Safeguarding Policies

Ace Centre recognises that the welfare of adults at risk is paramount and that they have equal rights of protection. We have a duty of care when they are in our charge and will do everything we can to provide a safe and caring environment whilst they attend our activities.

We will:

treat all adults at risk with respect and celebrate their achievements
carefully recruit and select all staff whether paid or unpaid
respond to concerns and allegations appropriately
adopt the recommendations of the SAFE toolkit

Ace Centre expects all responsible adults in our organisation to share concerns with the lead for adult safeguarding when there are concerns about the welfare of any adult at risk.

He/she is responsible for:

monitoring and recording concerns
making referrals to social care services without delay
liaison with other agencies
arranging training for all staff

The lead for adult safeguarding is responsible for overseeing, ensuring and implementing Ace Centre’s adult safeguarding policy, and that we attain SAFE standards. Ace Centre will make these details available to all responsible adults, adults at risk and parents/carers by training, staff handbook, information in staff areas and enrolment information. This includes ensuring they and all staff receive adult safeguarding training as appropriate. The deputy should be available to support or cover for the nominated lead. He/she will also handle any complaints or allegations against the nominated lead if appropriate.

Confidentiality:

In cases of disclosure of abuse by adults at risk, parents or carers, we are obliged to share the information and will refer our concerns to social care services, or the police in an emergency.

Staff Allegations:

Concerns about the behavior of responsible adults in the organisation will be referred immediately to the lead for Adult Safeguarding who will contact social care services, or the police, if a crime may have been committed

Adult Safeguarding Policy (Full)

The safeguarding of adults at risk is of paramount importance. It continues to attract high media attention, especially when there is a safeguarding adult at risk incident within an organisation.

Government guidance, consistently stresses that the welfare of adults at risk is the corporate responsibility of the local authority in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.

The legal definition of the term “adult at risk” refers to any person aged 18 years and over who:

o has needs for care and support and;

o is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse and neglect and;

o as a result of those care needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.

This could include people with communication needs, mental health issues, physical, sensory or learning disabilities, medical conditions, dementia, brain injury, those who are elderly and frail and those who are family carers.

Safeguarding concerns arise when an adult who has care and support needs and is, or is at risk of, being abused or neglected and unable to protect themself against the abuse or neglect or risk of it because of those needs.

Care and Support Statutory Guidance Issued under the Care Act 2014

Government guidance is clear that all organisations working with adults at risk, families, parents and carers have responsibilities. It is important to remember that adults at risk can also abuse and that such incidents fall into the remit of this policy.

The Care Act 2014 has six key principles, which should inform the way in which all of the workforce should work with adults. They are:

Empowerment
Prevention
Proportionality
Protection
Partnership
Accountability

Recognising Abuse

The Care and Support Statutory Guidance issued under the Care Act 2014 outlines how abuse may take many forms and how individual circumstances should be considered. Exploitation is a particular theme in the following list of abuse:

Physical
Domestic violence, including “honour” based violence
Sexual
Psychological
Financial or material abuse
Modern slavery
Discriminatory
Organisational or institutional
Neglect and acts of omission
Self-neglect
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Hate and “mate” crime

Mental Capacity

Ace Centre fully recognises and upholds the 5 key principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in all aspects of our work by:

Presuming each adult at risk has capacity
Supporting individuals to make their own decisions
Recognising the right for individuals to make their own decisions, even if they may seem eccentric
Making sure what we do for adults at risk (without capacity) is in their best interests
Making sure that anything we do is the least restrictive action for the individual

Ace Centre will involve the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service when there is no appropriate person to represent a person without mental capacity, when/if:

Serious medical treatment is provided, withheld or stopped
The person is moved into long–term care or a different hospital or care home

This also includes where safeguarding measures are in place for ANY adult at risk

We are mindful of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) 2009 and before thinking about applying for an authorisation, we will think about providing care in different ways which avoid depriving someone of their liberty.

Treating Adults with Respect

We endeavour to treat all adults at risk with respect, regardless of ability or culture.

We also circulate and make available to everyone by training, staff handbook, information in staff areas, enrolment information, our confidentiality statement, complaints procedures, allegations and “whistleblowing” statements and disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Safer Recruitment

Ace Centre adheres to the local Safeguarding Adults Board’s Key Standards for Recruitment, Care Quality Commission (CQC), (if applicable) and SAFE guidelines for recruiting all staff, paid or unpaid by obtaining full personal details along with application forms with particular relevance to previous work with adults at risk.

Ace Centre always take up a minimum of two written references and insist that any appointment, where staff has direct and/or unsupervised access to adults at risk, will only be confirmed subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring (DBS) check and a check against the Barred Adults List, where eligible.

Induction and Training

All new staff sign to record they have received and understand the “Good practice” leaflet and those with direct contact with adults at risk, or managers, will attend SAFE safeguarding training within 3 months of appointment. We also agree a probationary period of 6 months with clear goals and then provide supervision and appraisals at regular intervals of 6 months with Senior Management Team members

Confidentiality

Ace Centre has a clear policy in line with SAFE recommendations about confidentiality and information sharing and these details will be made available to all responsible adults, adults at risk, parents and carers (when relevant) by training, staff handbook, staff areas, enrolment information.

Ace Centre fully endorses the principle that the welfare of adults at risk overrides any obligations of confidence we may hold to others. Individual cases will only be shared or discussed on a “need to know” basis. Ace Centre CEO will handle all media enquiries

Handling Disclosures

A disclosure may be made verbally or communicated through play or behaviour by an adult at risk, or another adult in the organisation and it is important for everyone to remember the following:

If you are concerned about an adult at risk, it is important that this information is communicated to the lead or deputy for adult safeguarding.

You may become aware of suspected or likely abuse by:

Your own observations and concerns
Being told by another person that they have concerns about an adult at risk
The adult at risk tells you
The abuser tells you

Also remember that you may not always be working directly with the adult at risk but become concerned because of difficulties experienced by other adults, e.g.

Domestic Violence incidents
Mental Health issues
Substance and Alcohol Abuse Incidents
Radicalisation
FGM

Remember:

Do not delay
Do not investigate
Seek advice from the lead or deputy for adult safeguarding
Make careful recording of anything you observe or are told

Responding to Concerns

Ace Centre ensures and emphasises that everyone in our organisation understands and knows how to share any concerns immediately with the adult safeguarding lead and deputy. We do this by training/staff handbook/staff areas/enrolment information.

Everyone including both the lead and deputy for adult safeguarding will deal with concerns using the following:

Allegations/Complaints/Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures

Ace Centre has clear policies in line with SAFE recommendations about handling allegations, dealing with complaints and our own disciplinary and grievance procedures and these details will be made available to all adults, adults at risk, parents and carers, as necessary, by training/staff handbook/staff areas/enrolment information.

Ace Centre is mindful that the three procedures may confuse the next appropriate steps to take. We are clear that, in any case where a complaint has been made about any inappropriate or poor practice, we will discuss the situation with local authority Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager and/or social care services before making an open decision about the best way forward.

It is the responsibility of the lead and/or deputy for adult safeguarding to ensure that these procedures are adhered to rigorously. In the case that the lead person is implicated, the deputy should be informed. In the exceptional circumstances that both are involved, it is the duty of the person concerned to contact social care services direct, or the police if a crime has, or may have been, committed under “Whistleblowing”

Social care services will manage any investigations, overseen by the local Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (or local equivalent) in accordance with local Safeguarding Adults Board procedures. These are available on the local Safeguarding Adults Board website.

With regards to disciplinary and grievance procedures, Ace Centre is very clear that we will take no steps until we have fully discussed and agreed a strategy with the Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager, social care services and/or the police. Any investigation will override the need to implement any such procedures.

Record Keeping

All records will be kept securely in a locked cabinet/drawer in the Ace Centre offices. Only the lead and/or deputy for adult safeguarding will have access and records will be kept only as long as necessary.

Normally these records will be passed to social care services as soon as possible. All records will be written by the person with the concern within 24 hours, on headed paper or incident sheets and will be factual, non-judgmental.

It is helpful to record any known details of the adult at risk(s) involved e.g. name, address, date of birth etc. It is equally important to record the reasons for making the decision not to refer to social care services as when the decision is taken to refer. Always sign, date and time these records, include name and job role

Policy Date

This policy was agreed and disseminated on 31^st March 2017 and will be reviewed annually or when there are substantial organisational changes.

Policy Review Date: 31^st March 2018

Signed:

Lead for adult safeguarding:

Deputy for adult safeguarding:

Date:

A separate record for staff signatures should be maintained to evidence they have seen and understand this policy

Reference Documents

All references are available at www.SAFE.co.uk

Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy

Version 1.0

31^st March 2017

Contents

Policy Statement 3

Policy Aim.. 3

Child Safeguarding Lead and Deputy. 3

Why do we need a Safeguarding Children Policy?. 3

Recognising Abuse. 5

Rigorous Recruitment 6

Induction & Training. 7

Confidentiality. 7

Handling Disclosures. 7

Responding to Concerns. 9

Handling Allegations / Dealing with Complaints / Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures. 9

Record Keeping. 10

Policy Date. 11

References. 11

Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy (Full Model)

Policy Statement

Ace Centre recognises that the welfare of all children is paramount and that all children and young people, regardless of ability or culture, have equal rights of protection. We have a duty of care when they are in our charge and we will do everything we can to provide a safe and caring environment whilst they attend our activities.

Policy Aim

As members of SAFE, Ace Centre aims at all times to attain the SAFE standards in all our activities with children, young people, their families and/or carers. We will achieve this by adhering strictly to this policy and the guidance and risk assessments

Child Safeguarding Lead and Deputy

The responsibility of managing the safeguarding of children can be both demanding and challenging, and therefore must be appointed at managerial level to personnel who are available when we are operational.

Their role is to oversee and ensure that Ace Centre’s safeguarding children policy is fully implemented and that we attain SAFE standards. These details will be made available to all adults, children and parents/carers by training, staff handbook, information in staff areas and enrolment information. This includes ensuring they and all staff receive child protection training as appropriate. The deputy should be available to support or cover for the nominated lead. She will also handle any complaints or allegations against the nominated lead if appropriate.

Why do we need a Safeguarding Children Policy?

The five main outcomes for children as detailed in “Every Child Matters” agenda 2003 and subsequent Children Act 2004 are:

being healthy
staying safe
enjoying and achieving
making a positive contribution
economic well-being

Government guidance is clear that all organisations working with children, young people, families, parents and carers have responsibilities (see Appendix for References). It is important to remember that children and young people can also abuse and that such incidents fall into the remit of this policy.

All organisations should:

have senior managers committed to safeguarding
be clear about people’s responsibilities and accountability
have a culture of listening to children
safe recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers working with children & young people
procedures for safeguarding children and young people
procedures for dealing with allegations against, and concerns about, staff & volunteers
make sure staff have mandatory induction and further safeguarding training, supervision, reviews and support
have agreements about working with other organisations and agencies

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015

“Children are individuals whose rights, needs and welfare are paramount.”

Children Act 1989

The 2 key principals of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 are:

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility; for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part and

and

a child centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based upon a clear understanding of the needs and views of children

“No child or group of children must be treated any less favourably than others in being able to access services which meet their particular needs”

Equality Act 2010

All references and documents are available under “References” on the homepage of www.safecic.co.uk

Recognising Abuse

Physical:

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing significant harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Emotional:

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children.

Sexual:

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Neglect:

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger;
ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Treating Children with Respect

Ace Centre endeavours to treat all children and young people with respect, regardless of ability or culture.

We also circulate and make available to everyone by training, staff handbook, information in staff areas, enrolment information our confidentiality statement, complaints procedures, allegations and “whistleblowing” statements and disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Rigorous Recruitment

Ace Centre adheres to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (SCB) Key Standards for Recruitment, Ofsted, CQC and SAFE guidelines for recruiting all staff, paid or unpaid by obtaining full personal details and application forms (not CVs) with particular relevance to previous work with children and young people.

Ace Centre always take up two written references and insist that any appointment, where staff has direct and/or unsupervised access to children and young people, will only be confirmed subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

At interview Ace Centre has sound procedures and recording to ensure we are satisfied, and can evidence that the applicant is appropriate and suitable.

Induction & Training

In line with SAFE recommendations, Ace Centre has a clear induction and training strategy detailing clear job descriptions and responsibilities and all relevant procedures as detailed under “Treating Children with Respect”. All new staff sign to record they have received and understand the “Good Practice” leaflet and those with direct contact with children and young people, or managers, will attend SAFE child protection training within 3 months of appointment. We also agree a probationary period of 6 months with clear goals and then provide supervision/appraisals at regular intervals of 6 months with the appropriate line manager.

Confidentiality

We have a clear policy in line with SAFE recommendations about confidentiality and information sharing and these details will be made available to all adults, children, parents and carers by training, staff handbook, staff areas, and enrolment information.

We fully endorse the principal that the welfare of children and young people over ride any obligations of confidence we may hold to others. Individual cases will only be shared or discussed on a “need to know” basis. Under “whistleblowing” anyone in our organisation may refer direct to either children’s social care services or the police if they are concerned that a child is at risk of harm and this policy is not being adhered to. Anna Reeves will handle all media enquiries.

Handling Disclosures

A disclosure may be made verbally or through play or through the behaviour by a child, young person or an adult and it is important for everyone to remember the following:

If you are concerned about a child it is important that this information is communicated to the lead and/ or deputy for child safeguarding.

You may become aware of suspected or likely abuse by:

Your own observations and concerns;
Being told by another person that they have concerns about a child;
The child tells you;
The abuser tells you.

Also remember that you may not always be working directly with the child but become concerned because of difficulties experienced by the adults e.g.

Domestic violence incidents
Mental health issues
Substance and alcohol abuse Incidents

Other concerns may be:

Children living away from home or gone missing
Peer abuse including bullying
Race and racism
Radicalisation
Gang membership
Violent extremism
Sexual exploitation
Female genital mutilation
Forced marriage
Concealed pregnancy
Child trafficking
eSafety

Remember:

Do not delay.
Do not investigate.
Seek advice from the child protection lead or deputy.
Make careful recording of anything you observe or are told.

Responding to Concerns

We ensure and emphasise that everyone in our organisation understand and know how to share any concerns immediately with the child protection lead and deputy. We do this by training/staff handbook/staff areas/enrolment information. Everyone including both the lead and deputy for child safeguarding will deal with concerns using the following:

Handling Allegations / Dealing with Complaints / Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures

Ace Centre has clear policies in line with SAFE recommendations about handling allegations, dealing with complaints and our own disciplinary and grievance procedures and these details will be made available to all adults, children, parents and carers as necessary by training/staff handbook/staff areas/enrolment information.

Ace Centre is mindful that the three procedures may confuse the next appropriate steps to take. We are clear that, in any case where a complaint has been made with regards to any inappropriate or poor practice, we will discuss the situation with children’s social care services before making an open decision about the best way forward.

It is the responsibility of the child protection lead and/or deputy to ensure that these procedures are rigorously adhered to. In the case that the child protection lead is implicated, the deputy should be informed. In the exceptional circumstances that both are involved, it is the duty of the person concerned to contact children’s social care services direct.

Children’s social care services will manage any investigations, overseen by the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) in accordance with Local Safeguarding Children Board (SCB) procedures. These are available on the SCB website.

With regards to disciplinary and grievance procedures, we are very clear that we will take no steps until we have fully discussed and agreed a strategy with the Local Authority Designated Officer, children’s social care services and/or the police. Any investigation will over ride the need to implement any such procedures. Ace Centre management team is responsible for making referrals to the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS), and the relevant professional bodies of an individual who does or may pose a danger to children and young people. Other organisations will liaise with their LADO and local agencies if such a referral needs to be made.

Record Keeping

All records will be securely kept in a locked cabinet/drawer in the relevant Ace Centre office. Only the child safeguarding lead and/or deputy will have access and records will only be kept as long as necessary.

Normally these records will be passed to children’s social care services as soon as possible. All records will be handwritten (and if recorded electronically, kept in a secure area) by the person with the concern within 24 hours, on headed paper or incident sheets and will be factual, non-judgmental. All such records will have a front page listing the papers in chronological order.

It is helpful to record any known details of the child/children or young people involved e.g. name, address, date of birth etc. All records should be factual. It is equally important to record the reasons for making the decision not to refer to children’s social care services as when the decision is taken to refer. Always sign, clearly detail name and job role of the person making the record. date and time these records.

It is only through adopting SAFE policies and practices that we can all be confident we have done everything we can to safeguard the children and young people in our care.

Policy Date

This policy was agreed and disseminated on 31^st March 2017 and will be reviewed annually or when there are substantial organisational changes.

Policy Review Date: 31^st March 2018

Signed:

Lead for child safeguarding:

Deputy for child safeguarding:

Date:

A separate record for staff signatures should be maintained to evidence they have seen and understand this policy

References

Note, all references can be found in the reference section at www.safecic.co.uk