Our policies

The safety and wellbeing of every child comes first, at every session and on every site we use. Our safeguarding policies follow the Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures.

• Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are Hannah Hounsom and Maxine Talbot. At least one of them is at, or contactable during, every session.
• Safe adults: everyone who works with children has an enhanced DBS check, is safely recruited, is trained in safeguarding before they start, and has refresher training every year, including Prevent awareness.
• Clear boundaries: staff avoid being alone with a child, only contact families through Changing Leaf's own phone, email and social media, and never follow, friend or message children on personal accounts. Photos are only taken with your written consent, on the Changing Leaf device.
• If we are worried about a child, we listen, record it carefully and act quickly. Where a child may be at risk of harm, we refer to the Essex Children and Families Hub. If a child is in immediate danger, we call 999.
• Every age group: our approach is adapted for each group, with extra guidance for Stay and Play (ages 2 to 4), Home Education ages 5 to 11, and ages 12 to 16.
• At Stay and Play, parents and carers look after their own child throughout, including toileting and nappy changes. Staff never take sole care of a child, except in an emergency. Having a parent present never reduces our safeguarding duty.
• At Home Education sessions, we take a register, and children only go home with the adults named on their registration form. Home-educated children are safeguarded in exactly the same way as every other child.
• Toilets and personal care: at Home Education sessions, children use the host site's toilets in pairs or small groups, with a member of staff waiting outside. If a child has an accident or gets very wet, we deal with it calmly and privately, encourage them to change themselves using their own or our spare clothes, and tell you at collection. Only staff with an enhanced DBS check ever help, never volunteers. If your child needs regular help with personal care, we will agree a plan with you before they start. Young people aged 12 to 16 can go to the toilet whenever they need to, and we keep period products in our kit.
• Children harming other children: bullying, harassment and harmful behaviour between children are always taken seriously. We support every child involved, including the child who has caused harm.
• Radicalisation: we follow the Prevent duty as good practice, and treat any concern as a safeguarding matter, focused on support.
• Confidentiality: we keep your information private and secure, but we will always share information when we need to in order to keep a child safe.
• Concerns about an adult who works with children are reported to a DSL, who will refer them to the Essex Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within one working day. If the concern is about one of our DSLs, tell the other, or contact the LADO directly at lado@essex.gov.uk.
• Speaking up: our whistleblowing policy means anyone working with us can raise a concern without fear, including through the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line on 0800 028 0285.
• On host sites, such as church centres, we check the site before every session and make sure members of the public do not join in or have contact with the children.

Our safeguarding policies were last reviewed in October 2026. Email us if you would like a copy of any of them.

We have kept our terms short and fair. By booking a place, you agree to them, and we are always happy to talk if you have a question.

• Booking: places are booked and paid for through our online booking system, and your place is confirmed once payment is received. Groups are kept small, so if a session is full, we will offer you a place on the waiting list.
• Registration form: please complete this before your child's first session, including a taster. It covers emergency contacts, who can collect your child, medical and allergy information, and photo consent.
• Paying: Home Education is paid for as a whole block when you book. Stay and Play is paid per session, or as a block where we offer one. Parents and carers attend Stay and Play free.
• Prices: you pay the price shown when you book. We will always give at least one month's notice before prices change, and this never affects sessions you have already paid for.
• Tasters and offers: from time to time we offer free or reduced-price tasters, sibling discounts or introductory offers. Details are on our website and booking system, and each child can come to one taster.
• If you need to cancel: let us know at least 7 days before the session, or before the first session of a block, for a full refund. With less notice, we can't give a refund, but we will offer a place at another session if there is space.
• Missed sessions, for example because of illness or holidays, can't be refunded, as your child's place has been kept for them. Where there is space, we will try to offer another session. Please keep your child at home if they are unwell.
• If we need to cancel: we head out in most weathers, but we will cancel if it is unsafe, for example in high winds, thunderstorms or flooding, or because of staff illness. We will tell you as early as we can by text and email, and by 7.30am on the day at the latest, and you can choose a replacement session or a full refund.
• If we change a booked session, such as the venue, day or time, we will tell you in advance. If it doesn't work for you, you can cancel for a full refund of the sessions affected.
• Your rights: because our sessions are on set dates, the 14-day cancellation period for some online purchases doesn't apply. Our cancellation terms above apply instead. This doesn't affect your other legal rights.
• At the session: at Stay and Play, parents and carers stay with their child and are responsible for them throughout. At Home Education, children only go home with the adults named on their registration form. Please arrive on time and dress for the weather.

We believe children learn and grow through well-managed risk. Risk is managed, not removed: we weigh up the benefits of each activity for your child's confidence, independence and skills, and manage the risks carefully. If the risks ever outweigh the benefits, we adapt or stop the activity.

• Risk assessments: every site and activity has a written risk assessment, and children with additional or medical needs can have their own, agreed with you. We check the site before every session, for things like fallen branches, mud, water, litter and weather, and keep watching for new hazards throughout. You are welcome to see our risk assessments.
• Children learn to manage risk: we help children spot hazards and agree safety rules together, in ways that suit their age.
• Supervision: we set clear boundaries at the start of every session, take a register at the start and end, and do regular headcounts. At Stay and Play, parents and carers supervise their own child.
• If a child goes missing: we act straight away. One adult stays with the group while the others search the site. If the child is not found within 5 minutes, we call 999 and contact you. We will always tell you, even if your child is found quickly.
• Tools are introduced step by step. Stay and Play children use simple tools one-to-one with an adult, and older children build up skills as they grow. Every child is shown how to use each tool safely and works in their own safe space, with close supervision. Children must not bring their own knives or tools.
• Fire is only lit where the site owner allows it. Children sit outside a marked fire circle, walk, never run, near the fire, and ask before entering. An adult is with the fire at all times, and water, a fire blanket and a burns kit are always close by.
• First aid: Hannah and Maxine are both trained in Forest School and paediatric first aid, and at least one of them is at every session, with a full outdoor first aid kit.
• Accidents: we record every accident, however small, and tell you at the end of the session. If your child has a head or facial injury, we will phone you straight away and give you written advice on what to look out for.
• Medical needs: please tell us about allergies, conditions and medication before your child attends. We only give medication with your written consent, in its original packaging with the pharmacy label, and every dose is checked by a second adult and recorded. Inhalers and auto-injectors always stay with the group. At Stay and Play, parents and carers give their own child any medication.
• Illness: children who are unwell should stay at home. We follow UK Health Security Agency guidance, for example staying away for 48 hours after sickness or diarrhoea.
• Weather: there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes, so we head out in most weathers. We check the Met Office forecast the evening before and the morning of every session. We cancel for wind gusts over 30 mph, thunderstorms, temperatures over about 30°C or well below freezing, flooding, or any Met Office amber or red warning. In other weather, we may shorten the session, move away from trees, or use the hall at All Saints Church Centre. If thunder is heard during a session, everyone goes straight indoors. If we cancel, we will text and email you by 7.30am on the day at the latest, and post an update on Facebook and Instagram.
• Dressing for the weather: please send your child in the clothes on our What to Wear guide, with a named water bottle, plus a sun hat and sun cream in hot weather. We keep spare clothes, blankets and warm drinks in our kit, but a child who arrives without suitable clothing may not be able to stay, for their own safety.
• Emergencies: every site has an emergency plan and an assembly point, which we explain to children at the start of each session. Children learn a clear signal to stop and come back to the circle, and we practise it calmly. At every session we have a charged phone, first aid and burns kits, and every child's emergency contacts and medical information. In host buildings, we follow the host's own fire procedure.
• We are fully insured for forest school activities.

Our Health and Safety, First Aid, Lost or Missing Child, Risk Assessment, Risk-Benefit Assessment, Tools and Fire Safety, and Adverse Weather policies, and our Emergency and Evacuation Procedures, were last reviewed in October 2026. Email us if you would like a copy.

We understand that behaviour is a form of communication. Being outdoors brings lots of excitement and energy, so we work with children, not against them.

• Clear expectations: we agree simple safety rules together at the start of every session, and use calm, consistent routines and lots of praise.
• When behaviour is unsafe, we step in early, remind and redirect, help children calm down, and change or stop an activity if we need to.
• We never shame, shout at or physically punish a child. Physical intervention is only ever used to prevent immediate harm, and we will always tell you the same day.
• At Stay and Play, parents and carers guide their own child’s behaviour, with our support.
• Bullying is never accepted. We act quickly, support every child involved and work with families.
• Wellbeing: time in nature supports children’s mental health. If we are worried about a child’s wellbeing, we will talk to you, and any signs of self-harm are always treated as a safeguarding concern.
• Keeping sessions safe: no alcohol, smoking or vaping in our session areas, and children must not bring their own knives or tools. We provide everything they need.
• If a child’s behaviour regularly makes sessions unsafe, we will meet with you to agree a support plan together.

We believe every child has the right to enjoy and learn from nature, whatever their background, identity, needs or circumstances.

• Everyone is welcome: we respect every family’s structure, culture, beliefs, language and circumstances. We use clear, simple language, and can share information in other formats if that would help.
• Respecting individual needs: we respect religious and cultural practices, including dress, and dietary needs linked to religion, culture or health. Children take part in activities in the way they feel comfortable, without stereotyping, for example by gender.
• Celebrating difference: through stories, songs, festivals, conversations and the natural world itself, we help children learn to respect and value people who are different from themselves.
• Accessible sessions: we think carefully about access when we choose and set up sites, including paths, toilets and shelter. We make reasonable adjustments, adapt activities where needed, and talk honestly with families about anything that may be difficult.
• Affordable: we try to keep our prices fair and affordable, and from time to time offer sibling discounts and taster sessions. Families struggling with cost are welcome to talk to us in confidence.
• No discrimination: we never tolerate discrimination, harassment or prejudice, from anyone. Staff challenge it calmly and help children understand why it is hurtful. Adults who behave in a discriminatory way may be asked to leave the session.
• Tell us how we're doing: we welcome your feedback on how inclusive our sessions are. Have a word with Hannah or Maxine, or use our complaints process below.
• SEND support: Maxine is our SENCo. We will never refuse a place because a child has SEND. We talk with you before your child starts, and follow any plans or advice already in place, such as an EHCP or health care plan. If there is no plan, we create a simple one-page profile with you. We note what works well for your child and share it with you.
• Adapting Forest School: support might include visual timetables, a quiet space, sensory breaks, adapted tools or extra adult help.
• Please tell us about your child’s needs when you register, so we can plan together.

We help children enjoy nature fully, while keeping our impact as small as possible, so wildlife and habitats are protected for the future. Our sustainability promise has seven parts: care for the environment, leave no trace, reduce, reuse and recycle, protect wildlife, take only what we need, learn by doing, and lead by example.

• Leave no trace: everything we bring goes home with us, down to the tiniest craft scrap. Where it is safe, we pick up litter we find, and we aim to leave every site as we found it, or better.
• Respecting wildlife: we watch wildlife without disturbing it, put logs and stones back the right way up, and return any creature we study to exactly where we found it.
• Trees and plants: we never damage living trees or strip bark, and leave growing plants and flowers alone. We collect only what we need, from the ground where possible, and always leave plenty for nature.
• Using resources wisely: we reuse before buying new, choose second-hand or recycled materials, and avoid single-use plastic, including glitter.
• Fire: our firewood is sourced responsibly and burns cleanly, and every fire is fully put out and the area left as we found it.
• Host sites: we respect each site's own rules and wildlife features. At All Saints Church Centre, we care for the wildlife garden's bug hotel, bird boxes, hedgehog boxes, log piles and wildflower area.
• Travel: please walk, cycle or car share if you can.
• Learning: children learn to care for the environment through hands-on activities, and we talk about environmental issues in a gentle, hopeful way that suits their age.

Our sessions are about time in nature, away from screens, for children and adults alike.

• Your permission: when you register, we ask three separate questions. Can staff take photos of your child? Can we use them on our website and social media, without showing their face? Can group photos including your child be shared privately with other families? You can say yes to some and no to others, and change your mind at any time.
• Who takes photos: only Changing Leaf staff, on the Changing Leaf device, never on personal phones. Children without consent are kept out of every photo, and children can always say no.
• Never shown: children's faces are never shown, and children are never named or tagged, on our website or social media. We use photos of hands, activities, nature, or children from behind. We never photograph children while changing, upset or injured.
• Children who must not be photographed: if your child must never have their image shared, for example because they are fostered or adopted, please tell us in confidence on the registration form. They will never be photographed, even in the background.
• Sharing with you: after a session, we send you a few photos of your own child. You'll only receive group photos if every child in them has consent.
• Parents, carers and visitors are asked to put their phones away for the whole session and not to take any photos or videos, so every child's image is kept safe. If you need to take an urgent call, please move away from the group. Please never post photos of other children online.
• Young people aged 12 to 16 may bring a phone for travelling, but hand it in at the start of the session and get it back at the end. If you need to reach your child, call a Forest School Lead. Children aged 2 to 11 don't need a phone or device at sessions.
• Online worries: if a child tells us about something that has happened online, such as bullying or contact from a stranger, we treat it as a safeguarding concern and act straight away.
• Storage: photos are kept in secure, password-protected storage, never sold or given to anyone else, and deleted no later than two years after a child last attends.

We want every family to have a great experience, and we welcome feedback. If something isn't right, please tell us, so we can put it right and learn from it.

Worried about a child's safety? Don't wait for the complaints process. Speak to Hannah or Maxine straight away, or see the "Worried about a child?" box at the top of this page.

• Step 1, talk to us: most worries can be sorted out quickly. Have a word with Hannah or Maxine at the end of a session, or email hello@changingleaf.co.uk.
• Step 2, put it in writing: if you are still unhappy, email us explaining what happened and what you would like us to do. We will reply within 5 working days.
• Step 3, meet with us: if it is still not resolved, Hannah and Maxine will offer to meet you within 10 working days, in person or by phone or video call, and you are welcome to bring someone with you. We will write to you within 5 working days afterwards to confirm what we agreed.
• School holidays: we will still reply within 5 working days, but a meeting may wait until the start of term, unless it is urgent.
• Our promise: we will listen, keep it confidential, keep you informed and apologise if we have got something wrong. You or your child will never be treated differently for raising a concern.
• If your concern is about the venue, we will pass it on to the host site, with your permission. Concerns about your personal information can also go to the Information Commissioner's Office.

• We only collect the information we need to run our sessions and keep your child safe, and we never sell it.
• Health, SEND and safeguarding information is treated with extra care, and safeguarding records can only be seen by Hannah and Maxine.
• Records are kept on password-protected accounts or in a locked cabinet. At sessions, registers and medical information stay with a member of staff at all times.
• We only keep information for as long as we need to, then delete or securely shred it.
• You can ask to see, correct or delete your information by emailing hello@changingleaf.co.uk. We will reply within one month.
• We will always share information if we need to in order to keep a child safe.

Read our full privacy and cookies policy.