Safeguarding
Keeping our singers safe.
Our commitment
The safety and wellbeing of every young person in Forres Youth Choir is our absolute priority. Nothing comes before it.
We are committed to creating an environment where children and young people feel safe, respected, and valued. Every singer deserves to enjoy their time with us free from harm, and every parent or guardian deserves to know their child is in good hands.
All adults involved in the running of the choir — directors, volunteers, and any visiting tutors — are expected to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and to act in the best interests of our young singers at all times.
Safeguarding leads
Our named safeguarding leads are the first point of contact for any safeguarding concern.
Shaun Brown
Safeguarding Lead (Interim)
Co-Director, Forres Youth Choir
Adam Csenki
Safeguarding Lead (Interim)
Co-Director, Forres Youth Choir
These are interim appointments. Once the choir achieves SCIO status and appoints trustees, a dedicated safeguarding trustee will be appointed.
How to report a concern
If you have a safeguarding concern about a young person involved with Forres Youth Choir, please take it seriously and act on it. You can:
- Speak directly to one of our safeguarding leads (Shaun or Adam) at any rehearsal or performance
- Email us at hello@forresyouthchoir.co.uk — mark your email “Safeguarding” in the subject line
- Contact Moray Council’s Social Work team directly if you believe a child is at immediate risk
- Call the police on 999 in an emergency, or 101 for non-emergencies
You do not need to be certain that something is wrong to raise a concern. If something doesn’t feel right, please tell us. We would always rather hear about a concern and find there’s nothing to worry about than miss something important.
PVG scheme & background checks
Both directors are members of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Scheme, managed by Disclosure Scotland. Any volunteers or adults who have regular unsupervised contact with our singers will also be required to join the PVG Scheme before they begin working with the choir.
Our safeguarding policy
We are currently developing a comprehensive safeguarding policy with reference to best-practice guidance from:
- NSPCC — the UK’s leading child protection charity
- OneVoice Scotland — the network for youth choirs in Scotland
Once finalised, the full safeguarding policy document will be made available here for download.
Full Safeguarding Policy
Document in development. A link to the full policy PDF will be available here once complete.