Our Commitment

Gospel Touch Community Choir (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone. We believe that music has the power to unite, heal, and inspire, and this can only happen when all participants—especially vulnerable adults—are kept safe from harm.

Please note: Participation in the Gospel Touch Community Choir is exclusively for adults aged 18 and over.

The welfare of our choir members is our paramount consideration. This policy applies to all choir leaders, local hub hosts, volunteers, staff, and members associated with Gospel Touch Community Choir globally.

Purpose of this Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Protect vulnerable adults who participate in our rehearsals, events, and online sessions.

• Provide all staff, volunteers, and hub hosts with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.

• Ensure that there is a clear procedure in place for reporting and handling any safeguarding concerns.

Key Principles

• Zero Tolerance: We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse, harassment, or neglect.

• Equal Protection: All individuals, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

• Shared Responsibility: Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All members, hosts, and leaders must be alert to the signs of abuse and know how to report concerns.

Code of Conduct for Leaders and Hosts

To ensure a safe environment, all Gospel Touch Hub Hosts, choir leaders, and staff are expected to:

• Treat all members with respect and dignity.

• Avoid unobserved, one-to-one contact with a vulnerable adult.

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries in all communications, including online and social media interactions.

• Ensure that any physical contact (e.g., guiding someone on stage) is appropriate, public, and done with consent.

Safer Recruitment and Training

• Vetting: All core choir leaders and local hub hosts who have direct, unsupervised responsibility for vulnerable adults will be required to undergo appropriate background checks (such as a DBS check in the UK or local equivalent globally).

• Training: We provide our hosts with the necessary guidelines, training, and support to ensure they understand our safeguarding procedures before they begin running a local hub.

Online Safety

For our online rehearsals and virtual sessions:

• Links to online sessions will only be shared with registered members.

• Private messaging between leaders and vulnerable adults during online sessions is strictly prohibited.

Reporting a Concern

If any member or volunteer has a concern about the welfare of a vulnerable adult, or if they witness inappropriate behavior, they must report it immediately to our central safeguarding team using the contact details at the bottom of this policy.

In the event of an immediate emergency where a vulnerable adult is in danger, please contact the local police or emergency services immediately.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing

All safeguarding concerns will be handled sensitively and confidentially. Information will only be shared on a “need-to-know” basis with the appropriate statutory authorities (such as social services or the police) to protect the individual at risk.

Policy Review

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice guidelines annually to ensure they remain effective and compliant with current legal frameworks.

Contact Us

For reporting a concern or for general inquiries regarding this policy, please contact us at:

Email: email@community.gtchoir.com

Phone: +447956 005371