Safeguarding Policy

Children and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy

 1.    General Policy

Friends of Spondon Parks is firmly committed to the belief that all children and vulnerable adults have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and fully recognises its responsibility for child and adult protection. 

This Policy commits all members regardless of their role, to report and refer any concerns they may have regarding the safety of any young person or vulnerable adult.

Aims of the Policy

  • To clarify the roles and responsibilities of all parties.
  • To support the promotion of a safe working environment and a culture of care in which the rights of all children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected and respected.
  • To promote and embed clear guidance for those working with children, young people and vulnerable adults, and ensure through training and support that they are aware of these and able to implement them.

Scope of the Policy

The Policy relates to the group responsibility towards:

  • children and young people
  • vulnerable adults

This Policy and any related procedures and guidance applies to people who have contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. It also applies to people working on behalf of the group.

The Policy does not cover health and safety issues related to safeguarding children.

Review          

The Policy will be reviewed annually and whenever there is a change in the related legislation. This will help ensure that the Policy is up to date and fit for purpose.

Status of Policy

Responsibility for the implementation of this policy lies with everyone.

The Executive Committee are responsible for ensuring that the group has a Safeguarding Policy and for working within its remit.

This policy was approved and agreed by the Executive Committee of Friends of Spondon Parks on the date shown below.

16th March 2021

 2.    Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout the Safeguarding Policy and associated procedures:

Child or Children
The Children Act 1989 defines a child as a person under eighteen for most purposes.

Vulnerable Adult or Adults
The Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme (PoVA 2004) defined a vulnerable adult as a person aged 18 or over who has a condition of the following type:

  • A substantial learning or physical disability;
  • A physical or mental illness or mental disorder, chronic or otherwise, including addiction to alcohol or drugs;
  • A significant reduction in physical or mental capacity.

Young Person
The term young person will include those aged between 5 and 24 years.  For the purposes of this policy, a young person aged under 18 years is regarded as a child and a vulnerable adult includes all people aged 18 and over subject to the criteria of the POVA Scheme.

Forms of abuse
The Children Act 1989 defines four types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual and neglect.  These categories of abuse apply and will be relevant to vulnerable adults as well as to children.

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse may take many forms e.g. hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating.

It may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child or vulnerable adult.  This unusual and potentially dangerous form of abuse is now described as fabricated or induced illness.

Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is persistent emotional ill treatment causing severe and persistent effects on the child or vulnerable adult’s emotional development and may involve:

  • conveying the message that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person
  • imposing developmentally inappropriate expectations
  • causing the child or vulnerable adult to feel frightened or in danger – e.g. witnessing domestic violence
  • exploitation or corruption of children, young people or vulnerable adults

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in most types of ill treatment, although emotional abuse may occur alone.

Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening, and includes penetrative (i.e. vaginal or anal rape or buggery) and non-penetrative acts.

It may also include non-contact activities such as looking at, or being involved in, the production of pornographic materials, watching sexual activities or encouraging children or vulnerable adults to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

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

Members should also be aware of other factors which influence these forms of abuse such as financial, racial or homophobic abuse.

3.    Responsibilities

 The Designated Safeguarding Trustee, working with the Committee, is responsible for:

  • identifying events and projects that are likely to have an involvement with children and/or vulnerable adults.
  • ensuring that all necessary procedures and practices are in place to provide adequate protection both for the individuals in these groups but also protection for the employees involved with them.
  • ensuring that people dealing with these groups maintain adequate training and awareness of their responsibilities in this area.
  • ensuring that external contractors and other bodies delivering services are aware of the Group’s expectation.
  • ensuring that carers and/or parents of the children and vulnerable adults are aware that in providing services the Group’s members are not acting in loco parentis (a teacher or other adult responsible for children in place of a parent or guardian).
  • ensuring that this policy is made available to carers and/or parents of the children and vulnerable adults to whom the Group is providing services.
  • ensuring that people working regularly with children or vulnerable adults do not undertake direct work with children or vulnerable adults without an enhanced DBS check except under skilled supervision where approval has been given by the Chair of Trustees or Designated Safeguarding Trustee or Officer prior to commencement of the role.
  • ensuring that proper records are kept of any incidents and that these are held securely.
  • working with other associated agencies to ensure the proper transfer of information relating to dealings with children and vulnerable adults where necessary.

All persons are responsible for:

  • ensuring that they are familiar with and understand the policies and procedures relating to their work with, or in the vicinity of, children and vulnerable adults.
  • ensuring that they feel confident in working within this environment and working with their group leader or manager to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to carry out their tasks in this context.
  • working within the Equality Act 2010 and related legislation and treating equally and with respect children and vulnerable adults with whom they come into contact while carrying out their work.
  • reporting to the committee any concerns they may have about abuse or a lack of care of children and vulnerable adults either from other staff, from carers, parents or those in loco parentis or any other person.

4.    Reporting Procedures:  What to do if you suspect someone is being abused

Where there is concern that any person is in immediate danger or a crime has been committed, the police should always be contacted on 999. Actions should be reported to the Chairman of Committee or designated Safeguarding Trustee.

5.    Confidentiality

All employees and volunteers must work under the principle that confidentiality is extremely important and plays a large part in much of the work carried out with children and young people.  However, under no circumstances will any individual working with Friends of Spondon Parks keep confidential any information that raises concerns about the safety and welfare of a child or vulnerable person. 

6.    The use of cameras, videos, or camera mobile phones

Friends of Spondon Parks may take photographs of children and young people participating in activities and events. 

Friends of Spondon Parks reserves the right to prohibit the use of cameras, videos and mobile telephones with picture taking capacity at events it promotes.