Safeguarding Policy

Policy Aims

The aims of the company safeguarding policy are to provide an environment where all can work safely; The Company will take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk.

Policy Rationale

The rationale of the policy is to contribute to the personal safety of all children and adults, through actively promoting awareness, good practice and sound procedures. The organisation is committed to ensure that all and specifically those that are vulnerable are kept safe from harm while they are involved or have any interaction with the organisation.

Principles

Safeguarding has a meaning wider than child protection. This policy aims to ensure that all staff, customers, stakeholders and visitors are safe from harm and abuse, harassment and bullying. Harm and harassment have formal legal meanings within civil and criminal law. Safeguarding also includes all staff acting in a responsible away to avoid any false allegations of inappropriate behaviour being made about their conduct that would give cause for concern. This policy is based on the law and statutory guidance applicable in England only. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 deal with aspects of regulated activity.

The Equality Act 2010 and the Health & Safety at Work Act are also relevant to safeguarding. This policy is linked to company disciplinary procedures. All company personnel have a duty to report instances of harm and abuse, or behaviour they reasonably interpret as such. In addition to the legal aspects it is our policy to ensure that all staff respect each other and strive to help each other in a professional and caring manner.

Particulars

All staff have a personal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare and wellbeing of all children and adults at risk of harm by protecting them from abuse which may be:

  • Neglect
  • Emotional or Psychological abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Financial or material abuse
  • Discriminatory abuse

A DBS criminal records check at an enhanced level including barring and police disclosure where legal and appropriate (without breaching the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act) but complying with regulated activity safeguarding requirements are conducted periodically for all field based staff.

Record keeping shall be in accordance with our personnel policies and will comply with the Data Protection Act.

Although bullying is not precisely defined in law, any physical or mental duress which makes a person feel as though they are being forced against their will to act in an inappropriate way or to feel unduly stressed, or to be alarmed at the thought of coming to work, will be deemed to be bullying and may also be harassment.

Reporting & Confidentiality

It is the duty of all staff to report incidents of concern. In this regard our company has an open style of management and we wish to support anyone who feels concerned about their treatment. Although any reported incident will be kept confidentially in line with policy and data protection, staff cannot – and must not – promise confidentiality when harm is reported since the law requires that police and social services and the DBS are told. The person reporting and the person harmed will be protected. It is their legal right to remain anonymous to other staff and the public.

If someone confides in you:

  • Remain calm, approachable and receptive
  • Explain that you cannot offer confidentiality and based on what you hear, you may need to report this to the most appropriate staff member
  • Listen carefully without interrupting
  • Make it clear that you’re taking what is being said seriously
  • Acknowledge you understand how difficult this may be
  • Reassure them they’ve done the right thing in telling
  • Let them know that you’ll do everything you can to help them

Then you must

  • Record carefully using their words and sign, date and time your notes (only record what has been said, and what you observed)
  • Continue to be caring and supportive for them