Safeguarding Policy

This policy was agreed by the Trustees and will be reviewed annually on: June 2023

Related policies

Version	Description	Date of Update
	Privacy Policy	18 May 2019
	Health and Safety Policy	18 May 2019
	Whistle blowing policy	18 May 2019

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Safeguarding means protecting people’s right to live safely, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s or child’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action.

 

POLICY EQUALITIES STATEMENT

Cirencester Foodbank is committed to practices that protect from harm regardless of a person’s age, gender, disability, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or any other characteristic as covered by the Equality Act 2010.

 

AIMS OF THE POLICY

This policy, taken together with Gloucestershire County Council’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Policies, represents commitment in working together to safeguard children and adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of employees, trustees and volunteers in relation to developing their own awareness and skills as well as the policies and procedures that must be followed.

The policy outlines:

• The practice and procedure for representatives within Cirencester Foodbank contribute to the prevention of the abuse and neglect, and
• A clear framework for action including information sharing when abuse is suspected.

 

SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS OF THE POLICY

Whose business is safeguarding?

Legislation establishes that safeguarding is everybody’s business. This organisation recognises that we all play a key role in preventing, detecting, reporting and responding to abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Scope

The policy applies to activities delivered by Cirencester Foodbank. Where Cirencester Foodbank delivers any activities in partnership with another body this policy applies – unless a formal agreement exists that specifically details safeguarding arrangements and the roles and responsibilities of the parties to the agreement. Where a formal partnership exists, the trustees will review the partner’s safeguarding policy and procedures at least annually and will ensure procedures meet the standards set out in this policy. The policy applies in respect of this organisation’s responsibility towards the following groups of people:

• Children and young people – legally defined as any person under the age of 18. From this point the terms child or children will be used to refer to this group.
• An ‘adult at risk of abuse or neglect with care and support needs’ however for the purpose of this policy we will use the term vulnerable adult to refer to this group.
• Employees, trustees and volunteers during the course of their work or volunteering responsibilities.
• Contractors when carrying out work on behalf of the organisation.

Definitions

Child Protection is defined as:

• Protecting individual children identified as either suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect or other identified risk factors such as parental Domestic Violence, substance misuse.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is defined as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s’ health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up and living in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Through the provision of safe and effective care, enable children to have optimum life chances

Adult Safeguarding is defined as:

• Protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect aiming to ensure that each adult is supported to maintain:
• Wellbeing
• Choice and control
• Safety
• Good health
• Dignity and respect

 

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Cirencester Foodbank will work within the framework of legislation and guidance in relation to safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults. An index of key legislation is contained in Appendix 3.

All staff and volunteers will consider the following when raising a concern:

• Safeguarding is mainly aimed at individuals with care and support needs whose circumstances may put them at risk of abuse or neglect by others – due consideration must also be given to people who need to use a food bank given the inherent vulnerability resulting from a person’s immediate circumstances.
• Abuse is defined as a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights; it may consist of a single act or repeated acts
• The nature and extent of the abuse including whether it is a criminal offence
• The impact of the abuse on the person and the physical and /or psychological harm being caused and whether the abuse is having an impact on other people
• Deprivation of liberties where people living in care homes, hospitals or other institutions are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom

 

TYPES OF ABUSE

Eleven types of abuse are currently identified through legislation and UK guidance frameworks:

• Physical abuse – Involves any manner of causing physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult or fabricating symptoms of, or inducing illness in, a child or vulnerable adult, including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions, administering or allowing access to drugs or alcohol.
• Domestic abuse – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse, so called ‘honour’ based violence.
• Sexual abuse – Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing any child or vulnerable adult of whatever age to take part in any form of sexual activity, whether or not s/he is aware of what is happening; or behaving, or inducing a child/ vulnerable adult to behave, in sexually inappropriate ways – including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking and touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting. This includes inappropriate sexual relationships with people in positions of power or influence. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
• Psychological abuse – the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child or vulnerable adult such as to cause severe and enduring effects on a child’s emotional development including threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks. It is important to note that within faith communities a further aspect of psychological abuse is Spiritual abuse. This is where the abuse does damage to a vulnerable adult’s or child’s emerging faith and spirituality. The fact that the damage includes damage to the spiritual self is what makes it spiritual abuse and usually occurs within the context of wider abuse.
• Financial or material abuse – including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, possessions or benefits.
• Modern slavery – encompasses slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour and domestic servitude, where traffickers and slavers coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitudes and inhumane treatment
• Discriminatory abuse – including forms of harassment, slurs, exclusion, or similar treatment. This includes discrimination on the grounds of a person’s protected characteristics including; race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, political views, faith or religion (including where someone is discriminated against because they have no religion), as well as racist, sexist, homophobic or ageist comments.
• Organisational abuse – Including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or special care setting such as a hospital or care home, or where care is provided within their own home.
• Neglect and acts of omission Neglect involves the persistent failure to meet a child’s or vulnerable adults basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the person’s health and development – these include ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, and the withholding of the necessities of life such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating, access to family and friends.
• Self–neglect – Self-neglect covers a wide range of behaviour, neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.
• Hate crime – a hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim’s disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or transgender identity.

Further information on recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse can be found in Appendix 5.

Note – Abuse can be carried out by children and Cirencester Foodbank recognises that if a child or children is or are causing harm to an adult with care and support needs, this should be dealt with under the Local Authority adult safeguarding policy and procedures, but will also need to involve the Local Authority Children’s Services.

 

INFORMATION SHARING AND CONSENT

Sharing the right information, at the right time, with the right people, is fundamental to good practice in safeguarding.

Cirencester Foodbank will share safeguarding information with the right people at the right time to:

• Prevent death or serious harm
• Coordinate effective and efficient responses
• Enable early interventions to prevent the escalation of risk
• Maintain and improve good practice in safeguarding
• Reveal patterns of abuse that were previously undetected and that could identify others at risk of abuse
• Identify low-level concerns that may reveal children or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse
• Help families, children and vulnerable adults access the right kind of support to reduce risk and promote wellbeing
• Help identify people who may pose a risk to others and, where possible, work to reduce offending behaviour
• Reduce organisational risk and protect reputation

All information and concerns should be raised with the Safeguarding Officer, their deputy, or if they are not available the Foodbank Manager who will then make the decision as to whether to share information with another agency including thirtyone:eight, social care or the police.

In the case of severe concerns where delay in contacting the Safeguarding Officer could result in further harm the worker/volunteer should contact the relevant statutory authorities immediately and inform the Safeguarding Officer as soon as possible afterwards.

Ideally information should only be shared with other agencies including the police and social care if the consent of the person concerned (or their parents/carer where appropriate) has been obtained. Obtaining informed consent to share information is best practice and is often key to ensuring any further support or action is successfully maintained, based on trust and transparency. There are however exceptions to this.

 

Exceptions to this include:

• Where gaining consent would put the child, vulnerable adult, or this organisation’s volunteers/workers at further risk of significant harm.
• Where a vulnerable adult is assessed as not having the ‘mental capacity’ to make this decision, in this case appropriate representatives/advocates should be consulted, however the final decision will be made by the Cirencester Foodbank Safeguarding Officer.
• Where a crime has taken place and there is an overriding public duty for the police to investigate.
• Where other adults at risk and/or children may be at risk of harm from the person/group/agency suspected of causing abuse.

In making the decision whether to share information without consent consideration will therefore be given to the seriousness and pervasiveness of the abuse: the ability of the individual to make decisions; the effect of the abuse on the individual in question and on others; whether a criminal offence has occurred; and whether there is a need for others to know (e.g. to protect others who may not be involved in the immediate situation).

If the decision is made not to share information because consent has been withheld and the exceptions given above do not apply then the person will be advised of any actions they can take or other support they can access. They will also be made aware of the fact that they can change their minds at any point.

Decisions about sharing information (or not) will be clearly recorded with reasons stated.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY AND RECORDING

Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned both when an allegation is made and whilst it is being investigated. Confidentiality can only be broken and a concern shared when it is in the best interest of the child, vulnerable adult or in the public interest to do so – the circumstances for this are outlined in section 8 above.

All records will be written, stored and destroyed with due regard for confidentiality and in line with Cirencester Foodbank’s policy on record keeping and in adherence with the Data Protection legislation. Staff and volunteers will be trained and supported to maintain and store accurate records.

 

PROCEDURE IF A MEMBER OF STAFF OR VOLUNTEER HAS A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN:

All Staff or volunteers must raise their concerns with the Safeguarding Officer, their deputy or if they are not available the Foodbank Manager. If the subject of concern is a member of staff or volunteer see Cirencester Foodbank’s Whistle Blowing Policy (Appendix 4). The Whistle Blowing Policy should be used when a member staff or volunteer has concerns about the conduct of a colleague in a position of trust within the organisation, which could be detrimental to the safety or wellbeing of adults and children.

 

Things to remember

• All allegations/disclosures will be treated seriously – the safety of the vulnerable adult or child is paramount.
• Staff and volunteers should stay calm, listen and reassure the person they are concerned about that they are being listened to.
• Staff and volunteers should always demonstrate a sensitive approach .
• Staff and volunteers should be aware of the possibility of a police investigation, and are not to investigate any allegation themselves.
• Staff and volunteers will explain that they are required to share information with those people who need to know but not with other staff or volunteers. Absolute confidentiality cannot be promised.  
• If there is immediate danger, or someone requires urgent medical attention, then the police or ambulance should be called immediately, and the Safeguarding Officer informed as soon as possible.

 

Reporting Procedure

1. Any concerns should be reported immediately to the Safeguarding Officer, their deputy or in their absence the Foodbank Manager who will decide whether to contact the thirtyone:eight helpline who can advise on appropriate next steps including whether to refer to statutory services.
2. A Safeguarding Concern Report Form (Appendix 2) will be completed by the employee/volunteer or by the Safeguarding Officer using information relayed by the person reporting the concern. Information recorded on the form must:
   1. Be accurate
   2. Wherever possible include the actual words said by the child or vulnerable adult rather than an interpretation of what was said.
   3. Specific facts relating to the named people dates, places etc. should be recorded accurately along with any details of the injuries or consequences i.e. where they are and what they looked like.
   4. Information may also need to reported under the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.
3. Where necessary the Safeguarding Officer will report the concern to Statutory Children’s/Adults Social Care Services, providing a copy of the Safeguarding Concern Form, and where appropriate a chronology of events.
4. If a criminal offence has been committed the Foodbank Manager or Cirencester Foodbank’s Safeguarding Officer will call the police and any other linked agencies as necessary.
5. Gloucestershire County Council’s Children’s or Adults Services may then take the lead on any investigation and inform other agencies, where appropriate.
6. The Safeguarding Officer will provide any further information to statutory Services as required.
7. Completed safeguarding concern forms will also be kept centrally by the Safeguarding Officer, stored in a locked cabinet with restricted access, away from other personal files. Where completed Safeguarding Concern forms are stored electronically, they will be kept on secure servers with restricted access in line with this policy and the Data Protection Policy.
8. Where incidents that have resulted in (or risk) significant harm to beneficiaries, the SO will notify the Board of Trustees who may be required to be report the incident to the charities regulator as a Serious Incident Report (cf. Sec 11).

 

Domestic violence

1. Where a person visiting the foodbank reports an incident of domestic violence whilst a child or vulnerable adult is in the home, this must be treated as a disclosure of abuse and should be passed on to a Designated Safeguarding Lead with immediate effect using the procedures outlined above.
2. Where an incident of domestic violence is reported and there is no child or vulnerable adult present, foodbank staff and volunteers should as a minimum signpost the client to an appropriate agency but must not attempt to coerce them to contact the police unless the client wants and feels able to do so.
3. Where foodbank staff or volunteers witness an act of domestic violence, they must contact the police immediately.
4. For advice or information about anything relating to domestic violence the foodbank team should contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247

 

MONITORING

Information about safeguarding cases and how they were dealt will be reviewed and reported on regularly to the Board of Trustees.  Areas to focus on include:

• How quickly the concern was reported to the Safeguarding Officer
• Whether a concern was reported to statutory agencies
• How quickly a concern was made to the police/Children’s/Adults Services (where relevant)
• Accuracy of information recorded
• The quality of the input into the safeguarding process (feedback from police/Children’s/Adults Services)
• Outcomes of safeguarding process
• Whether any incidents highlighted training issues or a need to amend in-house procedures
• Whether the incident should be notified to the charity regulator under Serious Incident Reporting procedures

Reports to trustees should focus on the issues and the organisation’s response to an incident not the specific details of an individual case. Reports made to the trustees should be captured in a Safeguarding Incident Register. This is to enable the organisation to reflect on and improve its practice in developing an effective safeguarding culture.

The policy and procedure will be reviewed and audited regularly or if legislation changes.

 

GOOD PRACTICE

 Recruitment of staff and volunteers

1. All staff and volunteers responsible for supervising vulnerable adults or children will undergo an enhanced criminal records check if their role falls within the eligibility guidelines (cf. Appendix 1 for links to guidance on eligibility).
2. All references will be taken up before start of volunteering or employment, and should be provided in writing or transcribed where received verbally. Cirencester Foodbank will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that references are bona-fide and will seek alternatives where in doubt.
3. All staff and volunteers have a duty to disclose any unspent convictions. Failing to do so may be regarded as gross misconduct or a breach of the volunteering agreement.
4. Staff and volunteers without a criminal records check will not be permitted unsupervised access to vulnerable adults or children.
5. Criminal records check will be renewed every three years.

 

Supported Volunteers

1. All volunteers will be asked whether they have any specific or additional support needs, or other relevant information like unspent criminal convictions that indicates a need for additional support from Cirencester Foodbank
2. Where significant additional support needs are disclosed or identified the volunteer will be regarded as a supported volunteer.
3. Where Cirencester Foodbank offers supported volunteering opportunities, including for young people or volunteers with additional needs, then the supervisor will be subject to an enhanced criminal records check.
4. Supported volunteering placements will be subject to individual assessment to ensure appropriate management and support for specific additional support needs identified.
5. All Supported volunteers will receive an individual support assessment which will be regularly reviewed with the volunteer coordinator or their supervisor.
6. Cirencester Foodbank will ensure that all volunteers, including young people or volunteers with additional needs receive appropriate support to understand this safeguarding policy and know who to talk to if they feel unsafe.
7. If the volunteer is likely to struggle to absorb the information contained within this policy by reading it, the volunteer coordinator, supervisor or a Designated Safeguarding Lead will talk through the policy verbally.
8. Cirencester Foodbank will produced a easy-read safeguarding reporting procedure, which can be printed out and given to staff and volunteers.
9. Safeguarding is discussed at regular team meetings and supervisors are encouraged to raise issues about their area of work and discuss them.
10. When facilitating supported volunteering, supervisors will observe for any situation or suggestion that a vulnerable adult or child is being either highly favoured or harshly treated, as these may be signs of abuse.
11. Our priority is protecting the welfare of all supported volunteers whether vulnerable-adults or children. Where possible, line managers should take opportunities to observe those vulnerable adults and children for whom they are responsible.

 

Training

1. All staff and volunteers will familiarise themselves with all Cirencester Foodbank’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding, during induction.
2. All staff and volunteers will complete basic Safeguarding training and other relevant training as required.

 

All Trustees, volunteers and staff will be made aware of:

• The possibilities of abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults
• Local procedures and know the names and contact details of relevant local and national professionals and organisations (see Appendix 1).

In addition, all staff and volunteers, including trustees will be required to undertake refresher safeguarding training at least biennially (every two years).

 

MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION

Unless expressly delegated to Foodbank Managers or the Safeguarding Officer, trustees are responsible for clarifying with staff and volunteers their roles and responsibilities regarding the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. Supervision of staff and volunteers will monitor working practices and offer the opportunity to raise any concerns.

 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

NAME	ROLE/RESPONSIBILITIES	CONTACT
Elisabeth Thomas	Safeguarding Officer	[email protected]
Anton Wynn	Deputy Safeguarding Officer	[email protected] 07762 168297
Anton Wynn	Head of Foodbank	[email protected] 07762 168297
Anne Currie	Chair of Trustees	[email protected]