Safeguarding & Child Protection

Hikora is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people who take part in our activities, and to creating an environment where they feel safe, respected and able to enjoy learning.

We follow the principles of the UK government's statutory guidance, 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' and 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', and we expect every member of staff and volunteer to share this commitment.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Redwaan Maxamed, Hikora's co-founder. He holds responsibility for any safeguarding or child-protection concern, and is the first point of contact for staff, parents and children on any welfare issue. You can reach him at info@hikora.co.uk, and we confirm this in writing to parents at the point of booking.

If you have a concern about a child's safety, email info@hikora.co.uk with 'Safeguarding' in the subject line and it will reach the Designated Safeguarding Lead. We treat every concern seriously and in confidence.

Every adult who works directly with children at Hikora will hold an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before they work with children, and we will take up references before anyone works with our young people. Our computer science and robotics teachers are qualified and vetted. We confirm each person's DBS status in writing at the point of booking.

Staff and volunteers will receive a safeguarding induction appropriate to their role, and will be briefed on this policy before every programme.

Children will be supervised at all times during sessions. Every class will be staffed to a sensible adult-to-child ratio for the age group and activity, and we confirm the ratio for each programme to parents in advance.

We will manage sign-in and sign-out at the start and end of every session, and a child will only be released to a parent, guardian, or another adult agreed with us in advance.

Any concern about a child's welfare is reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay. The DSL decides on the appropriate action, which may include speaking with parents, or contacting the local authority children's social care team or the police.

Where a child is at immediate risk of harm, we will call the emergency services on 999. We keep a confidential written record of any concern and the action taken.

Concerns about the conduct of a member of staff or volunteer are referred to the DSL and, where appropriate, to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Because our classes involve computers and the internet, online safety is built into the way we have designed them. Activities will be supervised, internet access during sessions will be filtered and monitored, and we will teach children age-appropriate habits for staying safe online.

We only photograph or film children, or use their image in our marketing, with written permission from a parent or guardian. Photo preferences are recorded during enrolment and can be changed or withdrawn at any time. We never publish a child's full name alongside their image.

We expect kind, respectful behaviour from everyone who takes part. Bullying, discrimination and harassment of any kind are not tolerated, and every adult who works with a class will be briefed on how to respond if they occur.

We ask parents to tell us about any medical conditions, allergies or additional needs when booking, so we can support every child properly, and every session will have a first-aid-trained adult in the room.

Questions about this policy, or a safeguarding concern? Email info@hikora.co.uk (mark it 'Safeguarding') and we will respond promptly.