Safeguarding Policy

The Safeguarding Policy outlines our commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and ensuring their safety in all activities.

Introduction

It is the duty of care of the Hangleton & Knoll Project to ensure that any children, young people, and adults at risk who are participating in our service are safe from harm and exploitation. The protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and the wellbeing of children, young people, and adults at risk is a paramount consideration when providing services.

The Project aims to provide an environment that ensures people are safe from potential abuse and will respond to any suspicion of potential abuse in a way that respects the person’s dignity and reinforces responsibility to children, young people, and adults at risk.

Lead Officer: Joanna Martindale, CEO

These safeguarding duties apply to any child, young person, or adult at risk who:

  • Has needs for care and support
  • Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
  • As a result of age or those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of or the experience of abuse or neglect.

The Project endeavours to do this by ensuring policies and procedures for working with vulnerable adults include:

  1. Ensure that all employees (voluntary or paid) are aware that such work is exempt from the provisions laid down in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and will therefore be subject to a Disclosure and Barring check before starting work.
  2. Require all potential employees to provide references, attend interviews, agree to a DBS check, and work for a probationary period. Qualification certificates will be required, and past employers will be contacted directly.
  3. Recruit, train, and supervise employees and volunteers to adopt best practices to safeguard and protect children, young people, and adults at risk, helping them recognize and respond to suspected abuse whether physical, emotional, sexual, or as a result of neglect. Ongoing training will be offered to all employees involved with the care and education of children, young people, and adults at risk.
  4. Never allow an unregistered (i.e., not DBS checked) adult to work alone with a child, young person, or adult at risk.
  5. Require all staff/volunteers to adopt and abide by the Project’s code of conduct, procedures, and policy, outlined in the Hangleton & Knoll Project Staff Handbook.
  6. Treat children, young people, and adults at risk as individuals entitled to dignity and respect.
  7. Promote effective partnerships amongst all those involved with children, young people, and adults at risk, including, where appropriate, parents/carers, to improve children and young people’s welfare.
  8. Respond to allegations appropriately and implement the appropriate disciplinary, allegations, and reporting procedures.
  9. Ensure the needs and interests of the child, young person, or adult at risk are paramount.
  10. Ensure all staff in contact with vulnerable adults receive enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) clearance and hold relevant qualifications and certification.
  11. Appoint a lead officer responsible for the protection of children, young people, or adults at risk, acting as the main point of contact.
  12. Maintain and regularly review the child protection and adults at risk policy, procedures, and guidelines, including actions to be taken in the event of an allegation of abuse by a staff member.
  13. Uphold confidentiality in line with the Data Protection Act 1989 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Definitions

All staff need to note the following definitions and pass on any concerns to the Lead Officer of the Hangleton & Knoll Project.

A “child” or “young person” refers to people under the age of 18 or up to 21 with certain special educational needs. The Children Act 1989 covers all children under 18.

An “Adult at Risk” includes people with learning disabilities, mental health problems, older people, and people with disability or impairment, particularly when their situation is complicated by additional factors, such as physical frailty, chronic illness, sensory impairment, challenging behavior, drug or alcohol problems, social or emotional issues, poverty, or homelessness.

Awareness of Abuse

Abuse may be described as: “an act, or failure to act, by the person responsible for the care of the child. It may involve cruelty, exploitation, or neglect.”

Types of abuse include:

  • Physical Injury: Actual or likely physical injury to a child or young person, including failure to prevent injury.
  • Neglect: Persistent or severe neglect of a child or young person, including failure to protect from exposure to danger, resulting in impairment of health or development.
  • Sexual Abuse: Actual or likely sexual exploitation of a child or adolescent.
  • Emotional Abuse: Adverse effects on the emotional and behavioral development of the child or young person caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.

Supervision of children and young people

The Hangleton & Knoll Project provides enriching experiences for children and young people, helping them develop socially, mentally, and physically. Proper supervision ensures they are less likely to come to harm. This includes ensuring:

  • Competent staff in charge
  • Supervision at all times
  • Knowledge of the children’s location at all times
  • Sufficient staff
  • Adults work in pairs
  • Activities are planned and appropriate
  • Clear definition of adult responsibilities
  • All workers have received a DBS check and work according to DBS policy

Reporting allegations

If an allegation is made or concerns arise, they must be brought to the attention of the Lead Officer. Records will be kept of the facts, actions taken, and why. The role of the staff is not to investigate but to document and refer the matter to the appropriate authorities (e.g., Duty Assessment Team or Police).

Records should include:

  • Name of the child/young person/adult at risk
  • Parent’s/carer’s details
  • Address and relevant telephone numbers
  • Description of what happened or what was seen
  • Who else was present
  • What was said or seen
  • Actual evidence (if any)
  • Actions taken
  • Signed and dated, stored securely

The Prevent Agenda: Children, Young People, and Adults at Risk of Radicalisation

In response to increasing threats of terrorism, the Prevent agenda was introduced. Its aims are to increase awareness of behaviors suggesting a person is being groomed or radicalized, work with authorities to identify those most at risk, and ensure clear processes for referrals.

Hangleton & Knoll Project staff are expected to complete Prevent training. Concerns regarding radicalization should be treated with urgency and referred to the appropriate authorities.

For concerns, staff can contact:

  • Front Door for Families (under 17s): 01273 290400
  • Prevent Officer (adults): Non-emergency 101 ext. 550543

Approved: September 2016

Approved: June 2020

Approved: November 2023