be delayed while safeguarding procedures are followed.

15. Confidentiality and recording

Safeguarding information will be treated sensitively.

Information should:

• be recorded accurately and factually
• include the date, time and people involved
• distinguish between what was observed and what was reported by somebody else
• be shared only with people who need the information to protect someone or deal with the concern
• be stored securely

Safeguarding records should not be included in general volunteer notes, public event records or routine customer information.

16. Training and briefing

Volunteers with responsibilities during Big Tree Night should receive an appropriate briefing before the event.

This should include:

• who the Safeguarding Lead is
• how to report a concern
• what to do if a child is lost
• where the event control point is
• when to involve the police or emergency services
• expected standards of behaviour

Volunteers undertaking roles with particular safeguarding responsibilities should receive appropriate safeguarding training where required.

17. DBS checks

Not every volunteer role at a public event is eligible for or requires a DBS check.

Big Tree Night will consider the nature of each role and obtain the appropriate level of DBS check where the role is eligible and one is considered necessary.

The existence of a DBS check does not replace appropriate supervision, safe working practices or safeguarding procedures.

18. Equality and Inclusion

Big Tree Night is a community event and everyone is welcome. We are committed to treating visitors, volunteers, stallholders and everyone involved in the event fairly, respectfully and without discrimination.

We aim to make Big Tree Night as welcoming and accessible as reasonably possible and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying or intimidating behaviour.

19. Reporting concerns

During Big Tree Night, safeguarding concerns should be reported to:

Safeguarding Lead: Chantal Mitchell, BTN Chairman
Location on the night: BTN Committee Gazebo by the Big Tree
Contact number: 07985 801 397

For an immediate emergency, call 999.

Concerns about a child can also be reported to Surrey Children's Services.

20. Review of this policy

This policy will be reviewed:

• annually before Big Tree Night
• following any significant safeguarding incident
• when relevant legislation or safeguarding guidance changes

Policy adopted: 1st January 2026
Last reviewed: 1st January 2026
Next review due: 1st January 2026

Approved by: Big Tree Night Committee