Risk Assessment and Child Protection guidance
We have risk assessments for school visits to the Museum and for workshops. Museum guidance on children and young people, and the NHC child protection policy are also available.
Booked Workshop Holiday Activities
The Museum runs workshops for various age groups. In all cases, children under the age of 8 cannot be left unaccompanied in the Museum.
Workshops for unaccompanied children over 8 years old will last for no longer than two hours.
The adult/child ratios we advise are:
- Under 5 years – 1:3
- 10 – 13 years – 1:10
- 5 – 9 years – 1:6
- 14 – 18 years – 1:15
We make sure that there will always be two adults in the building and no that adult will ever be alone with a child.
For an organised workshop, we will always ask for:
- the name of the child
- an emergency telephone number
- an special needs (e.g. medical, food allergies)
- permission for photographs to be taken
Drop-in Holiday Activities
We always make it clear to parents that children can not be left on their own for drop-in activities if they are under 8 years old.
We make sure that there will always be two adults in the building and that no adult will ever be alone with a child.
School Visits
The teacher in charge is responsible for bringing enough adults to supervise children during a museum visit; the teacher also has to carry out their own risk assessment of the site and activities involved. The museums has its own risk assessments for sites and workshops, which must be checked against school reports.
The booking form sets out agreed arrangements for the visit and includes a section asking for permission for photographs to be taken. The teacher in charge must sign the form and and return it to a Museum Support Officer.
Toilets
For museum-run activities, children should go to the toilets in pairs.
The teacher is responsible for toilet arrangements during school visits.
Photography/videoing
Booked museum workshops
We ask for parental or guardian consent if we intend to use photographs in museum publicity, on our website or stored in public archives. The booking form asks for the parent/guardian who signs the form to give permission for us to use photographs of their childrem.
Drop-in Museum Workshops
During activities in the museum, we always display signs at the entrance and where the activity is taking place explaining to visitors that photographs may be taken during the activity for use in museum publicity, website or archives.
School Visits
We ask for the teacher in charge to give permission for use of photography on the booking form.
Volunteers
All new volunteers are given a copy of our Volunteer Policy. Those who work with children need to be DBS checked or minimum signed a disclosure form. We will always make volunteers familiar with our child protection policies.