Safeguarding Policy

Contents

The purpose and scope of this policy:

  • Contact details.
  • Policy review dates.
  • Accessible Waterways Association safeguarding statement.
  • Roles and responsibilities.
  • Dealing appropriately with safeguarding concerns.
  • Safeguarding in practice at Accessible Waterways Association.
  • Allegations of abuse against Accessible Waterways Association staff or volunteers.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this policy applies to staff and volunteers at all levels of the organisation, including volunteers, directors, lived experience ambassadors and paid staff (if any).

The welfare of children and other vulnerable individuals is at the heart of The Accessible Waterways Association’s (AWA) mission. Everyone working for the organisation, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity, has a responsibility to keep them safe. The purpose of this policy is to set out the ways AWA protects children and other vulnerable individuals from harm, and promotes their well-being.

This policy provides all AWA staff and volunteers with guidance about the safeguarding procedures and processes they should follow if they suspect a child or other vulnerable individual may be experiencing or be at risk of harm.

This policy sets out the steps we take to ensure that all staff and volunteers are informed about safeguarding in line with our duty to ensure that all adults who work with or on behalf of children and other vulnerable individuals are competent, confident, and safe to do so.

AWA complies with all the legal obligations placed upon it by legislation, such as the Children Act 2004, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (England and Wales) and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (Scotland).

Contact details:

Should there be any safeguarding concerns these should be raised without delay with at least one of the following individuals:

Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Tim Sedge, Treasurer. tim.sedge@awa-uk.org.uk | 07712 723238.

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (including any safeguarding concerns relating to the Treasurer):
Tim Clarke, Chair. tim.clarke@awa-uk.org.uk | 07803 197954.

AWA safeguarding statement

We believe that:

Children, young people, or vulnerable adults, should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, young people, and/or vulnerable adults, to keep them safe, and to carry out our activities in a way that protects them.

We recognise that:

  • the welfare of children and young people is paramount in all the work we do, and in all the decisions we take. All children and young people, irrespective of their age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, or identity, have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
  • some children and young people are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues
  • the welfare of vulnerable adults is of equal importance, and they have an equal right to protection from all types of harm and abuse
  • working in partnership with children, young people, vulnerable adults, their parents, carers, and other agencies, is essential in promoting their welfare.

We will seek to keep children, young people, and vulnerable adults safe by:

  • appointing a nominated child protection lead
  • adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies and procedures
  • providing effective management for staff and volunteers so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures, and behaviour codes, confidently and competently
  • recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
  • ensuring all staff and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training
  • recording, storing, and using, information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
  • making sure that affected individuals know where to go for help if they have a concern
  • promoting a fair, open and positive culture and ensuring that anyone affected feels able to report concerns, confident that they will be heard and responded to
  • using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately
  • creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment, and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
  • ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
  • ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
  • building a culture where staff and volunteers, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

All staff and volunteers will:

  • fully comply with the safeguarding policies and procedures of the organisation and any other partner organisations, such as schools, when they are visiting them
  • complete appropriate safeguarding training
  • refer and adhere to safeguarding guidance when facilitating or undertaking visits to schools or partner organisations
  • immediately and appropriately act on any safeguarding concerns, including informing the Designated Safeguarding Lead

Dealing appropriately with safeguarding concerns:

Everyone has a duty to Recognise, Respond, Record and Report concerns, but they should maintain an open mind in doing so. It is not the responsibility of the staff or volunteers to investigate concerns or determine the truth of any disclosure or allegation. They should liaise with AWA’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will make an informed decision of what to do next.

Recognising abuse:

Abuse may be a single incident, or may be something that occurs repeatedly over a long period of time. It can take many forms including, but not limited to:

  • physical abuse
  • mental or emotional abuse
  • neglect and failure to act
  • sexual abuse, harassment, or harm
  • financial abuse or exploitation
  • threats of abuse or harm
  • controlling or intimidating conduct
  • self-neglect
  • domestic abuse
  • modern slavery
  • cyber abuse
  • bullying or harassment
  • health and safety
  • extremism and radicalisation
  • forced marriage
  • human trafficking
  • discrimination on any of the grounds in the Equality Act 2010

Concerns that staff and volunteers must immediately report:

  • Any behaviours which give rise to suspicions that a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, may have suffered harm.
  • Any concerns that a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, is presenting signs or symptoms of abuse or neglect.
  • Any hint or disclosure of abuse from any person.
  • Any concerns regarding person(s) who may pose a risk to children and young people.
  • If an individual is in immediate danger, call the police, or other relevant service, on 999.

Responding to a disclosure:

Staff or volunteers may receive information which may be classed as a disclosure, and should therefore be aware of the steps they need to take in these circumstances to ensure that they listen and take seriously any disclosure.

Children and young people, and vulnerable adults, may disclose abuse or harm in a variety of ways, including:

  • directly, by making specific verbal statements about what has happened to them
  • indirectly, by making ambiguous verbal statements which suggest something is wrong
  • behaviourally, by displaying behaviour that signals something is wrong (this may or may not be deliberate)
  • non-verbally, by writing letters, drawing pictures or trying to communicate in other ways.

However a disclosure is made, the individual receiving the disclosure should ensure they respond appropriately. The following are some key points to follow if a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, reports or discloses abuse:

  • Stay calm, ensure the child, young person, or vulnerable adult, is safe and feels safe. Approach the conversation with sensitivity.
  • Tell the child, young person, or adult, that you will try to offer support, but you will have to pass the information on.
  • Allow the child, young person, or adult, to speak without interruption, accepting what you have been told. Keep questions to a minimum and, if a question is asked, to ensure it is of an ‘open’ nature, making sure these are not leading in nature.
  • Reassure the child, young person, or adult, and stress that they are not to blame, tell them that they are right to tell you and that you will try to offer support.
  • Alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, without passing any judgement. Try not to show signs of shock, horror, or surprise, and do not express feelings or judgements regarding any person or allegation to have harmed the person.
  • Do not rush into details that may be inappropriate, make promises to keep information confidential, or delay in passing on information.

Recording:

Whether you have concerns, receive a disclosure, or witness inappropriate behaviour, you should record this as soon as possible after the event, writing up a detailed account of what you and the child, young person, or adult, discussed. This should be recorded electronically where possible, and paper records should be signed and dated.

These notes should be objective, and clearly distinguish between observation, fact, opinion, and hypothesis. Any information disclosed will be recorded verbatim where possible.

Reporting:

Notes should be shared with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or other responsible individual, in a timely manner so they can advise regarding next steps.

Employees may be asked to refrain from discussing alleged abuse with fellow colleagues, other than those specified by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, to avoid the spread of potentially harmful misinformation and to protect the validity of any investigation.

Visits to nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities: If a disclosure or incident takes place in an educational setting, that organisation will have their own safeguarding policy in place and a named Designated Safeguarding Lead. You should immediately report the incident to their Designated Safeguarding Lead, as well as informing AWA’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If an individual is not in immediate danger, where possible you should liaise with AWA’s Designated Safeguarding Lead regarding the child, young person, or vulnerable adult, who is suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm. However, there may be circumstances where this is not possible in which case you can:

  • Contact the relevant local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in. If you have made a verbal referral to local children’s services, you should follow this up with a written referral as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours.
  • Contact the police. They will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to protect the child.
  • Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

Safeguarding in practice at AWA: ways of working:

All AWA staff, volunteers, and contractors, are responsible for their own actions and behaviour. They should avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. Particularly, they should avoid lone working with children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Where possible they should adopt the Rule of Three, in order to always have a third person present.

Staff and volunteers should be aware that breaches of the law, and other professional guidelines, could result in criminal or disciplinary action being taken against them.

All AWA staff and volunteers have a duty to report any incidents immediately to the appropriate individuals, usually the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Recruitment, selection, and continued engagement:

Although AWA does not currently undertake work which falls into the definition of regulated activity, there is the potential to visit schools to deliver talks. Therefore, we will ensure that all appropriate measures are applied in relation to the recruitment and selection of all AWA employees and volunteers.

In line with statutory changes, underpinned by regulations, we will ensure that:

  • Safer recruitment practices are a carried out including:
  • Using suitable selection processes
  • Verifying identity and right to work status

Obtaining professional references to verify previous employment history and, where relevant, qualifications:

  • Where necessary, the completion of a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service – England and Wales) or PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups – Scotland) check.
  • We will assess volunteers and other workers, and obtain DBS or PVG checks where this is appropriate for the needs of their role.
  • Ensure staff undertake Safeguarding Training at least every 3 years.

If a member of staff, or a volunteer, is charged with a criminal offence, or become added to the children and adults barred lists by either disclosure body, they are required to inform AWA’s Designated Safeguarding Lead of their inclusion on the list at the earliest opportunity. A failure to do so may be deemed a disciplinary matter to be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

If a member of staff or a volunteer is unable to provide a satisfactory disclosure check, refuses to undertake a disclosure check, or become added to the children and adults barred lists by either disclosure body, AWA will consider the options for redeployment into any available suitable job roles.

If this is not possible, AWA may need to consider dismissal of the individual because of the statutory ban imposed by the disclosure. AWA may be unable to engage the individual in any capacity if the continued association cannot be maintained.

Visits to early years settings, schools, colleges, and universities:

An educational setting will have their own safeguarding policy in place and a named Designated Safeguarding Lead. AWA representatives should follow the early years setting, school, college or university’s, procedures in relation to safeguarding. Prior to proceeding with a visit, AWA staff or volunteers should ensure they have completed Safeguarding Training.

When organising or facilitating such visits, the responsibility for Safeguarding lies with the organisation AWA is visiting, and staff should be led by that organisation’s procedures and policies. Where there is no guidance issued, AWA representatives should ensure all individuals adhere to the practices outlined in this document and in their training.

Allegations of abuse against AWA staff or volunteers:

Receiving allegations:

AWA will treat all complaints, allegations, or suspicions, of abuse by employees, workers, volunteers, and other third parties linked with the organisation, with the utmost seriousness.

The person who has received an allegation should immediately inform AWA’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, or another responsible individual. If the allegation is related to the DSL, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead should be informed.

Investigation:

Where an allegation is made against any person working for or on behalf of AWA, the allegations will be investigated fully, and all such reports will be taken seriously. The investigation will be conducted in a confidential and timely manner, and will involve the collation of evidence, typically derived from witness statements and other relevant material.

If it is suspected that a criminal act may have been committed, AWA will report this to the police and follow their guidance. AWA may also need to involve an external organisation such as a school, however this should only be done once the matter has been discussed with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or other responsible individual, to determine if this is appropriate.

Employees suspected of abuse may be suspended on full pay pending a full investigation of the complaint. This suspension should not be seen as an indication of guilt, but rather a necessity given the circumstances.

AWA may be under a duty to disclose allegations of abuse to the Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland as appropriate. The organisation may also consider it necessary to inform the police of allegations under investigation.

Disciplinary action:

If the investigation reveals that abuse has happened, or is happening, AWA will set up a disciplinary hearing for the employee concerned. Employees will have the chance to appeal any disciplinary action that is taken against them.

Duty of disclosure:

AWA is legally required to send information to the Disclosure and Barring Service, or Disclosure Scotland, if a decision is taken to dismiss an employee or remove them from working in regulated activity or work. AWA may also be required to inform the Disclosure and Barring Service, or Disclosure Scotland, if the Company suspends an employee, or an employee resigns in suspicious circumstances, as the referral duty criteria may already be met at that stage.

Additional support and guidance:

AWA will endeavour to provide up-to-date support and guidance to all staff when it comes to safeguarding and their duty to protect vulnerable individuals. Employees who wish for further information on safeguarding are encouraged to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Policy review

This policy and process will be reviewed and updated to reflect any changes in legislation that would require AWA to amend its policy and procedures. As a minimum, it will be reviewed every two years.

Policy Owner: Chair

Policy approved by AWA Board on 10/02/2024.

Next policy review date: February 2026.