SAFEGUARDING POLICY.
Background
Sustainable Hackney is a community group which works to protect and enhance the environment and create a sustainable community and to contribute to social, economic and environmental justice locally and globally. We aim to bring together, support and coordinate the activities of people and organisations in the London Borough of Hackney to create positive solutions. We also undertake projects to support and complement the work of others in support of our aim and objects.
As part of this we undertake a variety of activities including public meetings, film screenings, workshops and training sessions.
While we do not currently undertake any Regulated Activity within the meaning of the statutory guidance on working with young people and vulnerable adults, we recognise that safeguarding issues may arise in the course of carrying out our activities.
The purpose of this policy is to clarify our policy on safeguarding and give guidance to steering group members, staff and volunteers involved in our activities.
Introduction
This policy applies to all steering group members, staff and volunteers working on our behalf or for one of our projects, e.g. Hackney Fixers or Hackney Food Partnership.
In the course of our activities we are committed to safeguarding children and young people. We will promote their welfare, carry out or request DBS checks where appropriate and report any concerns to relevant local authorities.
For all our activities we will assess whether there is the potential for safeguarding risks to arise for children and vulnerable adults. We will put in place measures to mitigate any risks as appropriate, and assess whether DBS checks are necessary.
Measures can include designating events as suitable for adults, control of entry to events, ensuring children are supervised by a responsible adult and ensuring there is a designated event supervisor.
Where necessary or appropriate to reduce risk, we will obtain or request DBS checks for our volunteers and / or event supervisors.
A register of DBS checks will be maintained as part of this policy. DBS checks will be considered valid for 3 years after which an update check will be made, either by use of the DBS update service or by requiring a new check to be carried out.
The Chair will be the designated person who will lead on implementing this policy.
This policy will be reviewed annually.
Safeguarding Guidance
The role of event supervisors is to supervise volunteers acting for Sustainable Hackney, and ensure that measures to mitigate risk are carried out. They are also responsible for reporting any concerns.
Volunteers should be aware of who the event supervisor is and should report any concerns to them or the Chair.
Safeguarding procedure
How do you define who is a vulnerable person?
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Children and young people aged 17 and under.
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People aged 18 or over who may be unable to take care of themselves, or protect themselves from harm or from being exploited. This may because they have mental health issues, a disability, a sensory impairment, are elderly and frail, or have some form of illness.
What is abuse?
Abuse can include the following things:
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Physical abuse
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Psychological or emotional abuse
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Financial or material abuse
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Sexual abuse
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Neglect
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Discriminatory abuse
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Institutional abuse
For more information, definitions of child abuse have been defined by Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office in their joint document, Working Together to Safeguard Children (Revised 2006).
How can you recognise abuse?
Besides disclosure, there are different ways of recognising abuse. These can include:
Physical signs of abuse:
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Unexplained marks, bruises or injuries.
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Insufficient money to cover bills, food and other day to day expenses
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Shabby appearance, self neglect.
Behavioural signs of abuse
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Behaving differently or signs of fear in the presence of certain individuals.
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Fear, depression and a sense of hopelessness.
What to do if an Event Supervisor suspects abuse has occurred?
If in the course of carrying out Sustainable Hackney activities you have observed something which leads you to suspect that a vulnerable person has or is being abused you must report concerns as soon as possible to the Chair, who is the designated person for safeguarding.
What to do if a vulnerable person discloses to you that they have been/are being abused?
A vulnerable person may choose to confide in you that they have been or are being abused. You need to handle this situation carefully. The following guidelines will help:
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Remain calm, and listen very carefully to what is said.
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Give the person time to tell you at their own pace, and don’t ask leading questions.
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Do not promise to keep what the person has told you a secret, but say that you will only share the information with people who need to know and will be able to help.
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Finally give the person reassurance that they have done the right thing, and explain what you will do next.
Procedure for following up suspected abuse
If a vulnerable person has disclosed that they have been abused, the procedure below must be followed. Note that under no circumstances should you attempt to carry out any investigation into an allegation or suspicions of abuse. You, as Events Supervisor, should report your concerns immediately to the designated person, who will then take the lead.
The role of the designated person is to collect and clarify the precise details of the allegation or suspicion and to report this information to the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board, or Social Services, whose task it is to investigate the matter.
Notes should be made as soon as possible by the Events Supervisor, preferably within an hour of being told, using the following guidelines:
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Write down exactly what the vulnerable person said, in their words.
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Write down what you said in reply.
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Make a note of when he/she said it and what was happening immediately beforehand (e.g. description of activity).
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Record dates and times of these events and when you made the record.
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Keep all hand written notes securely, even if these have been typed subsequently.
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Give these notes to the designated person as soon as possible.
The following will then be undertaken by the designated person:
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The designated person should contact the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board or Social Services for advice in cases of deliberate injury or where concerned about the vulnerable person’s safety or to report allegations of abuse. The parents/carer should not be informed by the organisation in these circumstances.
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Where emergency medical attention is necessary it will be sought immediately. You should inform the doctor of any suspicions of abuse.
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In other circumstances speak with the parent/carer and suggest that medical help/attention is sought. The doctor will then initiate further action, if necessary.
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If appropriate the parent/carer will be encouraged to seek help from the Social Services Department.
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Where the parent/carer is unwilling to seek help, in cases of real concern, the designated person should contact City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board or Social Services for advice.
The person reporting suspected abuse has the responsibility to ensure that action is taken. If for any reason you believe that the designated person has not responded appropriately to your concerns then it is up to you to contact the safeguarding agencies directly. If the designated person is implicated or not available, you should report your concerns to another member of the steering group.
Under no circumstances should you discuss your suspicions or allegations with anyone other than those nominated. The confidentiality of individuals will be respected in that suspicions and concerns will not be discussed other than in line with this procedure.
Adopted: 30th May 2012
Revised 13th December 2024.