POLICY ONE: Safeguarding Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults

Summary

Responsibilities 

The Ladies’ Lounge project will: 

1. Fully recognise its responsibilities for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. 
2. Respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of children and vulnerable adults. 
3. Promote and implement appropriate procedures to safeguard the well-being of children and vulnerable adults and protect them from abuse. 
4. Recruit, train, support and supervise its volunteers to adopt best practice to safeguard and protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and to minimise risk to themselves. 
5. Require volunteers to adopt and abide by this Safeguarding Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults and these Procedures. 
6. Respond to all allegations of misconduct or abuse of children and/or vulnerable adults in line with this Policy and these Procedures.
7. Liaise with statutory and all other appropriate agencies in safeguarding everyone that Torbay Ladies’ Lounge Volunteers meets in carrying out its work.

A. Principles 

The welfare of children is everyone's responsibility, particularly when it comes to protecting them from abuse. It is likely that through the normal working practices of Ladies’ Lounge, their volunteers will meet children and vulnerable adults who may require safeguarding and assistance. Ladies’ Lounge will uphold its duty to offer such safeguarding and assistance. 

This Policy and these Procedures are based on the following principles: 

1. The welfare of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount concern. 
2. All children and vulnerable adults, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, socio-economic status, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to safeguarding from abuse. 
3. It is everyone's responsibility to report any concerns about abuse and the responsibility of the statutory authorities (e.g. Adult Care Trust, Children’s Social Services and the Police) to conduct, where appropriate a safeguarding investigation. 
4. All incidents of alleged poor practice, misconduct and abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately. 
5. All personal data will be processed in accordance with the requirements of the Data Safeguarding Act 1998. 

B. Review 

This Policy and these Procedures will be regularly monitored and reviewed: 

1. In accordance with changes in legislation and guidance on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults or any changes within the Ladies’ Lounge. 
2. Following any issues or concerns raised about the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults within the Ladies’ Lounge. 
3. In all other circumstances, at least annually. 

Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Procedures 

1. Recruitment and Employment 

All reasonable steps must be taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children and vulnerable adults. 

For all positions that require regular contact with children or vulnerable adults the following recruitment procedures must be completed.

Pre-application Information

Pre-application information for positions involving regular contact with children or vulnerable adults will be sent to applicants and will include:

An application form and self-declaration form.

Application and Self-Declaration Form

All applicants will be requested to complete an application and self-declaration form. 

The purpose of the application form is to obtain relevant details from the applicant for the position. The purpose of the self-declaration form is to collect information on criminal behaviour that is relevant to the position e.g. criminal records or investigations. 

The self-declaration form is requested in a separate sealed envelope and is not opened until the applicant is selected. If the applicant is not selected the form is destroyed.

Interviews

All applicants will be interviewed. Ladies’ Lounge will ensure that general principles of good practice in asking questions at interview are followed and that all questions will be relevant to the position, open, fair, appropriate and legitimate.

References

Two References will be sought from people who know you well, but not members of your family.

Checks

Prior to appointment an Enhanced DBS check without a Barred List Check should be completed. This will require the prospective Ladies’ Lounge volunteer to complete and submit a DBS form, with a copy of the results returning to the Ladies’ Lounge Manager/Deputy Manager

Offer of Position

Whilst the DBS check is being processed the individual will be informed when their training commences, and that they will be under observation and close supervision.

Training

Newly appointed volunteers will complete the following training over an agreed period:

Protecting children and vulnerable adults.

Any other identified training needs.

Assessment

Appointed volunteers will undergo a process of continuous assessment and development.

Monitoring and Performance Appraisal

The Manager/Deputy Manager will monitor all volunteers who have contact with children or vulnerable adults.  Every Ladies’ Lounge volunteer will have opportunity for supervision with their Manager/Deputy Manager

2. Specific Responsibility for the Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer 

The Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer (“CVAO”) is:  Rosie Wilkinson

The CVAO has the main responsibility for managing child and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues within the Ladies’ Lounge Volunteers charity.  The role and responsibilities of the Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer are detailed below. 

Specific responsibilities in relation to allegations against volunteers are detailed in the Procedure for Managing Suspicions and Allegations of Abuse of a Child or Vulnerable Adult against Volunteers (Section 4.3)

1. Role and Responsibilities of the Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer/Coordinator
   1. Implement and promote the Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.

Within the Ladies’ Lounge project, the Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer and Manager/Deputy Manager will: 

1. Act as the main contact within the Ladies’ Lounge project for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
2. Provide information and advice on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
3. Support and raise awareness of the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
4. Communicate with volunteers on issues of child and vulnerable adult safeguarding.
5. Keep abreast of developments and understand the latest information on data safeguarding, confidentiality and other issues that impact on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
6. Encourage good practice and support of procedures to protect children and vulnerable adults.
7. Establish and maintain contact with local statutory agencies including the Police and Care Trust and Children’s Services Directorate.
8. Maintain confidential records of reported cases and action taken and liaise with the statutory agencies and ensure they have access to all necessary information.
9. Organise training for volunteers of Ladies’ Lounge
10. Regularly monitor and review the Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.
11. Attend training on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
12. Code of Conduct for the Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults 

This code of conduct details the types of practice required by all volunteers of Ladies’ Lounge when in contact with children or vulnerable adults. The types of practice are categorised into good practice; practice to be avoided and practice never to be sanctioned. Suspicions or allegations of non-compliance of the Code by a volunteer will be dealt with through Ladies’ Lounge Disciplinary Procedure for misconduct or through Responding to a Suspicion or Allegation of Abuse (p.7).

1. Good Practice 
   1. Partner up with another volunteer throughout the course of the shift. 

The Ladies’ Lounge project supports and requires the following good practice by volunteers when in contact with children and vulnerable adults. 

When working with children or vulnerable adults: 

1. Treat all children and vulnerable adults equally, with respect and dignity. 
2. Be an excellent role model including not smoking in the company of children or vulnerable adults. 
3. Give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism. 
4. Ensure that if any form of physical support is required for a child or vulnerable adult, it is provided openly, the child or vulnerable adult is informed of what is being done and their consent is obtained. 
5. Involve parents, guardians and carers wherever possible. 
6. Build balanced relationships based on mutual trust that empower children and vulnerable adults to share in the decision-making process. 
7. First Aid and Treatment of Injuries: 
   1. Keep a written record of any injury that is presented or occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.

If, in your capacity as a volunteer of the Ladies’ Lounge project a child or vulnerable adult requires first aid or any form of medical attention whilst in your care, then the following good practice must be followed: 

1. Only those with current recognised First Aid training should respond to any injuries. 
2. Where possible any course of action should be discussed with the child/vulnerable adult, in language that they understand, and their permission sought before any action is taken. 
3. In more serious cases, assistance must be obtained from a medically qualified professional as soon as possible. 
4. The child's or vulnerable adult's parents/guardians or carers must be informed of any injury and any action taken as soon as possible, unless it is in the child's or vulnerable adult's interests and on professional advice not to do so. 
5. Reporting 
   1. If you accidentally hurt a child or vulnerable adult; or 

If volunteers have concerns about an incident involving a child or vulnerable adult that seems untoward or unusual, they must report their concerns as soon as possible to the Manager/Deputy Manager or Child and Vulnerable Adult Officer. Parents should also be informed of the incident as soon as possible unless it is not in the child's or vulnerable adult's interests to tell them in which case Team Leaders will act as a point of reference for all referrals to professional agencies.

Report, record and inform if the following occur: 

1. If a child or vulnerable adult seems distressed in any manner; or 
2. If a child or vulnerable adult misunderstands or misinterprets something said or done.