SAFEGUARDING POLICY

(Including Recruitment Policy)

Purpose

This policy, procedures and guidelines are concerned with the protection of children and young people who attend sessions run by the Trinity Trust Team (TTT). It is designed primarily to help staff and volunteers at TTT to recognise and respond to cases of abuse involving children and young people in particular to:

• Provide mechanisms to help safeguard children and young people from abuse and/or exploitation
• Reduce and prevent incidences of abuse
• Promote wellbeing
• Respond quickly and sensitively to suspicions or disclosed incidents of abuse
• Provide a process for staff who have issues of concern in respect to suspected, disclosed or observed abuse
• Increase awareness of issues concerning the abuse children and young people.

This policy applies to the management team, all staff and volunteers working for TTT

Responsibilities

All staff have a duty of care to all service users, to recognise the signs of abuse and to take action where it is reported. Staff will receive training on what abuse is, how to recognise abuse and report it. The policy and procedures commit staff and volunteers to responding promptly to all allegations or suspicions or abuse.

The safeguarding officer will ensure that the Safeguarding policy is implemented consistently across the charity.

The safeguarding officer, has responsibility for recording all instances of alleged or reported abuse. Staff should approach the designated person with any concerns of abuse.

The safeguarding officer will:

• Alert the relevant authorities and gain advice vis C-SPA (Children's single point of access and the child protection line).
• Document all actions, conversations and reasons for decisions made
• Ensure that all staff and volunteers are familiar with the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Guidelines.
• Pass their concerns to the school/church safeguarding officer dependent on the venue and age group concerned.

Safety and protection

TTTs first priority is to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people. TTT will work together with other local agencies to uphold the right of children and young people from harm and exploitation.

Confidentiality

Children and young people have the right to expect that any information they give to TTT and other local agencies, will be treated with care and confidentiality. Where a member of staff or safeguarding officer considers that there is suspected abuse they may need to disclose confidential information to the relevant authority and other agencies.  Where such a need is established, disclosure should be on a ‘need to know’ basis and limited in terms of the information passed and the third parties to whom it is disclosed.

Staff will need to be able to justify why they are sharing information with another agency. However, the duty to protect an individual or others will in most cases outweigh the need to adhere to data protection and to maintain confidentiality.

Definitions

Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may be physical, verbal or psychological, it may be an act of neglect or an omission to act, or it may occur when a vulnerable person is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which he or she has not consented, or cannot consent. Abuse can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the person subjected to it‘. (Department of Health, March 2000)

Safeguards

The following safeguards are in place to protect children and young people.

Selection of staff and volunteers:

• All staff and volunteers will complete an application form, where they will state whether they have any criminal convictions.
• All shortlisted candidates will be interviewed
• All prospective staff will be asked to provide photographic evidence
• Two references will be taken up prior to the appointment of the individual
• All applicants will need to agree to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check or Disclosure and Barring service check.

Training:

• Staff and volunteers will receive induction training, which will give an overview of the organisation and ensure they know its purpose, values, services and structure. Relevant training and support will be provided on an ongoing basis
• Training will be given on specific areas such as health and safety procedures, identifying and reporting abuse, and confidentiality

Volunteers

• Volunteers will be expected to have completed an enhanced Disclosure and Barring service check and provide details for two referees if over 18.
• Volunteers need to have completed their own churches safeguarding course.
• Where this is not possible volunteers will be provided with safeguarding training from TTT.

Monitoring and review

The policy and procedures will be reviewed on an annual basis by the management committee.

Related documents

This policy document should be read in conjunction with the other polices of the TTT e.g. Data protection, Equal opportunities.

SAFEGUARDING ADVICE

Awareness Information

Abuse may be a single act or one that happens repeatedly.  It may be planned or reactive as well as intentional or unintentional.  It can also happen due to ignorance or due to the abuser needing help themselves.

People can be abused in different ways. Below are some of the different types of abuse and the indicators of abuse.

Physical Abuse

Any physical pain, suffering or injury which is inflicted by a person who has responsibility, charge, care or custody of, or who has a position of or expectation of trust to an individual, constitutes physical abuse. This includes but is not limited to assault, physical restraint, hitting, slapping, burning, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, rough handling, deprivation of care and necessities.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse or emotional abuse is one of the most common types of abuse. It constitutes any behaviour by another that results in psychological harm to an individual constitutes this type of abuse

Psychological abuse includes but is not limited to harassing, ignoring, blaming, humiliating, threatening harm or abandonment, contact deprivation, controlling, intimidation, harassment; coercion, verbal abuse/insults, racial slurs, lack of privacy, lack of respect of cultural diversity, denial of dignity.

Sexual Abuse

Any sexual act that a person takes part or is forced to take part in without their informed consent constitutes sexual abuse.

It includes but is not limited to rape, sexual harassment, fondling, inappropriate touching, use of sexual or offensive language.

Neglect

Neglect is the deprivation of help to perform activities of daily living. It can also be the failure to intervene in behaviour which is dangerous to the individual or to others. Not all neglect is intentional. It can occur when the caregiver cannot cope or does not have the necessary resources or support.

Who can abuse

The abuser is usually well known to the person being abused. They may be:

• a partner, child or relative
• a friend or neighbour
• a paid or volunteer care worker
• a health or social worker, or other professional
• older people may also be abused by a person they care for

What to do if abuse is suspected

Do

• Do stay calm
• Do ensure the safety of the individual and yourself
• Do assess the need for emergency services
• Do listen attentively to what the person says and pay attention to body language
• Do take it seriously – even if it is not making much sense to you at present
• Do reassure the person they are right to tell you
• Do explain to the person what action you will be taking
• Do inform the safeguarding officer as soon as possible
• Do follow closely the Safeguarding Procedures in place
• Do write down exact details of the conversation you have had with the individual
• Do take all precautions to preserve evidence
• Do report to the safeguarding officer unless the safeguarding officer is implicated in the abuse in which case it should be reported to another member of the management committee.

Do not

• Do not panic
• Do not show that you are shocked or that you do not believe them
• Do not be judgemental or make assumptions
• Do not stop someone who is freely recalling significant events
• Do not launch into an investigation of your own
• Do not press for more details or question excessively
• Do not make a promise to keep it secret or other promises you cannot keep
• Do not try and sort this out -  stick to the procedure
• Do not contact or confront alleged abuser
• Do not tell people who do not need to know -  confidentiality is important
• Do not disturb or destroy possible evidence e.g., clean person up, wash clothes

Please contact Fiona August at [email protected] with any queries relating to Safeguarding.

Adopted:                 6^th November 2013

Policy Reviewed:       May 2025

By The Management Team of TTT

Version Control - Approval and Review