Safeguarding
Safeguarding Policy
• This policy was developed and adopted on: 14th November 2024
• The policy will be reviewed on: November 2025
• The safeguarding lead is: Anne Hall Trustee
Purpose of Policy
The purpose of the Safeguarding Policy is to ensure Passmore Edwards Institute Hayle Trustees and employees play their part in providing a framework for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults whilst using the Passmore Edwards building premises.
The policy aims to ensure that whilst using the building premises :
• All children, young people and adults are safe and protected from harm;
• Other elements of provision and policies are in place to enable children, young people and adults to feel safe and adopt safe practices; and
• Trustees and employees are aware of the expected behaviours and the organisation’s legal responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults.
Policy Statement
This policy develops procedures and good practice within our organisation to:
ensure that each Trustee and employee can demonstrate that there is an understanding of the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Our organisation deplores the sexual exploitation of children and will not tolerate failure at any level to prevent harm, support victims and bring offenders to justice.
This policy has been developed in line with Cornwall Council guidance, government legislation, publications and guidance.
This organisation takes seriously its responsibility under the current legislation: to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults; and to work together with other agencies to ensure that there are adequate arrangements within our organisation to identify and support those who are suffering harm. Where someone is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so, action will be taken to protect that person. Our organisation has a responsibility to make sure that it has an effective safeguarding policy and procedures in place and monitors that the Trustees and employees comply with them. Our organisation has appointed a Safeguarding Lead who has responsibility for dealing with all safeguarding issues. Our organisation recognises that for this policy to be effective, it is essential that everyone working in and for the organisation has an understanding of what safeguarding is, knows that ‘safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility’, knows how to access safeguarding information, knows of any possible contribution that they may be required to make to safeguard children, young people and adults and how to access further advice, support or services.
Our organisation recognises that safeguarding is not just about protecting children, young people and adults from deliberate harm. It also relates to health and safety; meeting the needs of children, young people and adults with medical conditions; providing first aid equipment ; internet or e-safety; appropriate arrangements to ensure security, taking into account the local context.
Additionally, we recognise that safeguarding can involve a range of potential issues such as: bullying, including cyberbullying (by text message, on social networking sites, and so on), peer on peer and prejudice-based bullying; racist and homophobic or transphobic abuse; sexting; substance misuse; issues which may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence and other particular issues affecting children including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, extremist behaviour and radicalisation, forced marriage and modern slavery. Everyone associated with the organisation maintains an attitude of ‘it can happen here’ and are aware of the signs and indicators of abuse.
Everyone has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Trustee and employee training responsibilities
Our recruitment and induction processes for Trustees and employees include information on our arrangements and systems for safeguarding and details of the Safeguarding Lead. We will also, as part of our induction, issue information in relation to our Safeguarding Policy and any other policy and information related to safeguarding to all newly appointed individuals.
Trustees and employees of Passmore Edwards are provided with opportunities to receive appropriate training, which is regularly updated, in order to develop their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse and of the council’s safeguarding procedures.
Everyone knows how to respond to someone who discloses abuse, or for whom they have a concern, and the procedure to be followed in appropriately sharing a concern of possible abuse or a disclosure of abuse. Everyone has been provided with and signed to say that they have read and understood our Safeguarding Policy.
Building user/booker responsibilities
All users of the Passmore Edwards building are made aware of our organisation’s responsibilities with regard to safeguarding through publication of the safeguarding policy on the Passmore Edwards webpage and printed policy on the building notice board/health and safety folder.
Outside organisations and community groups booking to use the building are responsible for their own safeguarding procedures and need to ensure the suitability of adults working with and in the presence of children and vulnerable adults at any time. Community users organising activities for children, young people and vulnerable adults within the Passmore Edwards building need to be responsible for their compliance with the Cornwall Council’s safeguarding procedures.
Safer recruitment
The Passmore Edwards operates safer recruitment practices. No Trustees or employees work directly with children and vulnerable adults as part of their role with Passmore Edwards however may come into contact with them during the course of their duties. The Passmore Edwards is aware that:
• statutory duties to undertake required checks on staff is required for Trustees and employees who work with children are complied with in line with the Disclosure and Barring Service requirements for Regulated Activity; the Child Care Act 2006 and Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009
• statutory guidance relating to volunteers is followed
• recruitment panel members are properly trained.
Should we dismiss or remove someone because they have harmed a child, or poses a risk of harm to a child or would have done so if they had not left, we will report this to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and any appropriate professional or regulatory body.
Our safeguarding policies and procedures will be reviewed and updated annually.
Actions required on allegation or disclosure of abuse
If a child, young person or adult makes an allegation or disclosure of abuse against an adult or other child or young person, we will:
• stay calm and listen carefully;
• reassure the person that s/he has done the right thing in telling you;
• not investigate or ask leading questions;
• let the person know that s/he will need to tell the Safeguarding Lead;
• not promise to keep what they have been told a secret;
• inform the Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible; and
• make a written record of the allegation, disclosure or incident which will be signed, and dated.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Information sharing is vital to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. A key factor identified in many serious case reviews (SCRs) has been a failure by practitioners to record information, to share it to understand its significance and then take appropriate action.
• we recognise that all matters relating to protection are confidential;
• we will disclose personal information about a child, young person or
adult on a need-to-know basis only;
• everyone is aware that they have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children, young person or adult;
• everyone is aware that they cannot promise to keep secrets which
might compromise the safety or well-being of a child, young person or adult, or that of another; and we will always undertake to share our concerns with the Multi-Agency Referral Unit (MARU), unless to do so could put the child, young person or adult at greater risk of harm, or impede a criminal investigation. If in doubt, we will consult with the MARU.
Managing Allegations against individuals who work for us
We are aware of the possibility of allegations being made against someone who works for our organisation , Trustee or volunteers that are working with or may come into contact with children, young person or adults. They can be made by children, young person or adults or other concerned adults. Everyone in our organisation and volunteers has been made aware of the process to be followed if such an allegation is made.
In such circumstances we will:
• Report the matter to the MARU;
• consider the safeguarding arrangements of the child, young person or
adult to ensure they are not in contact with the alleged abuser;
• consider the rights of the individual concerned for a fair and equal
process of investigation;
• ensure that the appropriate disciplinary procedure is followed, including whether suspending that person from work or volunteering for us until the outcome of any investigation is deemed necessary;
• advise the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and any other
appropriate regulatory or professional body where the individual has
been disciplined or dismissed as a result of the allegations founded or would have been if they have resigned.
Whistleblowing
We recognise that a child, young person or adult cannot be expected to raise concerns in an environment where we fail to do so. Everyone is aware of their duty to raise concerns about the
attitude and actions of colleagues where these are inappropriate or unsuitable.
If necessary, concerns will be raised with the delegated whistleblowing lead representative who is
Anne Hall ,Trustee and secretary of Passmore Edwards.
Supporting Staff and volunteers
Everyone will be advised on the boundaries of appropriate behaviour – such matters form part of our staff ( and if required volunteer) induction and they have access to support and guidance when required or requested
We recognise that staff and volunteers working in our organisation who have become involved in the case of a child who has suffered harm, or appears likely to suffer harm, may find the situation stressful and upsetting.
We support this by providing an opportunity for them to discuss their anxieties with the Safeguarding Lead, or another person as appropriate.
Our Safeguarding Lead and / or anyone working for the organisation has access to support and appropriate workshops, courses or meetings as organised or recommended by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Our Safeguarding Children Partnership, Safeguarding Adults Board, Safeguarding Standards Unit (SSU) or Local Authority (LA).
Prevention
We recognise that we can play a significant part in the prevention of harm to children, young person or vulnerable adult by providing them with effective lines of communication with trusted adults, supportive friends and an ethos of protection. Our organisation will support children, young person or adult by:
• Establishing and maintaining an ethos, understood by everyone, which enables children, young people or adults to feel secure and encourages them to talk, knowing that they will be listened to.
• Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment ensuring that all
children, young people or adults know that there is someone in our
organisation whom they can approach if they are worried or in difficulty.
• Liaising and working together with all other support services and those agencies involved in the safeguarding of children and adults.
• Recognising that children, young people or adults come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds, we have developed policies to ensure that we embrace diversity in religion and faith, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
• We will include our Safeguarding Policy in our governance
documents/website and will display a copy of our policy within the Passmore Edwards building. We are also able to arrange for our policy to be made available to parents whose first language is not English, on request.
Policy Review
We are responsible for ensuring the annual review of this policy and any additional local policies we have agreed that are relevant to safeguarding.
Meeting your communication needs:
We want to ensure that your needs are met. If you would like this information in another format eg on audio type, in Braille, large print, any other format or interpreted in a
language other than English, please contact Anne Hall Trustee email: passmoreedwardshayle@gmail.com