CANTAMUS REIGATE SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Cantamus Reigate

Cantamus Reigate is a group of amateur choral singers managed by its founder and music director Nicholas Landauer. It has no legal or permanent status and participants are not required to ‘join’ the group. Each performance operates as a separate entity. There are no employed or voluntary staff or officers. Those individuals who have expressed a wish to participate in concerts are listed on a database held privately by Nicholas Landauer and accessible only to him and his wife Lynfa Landauer. Singers are invited to participate in rehearsals and the ensuing performance on an ad hoc basis. Professional singers and instrumentalists may also be engaged. Most participants are independent adults but young people sometimes perform as choir members, soloists or accompanying instrumentalists.

Legal Context

The law requires any organisation involving children, young people or vulnerable adults to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to vulnerable adults’ and children’s welfare are minimised, and where there are concerns, to share them with other local agencies.

The main laws and guidance supporting this policy are:
The Children’s Act 1989 and 2004;  The Human Rights Act 1998;  The Protection of Children Act 1999;  The Sexual Offences (Amendments) Act 2006; The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1991;  Government guidance on safeguarding children;  Caring for the Young and Vulnerable 2000;  The Care Act 2014;  The Charity Commission’s ‘Strategy for Dealing with Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Issues in Charities’.

It is not the role of Cantamus Reigate to decide whether a child, young person or vulnerable adult has been abused or not.  This is the role of the Social Services department which has the legal responsibility, the NSPCC who have powers to investigate child protection concerns under the Children Act, or the Police.

Definition of children and vulnerable adults

In this context anyone up to the age of 19 is classified as a child. Anyone over 18 years of age who is or who may be unable to take care of themselves or be unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation, is classified as a vulnerable adult.

Purpose of the Safeguarding Policy

Cantamus Reigate recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children and vulnerable adults with whom it comes into contact, and believes that everyone has the right to enjoy the activities of the choir in a happy, safe and secure environment.

Cantamus Reigate is committed to ensuring that all children, young people and vulnerable adults have the same protection regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity.  

This Safeguarding Policy applies to all those who participate in Cantamus Reigate rehearsals and concerts.

 Cantamus Reigate has developed this policy to provide:

  • protection for children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom it has contact
  • guidance to ensure that the risks of harm to children, young people and vulnerable adults are minimised
  • guidance for responding to a child or vulnerable adult making an allegation of abuse
  • guidance on procedures that should be adopted in the event that any adult suspects a child, young person or vulnerable adult may be experiencing, or be at risk of experiencing harm.

Implementation of the Safeguarding Policy

Publication:  This policy is published on the Cantamus Reigate website and will be drawn to the attention of participants at the beginning of rehearsals for each performance. A hard copy will also be provided on request.

Children or vulnerable adults participating in concerts:  The designated person for safeguarding will liaise with participating children or vulnerable adults at rehearsals and concerts and will supervise their welfare. If the designated person is absent, the deputy will undertake to do this.

Audiences:  It is the responsibility of the parent, guardian or carer to ensure that their child/vulnerable adult is supervised at all times, if not by themselves then by a responsible adult acting on their behalf.


Photography:  Photography is undertaken from time to time at concerts and rehearsals and may be used for publicity in printed material or on the choir website. Any photograph including a child will only be published with the parent’s (and child’s) consent

Designated Persons:

Lynfa Landauer has been nominated as the Designated Person in respect of Safeguarding.  

She is DBS checked, has undertaken appropriate training and will be identified to children and vulnerable adults as the principal person they should turn to if they have any concerns or queries.

Jenni Lee-Potter has been nominated as the Deputy Designated Person.  She is also DBS checked and has undertaken appropriate training.

Contact details for both nominees are at the foot of this document.

Responding to a complaint or disclosure from a child or vulnerable adult

  • Listen carefully.
  • Reassure the child or person involved that this matter will be disclosed only to those who need to know about it and that they are doing the right thing in telling you.
  • Avoid leading questions or closed questions.
  • Write down what has been said, with date and time and any names mentioned.
  • Tell the child/person what you are going to do next (in the first instance, report the matter to the Designated Person for safeguarding)

Reporting a Concern:   Any concerns regarding the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult participating in or attending a Cantamus Reigate event must immediately be reported to the Designated Person or Deputy (or in their absence to Nicholas Landauer).

In the event of a concern being reported, the Designated Person will:

  • Obtain and record information from the person expressing the concern
  • Assess the information quickly and carefully and ask for further clarification as appropriate
  • Seek medical attention if necessary and or make a referral to a statutory child protection agency or the police without delay depending on the particular circumstances
  • If in any doubt as to what to do, seek advice from Social Services
  • Maintain confidentiality as far as possible subject to the principle of the welfare of the child/vulnerable adult being paramount which means that information will be shared only when necessary for example with social services.
  • A permanent confidential record will be kept of the report by the Designated Person.


Designated Person for Safeguarding:  

Lynfa Landauer (07720 547473) or [email protected]

Deputy Designated Person for Safeguarding:

Jenni Lee Potter (020 8393 9276) or [email protected]

Additional contact:

Nicholas Landauer (07730 400373) or [email protected]

Published: February 2020. Last reviewed: August 2023. To be reviewed annually.