Children and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy
Last Updated 20th April 2024
Introduction
Dream Your Future CIC is a provider of parent and family support in the community, which seeks to treat all with kindness and respect. We are particularly aware of the need to protect children and vulnerable adults and have therefore adopted the following formal policy.
Dream Your Future Families abides by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and is committed to safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice requirements.
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We recognise the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
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All individuals, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation has an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
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Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
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Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare
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Some adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
Purpose
Dream Your Future Families will:
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Protect children and vulnerable adults who receive Dream Your Future Families’ services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services
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Provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and their families, and vulnerable adults with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding adults.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Dream Your Future Families, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. Failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.
Definitions
The Children Act 1989 definition of a child is: anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if they are living independently, are a member of the armed forces or is in hospital.
Adult at Risk
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An adult who has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),
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is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
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as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Child and Adult Abuse
Children and adults may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their daily lives. There are 4 main categories of abuse, which are: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories, they are:
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Bullying and cyberbullying
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Child sexual exploitation
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Child Criminal exploitation
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Child trafficking
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Domestic abuse
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Female genital mutilation
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Grooming
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Historical abuse
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Online abuse
Safeguarding children
Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:
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protecting children from maltreatment.
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preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
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ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
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taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding as Part of Herefordshire Signs of Safety
In safeguarding children, Dream Your Future Families is committed to the principles to the Herefordshire Council Signs of Safety model of practice
Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning.
Dream Your Future Families should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people as well as vulnerable adults.
The Prevent duty
Some organisations in England, Scotland and Wales have a duty, as a specified authority under section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015, to identify vulnerable children and young people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent duty. These organisations include:
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Schools
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Registered childcare providers
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Local authorities
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Police
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Prisons and probation services
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NHS trusts and foundations.
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Other organisations may also have Prevent duties if they perform delegated local authority functions.
Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme.
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.
Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Training and Awareness
Dream Your Future Families will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Trustees, Employees, Volunteers and any relevant persons linked to the organisation who requires it (e.g. contractors).
For all employees who are working or volunteering with children and vulnerable adults, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:
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Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
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Recognise a child or vulnerable adult potentially in need of safeguarding and take action.
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Understand how to report a safeguarding Alert.
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Understand dignity and respect when working with children and vulnerable adults.
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Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy.
Herefordshire Safeguarding Partnership provides free safeguarding training for community groups, from https://www.herefordshirecpd.co.uk/events-list?c=271
Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Dream Your Future Families expects all employees, volunteers and trustees to maintain confidentiality. Information will only be shared in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection. However, information should be shared with the Local Authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed [Policy on Confidentiality and Sharing Information]. Employees, volunteers and trustees are to report safeguarding concerns in the first place to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Senior Lead, who will implement the safeguarding procedures with the employee, volunteer or trustee.
Recording and Record Keeping
A written record must be kept about any concern regarding an adult with safeguarding needs. This must include details of the person involved, the nature of the concern and the actions taken, decision made and why they were made. All records must be signed and dated. All records must be securely and confidentially stored in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and according to Dream Your Future Families’ policies on data privacy [Data Privacy Policy].
Safe Recruitment & Selection
Dream Your Future Families is committed to safe employment and safe recruitment practices, that reduce the risk of harm to children from people unsuitable to work with them or have contact with them. Dream Your Future Families has policies and procedures that that cover the recruitment of all Trustees, employees and volunteers, including requiring employment and character references, and comprehensive DBS checks using an external agency [Safe Recruitment and Employment Policy].
Social Media
All employees and volunteers should be aware of Dream Your Future Families’ social media policy and procedures [Social Media Policy] and the code of conduct for behaviour towards the children and vulnerable adults we support.
Use of Mobile Phones and other Digital Technology
All employees, trustees and volunteers should be aware of Dream Your Future Families’ policy and procedures regarding the use of mobile phones and any digital technology and understand that it is unlawful to photograph children and young people without the explicit consent of the person with parental responsibilities. [Policy On The Use Of Mobile Phones And Other Digital Technology]
Whistleblowing
It is important that people within Dream Your Future Families have the confidence to come forward to speak or act if they are unhappy with anything. Whistle blowing occurs when a person raises a concern about dangerous or illegal activity, or any wrong- doing within their organisation. This includes concerns about another employee or volunteer. There is also a requirement by Dream Your Future Families to protect whistleblowers. Concerns are to be raised in the first instance with the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Senior Lead [Whistleblowing policy].
Further information can be found on the Herefordshire Safeguarding Boards Website: https://www.herefordshiresafeguardingboards.org.uk/
Important Contacts
Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Emma Reed
Email address: hello@dreamyourfuturefamilies.co.uk
Telephone number: 07581 224539
Deputy Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Marie Gill
Email address: mnorthway28@hotmail.co.uk
Telephone number: 07824 514693
Trustee for Safeguarding
Name: Dawn Wraight
Email address: dawn.baronstone@gmail.com
Herefordshire Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
01432 260800 / 01905 768020
Herefordshire Council Early Help Hub
01432 260800
Herefordshire Social Care Concerns
CareConcerns@herefordshire.gov.uk
Herefordshire Adult Safeguarding
safeguarding@herefordshire.gov.uk
01432 260715 / 0330 123 9309
Designated Officer
Terry Pilliner
01432 261739
Online Notification Form
Police
Emergency – 999
Non-emergency – 101
NSPCC Helpline
0808 800 5000