Community and moderation

Our community is where you share ideas, ask questions and support each other. This policy explains the rules, how we keep the community safe for everyone, including members aged 16 and 17, and what to do if something goes wrong. Jackie and Jess

Who it covers

Everyone using our forums, groups, comments, profiles and messages, on the website and in the app.

Our rules

• Treat everyone with respect. No hate speech, discrimination, bullying, harassment or threats (see Equality, diversity and inclusion).
• Keep posts relevant to dance and to the group. No spam or advertising without our approval.
• Don't share personal information, your own or anyone else's, such as addresses or phone numbers.
• Photos or videos of anyone under 18 can be posted only inside groups (any of our groups), and only with written consent from a parent or carer and from the young person. Members aged 16 and 17 can upload photos in groups, but not on profiles, in messages, in the main feed or in forums outside groups. Adults can upload photos anywhere, but photos showing an under-18 still belong in groups only. Our moderators check consent. Never add a child's full name, school or location. Assessment films are uploaded only through your course, never in the community (see Filming safely).
• Don't post anything illegal, sexual, violent or extremist, or anything that encourages self-harm or dangerous activity.
• Only share content you have the right to share, and credit the creator.
• Don't contact other members off the platform to get around these rules.

Members aged 16 and 17

• Under-18 accounts start with the most private settings, and are flagged so moderators (not other members) can see the account belongs to someone under 18.
• Adults and under-18s can't send each other private messages. The only exception is your tutor or assessor, who can message you about your course. Those messages are logged, can be seen by our moderators and Designated Safeguarding Lead, and are kept on record. Group discussions stay in open spaces our moderators can see.
• Moderators are told when an under-18 joins a group, and review posts and reports involving an under-18 first.
• An adult who asks an under-18 for private contact off the platform, images or a meeting is removed and reported to our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

How we moderate

• Our moderators review reported content within 1 working day, and safeguarding reports the same day.
• We may remove content, give a warning, restrict features, or suspend or end an account, depending on how serious the breach is. We tell you why, unless that would put someone at risk.
• Our tools flag spam and some harmful content automatically (Akismet), but a person makes every decision about an account.
• We keep a record of reports and the action taken for 2 years (safeguarding records as in Records and retention).

How to report

• Use the Report button on any profile, post, comment, group, forum post or photo or video. Private messages can't be reported one by one: instead, report the sender's profile or block them, or email [email protected] with a screenshot. For anything else, email [email protected].
• Safeguarding concern: contact Jess Porter at [email protected] the same day (deputy: Jackie Sanderson, via [email protected]). In an emergency, call 999.
• Moderators pass every safeguarding concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead the same day, who decides next steps (see Safeguarding and Prevent). Illegal content may be reported to the police or, for child sexual abuse material, to the Internet Watch Foundation.

Appeals

If you think a moderation decision was wrong, email [email protected] within 14 days. Someone who wasn't involved reviews it and replies within 10 working days. If you're still unhappy, use our Complaints policy.

Your data

Community posts and reports are handled as set out in our Privacy notice.

Related policies

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