Safeguarding
In preparing this policy, Abby’s Heroes have referred to guidance from the Charity Commission, NCVO and Working Together to Safeguard Children (DofE).
Abby’s Heroes is a charity with children and families at the heart of our charitable activities.
Abby’s Heroes are committed to keeping children, families (named as Beneficiaries), staff and volunteers safe and to practice in a way that protects them. We will give equal priority to keeping children, families, staff and volunteers safe regardless of their age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Children and families, who come under our care are occasionally additionally vulnerable because of the impact of discrimination, previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues. Abby’s Heroes and our Trustees will promote an open and positive culture and ensure all involved feel able to report concerns, confident they will be heard and responded to.
Commitment to safeguarding
The Charity aims to protect all of its staff, volunteers and Beneficiaries from any act or behaviour of any member of staff or volunteer which, whether deliberately or unknowingly on the part of that member of staff or volunteer, gives rise to harm or ill treatment. Such harm or ill treatment includes abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, discriminatory, institutional or organisational, financial or material), neglect, or impairment of the health or development of the Charity’s staff, volunteers or Beneficiaries. The Charity also aims to ensure to promote the well-being and welfare of its Clients, Beneficiaries or Service Users.
Abby’s Heroes recognises that it has a duty to act on reports or suspicions of abuse or neglect. It adopts a “zero-tolerance” policy of abuse within the Charity. Abby’s Heroes will work in partnership with local and national agencies to put in place appropriate procedures for reporting, making referrals, and accessing training and specialist support, as and when required. The Charity will ensure that the Guidance is implemented by all within the Charity and, for that purpose, it will ensure that its staff and volunteers have read and understood it.
Safe recruitment
Abby’s Heroes will aim to protect its staff, volunteers or Beneficiaries by recruiting staff and volunteers using appropriate procedures, safeguards and checks. The Charity will take up two references for all staff posts and volunteer roles prior to appointment. The Charity will provide an induction programme for all new volunteers and staff, and appropriate training and ongoing/refresher training for them at regular intervals, to enable all volunteers and staff to undertake their roles safely, effectively and confidently. The induction will make it clear to them that they have an obligation to implement this Policy and to learn about protection issues and their related responsibilities.
Where the Charity should do so, it will use the Disclosure & Barring Service (“DBS”) checks to help it to assess suitability of a candidate for a particular volunteer or staff role which is treated by the DBS as Regulated Activity and is therefore subject to a barring list check. In relation to a post or role which is eligible for an enhanced DBS check, where it considers it appropriate it will carry out an enhanced DBS check. The Charity will assess any criminal record information that is disclosed in line with its data protection and equalities (treating ex-offenders fairly) policies. Abby’s Heroes will regularly review its recruitment and other human resources procedures in response to changes in legislation and systems external to the Charity, e.g. DBS and barring list checks.
Volunteers
All Abby’s Heroes volunteer roles will be supported by a Lead Co-ordinator. Volunteers will be treated equally alongside paid staff, and all volunteers will be offered the same opportunities for advancement, responsibility, training and gaining qualifications, and acknowledgement for their contribution to the Charity. In turn, volunteers will be required to adhere to the applicable parts of the Code of Conduct (Staff and Volunteers) at all times as a representative of the Charity. Before they take up their role, they will each be given a clear description of the requirements and responsibilities of their role and the member of staff or trustee recruiting them will discuss their role with them, to ensure that they understand what is expected of them. Any volunteer roles, which would be Regulated Activity if unsupervised, will be appropriately supervised in accordance with statutory guidance.
Safeguarding Officer
The Charity’s appointed Safeguarding Officer as from 14th October 2019 is Lynne Squibb (Vice Chair) and they are supported by Sally Randall (C.E.O) as Deputy Safeguarding Officer. They will have access to appropriate training to support them in these roles. They will be available to all staff, volunteers and Beneficiaries to speak to when they have any concerns, issues, or complaints regarding the safety, well-being or conduct of other staff, volunteers, and Beneficiaries
The Safeguarding Officer and Deputy Safeguarding Officer will liaise with appropriate local and national agencies, contribute to appropriate policies, maintain records, keep confidentiality, adhere to and promote this Policy within the Charity, and support or provide access to support for individuals suffering harm or abuse.
Awareness of harm and abuse within the Charity
All incidents of harm to any Beneficiary, staff member or volunteer will require an appropriate response to reduce risks and improve the Charity’s services and activities.
Harm is caused by accidents, deliberate abuse (physical, psychological, sexual, emotional, financial), neglect (deliberate or not) or factors such as bullying, prejudicial attitudes, or a failure to enable a person to participate in activities that are open to most of their peers. It can also include abuse via use of ICT facilities (e.g. grooming, bullying via the internet).
Deliberate acts of harm (physical, psychological, sexual, emotional and financial) and neglect are abuses against the person. Those acts will incur disciplinary proceedings and require reports and referrals to social services, the police, other professional bodies, and the DBS if the act is by someone in Regulated Activity. If a criminal offence is thought to have been committed by any staff member or volunteer, the police will be informed.
Confidentiality
All reports and logs (including personnel records) will be kept securely and confidentially according to the Charity’s Data Protection Policy and Confidentiality Policy or in line with the DBS Code of Practice for Registered Bodies if appropriate, until or unless it is necessary to share this material with the agencies named above. Information will be shared by the Charity on a “need-to-know” basis only.
Recognising a Safeguarding Incident
Staff, volunteers or Beneficiaries can report, and have a responsibility to report, something that they become aware of if they suspect or discover that it is not right or is illegal or if it appears to them that someone at work is neglecting their duties, putting someone’s health and safety in danger or covering up wrongdoing. They may become aware of any of these things from what they see or hear or from something another person has disclosed to them.
When a staff member or volunteer become aware of a possible safeguarding issue or incident, we operate the following reporting system
- Recognise – Individual discusses allegation or 3rd party reports a situation or there is a sign or symptom of a safeguarding issue
- Respond – Encourage a discussion, providing a suitable environment for open discussion
- Report – Take incident to Line manager
- Record – Keep records of incident, record actual statement, date and signature
- Refer – Take incident to Safeguarding Officer and they will confidentially elevate to suitable agency ie Police, Local Authority, Social Workers
- Review – Learn from incident and reflect on effective Safeguarding
- Respect – Build a culture of respect, safeguarding and empowering victims
Communication by Abby’s Heroes Safeguarding and this Policy
All staff and volunteers have an obligation to learn about protection issues and their related responsibilities.
The Charity will communicate this Policy using appropriate methods, to all of its staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries, and it will also make it available to the public. Lynne Squibb, Abby’s Heroes appointed Safeguarding Officer will be responsible to the Board of trustees for communicating this Policy to them.
We are commited to everyone involved in the Charity to understand that Safeguarding is the business of everyone, and to assist all staff and volunteers to learn about protection issues and their related responsibilities. The Charity will hold meetings open to all staff and volunteers about safeguarding. It will regularly reveiw procedures, inviting open discussions about issues and concerns, reflecting on bot policy and procedures. Abby’s Heroes strives to learn and improve in relation to the Charity’s Safeguarding responsibilities.
Implementation of safeguarding policy
This Policy must be followed by all staff and volunteers of the Charity and must be promoted by all of its trustees and senior staff. Failure to follow it will be treated as a very serious matter.
This Policy needs to be read in conjunction with the following policies and procedures of the Charity:
- Health & Safety Policy
- Code of Conduct (Staff and Volunteers)
- Data Protection Policy
- Confidentiality Policy
- Complaints Policy
Adoption, coming into effect, and review, of this Policy
Safeguarding Policy was approved by the Board of Trustees of Abby’s Heroes on 25th July 2022. It also comes into force on that date. The Board will revise this Policy from time to time. The next date for review of this Policy by the Board will be July 2023.