Policy

Safeguarding

CraftGate's commitment to the safeguarding of young people

Our commitment

CraftGate is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all young people who use our platform and participate in heritage craft placements. We recognise that the welfare of young people is paramount and that all young people, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from harm.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

How concerns are reported

If you have a safeguarding concern about a young person on a CraftGate placement, you should:

• •Contact the CraftGate Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately (details above)
• •If a young person is in immediate danger, call 999
• •You can also report concerns to your local authority children’s services

All concerns will be taken seriously, recorded, and acted upon in accordance with local safeguarding procedures.

Host DBS requirements

All host organisations must meet the following requirements before any placement can begin:

• •Named supervisor with a valid enhanced DBS check (issued within the last 3 years)
• •Employers’ liability insurance (minimum £5m cover)
• •Public liability insurance (minimum £2m cover)
• •Young worker risk assessment in place for any under-18 placement, re-confirmed annually

CraftGate verifies these requirements during the host onboarding process. Hosts are required to confirm compliance annually.

Working time regulations for young workers (16–17)

Placements involving 16–17 year olds comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998 as they apply to young workers:

• •Maximum 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week
• •A 30-minute rest break if working more than 4.5 hours
• •12 consecutive hours’ rest between working days
• •Two days’ rest per week
• •No night work (between 10pm and 6am, or 11pm and 7am)

These limits are displayed on placement listings and communicated to host organisations.

Parental consent

Every under-18 student who registers with CraftGate triggers an automatic email to the parent or guardian they name at registration, inviting them to confirm consent. Until that consent is confirmed, the young person cannot submit a placement application.

The consent process covers:

• •Permission for the young person to participate in CraftGate learning and placements
• •Emergency contact details
• •Any relevant medical information or additional support needs
• •Confirmation that the parent or guardian has reviewed the placement details and host information before a placement begins

Mid-placement disclosure window

Every placement has a mid-placement check-in, scheduled in weeks 3 and 4, in which the student speaks with CraftGate alone - and the host speaks with CraftGate alone. These calls are a structured disclosure opportunity: a private, scheduled time for either party to raise concerns that would not be surfaced in front of the other. Any concern raised is passed immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Post-placement safeguarding

Safeguarding duty does not end when a placement does. For 24 months after placement completion, every CraftGate alumnus has a named contact at CraftGate, a quarterly check-in, and a route back to us if something goes wrong in their early career. Concerns disclosed through that route are routed to the Designated Safeguarding Lead on the same basis as concerns raised during an active placement.