SAFEGUARDING POLICY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Adullam House of Worship- Bristol

May 2024

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS PART OF THE SAFEGUARDING SERIES:

Safeguarding Policy for Children and Young People 2021
Safeguarding Policy for Vulnerable Adults 2021
Safeguarding Handbook 2021
Safeguarding Forms 2021

PRODUCED BY EMMA AIYERE (SAFEGUARDING NOW) AND ACUK NATIONAL OFFICE

Contents

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 2
1. Document Details 2
2. Version Control 3
ORGANISATION DETAILS 4
1. Contact details 4
2. Our Vision 4
3. Policy Statement 5
4. Introduction 5
5. Our commitment 5
UNDERSTANDING ABUSE AND NEGLECT 6
1. What constitutes abuse? 6
2. Definitions of Abuse 6
3. Other Safeguarding Issues 8
RECOGNISING ABUSE 8
1. Physical Signs of Abuse 8
2. Indicators of Possible Sexual Abuse 8
3. Emotional Signs of Abuse 8
RESPONDING TO ABUSE 9
1. What to Do If You Suspect That Abuse May Have Occurred 9

Flow chart 1: ‘What to Do If You Suspect That Abuse May Have Occurred’ (from ‘Guidance to Churches’ and ‘Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable adults’ manuals). 10

Responding to a Child Wanting to Talk About Abuse 11

MANAGING ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE 12
1. Allegations of Physical Injury or Neglect 12

Young helpers under 18 13

Recruitment of ex-offenders 14

Management of Workers – Codes of Conduct 14

Working in Partnership 15

WORKING OVERSEAS 15

9.1Commitment 15

PASTORAL CARE 15
1. Supporting those affected by abuse 15
2. Working with offenders and those who may pose a risk to children and young people 16
ADOPTION OF THE POLICY 16

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

1. Document Details

Information Management	SAFE
Document title	Safeguarding Policy – children and young people template
Document Author	Adrian Galley	15 March 2021
Document Approval	Trustee – Safeguarding Lead	2 November 2021

2. Version Control

Date	Version	Author	Comments
15 March 2021	0.1	Adrian Galley	Draft version
14 April	1.0	Adrian Galley	Full version
1 August 2021	2.0	Emma Tope Aiyere	Full version
20 August	2.1	Adrian Galley	Amendments from Lead and DSO
8 September	2.2a	Adrian Galley	Added International para
6 October 2021	2.3	Adrian Galley	Minor amendments
2 November 2021	3.0	Adrian Galley	Minor amendments

ORGANISATION DETAILS

1. Contact details

Name of Place of Worship	Addulam House of Worship
Address:	Clifton Library 13 Princess Victoria Street Clifton Bristol BS8 4BX
Tel No:
General Email address:	adullam@apostolic-church.orgi
Senior Leader Name:	Nick and Maxine Gilchrist
Senior Leader Contact Telephone / Email:	adullam@apostolic-church.orgi
Safeguarding Coordinator Name	David Herrington
Safeguarding Coordinator Contact Telephone / Email	dsjeherrington@gmail.com
Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator Name:	Maxine Gilchrist
Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator Contact Telephone / Email:	Maxib31@yahoo.co.uk
Membership of Denomination/Organisation	The Apostolic Church UK
Denomination Safeguarding Officer	Adrian Galley
Contact Details for Denomination Safeguarding Officer:	adrian.galley@apostolic-church.org 07817 409635
Lead Trustee for Safeguarding (ACUK)	Craig Hopkins
Contact Details for Lead Trustee for Safeguarding (ACUK)	craig.hopkins@bracklatabernacle.org 07814 332 250
Charity Number:	Charity Registration No. 284789 OSCR Registration No. SC037835
Thirty-one:eight, PO Box 133, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7UQ.	24 hour helpline: 0303 003 1111(This should only be used for urgent advice if you are unable to contact your Pastor–in-charge)
Insurance Company	Congregational

The following is a brief description of our place of worship / organization and the type of work / activities we undertake with children and adults who have care and support needs:

1. Our Vision

“Adullam I have called you to release a sound in Bristol and various locations. A sound that reverberates in the atmosphere that the spiritual atmosphere changes. Where there is darkness the Spirit of the Lord floods that place with his light!

That the City of Bristol will become a “City of Worship, vibrant and Ecstatic Worship, colourful Worship; with no divide in terms of race or culture.

Adullam is a bridge between cultures, to have a fellowship that represents the true family of God!! Removing cultural walls and barriers, having one faith and one church!

As King David drew all sorts of people to the cave of Adullam, God is calling people from all walks of life to be fully equipped for the Kingdom of God and made ready for Christ’s return. Adullam will be a place of impartation and release! Where, through the prophetic gifting of its leaders, the gifts and callings of men and women will be made apparent. We want to see the lives of the people transformed – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Addulam House of Worship- Bristol Church is part of the Apostolic Church UK; our charitable objects are:

The preaching of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures. The promotion of any other charitable purpose consistent with the Christian mission of the church and in particular the relief of the sick, elderly and poor.

2. Policy Statement

The church values children’s and young people’s ministry. The church Leadership takes seriously its responsibility to protect, safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people entrusted to the church’s care.

3. Introduction

The purpose of this document is to assist everyone in the church, especially leaders and those who work with children and young people, to protect and safeguard children who are at risk of abuse or neglect. It should therefore be read in conjunction with the relevant sections of the different documents / guidelines linked to this policy (see the list on page 1).

The safeguarding of children is everyone’s business and the church in particular has a responsibility under law to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes

Protecting children from maltreatment;
Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
Taking action to enable all children have the best outcomes.

The Children Act 1989 defines a child as being up to the age of 18 years; it also defines significant harm and the roles and responsibilities of Children’s Social Care and the Police.

5. Our commitment

Safeguarding and the promotion of a child’s welfare covers all aspects of the child’s life and the church is committed to ensuring that all its actions in respect of a child are compatible with this aim.

As a Leadership we recognise the need to provide a safe and caring environment for children and young people. We acknowledge that children and young people can be the victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect.

We accept the Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that children should be able to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. They have a right to be protected from “all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s), or any other person who has care of the child.”

As a Leadership we have therefore adopted the procedures set out in this safeguarding policy in accordance with statutory guidance. We are committed to build constructive links with statutory and voluntary agencies involved in safeguarding.

This policy and other relevant documents are based on the ten Safe and Secure safeguarding standards published by thirtyone:eight.

The Leadership undertakes:

to endorse and follow all national and local safeguarding legislation and procedures, in addition to the international conventions outlined above.
to provide on-going safeguarding training for all its workers and will regularly review the relevant documents containing the operational guidelines.
to ensure that the premises meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and all other relevant legislation, and that it is welcoming and inclusive.
to support the Safeguarding Coordinator in their work and in any action, they may need to take in order to protect children and young people.
not to allow the document to be copied by other organisations.

UNDERSTANDING ABUSE AND NEGLECT

1. What constitutes abuse?

In drawing up this policy, it is recognised that the term ‘abuse’ can be subject to wide interpretation. The starting point for a definition is the following statement: ‘Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons’.

The Policy outlines the action to be taken if it is suspected that a child may be abused, harmed or neglected.

There are four categories of abuse:

Physical Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Neglect

2. Definitions of Abuse

The definitions of child abuse recommended as criteria throughout England and Wales by the Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office in their joint document, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) are stated below.

Abuse and Neglect

Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. This includes someone in a position of trust.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after. This situation is commonly described using terms such as fabricated induced illness or factitious illness by proxy or Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy*.

*Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy is defined as a form of child abuse in which the parents, or carers, give false accounts of symptoms in their children and may fake signs of illness (to draw attention to themselves). They seek repeated medical investigations and needless treatment for their children (The Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry)

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only as long as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill-treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape or buggery) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Organised Abuse

Organised or multiple abuse may be defined as abuse involving one or more abuser and a number of related or non-related abused children and young people. The abusers concerned may be acting in concert to abuse children, sometimes acting in isolation, or may be using an institutional framework or position of authority to recruit children for abuse.

Organised and multiple abuse occur both as part of a network of abuse across a family or community, and within institutions such as residential homes or schools.

(A child may suffer more than one category of abuse).

3. Other Safeguarding Issues

As a church, we are aware of the guidance that is available in respect of Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Criminal Exploitation, Female Genital Mutilation, Private Fostering and the Prevention of Radicalisation and Extremism.

We are vigilant to the risk of any of them being practised and alert to the signs of potential or actual abuse. We take this abuse very serious and will take timely and appropriate action in respect of concerns about any child suspected to be at risk of any of them.

RECOGNISING ABUSE

The following signs may or may not be indicators that abuse has taken place, but the possibility should be considered.

1. Physical Signs of Abuse

Any injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them
Injuries which occur to the body in places which are not normally exposed to

falls, rough games, etc.

Injuries which have not received medical attention
Neglect – under nourishment, failure to grow, constant hunger, stealing or

gorging food, untreated illnesses, inadequate care, etc.

Reluctance to change for, or participate in, games or swimming
Repeated urinary infections or unexplained tummy pains
Bruises, bites, burns, fractures etc. which do not have an accidental

explanation

Cuts / scratches / substance abuse

2. Indicators of Possible Sexual Abuse

Any allegations made by a child concerning sexual abuse
Child with excessive preoccupation with sexual matters and detailed

knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, or who regularly engages in age-

inappropriate sexual play

Sexual activity through words, play or drawing
Child who is sexually provocative or seductive with adults
Inappropriate bed-sharing arrangements at home
Severe sleep disturbances with fears, phobias, vivid dreams or nightmares,

sometimes with overt or veiled sexual connotations

Eating disorders – anorexia, bulimia

3. Emotional Signs of Abuse

Changes or regression in mood or behaviour, particularly where a child

withdraws or becomes clinging. Also, depression/aggression, extreme anxiety.

Nervousness, frozen watchfulness
Obsessions or phobias
Sudden under-achievement or lack of concentration
Inappropriate relationships with peers and/or adults
Attention-seeking behaviour
Persistent tiredness
Running away/stealing/lying

RESPONDING TO ABUSE

1. What to Do If You Suspect That Abuse May Have Occurred

5.1.1 You must report concerns as soon as possible to (Maxine Gilchrist) hereafter the “Safeguarding Coordinator”, who is nominated by the Leadership to act on their behalf in referring allegations or suspicions of neglect or abuse to the statutory authorities. In the absence of the Safeguarding Coordinator the matter should be brought to the attention of the Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator.

5.1.2 If the suspicions in any way involve the Safeguarding Coordinator, then the report should be made to (Maxine Gilchrist) hereafter the “Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator”.

5.1.3 If the suspicions in any way implicate both the Safeguarding Coordinator and the Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator, then the report should be made in the first instance to “Thirtyone:eight”, PO Box 133, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7UQ. Telephone 0303 0031111. Alternatively contact Local Authority Children’s Social Care on 01558 825477

5.1.4 Suspicions will not be discussed with anyone other than those nominated above.

5.1.5 It is, of course, the right of any individual as a citizen to make direct referrals to the child protection agencies or seek advice from Thirtyone:eight, although we hope that members of the church will use this procedure. If, however, you feel that the Safeguarding Coordinator or Deputy has not responded appropriately to your concerns, then it is open to you to contact the relevant organisation direct. We hope by making this statement that we demonstrate the commitment of the church to effective child protection.

Refer to Flow chart 1 on next page.

2. Responding to a Child Wanting to Talk About Abuse

It is not easy to give precise guidance, but the following may help:

General Points

Show acceptance of what the child says (however unlikely the story may sound)
Keep calm
Look at the child directly
Be honest
Tell the child you will need to let someone else know – don’t promise confidentiality
Even when a child has broken a rule, they are not to blame for the abuse
Be aware that the child may have been threatened or bribed not to tell
Never push for information. If the child decides not to tell you after all, then accept that and let them know that you are always ready to listen.

Helpful Things You May Say or Show

I believe you (or showing acceptance of what the child says)
Thank you for telling me
It’s not your fault
I will help you

Don’t Say

Why didn’t you tell anyone before?
I can’t believe it!
Are you sure this is true?
Why? How? When? Who? Where?
Never make false promises
Never make statements such as “I am shocked, don’t tell anyone else”

Concluding

Again reassure the child that they were right to tell you and show acceptance.
Let the child know what you are going to do next and that you will let them know what happens (You might have to consider referring to Local Authority Children’s Social Care or the Police to prevent a child or young person returning home if you consider them to be seriously at risk of further abuse).
Contact the Safeguarding Coordinator or the Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator in the absence of the Safeguarding Coordinator or contact an agency such as Thirtyone:eight for advice or go directly to Local Authority Children’s Social Care/Police/NSPCC.

Consider your own feelings and seek pastoral support if needed. It is quite possible that hearing an allegation may affect you in some way and finding an appropriate person to talk to is important. Depending on the nature of the issue, and those involved, you may wish to speak to one of the leaders you relate to. However, you must be mindful of the need to respect privacy, and possibly confidentiality, of those involved/affected. Other sources of support include: the Safeguarding Coordinator or their deputy; Thirtyone:eight and Children’s Social Care.

Make notes as soon as possible (preferably within minutes of the child talking to you), writing down exactly what the child said and when s/he said it, what you said in reply and what was happening immediately beforehand (e.g. a description of the activity). Record dates and times of these events and when you made the record. Keep all handwritten notes, even if subsequently typed. Such records should be kept safely for an indefinite period. Copies of ‘Important Safeguarding Forms’ including Incident forms are kept in the in a secure Encrypted file on our computer systems.

6. MANAGING ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE

4.1. Allegations of Physical Injury or Neglect

If a child has a physical injury or symptom of neglect, the Safeguarding Coordinator will:

1 Contact Local Authority Children’s Social Care (or Thirtyone:eight for advice) in cases of deliberate injury or where concerned about the child’s safety. The parents should not be informed by the church/organisation in these circumstances.

2 Where emergency medical attention is necessary it will be sought immediately. The Safeguarding Coordinator will inform the doctor of any suspicions of abuse.

3 In other circumstances speak with the parent/carer and suggest that medical help/attention is sought for the child. The doctor, (or health visitor) will then initiate further action, if necessary

4 If appropriate, the parent/carer will be encouraged to seek help from the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Department.

5 Where the parent/carer is unwilling to seek help, if appropriate, the church’s Safeguarding Coordinator will offer to go with them. If they still fail to act, the Safeguarding Coordinator should, in cases of real concern, contact Local Authority Children’s Social Care for advice.

6 Where the Safeguarding Coordinator is unsure whether to refer a case to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care, then advice from Thirtyone:eight will be sought and followed. Thirtyone:eight will confirm its advice in writing in case this is needed for reference purposes in the future.

6.2 Allegations of Sexual Abuse

In the event of allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse, the Safeguarding Coordinator will:

1 Contact the Local Authority Children’s Social Care duty social worker for children and families or Police Child Protection Team directly. The Safeguarding Officer will NOT speak to the parent (or anyone else).

2 If, for any reason, the Safeguarding Coordinator is unsure whether or not to follow the above, then advice from Thirtyone:eight will be sought and followed. Thirtyone:eight will confirm its advice in writing in case this is needed for reference purposes in the future.

3 Under no circumstances will the Safeguarding Coordinator attempt to carry out any investigation into the allegation or suspicions of sexual abuse. The role of the Safeguarding Coordinator is to collect and clarify the precise details of the allegation or suspicion and to provide this information to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Department, whose task it is to investigate the matter under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.

4 Whilst allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse will normally be reported to the Safeguarding Coordinator, the absence of the Safeguarding Coordinator or Deputy should not delay referral to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Department.

5 Exceptionally, should there be any disagreement between the person in receipt of the allegation or suspicion and the Safeguarding Coordinator or Deputy as to the appropriateness of a referral to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Department, that person retains a responsibility as a member of the public to report serious matters to the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Department, and should do so without hesitation.

6 The Leadership will support the Safeguarding Coordinator or Deputy in their role and accept that any information they may have in their possession will be shared in a strictly limited way on a need to know basis.

. SAFER RECRUITMENT

7.1 Recruitment of staff (both employed children’s workers and volunteers)

The Leadership will ensure all workers will be appointed, trained, supported, and supervised in accordance with government guidance on safer recruitment. This includes ensuring that:

There is a written job description / person specification for the post
Those applying have completed an application form and a self-declaration form
Those short listed have been interviewed
Safeguarding has been discussed at interview
Written references have been obtained, and followed up where appropriate
A disclosure and barring check has been completed where necessary (we will comply with Code of Practice requirements concerning the fair treatment of applicants and the handling of information)
Qualifications where relevant have been verified
A suitable training programme is provided for the successful applicant
The applicant has completed a probationary period
The applicant has been given a copy of the organisation’s safeguarding policy and knows how to report concerns.

2. Young helpers under 18

Young people under 18 will often be used as helpers and will not be left unsupervised. (Indeed this happens outside the church with children from secondary schools having work experience in infant schools and nurseries).

In these circumstances, we advise that such helpers should be responsible to a named worker and never be in a position where they are providing unsupervised care of children. For example, they should not be counted as a ‘worker’ when considering staff/child ratios.

The full recruitment procedure would not be applied, though we would expect to acquire basic information about the individual and take up personal references. Police checks would not normally be required. Care should be taken to ensure that this process is not used to avoid proper checks for recruitment.

3. Recruitment of ex-offenders

No applicant for voluntary or employed service within xx Church or any worker in the course of their service will be unfairly discriminated against on the basis of disclosure information including convictions.

Interviews will provide the opportunity for open and measured discussion on the subject of offences. Failure to reveal information at interview that is directly relevant to the position being sought could lead to the withdrawal of an offer of employment or voluntary service.

At interview or when receiving a disclosure which shows a conviction, we will take into consideration: –

The relevance of the conviction to the position being offered
The seriousness of the offence
The time since the offence took place
Whether the applicant has a pattern of offending behaviour
Any change in the applicant’s circumstances since the offence took place.

Everyone involved in the recruitment process will be made aware of this policy.

ONGOING CULTURE OF VIGILANCE

8.1 Safeguarding Training

The Leadership is committed to on-going safeguarding training and development opportunities for all workers and developing a culture of awareness of safeguarding issues to help protect everyone. All our workers will receive induction training and undertake recognised safeguarding training on a regular basis.

The Leadership will also ensure that children are provided with information on where to get help and advice in relation to abuse, discrimination, bullying or any other matter where they have a concern.

Management of Workers – Codes of Conduct

As a Leadership we are committed to supporting all workers and ensuring they receive support and supervision. All workers have been issued with a code of conduct towards children and young people.

8.3 Safer Working Practice

As an organisation / place of worship working with children and young people we wish to operate and promote safer working practice. This will enable workers to run activities safely, develop good relationships and minimise the risk of false or unfounded accusation.

As well as a general code of conduct for workers we also have specific good practice guidelines for every activity we are involved in, and these are attached or in the appendices.

Working in Partnership

The diversity of organisations and settings means there can be great variation in practice when it comes to safeguarding children and young people. This can be because of cultural tradition, belief and religious practice or understanding, for example, of what constitutes abuse.

We therefore have clear guidelines about our expectations of those with whom we work in partnership, whether in the UK or not. We will discuss with all partners our safeguarding expectations and have a partnership agreement for safeguarding. It is also our expectation that any organisation using our premises, as part of the letting agreement will have their own policy that meets thirtyone:eight’s safeguarding standards.

We believe good communication is essential in promoting safeguarding, both to those we wish to protect, to everyone involved in working with children and young people and to all those with whom we work in partnership. This safeguarding policy is just one means of promoting safeguarding.

WORKING OVERSEAS

9.1Commitment

ACUK operates overseas with residential mission staff and short-term international mission trips. As a Leadership we will not tolerate or condone any abuse or mistreatment of children. The Leadership will take all reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are in place when we operate overseas, recognising that there are different reporting mechanisms and organisations responsible

PASTORAL CARE

1. Supporting those affected by abuse

The Leadership is committed to offering pastoral care and support (while working with the statutory authorities as appropriate) to all those who have been affected by abuse who have contact with or are part of the place of worship/organisation.

2. Working with offenders and those who may pose a risk to children and young people

When someone attending the place of worship / organisation is known to have abused / be a risk to children and young people or is under investigation, the Leadership will supervise the individual concerned and offer pastoral care. However, in its safeguarding commitment to the protection of children and young people, the Leadership will set boundaries for that person, which they will be expected to keep. These boundaries will be based on an appropriate risk assessment and through consultation with appropriate parties.

ADOPTION OF THE POLICY

This policy was agreed by the leadership and will be reviewed annually on: 1^st September.

Safeguarding Coordinator Lead Pastor

Name: David Herrington Name: Nick Gilchrist and Maxine Gilchrist

Signature: DB Herrington Signature: N. Gilchrist and M.C Gilchrist

Date: May 2024 Date: May 2024

A copy of this policy is also lodged with:

The Apostolic Church, Suite 110 Crystal House, New Bedford Road, Luton LU1 1HS

Appendix 7 – CODE OF CONDUCT

CODE OF CONDUCT

Adullam House of Worship behaviour code for working with children, young people and adults at risk of harm

Purpose

This behaviour code outlines the conduct expected of all workers (staff and volunteers).

The code of conduct aims to help protect adults at risk of harm, children and young people from abuse and inappropriate behaviour from those in positions of trust, and to reduce the risk of unfounded allegations of abuse being made.

The role of workers (staff and volunteers)

When working with children and young people or adults at risk of harm, you are acting in a position of trust for [name of group/organisation]. You will be seen as a role model and must act appropriately.

Good practice

Treat everyone with dignity, respect and fairness, and have proper regard for individuals’ interests, rights, safety and welfare
Work in a responsible, transparent and accountable way
Be prepared to challenge unacceptable behaviour or to be challenged
Listen carefully to those you are supporting
Avoid any behaviour that could be perceived as bullying, emotional abuse, harassment, physical abuse, spiritual abuse or sexual abuse (including inappropriate physical contact such as rough play and inappropriate language or gestures)
Seek advice from someone with greater experience when necessary
Work in an open environment – avoid private or unobserved situations
Follow policies, procedures and guidelines and report all disclosures, concerns, allegations, and suspicions to the safeguarding co-ordinator
Don’t make inappropriate promises particularly in relation to confidentiality
Do explain to the individual what you intend to do and don’t delay taking action

Unacceptable behaviour

Not reporting concerns or delaying reporting concerns
Taking unnecessary risks
Any behaviour that is or may be perceived as threatening or abusive in any way
Passing on your personal and/or social media contact details and any contact that breaches [name of group/organisation] social media policy
Developing inappropriate relationships
Smoking and consuming alcohol or illegal substances
Favouritism/exclusion – all people should be equally supported and encouraged

Breaching the Code of Conduct

If you have behaved inappropriately, you will be subject to disciplinary procedures (particularly in the case of paid staff where the line manager will consult the safeguarding coordinator as appropriate). Depending on the seriousness of the situation, you may be asked to leave. We may also make a referral to statutory agencies such as the police and/or the local authority children’s or adult’s social care departments or DBS. If you become aware of a breach of this code, you should escalate your concerns to the safeguarding coordinator or line manager (in the case of a paid staff member).

Declaration

I agree to abide by the expectations outlined in this document and confirm that I have read the relevant policies that assist my work with vulnerable groups.

Name: Maxine Gilchrist

Signature: M. Gilchrist

Date: 08.04.2024

SAFEGUARDING POLICY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE