Effective Date: May 5, 2026
Issued by: Kalinklo Limited (Hong Kong SAR), operating as The Global Conservatory ("TGC", "we", "us", "our").
1. Our Commitment
The Global Conservatory teaches students of all ages, including minors. The safeguarding of children — defined as anyone under the age of 18 — is a paramount priority. This Child Safeguarding Policy sets out our minimum standards for protecting young students from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harm in the context of music education delivered live online.
2. Scope
This Policy applies to:
- All TGC faculty members, staff, contractors, and volunteers
- All teaching environments (live online lessons, masterclasses, ensembles, recitals)
- All communication channels between faculty and minor students (Zoom, email, messaging, parental consent forms)
- All TGC-affiliated third-party programmes and partner schools
3. Faculty Standards & Onboarding
Every TGC faculty member, before teaching minor students, agrees to:
- Background verification: Where lawful in their jurisdiction, faculty members provide criminal background checks; references are verified.
- Faculty Engagement Letter: Includes child-protection clauses, mandated-reporter obligations (where applicable), and consequences for breach.
- Mandatory training: All faculty teaching minor students complete TGC's Child Safeguarding Online module before their first lesson with a student under 18.
- Code of Conduct: Faculty agree to a written code covering communication standards, recording boundaries, and physical-presence-on-camera norms.
4. Two-Adult Standard
For students under 13:
- A parent, guardian, or another responsible adult must be physically present in the room or in immediate vicinity during the lesson, OR
- Lessons are recorded and shared with the parent/guardian, OR
- A second adult (parent on Zoom from another room, or a TGC observer for ensemble settings) is on the call.
For students aged 13–17, a parent/guardian provides advance written consent and may join any lesson at any time.
5. Recording, Photography & Imagery
No lesson with a minor student is recorded, photographed, or screenshot-captured without explicit written parental consent (refreshed annually). Recordings are stored on encrypted services and access is restricted to the student, parent/guardian, and the assigned faculty member. See our Recording & Consent Policy for details.
6. Communication Standards
Faculty-to-student communication outside scheduled lessons is permitted only:
- Through TGC's official messaging channels (CC'd to parent/guardian when student is under 18),
- For lesson logistics (scheduling, lesson notes, repertoire) — never personal,
- Never via personal phone, personal social media, or off-platform messaging apps.
Faculty are prohibited from initiating private contact with a minor student outside the TGC platform.
7. Reporting Concerns
If you have a concern about a child's safety on our platform — whether involving a faculty member, another student, or a third-party service — please contact us immediately:
- Email: safeguarding@theglobalconservatory.com
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Currently being formally appointed; the named DSL and direct contact will be published on this page upon appointment.
All reports are reviewed within 48 hours. Where a serious concern is raised, TGC will:
- Suspend the implicated faculty member's access to the platform and their student bookings, pending investigation,
- Cooperate with local law enforcement and child-protection authorities as required,
- Notify the parent/guardian directly, and
- Document the report and outcome in accordance with TGC's incident-management procedure.
8. Mandatory Reporting
Where TGC operates with faculty or students in jurisdictions with mandatory child-abuse reporting laws (e.g., the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada), TGC and its faculty comply with those laws. Reasonable suspicion of abuse, neglect, or exploitation is reported to the appropriate authority promptly.
9. Parental Rights
Parents and guardians of minor students have the right to:
- Review their child's lesson notes, repertoire, and assigned faculty profile at any time
- Withdraw consent for any specific faculty assignment with no penalty
- Request a different faculty member at any time
- Be present in any lesson
- Receive copies of all faculty-student communications relating to their child
- Review and request deletion of any recording, photograph, or written material involving their child
10. Partner Schools
TGC's institutional partner schools (current and prospective) must demonstrate equivalent or stronger child-safeguarding policies before any student-facing partnership commences. Partner-school child-safeguarding agreements are required for all institutional engagements.
11. Updates to This Policy
This Policy is reviewed annually and updated as required by changing best practice or applicable law.
12. Contact
For questions about this Policy, or to report a concern: safeguarding@theglobalconservatory.com