Shorter Safeguarding Guidelines & Procedures
Created: MAY 2022
Reviewed and updated: JANUARY 2023
Reviewer: Jenna Fan
Introduction:
Go Pop CIC has a duty to ensure that everyone involved in its work is able to feel that they work in an open and safe environment where they are treated with respect and dignity. Go Pop CIC takes pride in its work with children and young people.
The aim of these Safeguarding Guidelines and Procedures is to ensure that all staff, volunteers, employees and participants at Go Pop CIC are confident about their own good practise when working with children, young people and adults at risk and are aware of how to distinguish good practise in their colleagues’ behaviour.
Any concerns about poor practise must be reported. Please phone Jenna Fan on 07595 479922 please also email hello@gopopcic.co.uk with a name and number and put SAFEGUARDING as the title. Please do not put confidential information in the email. We will phone you to discuss the issue with urgency.
Definitions for the purposes of these guidelines:
Children / child: A child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday
Young person: A young person is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday (this term takes account for teenagers who may not wish to be referred to as a ‘child’)
Adult at Risk: When a child with S.E.N.D (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) becomes 18 years old they are defined as an adult at risk. An adult who ‘may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against harm or exploitation’ If we then know there is a specific issue they become a ‘vulnerable adult’
Adult: At 18 a child legally becomes an adult. Note that in some projects 25 is the cut off age when organisations consider young people to have become adults (and often with S.E.N.D). However this is not a legal definition.
Good Practice: Behaving in an appropriate manner towards all of the above.
Position of Trust: A position of trust is any position (paid or voluntary) that requires its holder to enjoy the trust of those around them. People in a position of trust need to carefully consider their relationships with children or vulnerable adults. It is an offence for a person aged 18 or over to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 18 if the older person holds a position of trust as such sexual activity is an abuse of the position of trust. This includes young people aged 16 and 17 who, despite reaching the age of consent of sexual activity, are considered to be vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation in defined circumstances. This legislation does not currently apply to the participatory arts context but Go Pop CIC will work to the principles behind the legislation and put in place codes of ethics and conduct which are addressed through disciplinary procedures. A consensual sexual relationship between a person with authority over the young person and the 16 or 17 year old is never healthy in our view and can be open to abuse.
Who these guidelines cover:
These guidelines apply to ALL children / young people / adults at risk and vulnerable adults, regardless as to why they are involved in the work of Go Pop CIC, including but not limited to:
Statement:
Go Pop CIC believes that:
Please note that no staff working for Go Pop CIC are trained to deal with situations of abuse, or have the power to decide if abuse has occurred.
Definitions of abuse of children and young people:
Abuse
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. 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. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse.
As a member of staff or volunteer working for Go Pop CIC you have a responsibility to be vigilant at all times when coming into contact with children, young people, their families and other carers. You may observe or be a witness to any of the following during your contact with children and families:
The main types of abuse of children and young people are:
Definitions of abuse of Adults at Risk:
Good Practice Guidelines:
ALL staff (including Freelance and Casual Staff) and volunteers are expected to work within these guidelines. Failure to do so could result in allegations of poor practise, which would then be dealt with as a misconduct issue.
Practise never to be sanctioned (Poor Practise):
Any suspicion that a child has been abused, or is at risk of being abused, by either a member of staff, a volunteer or any other adult involved in the child’s life (such as a parent) should be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Officer who will take such steps as considered necessary to ensure the safety of the child in question and any other child who may be at risk.
The Designated Safeguarding Officer will refer the allegation to Social Care Direct or Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) whose staff are qualified to assess the situation, who may involve the police.
PROCEDURES
Internal Roles and Responsibilities
The following page details the procedures which Go Pop CIC will follow.
Jenna Fan is the Designated Safeguarding Officer, Julie Townend is the Deputy Safeguarding Officer.
The role and responsibilities of the designated officer (s) are:
In conjunction with the Safeguarding Officers, all staff must ensure that they:
Incidents that MUST be reported / recorded
For your own protection against false allegations and / or misconstrued behaviour, if any of the following occur you should report this immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Officer and record the incident.
Action if there are concerns
1. Concerns about Good Practise (i.e. if someone is not following the Good Practise Guidelines):
2. Concerns about suspected abuse (i.e. if any member of staff or adult involved in Go Pop CIC’s work is taking part in Poor Practise or abuse):
The Designated Safeguarding Officer has a duty to inform the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) who must be contacted within one working day in respect of all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
Recruitment of staff (including Freelance and Casual Staff), volunteers and specialist placements:
Go Pop CIC recognises that anyone may have the potential to abuse children in some way and that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children. Go Pop CIC requires that, for each person involved in working with children, upon offer of employment and signing of contracts:
We will then record relevant information and store this securely.
Go Pop CIC is an organisation that takes the safeguarding of children and young people seriously’
Action if a Child Discloses Information
It is not the responsibility of anyone working for Go Pop CIC, in a paid or unpaid capacity, to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However, there is a responsibility to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities.
When a child or young person discloses (says) something to you that causes concern, it is important to clearly record this information. Any concerns about a child or young person should be recorded regardless of whether or not it will be ultimately passed on to the statutory authorities.
If a child or young person talks about possible abuse, the member of staff or volunteer should:
Accidental Disclosures
Sometimes, disclosures can be made accidentally and not intentionally – be aware and vigilant. This can happen through drama games and improvisation, or you may overhear something someone has said. If you have ANY cause for concern, then take immediate, necessary action.
With any disclosure, the member of staff or volunteer should not:
To help you remember, use The Four Rs:
Receive: Listen to the child / take it seriously / keep an open mind
Reassure: “You’ve done the right thing” / Be honest about outcomes/ Never promise confidentiality
React: Stay calm, stay professional / Ask open questions/ Don’t criticise / Explain Next Steps / Inform someone
Record: Make brief notes immediately and keep them / Record words used by the child / Record impartiality
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR REPORTING / REFERRALS and SUPPORT
Social Care Direct on: 0345 8503503 – open 24 hours a day. For concerns about children and young people or if you are worried about an adult at Risk.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for all allegations against people who work with children (whether paid or voluntary) on 01924 302155 / lado.referrals@wakefield.gov.uk
During covid please check the website where there is a referral form:
Wakefield District Safeguarding Children Board | wakefieldscp.org.u… | 01924 306497
NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on: 0808 800 5000
The police on: 999 (if a child is in immediate danger) or 0845 606 0 606
Childline on 0800 1111.
If you are concerned a young person is at risk of radicalisation you can phone the police helpline on 101 or 0800789321
If you are worried about F.G.M (‘Known’ cases must be reported to police) you can call the F.G.M helpline on 0800 028 3550
Wakefield & District Victim Support who have a specialist Young People’s Service: 01924 369107 or National Line: 0845 303 0900.