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Keeping People Safe

Safety, Safeguarding & Risk

Our safeguarding policy, participant wellbeing and safety policy, incident reporting procedure and workshop risk assessment.

On this page

Safeguarding Policy

Purpose

Mood Moved is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for all participants attending our workshops and events.

Our workshops use movement, creativity, drama, martial arts-inspired practices and facilitated group experiences to support wellbeing, confidence, self-expression and personal growth. We recognise that participants may share personal experiences or emotions during workshops and therefore take safeguarding seriously.

This policy outlines our commitment to protecting participants from harm and ensuring appropriate action is taken if safeguarding concerns arise.

Scope

This policy applies to:

  • Workshop participants
  • Facilitators
  • Visitors attending Mood Moved activities

Our Commitment

Mood Moved is committed to:

  • Creating a safe and respectful environment
  • Treating all participants with dignity and respect
  • Promoting inclusion and equality
  • Taking safeguarding concerns seriously
  • Responding appropriately to disclosures of harm
  • Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
  • Following relevant UK safeguarding guidance

Safeguarding Principles

Mood Moved believes everyone has the right to:

  • Feel safe
  • Be treated with respect
  • Have their wellbeing prioritised
  • Participate free from discrimination, harassment or abuse
  • Choose their level of participation

Participants are always free to:

  • Take breaks
  • Opt out of activities
  • Leave activities if needed
  • Decline sharing personal information

Trauma-Informed Practice

Our workshops are designed to be trauma informed.

Facilitators aim to:

  • Provide choice wherever possible
  • Avoid coercion or pressure
  • Respect personal boundaries
  • Encourage self-regulation
  • Promote emotional safety
  • Recognise signs of distress

Participants are not required to disclose personal experiences, trauma histories or sensitive information.

Safeguarding Concerns

A safeguarding concern may include:

  • Abuse or neglect
  • Self-harm concerns
  • Serious risk of harm to self or others
  • Domestic abuse
  • Sexual exploitation
  • Concerns regarding vulnerable adults
  • Concerns regarding children

Any safeguarding concern raised during a workshop will be taken seriously.

Participant Wellbeing & Safety Policy

Purpose

Mood Moved is committed to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all participants.

Our workshops combine movement, drama, creative expression and reflective practices. While these activities can be beneficial, participants may occasionally experience emotional discomfort or fatigue. This policy outlines how we support participant wellbeing.

Participant Responsibilities

Participants are responsible for:

  • Taking part at a level that feels safe and comfortable
  • Informing facilitators of any relevant physical injuries or health concerns
  • Respecting the boundaries of other participants
  • Seeking professional support where appropriate

Facilitator Responsibilities

Facilitators will:

  • Provide a supportive and non-judgemental environment
  • Encourage participants to work within their own limits
  • Offer alternatives where appropriate
  • Respect confidentiality and personal boundaries
  • Respond appropriately to signs of distress

Choice and Autonomy

Participants may:

  • Sit out activities
  • Take breaks
  • Leave activities temporarily
  • Decline invitations to share

Participation is always voluntary.

Emotional Wellbeing

Mood Moved workshops are educational and wellbeing focused.

They do not replace:

  • Psychotherapy
  • Counselling
  • Psychiatric treatment
  • Crisis intervention services

Participants experiencing significant distress are encouraged to seek appropriate professional support.

Physical Safety

  • Participants should wear suitable clothing and notify facilitators of injuries or medical conditions that may affect participation.
  • All movement activities can be modified to suit individual needs.
  • Any safeguarding concern raised during a workshop will be taken seriously.

Emergency & Incident Reporting Procedure

Purpose

Mood Moved aims to respond promptly and effectively to any accident, incident or safeguarding concern.

Emergency Situations

In the event of:

  • Serious injury
  • Medical emergency
  • Fire
  • Immediate safeguarding risk

Facilitators will:

  • Stop the activity.
  • Assess immediate safety.
  • Contact emergency services (999) if required.
  • Follow venue emergency procedures.
  • Record the incident.

Incident Reporting

The following should be recorded:

  • Date and time
  • Names of those involved
  • Description of incident
  • Action taken
  • Witnesses
  • Follow-up actions required

Near Misses

Events that could have caused harm should also be recorded to support learning and risk reduction.

Confidentiality of Incident Reports

Incident reports will be stored securely and only shared where necessary.

Reviewing Incidents

Significant incidents should be reviewed to identify improvements for future workshops.

Mood Moved Risk Assessment

Workshop Title: Mood Moved – Dance, Drama, Art, Martial Arts & Wellbeing workshops

Facilitators

  • Jade Taussig: All workshops
  • Ran Dang: Art based workshops
  • Arianna Jennings: Martial arts, Drama & Dance based workshops
  • Cara Mahoney: Drama & Dance based workshops
  • Syreeta Rose: Dance based workshops
  • Karema Fahkara: Yoga, Breathwork & Dance based workshops

Duration: 2 hours

Participants: Adults

Location: Studio

1. Physical Injury (Slips, Strains, Falls)

Risk Level: Medium

Control Measures:

  • Pre-session space and floor check
  • Suitable footwear and clothing advised
  • Low-impact, adaptable movement options
  • Emphasis on personal limits and rest

Residual Risk: Low

2. Emotional Distress / Psychological Activation

Risk Level: Medium–High

Control Measures:

  • Trauma-informed facilitation
  • Clear consent, boundaries, and choice
  • Grounding and regulation techniques
  • Optional participation and verbal sharing
  • Signposting to support services

Residual Risk: Low–Medium

3. Safeguarding (Vulnerable Adults)

Risk Level: Medium

Control Measures:

  • Facilitator holds current DBS
  • Clear safeguarding boundaries
  • Referral pathways in place
  • No physical contact without consent

Residual Risk: Low

4. Accessibility & Inclusion

Risk Level: Medium

Control Measures:

  • Adaptable seated or standing movement
  • Inclusive language and approach
  • Sensory-aware facilitation
  • Encouragement to share access needs

Residual Risk: Low

5. Environmental Risks

Risk Level: Low–Medium

Control Measures:

  • Adequate space and ventilation
  • Breaks and hydration encouraged
  • Temperature monitored

Residual Risk: Low

6. Medical Emergencies

Risk Level: Low

Control Measures:

  • Pre-session health considerations shared
  • Emphasis on hydration and rest
  • Emergency procedures known

Residual Risk: Low

Overall Risk Rating

Low–Medium

Conclusion: With controls in place, the Mood Moved workshop is suitable for NHS, education, community, and corporate wellbeing settings.

Provisions Applying to All of the Above

The following provisions appear word for word in both the Safeguarding Policy and the Participant Wellbeing & Safety Policy, and apply to everything on this page.

Responding to a Disclosure

If a participant discloses a safeguarding concern, facilitators will:

  • Listen calmly and respectfully.
  • Avoid making promises of confidentiality.
  • Record relevant information accurately.
  • Assess immediate risk.
  • Seek appropriate support or referral where necessary.
  • Contact emergency services if there is an immediate risk of serious harm.

Confidentiality

Mood Moved respects participant confidentiality.

However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where:

  • A participant is at risk of serious harm.
  • Another person is at risk of serious harm.
  • A child may be at risk.
  • A vulnerable adult may be at risk.
  • Disclosure is required by law.

Where possible, participants will be informed before information is shared.

Professional Boundaries

Facilitators will:

  • Maintain professional boundaries at all times.
  • Avoid dual relationships where possible.
  • Not exploit participants emotionally, financially or sexually.
  • Not engage in inappropriate contact with participants.

Physical Contact

Some workshop activities may involve movement-based exercises.

Physical contact will:

  • Never be required.
  • Only occur with clear consent.
  • Be appropriate to the activity.
  • Be avoided if a participant is uncomfortable.

Participants may decline physical contact at any time.

Reporting Concerns

Any safeguarding concern should be reported as soon as possible to the designated safeguarding lead.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Emergency Situations

If a participant is believed to be at immediate risk of serious harm:

  • Call 999 immediately.
  • Ensure the safety of all participants.
  • Record actions taken.

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislation, organisational activities or safeguarding guidance changes.

  • Policy Version: 1.0
  • Review Date: 11/01/2027
  • Approved By: Jade Taussig (Mood Moved, part of Integrated Wellness)