Child Protection Policy
Public safeguarding standards for ASN Academy learning environments, events, digital services and partner-delivered activities involving children or young people.
1. Purpose and commitment
ASN Academy is committed to providing learning environments in which children and young people are treated with dignity, respect and appropriate care. Abuse, exploitation, neglect, grooming, sexual misconduct, harmful punishment and other unsafe conduct are not acceptable in ASN Academy activities.
2. Scope
This policy applies to ASN Academy staff, instructors, facilitators, volunteers, contractors, authors, partner representatives, institutional users and other persons acting within ASN Academy programmes where they may interact with children or access child-related information.
3. Expected conduct
Adults must maintain professional boundaries, use age-appropriate communication, avoid humiliating or discriminatory treatment, and use approved programme channels for learning interactions. One-to-one contact with children should be limited to legitimate programme needs and managed using appropriate visibility, supervision and safeguarding controls.
4. Digital safeguarding
Personal contact details, photographs, recordings, location information and learning records relating to children must be handled carefully and only for authorised purposes. Private messaging, recording, publication or sharing of child-related information must follow applicable consent, institutional and privacy requirements.
5. Reporting concerns
Any person who observes, receives or reasonably suspects a safeguarding concern should report it promptly through ASN Academy or the responsible programme/institution safeguarding channel. Immediate danger or suspected criminal conduct should be escalated to the appropriate competent authorities in accordance with applicable law and safeguarding procedures.
6. Response and confidentiality
Safeguarding concerns should be handled on a need-to-know basis, documented appropriately and referred to competent personnel. ASN Academy may restrict account or programme access while a serious concern is reviewed. Confidentiality does not prevent disclosure where reporting is required for safety or by law.
7. Partner responsibilities
Schools, universities, field-programme partners and sponsors remain responsible for their own safeguarding duties. Where programmes are delivered jointly, safeguarding roles should be clarified before implementation.
8. Review
This public policy may be updated as ASN Academy programmes, legal requirements and safeguarding practices develop. Programme-specific safeguarding protocols may impose additional requirements.