Purpose

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk from abuse or neglect.

This policy defines how St Johns and Spring Grove Association Limited (St John’s Centre) operates to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk of abuse or neglect.

We have a duty of care and are committed to the protection and safety of everyone who enters our premises including children, young people and adults at risk involved as visitors and/or as participants in all activities and events. We also have a duty to safeguard and support our trustees, committee members, volunteers and sub-contractors.

1. Definitions

Children and young people are defined as those persons aged under 18 years old.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• protecting children from maltreatment

• preventing impairment of children’s health and development

• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and

effective care

• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Adult at risk of abuse or neglect

For the purposes of this policy, adult at risk refers to someone over 18 years old who, according to paragraph 14.2 of the Care Act 2015:

• has care and support needs

• is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect

• as a result of their care and support needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the

abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

If someone has care and support needs but is not currently receiving care or support from a health or care service, they may still be an adult at risk.

2. Persons affected

All trustees, volunteers.

All those attending any activity or service that is being delivered from St Johns Community Centre

All visitors, contractors and agency staff.

3. Policy principles

There can be no excuses for not taking all reasonable action to protect children, young person and adults at risk of abuse, exploitation, radicalisation, and mistreatment. All citizens of the United Kingdom have their rights enshrined within the Human Rights Act 1998. People who are eligible to receive health and community care services may be additionally vulnerable to the violation of these rights by reason of disability, impairment, age, or illness.

• St Johns Community Centre has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.

• St Johns Community Centre recognises that under the Care Act 2014, it has a duty for the care and protection of adults who are at risk of abuse. It also recognises its responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004.

• St Johns Community Centre is committed to promoting wellbeing, harm prevention and to responding effectively if concerns are raised.

• St Johns Community Centre is aware of the work of their local safeguarding Board/Partnership and other support organisations on the development and implementation of procedures for the protection of adults vulnerable from abuse. The policy is about stopping abuse where it is happening and preventing abuse where there is a risk that it may occur.

• St Johns Community Centre Committee is committed to the following principles:

- The welfare of the child, young person or adult at risk is paramount

- All children, young people and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse

- Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and

organisation should play their full part; and

- All suspicions and allegations of abuse must be properly reported to the relevant internal and

external authorities and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

4. Procedures

a. All members of the committee will have signed the Trustee Statement of Eligibility form for trustees which includes a declaration that they have no convictions in relation to abuse.

b. All members of the committee will familiarise themselves with safeguarding responsibilities, undertake training on safeguarding issues where necessary including whistleblowing and ensure that they understand the principles set out in this policy at 3 above.

c. All members of the committee will work together to promote a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting welfare to be addressed.

d. All members of the committee, helpers or other volunteers will not have unsupervised access to children or adults at risk unless appropriately vetted.

e. The committee will follow safe recruitment of volunteer practices.

f. A member of the committee will be appointed to be responsible for child and adult at risk safeguarding matters. This person will have responsibility for reporting concerns that arise, as a matter of urgency, to the relevant safeguarding agency.

The named persons are David Fairweather and Jackie Chapelow

g. All suspicions or allegations of abuse against a child or adult at risk will be taken seriously and dealt with speedily and appropriately. The appointed person will know who to contact and where to go for support and advice in relation to an allegation a concern about the quality of care or practice or a complaint. An allegation may relate to a person who works with children or adult at risk who has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child or adult at risk or may have harmed a child or adult at risk.

• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child or adult at risk; or

• behaved towards a child or children or adult at risk in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm

h. The trustees will require all hirers who wish to use the hall for activities which include children and adults at risk to produce a copy of their Safeguarding Policy and confirm that they have carried out relevant checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

i. The trustees will require hirers that do not include unaccompanied children or adults at risk to sign a statement that they have read St Johns Community Centre’s safeguarding policy and will be bound by its content.

i. The Community Centre management committee will carry out an annual review of this policy. The next

review is due April 2023

(Safeguarding policy taken from model forms ACRE’s information sheet No. 5) April 2022

REVIEWS

Policy reviewed 5 July 2023 no amendments made