For Children and Vulnerable Adults

Document No: OWL-Po04

Published: 1/11/2017

Revision No: 3.0

Revision Date: 24/09/2026

Approval Date: 1/11/2017

Owlypia’s Commitment

Owlypia is committed to the safety and well-being of all children and vulnerable adults in its care. This policy delineates our approach to ensure their welfare and to mitigate risks when they interact with our personnel, regardless of their role in the organization.

1. Objective

Prioritize the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
Offer reassurance to parents and guardians.
Act proactively to identify and address potential risks or inappropriate behaviour.
Respond swiftly and appropriately to any disclosures of maltreatment or abuse.
Foster an environment of vigilance against potential abusers.
Cultivate a secure environment for all participants.

2. Applicability

This policy pertains to all Owlypia board members, trustees, staff, and volunteers who engage directly with children and adults at risk in any capacity during Owlypia-related activities.

3. Terminology

3.1. General

Owlypia/Company/We/Our refers to Owlypia.
Board is synonymous with Executive Board.

3.2. Child Maltreatment

Physical abuse: Deliberate infliction of physical harm.
Emotional abuse: Prolonged emotional harm affecting emotional development.
Neglect: Failing to meet basic physical or emotional needs, leading to potential harm.
Sexual abuse: Coercing a child into sexual activities, both contact and non-contact.
Bullying: Repeated hurtful behaviour over time, including physical, verbal, emotional, and online forms.

3.3. Abuse of Vulnerable Adults

Emotional/Psychological abuse: Encompasses threats, deprivation, humiliation, and more.
Physical abuse: Physical harm or inappropriate sanctions.
Sexual abuse: Any non-consensual sexual act.
Financial abuse: Misuse or exploitation of an individual’s finances.
Discriminatory abuse: Harassment based on various personal attributes.

4. Definitions

Child: Anyone below 18 years of age.
Vulnerable Adult: An individual aged 18 or over who may need community care services due to various conditions and may be unable to care for or protect themselves.

5. Safeguarding Procedures

5.1. Proactive Measures

Awareness: Ensure that all involved parties are familiar with this policy.
Background Checks: Conduct DBS checks for all personnel.
Recruitment: Owlypia’s recruitment process considers ex-offenders judiciously, assessing risk factors.
Roles: The Director of Owlypia is the designated safeguarding lead, with all members responsible for their actions and accountable to report misconduct.

5.2. Addressing Concerns

Initial Response: The director will assess the situation, possibly consulting external agencies.
Immediate Threat: In cases of immediate danger, personnel should contact police first.
Internal Misconduct: Misdeeds by Owlypia members should be reported to external agencies promptly.
Agency Contacts: Provide vital contacts for emergency reporting.

5.3. Supervision and Event Management

Owlypia ensures that all participants under the age of 18 or any vulnerable adults are appropriately supervised during all events and activities held under the Owlypia name, including those hosted at partner venues such as universities, hotels or schools.

Supervision Ratios:

Ages 9–12: One responsible adult per eight children.
Ages 13–15: One responsible adult per ten children.
Ages 16–18: One responsible adult per fifteen children. These ratios apply during both daytime and nighttime hours. Additional adults will be designated for residential or overnight events to maintain active supervision and ensure participant safety.

Supervisors:

All supervising adults must have completed Owlypia safeguarding training.
A Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will be present or on call during all events.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that participants are never left unsupervised in event venues, accommodation, or transport areas.

Event Conduct and Venue Coordination:

Prior to any event, Owlypia will provide venue staff with contact details for the DSL and event manager.
A sign-in and sign-out procedure will be used for all participants.
Parents/guardians will provide written consent for participation and photography, and emergency contact information.
Owlypia will cooperate fully with the host venue’s safeguarding and security teams, following any additional supervision or reporting requirements they may stipulate.

Overnight and Residential Events:

When accommodation is provided, male and female participants will be housed separately.
Overnight supervision will include at least three responsible adults on the night shift patrolling the accommodation areas to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
No adult will share sleeping quarters with a child or young person.
For twin-room flats housing up to 32 people, a minimum of three responsible adults will be assigned per flat, distributed throughout the accommodation to maintain adequate supervision.

5.4. Online Learning and Digital Safety

Owlypia prioritizes the digital safety of all participants using our online platforms, including the Learning Management System (LMS). Child accounts operate with high-privacy settings by default. We strictly prohibit the use of logged-in child accounts for behavioural advertising or profiling. All online interactions are monitored to ensure a secure and respectful educational environment.

5.5. Photography, Video and Media Safeguarding

To protect the privacy and safety of participants, all media and content publication must adhere to the following safeguarding rules:

Data Minimisation: Public results and leaderboards will default to using the student’s first name, surname initial, and country.
Risk Categorisation: Publishing a student’s full name alongside their specific school, age, or location is considered high-risk and is prohibited without explicit, separate consent.
Media Consent: Identifiable promotional use of a participant under 18 requires explicit permission from a parent or legal guardian. General event atmosphere images (low-risk) are permitted provided they do not target individual students or compromise their dignity.

5.6. Data Protection Incidents

Owlypia maintains procedures to identify, assess and respond to personal data incidents involving children or vulnerable participants. In the event of unauthorized access, security incidents, or a personal data breach affecting student accounts, Owlypia will take immediate steps to secure the platform. Where required by applicable data protection laws, affected individuals, parents/guardians, and relevant authorities will be notified promptly.

6. Confidentiality

Owlypia upholds strict confidentiality in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.

7. Policy Enforcement

The Director ensures the enforcement of this policy’s provisions.

8. Compliance Statement

This safeguarding policy, including supervision arrangements, has been reviewed to meet the safeguarding standards of partner institutions and host venues. Owlypia is committed to ensuring that all participants are supervised safely and appropriately during events held on external premises.

Change Record

1/2/2023 | Owlypia Team | Data Protection Act year updated.
10/11/2025 | Owlypia Team | Added Section 5.3 on supervision and event management; added compliance statement.
24/09/2026 | Owlypia Team | Added Section 5.4 on online learning and digital safety, Section 5.5 on media safeguarding, and Section 5.6 on Data Protection Incidents.

Published by: Owlypia - The Intellectuals’ Challenge www.owlypia.org | info@owlypia.org

SAFEGUARDING POLICY