Cat & Mouse Theatre — Safeguarding Policy

Date adopted: June 2026
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Jack Freedman, Creative Director
Deputy DSL: Dave Lovatt, Lead Producer
Review date: June 2027

1. Policy statement

Cat & Mouse Theatre Ltd is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk who take part in our work.

We will:

  • Provide a duty of care for children, young people, and adults at risk, safeguard their well-being, and protect them from abuse
  • Respect and promote their rights, wishes, and feelings
  • Recruit, train, and supervise our team to adopt best practice — and to protect themselves against false allegations
  • Require everyone working for us to follow this policy
  • Respond to any concerns or allegations appropriately and promptly

This policy applies to everyone working for or with Cat & Mouse Theatre: directors, producers, performers, freelance facilitators, technicians, and volunteers. Compliance is a mandatory condition of working with us.

A child is anyone under 18 (Children Act 1989). An adult at risk is defined by the Care Act 2014.

2. Principles

The welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk is always the primary concern.

  • All children and adults at risk, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief, or sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse and neglect
  • It is everyone’s responsibility to report concerns — you do not need to decide whether abuse has occurred, only to pass concerns on
  • All concerns and allegations are taken seriously and responded to swiftly
  • Confidentiality is upheld in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR

This policy is guided by the Children Act 1989 & 2004, the Care Act 2014, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), Keeping Children Safe in Out-of-School Settings (DfE), Prevent Duty guidance, and Arts Council England’s Safeguarding Policy for Grant Holders.

3. Safeguarding culture

We build relationships of trust through consistency, collaboration, and listening. Safeguarding is not only about preventing harm — it is about creating environments where children, young people, and adults at risk feel safe, valued, and empowered. Immersive and participatory theatre blurs traditional boundaries between audience and performer, so we maintain clear physical, spatial, and emotional boundaries to ensure participation is always safe, consensual, and transparent.

4. Code of conduct

Everyone representing Cat & Mouse Theatre must:

  • Work in an open environment — avoid unobserved, 1-on-1 situations
  • Treat all participants with respect and dignity
  • Maintain a safe professional distance at all times
  • Ensure any physical contact is purpose-led, minimal, and with the participant’s clear, ongoing consent — participants can withdraw consent at any time
  • Give enthusiastic, constructive feedback — never use negative criticism
  • Report any concerns immediately to the DSL

You must never:

  • Engage in rough physical play, sexually provocative games, or horseplay
  • Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
  • Make sexually suggestive comments, even in fun
  • Use inappropriate language or allow participants to do so unchallenged
  • Develop personal or sexual relationships with participants
  • Exchange personal contact details or connect on social media with anyone under 18 you work with
  • Promise secrecy about a safeguarding disclosure
  • Do things of a personal nature for a participant that they can reasonably do for themselves

At least two vetted adults must be present during every session involving children or adults at risk.

5. Photography and filming

  • No photography, video, or audio of children or adults at risk without consent from a parent, guardian, or the participant (where they have capacity)
  • Photographs and videos are never taken on personal devices — company devices only, with files transferred and deleted after the session
  • We do not use children’s names in photograph captions
  • Any concern about inappropriate photography or filming is reported immediately to the DSL

6. Safer recruitment

Anyone working directly with children or adults at risk must, before their first session:

  • Provide an Enhanced DBS check (or PVG in Scotland / AccessNI in Northern Ireland), verified by the DSL
  • Provide at least two professional references that we check
  • Provide proof of identity
  • Complete a safeguarding induction covering this policy and reporting procedures

We keep a record of all checks, references, and training.

7. What to do if you have a concern

If a participant discloses abuse

  1. Listen calmly. Do not judge, do not ask leading questions, do not investigate.
  2. Reassure them that speaking up was right.
  3. Do not promise secrecy. Explain you will tell the DSL to keep them safe.
  4. Write it down within 24 hours — exact words, date, time, location, observable facts. No opinion.
  5. Report to the DSL immediately.

If a participant is in immediate danger

Call 999 straight away, then inform the DSL.

What the DSL will do

The DSL will assess the concern and, where appropriate, contact the relevant local authority Children’s or Adult Social Care services, the police, or make a Prevent referral. Serious incidents are reported to Arts Council England.

8. Allegations against staff or volunteers

If an allegation is made against a member of our team:

  • The individual is immediately suspended from contact with children and adults at risk pending investigation
  • The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is contacted within one working day
  • We cooperate fully with any statutory investigation
  • If substantiated, we make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service

9. Training

  • All team members complete a safeguarding induction before working with participants
  • The DSL refreshes their training at least every two years
  • All other team members refresh at least every three years
  • We keep a record of all training

10. Review

This policy is reviewed annually, or immediately following any change in statutory guidance or a safeguarding incident. It is publicly available on our website.

11. Key contacts

RoleNameContact
DSLJack Freedmanjack@catandmousetheatre.co.uk
Deputy DSLDave Lovattcatandmousetheatre@gmail.com
NSPCC Helpline—0808 800 5000
Emergency—999

Approved by: Jack Freedman
Date: June 2026
Version: 2.0