> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/responsible-practice-and-safety/safeguarding-children.md). # Safeguarding Children Safeguarding principles for mindfulness work with children, including supervision, boundaries, consent, referral, and responsible adult support. Child safety takes priority over completing a practice or program. Adults should use age-appropriate language, avoid coercion, respect a child's wish to stop, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and follow the safeguarding rules of the school or organisation. Disclosure of abuse, danger, self-harm, or serious distress should be handled through the appropriate safeguarding and professional channels rather than within a mindfulness exercise. ## Safeguarding comes before the practice A mindfulness activity should never override established safeguarding procedures. Adults working with children should: * follow the school's or organisation's safeguarding policy * maintain appropriate professional boundaries * avoid private or secretive one-to-one arrangements * never pressure a child to disclose personal experiences * record and escalate concerns through the correct safeguarding route * distinguish wellbeing facilitation from counselling or investigation If a child indicates risk of harm, the priority is appropriate safeguarding action, not continuing the meditation. ## Related guidance * [Responsible Practice & Safety](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/responsible-practice-and-safety) * [Mental Health Boundaries](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/responsible-practice-and-safety/mental-health-boundaries) * [Privacy & Data](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/responsible-practice-and-safety/privacy-and-data) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/responsible-practice-and-safety/safeguarding-children.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.