Safeguarding Policy

Purpose and scope of this policy

The purpose of this policy statement is:

To protect young people who participate in The Japan Society’s activities from harm
To provide staff, collaborators, and volunteers, as well as children, young people, and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

This policy applies to anyone working with or on behalf of The Japan Society, including the board of trustees, paid staff, interns, volunteers, sessional workers, and any other collaborators or participants in The Japan Society’s activities involving children and/or young people.

Policy Statement
Safeguarding at Events and Workshops
Safeguarding on the Japan in Your Classroom (JIYC) scheme
Safeguarding on Programmes and Activities for Under-18s
How to contact us

Policy Statement

We believe that:

We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe, and to practise in a way that protects.

We recognise that:

The welfare of children and young people is paramount in the work we do.
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, teachers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
All children and young people, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Some children and young people are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues.
Extra safeguards may be needed to keep children and young people who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

General principles

Legal Responsibility: Children or young people who take part in The Japan Society’s public outreach activities, including those which take place at schools, remain under the full legal responsibility of their parents, guardians, or teachers.
Risk Assessments: All activities run by The Japan Society aimed at children/young people will be risk-assessed, and volunteers or staff will be on hand to supervise or deliver assistance as necessary.
Photography and Media: Staff will seek parental or school consent before taking or sharing images of children or young people who take part in or are affiliated with The Japan Society’s activities. Those who opt out or withdraw consent can inform a member of staff at any time.
Online Safety: We are committed to ensuring children and young people are safe when engaging with us online or using digital devices provided by us during our activities.
Professionalism: All staff, workshop leaders, professional partners, and collaborators will display appropriate and professional behaviour at all times.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks: To ensure a safe environment for all participants, all core staff members involved in activities, workshops, or events where children and young people are participating or in the audience hold up-to-date DBS certificates in line with their specific roles. Program-specific eligibility for staff and volunteers (such as those on the JIYC scheme) is managed in accordance with official DBS guidelines.
Reporting Concerns: Any concerns about young people’s safety, welfare, or wellbeing will be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead: CEO, Dr Michael Rivera King (michael@japansociety.org.uk).
Whistleblowing and Allegations: Any safeguarding concerns or allegations regarding the conduct of staff, volunteers, or collaborators must be reported to the CEO. If an allegation concerns the CEO, it must be reported directly to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Code of Conduct

All staff and collaborators (paid or voluntary) act in a position of trust and authority and have a duty of care towards participating children and young people. Anyone working on behalf of The Japan Society must adhere to the following guidelines:

Professional Boundaries & Conduct: You must maintain professional boundaries with children and young people at all times, applying both during official activities and outside the organisation, including online and on personal social media platforms. You must not engage in external or online behaviour that brings The Japan Society into disrepute or compromises your position of trust. Furthermore, you are strictly prohibited from contacting or connecting with participating minors via personal social media accounts, personal phone numbers, or private messaging apps; all digital interactions must remain transparent and be conducted solely through official The Japan Society communication channels.
Role Modelling & Language: You are expected to behave professionally and model positive behaviour for children and young people at all times during activities. This means you must use appropriate language, maintain an encouraging and respectful tone, and strictly avoid discussing sensitive adult topics, consuming alcohol, or using tobacco/vaping products in the presence of minors.
Welfare & Safety: You are responsible for prioritising the welfare of the children and young people taking part. This includes providing a safe environment, ensuring equipment is used safely for its intended purpose, and taking immediate action or reporting any concerns when appropriate.
Inclusion, Diversity & Anti-Bullying: You will treat young people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination. This includes actively respecting and defending differences in gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability, and religious belief systems. You must actively challenge prejudice, never ignore discriminatory remarks or jokes, and immediately report any signs of bullying or peer-on-peer abuse among participants.

Safeguarding at Events and Workshops

Attendance, Consent, and Alcohol Guidelines

Children Under 16: Children under the age of 16 attending The Japan Society’s events, lectures, or workshops must be accompanied and supervised by a nominated parent, guardian, or responsible adult at all times. The Japan Society staff and volunteers cannot take legal or physical custody of children during open public events.

Young People Aged 16–17 (Alcohol-free Events Only): Young people aged 16 to 17 are permitted to attend regular daytime or evening events, lectures, or workshops unaccompanied only if alcohol is not being served at the event. To attend independently, they must supply valid emergency contact details and confirm they have parental or guardian permission during the booking process.

Events Serving Alcohol: For any evening receptions, networking events, or cultural gatherings where alcohol (such as wine or sake) is served, all minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. It is the absolute responsibility of the accompanying adult to ensure that the young person does not consume alcohol. The Japan Society staff and venue partners reserve the right to challenge individuals and request ID under the UK Challenge 25 policy

Venue Safety and Staffing

The Japan Society Office Events:
For events held at our own premises, staff will ensure that spaces are clear of hazards and that public event spaces are physically distinct or clearly separated from private staff offices. Where entry and exit points cannot be actively monitored by staff, appropriate signage will be used to guide visitors, and doors leading to private or restricted staff areas will remain locked or clearly marked as private to prevent unauthorized access by minors or the public.

External Venues: When hosting events or workshops at external venues (such as university lecture halls, galleries, or community spaces), The Japan Society will coordinate with the host venue’s security and health and safety teams. Clear signage or opening briefings will indicate fire exits, first aid points, and where to locate The Japan Society event staff.

Staff Identification: All The Japan Society staff, event stewards, and volunteers will make themselves known to participants, including parents and guardians where applicable, at the start of the event. Staff will generally be identifiable through their roles at the event, for example by managing registration, welcoming participants, or introducing and facilitating the session. Where appropriate, additional means of identification, such as lanyards or badges, may be used. Participants will be made aware of whom they can approach if they feel unsafe or unwell, or require assistance.

Special Procedures for Mixed-Age Workshops (Adults and Minors)

When hosting public workshops or cultural activities that include both adult participants (who are unvetted members of the public) and children under 18, the following environmental controls apply:

Supervision Boundaries: Wherever reasonably practicable, a minimum of two vetted The Japan Society staff members, workshop leaders, or volunteers should be present during mixed-age activities. If only one staff member or leader is available, environmental visibility is mandatory: the workshop room doors must remain physically propped open, or the activity must take place in an area fully visible to public corridors or passing staff.

Preventing Isolation: Staff, volunteers, and workshop leaders should avoid being left alone with a child or young person in a private or closed room. Wherever a 1-to-1 conversation or interaction is necessary, it must take place in an open room or area fully visible to public corridors or passing staff.

Physical Contact: Cultural workshops (such as calligraphy, origami, or tea ceremonies) should be structured to avoid physical contact. If physical guidance is required (e.g., demonstrating a specific hand grip or posture), the instructor must ask for the minor's explicit verbal permission first and ensure it is done in plain view of the entire room.

Contact Outside the Workshop: Staff, volunteers, and adult participants are strictly prohibited from exchanging personal contact details (such as private phone numbers, personal social media handles, or messaging apps) with minors during or after the workshop. Adult members of the public attending sessions are similarly advised not to exchange personal details with minors. Follow-up communications to all participants must go through official communication channels of The Japan Society, and no personal contact information of minors will be shared under any circumstances. However, if a young person aged 16–17 wishes to follow up with a workshop facilitator for educational or professional networking purposes, The Japan Society may facilitate this contact via the office’s official email, strictly limited to sharing the facilitator's professional, publicly available contact details and requiring the explicit consent of the 16–17 year old.

Participant Seating: Staff and workshop leaders are responsible for maintaining a layout where minors are seated within direct line of sight of staff, parents, or accompanying teachers, rather than isolated among unknown adults.

Safeguarding on the Japan in Your Classroom (JIYC) scheme

When participating in the Japan in Your Classroom (JIYC) scheme, schools and teachers remain fully responsible for the children and young people participating.

Standard or Enhanced DBS Checks are a requirement for individuals applying to work or volunteer with children or vulnerable adults in regulated activities. These checks cannot be applied for by individuals themselves and must be processed by the organisation they work or volunteer for. Under Disclosure and Barring Service guidelines, only volunteers who fulfil specific eligibility criteria qualify for these checks.

To be eligible for a DBS check, a volunteer must be undertaking unpaid work for the benefit of an unrelated third party, with no intent to gain anything in return. They must also be working in a regulated activity with children. Regulated activity in relation to children comprises:

Unsupervised activities: Teaching, training, instructing, caring for, or supervising children, providing advice/guidance on wellbeing, or driving a vehicle solely for children.
Specified places: Work within a limited range of establishments with opportunity for contact (e.g., schools, children's homes, childcare premises). This does not include work by supervised volunteers.
Frequency: Regular activities carried out by the same person once a week or more, or more than 4 days over a 40-day period.

Because The Japan Society’s Japan in Your Classroom visits are neither regular nor unsupervised, JIYC volunteers are not eligible for Standard or Enhanced DBS Checks. Schools are explicitly instructed to ensure a teacher or school staff member accompanies JIYC volunteers at all times during school visits. More information can be found via the UK statutory framework Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026.

Safeguarding on Programmes and Activities for Under-18s

This section outlines our specific safeguarding procedures and standards when delivering programmes, workshops, and activities involving young participants under the age of 18.

General measures:

DBS Checks: The Japan Society staff delivering the programme will undergo Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Supervision: All programme activities will be supervised by a member of staff or a trained, relevantly qualified professional.
Risk Mitigation: All activities will be comprehensively risk-assessed and overseen by carefully selected and trained instructors and mentors.
Under-18 Consent: We will seek consent from parents/guardians of those under 18 at the point of application. Applications from under-18s without this consent will not be accepted.
Media Consent: We will seek consent from participants and/or their parents/guardians for taking and sharing images in advance of the programme. If participants opt out of consent, they can inform staff at any time. Staff and collaborators will be made aware of participants who do not wish to have their image taken or shared.
Youth Support: A designated Youth Worker will look out for the general wellbeing of participants and will be available during the programme to discuss concerns or issues. This role requires an up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate.
Briefings: All staff, workshop leaders, professional partners, and collaborators will be briefed on who to report to regarding safeguarding, health and safety, incident handling, and first aid.
Contact Outside of Programmes: Staff, volunteers, and collaborators are strictly prohibited from contacting participating under-18s through personal social media, private phone numbers, or messaging apps. All follow-up communications must go through official Japan Society channels, and no personal contact details of minors will be shared under any circumstances. If a participant aged 16–19 requires professional or educational networking contact with a facilitator, this must be requested and managed strictly through the office’s official email.
Behaviour Contract: All participants will sign a behavioural code of conduct at the start of the programme, agreeing to our policies on inclusion, diversity, anti-bullying, respect, and appropriate behaviour.
Escalation: Any concerns about a young person's safety, welfare, or wellbeing must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (CEO, Michael Rivera King, michael@japansociety.org.uk).

How to contact us

Please contact our designated safeguarding lead (CEO, Michael Rivera King) if you have any questions about our Safeguarding Policy.
By email: michael@japansociety.org.uk
By post: The Japan Society, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QP

This Safeguarding Policy was last reviewed in September 2026.