Introduction

The organisation is committed towards safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people under the age of 18. This commitment includes:

• preventing maltreatment and/or abuse
• preventing their health or development being detrimentally impacted
• providing safe and effective care in the organisation
• taking positive action to enable each child and young person to succeed.

We recognise that the treatment of a child or young person during their learning years can have a significant impact on their future. Every member of the Organisation, from governors to support staff, has a role to play in providing children with the best possible grounding for their personal and educational development.

We are committed towards implementing a high standard of behaviour and conduct within our organisation. This policy applies to every member of staff working or volunteering within the organisation.

Policy aims

It is important that every member of staff understands their responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding of children and young people. In order to provide appropriate protection for children, the organisation has the following aims:

• to ensure staff understand and are fully trained on child protection procedures
• all reasonable steps will be taken to minimise the risk of harm to welfare
• all appropriate action will be taken to address safeguarding and welfare concerns within an appropriate timeframe
• to work alongside relevant parties to agree safeguarding policies and procedures.

Safeguarding principles

The behaviour and conduct of members of staff contributes towards an environment where children feel safe and secure. Alongside this, valuing, respecting and listening to children creates a culture where each individual child or young person is empowered to recognise what behaviour is appropriate, and what is inappropriate.

The principles which underpin our safeguarding measures include the following:

• adopting child protection guidelines
• implementing a code of conduct for staff and volunteers
• ensuring all appropriate recruitment checks are carried out against staff and volunteers
• timely communication of child protection concerns with parents or carers, staff and relevant services
• providing effective supervision, training and support for staff and volunteers.

The organisation will work with appropriate third parties and services to ensure the health and welfare of children is protected including, but not limited to, social care services and the police.

A designated safeguarding lead will be appointed to aid successful implementation of this safeguarding policy through taking steps such as supporting members of staff and liaising with external services. The organisation will maintain overall responsibility for the safeguarding of children.

Board of Management responsibilities

Creating the right environment where safeguarding is at the forefront of all activities will require investment from the top level down. Therefore, the board of management will maintain responsibility for the following actions:

• ensuring a legally compliant child protection policy is in place at all times
• monitoring compliance against the current policy and carrying out periodic policy reviews
• appointing and training a designated safeguarding lead
• implementing internal policies and procedures to address safeguarding allegations and concerns
• making appropriate referrals to the local authority designated officer (LADO), the Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland.

Management responsibilities

Safeguarding can occur within any part of the organisation, therefore, organisation management staff are relied on to monitor safeguarding within their departments, or teams. Every member of staff appointed into a management position will have the following responsibilities:

• implementation and distribution of the child protection policy within their specific department
• reviewing and taking action to improve understanding of child protection procedures
• providing child protection support and mentoring for all members of staff they manage
• auditing and producing child protection reports for the governing body
• carrying out pre-employment DBS checks on staff and for departmental volunteers
• carrying out safeguarding training within their departmental inductions and undertaking updated training on an annual basis within their department, as a minimum.

Staff responsibilities

Members of staff are often those who are placed in the best position to identify safeguarding concerns. Additionally, they are also in a position of trust due to their responsibility for child or young person care during organisation activities. In order to ensure safeguarding is in place appropriately, staff will be responsible for:

• undertaking scheduled induction and updated training on safeguarding
• understanding their function in carrying out child protection procedures
• remaining aware of reporting requirements and who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns
• raising child or young person awareness and understanding of child protection procedures
• remaining aware of how to identify signs of harm and documenting concerns
• taking timely action to report safeguarding concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Organisation’s Board of Management have appointed a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to drive forwards our commitment towards safeguarding children.

Our DSL will be responsible for maintaining communication and liaising with responsible parties, including making child protection referrals to social care, the local authority designated officer, DBS and/or the police, where appropriate. They will also communicate any safeguarding issues to the CEO and the Board of Management.

In order to carrying out their DSL responsibilities, the DSL will undertake safeguarding training at least every two years which covers their requirements, responsibilities and safeguarding processes. As well as maintaining their own training, the DSL will ensure each member of staff, whether new or tenured, understands the organisation’s safeguarding processes and receives appropriate training.

Our internal safeguarding and child protection policies will be periodically reviewed and updated by the DSL, at least once a year. Any updated policy will be distributed by the DSL to all members of staff, parents and carers, and children where appropriate.

Designated Safeguarding Officer Eilis Sexton Interim Operations Manager 01642 591955 ricky@linxyouthproject.co.uk

Deputy Safeguarding Officer Wayne Mason Chief Executive Officer 01642 591955 eilis@linxyouthproject.co.uk

Board of Management Designated Safeguarding Lead. Rebecca Roberts 01642 591955 wayne@linxyouthproject.co.uk

MBC children’s social care dept

Office Hours: 01642 726004

Out of Hours: 08702 402994

southteesmach@middlesbrough.gov.uk

 Local authority designated officer or team (LADO): Joanne Dixon

Office: 01642 201835 Mob: 07970427454

southteeslado@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Cleveland Police: 101

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 

help@nspcc.org.uk  

Child line: 0800 1111

(textphone 0800 400 222)

Training

Every member of staff will receive safeguarding training scheduled by the DSL at least every year. If a member of staff feels they need additional training, or repeated training, the organisation will support this training need and the member of staff should approach the DSL in the first instance.

As part of their organisation induction programme, every new member of staff will receive safeguarding training covering the internal child protection policy and procedures.

 

Monitoring

The effectiveness of the organisation’s safeguarding policy will be monitored by the DSL through data collections and observations undertaken periodically.