1. Policy statement
Bitsi is committed to building and maintaining a culture of safety in which all children are protected from harm, abuse, neglect, and radicalisation. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to respond promptly and appropriately to any concerns regarding a child's safety or wellbeing.
Bitsi's safeguarding and child protection procedures comply with all relevant Scottish legislation and guidance, including:
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland
- Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
- Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- All children attending Bitsi activities (ages 6 to 12+)
- The Bitsi owner/director
- Employees, volunteers, and any adults working on behalf of Bitsi
The policy applies during all Bitsi sessions, whether delivered as a lone-provider session or with additional staff or volunteers present.
3. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Bitsi has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who is available at all times while sessions are in progress.
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Jasmine Chand
BitsiScotland@gmail.com · 07590 453 803
The DSL is responsible for:
- Coordinating safeguarding and child protection arrangements
- Responding to safeguarding concerns or disclosures
- Liaising with external agencies, including Children and Families Social Work services and the relevant Local Authority Child Protection Team, where required
- Ensuring safeguarding records are kept securely and confidentially
4. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
- Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
- Protecting children from maltreatment, including abuse that occurs online or outside the home
- Preventing the impairment of children's mental and physical health or development
- Ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best possible outcomes
5. Recognising and responding to concerns
Bitsi staff and volunteers are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and understand that safeguarding concerns may arise in many ways.
If a child discloses information or a safeguarding concern is identified, the following steps will be taken:
- The child will be listened to calmly and taken seriously
- Staff will not ask leading questions or promise confidentiality
- The concern will be recorded as soon as possible, using the child's own words where appropriate
- The concern will be reported immediately to the DSL
Concerns about risk to a child will be reported without delay to social work, and if the risk is immediate, it will be reported to Police Scotland straight away.
6. Staffing and supervision
Jasmine Chand (DSL) will be present at all times during Bitsi sessions apart from unforeseen circumstances, in which case parents/guardians will be notified in advance.
Where sessions are delivered at St Mary's for All, a volunteer member of St Mary's for All will also be present throughout the session. If a volunteer is not present, a volunteer or member of staff will be contactable via phone call.
Bitsi recognises the importance of appropriate supervision and takes steps to ensure children are adequately supported and monitored at all times. Further details can be found in our Lone Working Policy.
7. Parental observation
Parents and carers are welcome to observe sessions. They may remain in the café within the Gathering Space for the duration of the session and are free to come and go at any time. When sessions take place in the Sycamore Room, parents can also remain in the Gathering Space and are free to come and go at any time.
This open approach supports transparency and reinforces Bitsi's commitment to safeguarding.
Children of primary school age are dropped off and collected by parents or carers.
Children attending high school may be released independently at the end of the session with parental consent.
If a child is not collected on time:
- The adult will wait with the child in an open area
- Parents/carers will be contacted using the details on record
- The child will never be taken to a private or closed space
8. Use of mobile phones and cameras
To protect children's privacy and wellbeing:
- Photographs or videos of children will only be taken with parental consent obtained via ClassForKids
- Only Jasmine Chand's device will be used to take photographs. These will be stored on a secure cloud storage solution.
- Photos or videos of children will only be shared via social media with parental consent obtained via ClassForKids
- Parents and guardians have the right to ask for the removal of any photograph at any time
- Photographs and videos of children will only be retained for as long as necessary for the purpose for which they were taken
- All identifiable images will be securely deleted from devices within 14 days, or sooner once they have been used, in line with data protection legislation
- Any exception must be approved by the DSL and discussed with parents/carers in advance
9. Use of laptops and online safety
All laptops used during Bitsi sessions are set up to promote safe and responsible use. This includes:
- Appropriate search filters and restrictions
- Supervised internet access
- Clear guidance to children on acceptable use
Children are reminded to use only the approved websites, platforms, and coding tools relevant to the session.
Children are issued with their own logins for Scratch. They may be issued with other logins for other platforms depending on the technology being used. Any logins are not shared beyond the child and their parent/guardian.
Children are reminded to alert the Designated Safeguarding Lead to any suspicions that their login has been compromised.
Children are asked to adhere to a code of conduct when working together online.
Inappropriate language is not acceptable and the child will be asked to log out of the platform they are using, and this will be discussed with their parent/guardian after the session. If the behaviour persists, they will be asked to leave Bitsi.
If children are found to be accessing inappropriate material online, they will be asked to stop and be reminded of the code of conduct. This will be discussed with their parent/guardian after the session. If the behaviour persists, they will be asked to leave Bitsi.
10. Record keeping and confidentiality
All safeguarding records will be:
- Accurate, factual, and dated
- Stored securely
- Shared only on a need-to-know basis
Information will be handled in line with data protection requirements, with the child's welfare as the primary concern.
ClassForKids is the primary means for recording and keeping records.
11. Scottish safeguarding context
Bitsi operates in Scotland and follows Scottish child protection frameworks. All safeguarding decisions are made in line with GIRFEC principles, ensuring that the child's wellbeing is central to all actions.
Where concerns meet the threshold for formal intervention, the DSL will follow local authority child protection procedures and liaise with Police Scotland or Children and Families Social Work as appropriate.
12. Review of the policy
This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if guidance or legislation changes.
Last reviewed: January 2026
Signed: Jasmine Chand
Role: Owner / Director and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Date: 6 January 2026