Parents and guardians
Safeguarding Policy
We are committed to the welfare of every child who takes part in a production, whether that is a member under 18 or any other child involved. Our Safeguarding Policy follows NODA and NSPCC guidance and was last reviewed in January 2026. Colin Hunt, our Company Secretary, is the designated Safeguarding Officer, and any parent, member or visitor can raise a concern with him in person, or through any committee member. Before every show involving children we carry out a risk assessment, hold emergency contact details at each rehearsal and performance, and provide chaperones. Parents are always welcome to stay and watch rehearsals.
- Who it is for
- Parents and guardiansWritten for the parents and guardians of anyone taking part who is under 18.
- What it is
- Policy
- Last updated
- 24 July 2026
How WMTC protects children, meaning members under 18 and any other child involved in a production. It names the designated Safeguarding Officer, sets out what the committee does at the start of every show involving children, what parents are responsible for, and the rules on unsupervised contact, physical contact, photographs and raising a concern. This is the document parents most need before letting a child take part.
What we commit to
- A named Safeguarding Officer, Colin Hunt, who anyone can contact directly
- A risk assessment before every production involving children, monitored throughout
- A list of every child, with an emergency contact, held at every rehearsal and performance
- Unsupervised contact avoided, and where unavoidable done in a public area or a room with the door open
- Photographs used only with parental permission, which can be withdrawn at any time, and never captioned with a child's age or school
- Concerns go to the Safeguarding Officer, or to the President if the concern is about him
- Enhanced child workforce DBS checks where the committee decides they are appropriate, even though they are not legally required of amateur companies
- Rehearsal and performance dates and finish times shared in advance so parents can plan collection
What parents do
Parents and guardians arrange their child's travel to and from rehearsals and the theatre. The company does not take children home.
You are always welcome to stay. Parents may wait in the rehearsal room, and rehearsal and performance dates and finish times are shared in advance so that collection can be planned.
Raising a concern
Ask for Colin Hunt, the Company Secretary, who is the designated Safeguarding Officer. He can be spoken to at any rehearsal or performance, and any committee member will put you in touch. If the concern is about the Safeguarding Officer himself, it goes to the President instead.
Where the policy comes from
The policy follows guidance from NODA, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, and from the NSPCC. It was last reviewed in January 2026 and is adopted under Rule 44 of the company's constitution.
DBS checks are not a legal requirement for an amateur company. Where the committee decides one is appropriate for somebody working with young members, it is always an enhanced child workforce disclosure.
About this version
We are not circulating the file at the moment. The signed copy on record turned out to hold two overlapping versions of the policy, both dated January 2026, which differ on small but important points. A single clean signed version is being prepared. This page is the reconciled text and it is the one to go by in the meantime.
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