Safeguarding
Policy
The purpose and scope of this policy statement.
The aim of the organisation is to help young people build resilience and self-confidence. allowing these individuals to manage with life’s struggles, giving support and encouraging them to take the steps needed to make them stronger.
Mission
Offer affordable help and support for young people and their families struggling with anxiety, and anxiety related concerns. To make support, guidance and help accessible to all who need it. Offering a space where they can feel safe and heard. To offer tools and means to become resilient to the hurdle’s life places in one’s path.
Vision
Offer access to help through various online coaching platforms. The coaching offered is to be offered by individuals that are correctly trained, various ages and backgrounds so that the community we are servicing can find their perfect “coach” that will intern be able to help them to find their confidence and build their resilience. This service needs to be affordable and easily accessible; our process needs to be measurable and transparent. We want past and current customers to refer to us and to be invited in by families and individuals because of the environment we have created. We need to always remember that it is a privilege to be invited into anyone’s life, especially when it may require sharing deep and dark secrets. We need to treasure this privilege and treat people with respect, dignity, and kindness. The hardest step for many of the people we help is to ask for help, we need to be appreciative of the fact that they have trusted us to take this journey with.
The purpose of this policy statement is:
▪ To protect children and young people who receive Be Hive services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services.
▪ To provide staff, as well as children and young people and their families, with overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Be Hive including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, part time workers or agency staff.
What is Safeguarding
Safeguarding can be defined as protecting vulnerable individuals from abuse, neglect, or any form of harm. Harm can come from adults, other children, or people working closely with these vulnerable individuals.
Safeguarding Children
A child is defined as anyone who is below the age of 18. This type of safeguarding is protecting them from abuse, maltreatment, or exploitation, as well as preventing any harm to their health or ability to develop. Individuals caring for children should also make sure they have safe and effective care and effective outcomes in life.
Safeguarding a child means you are identifying and protecting them from harm.
Application and scope
Any person who works under the umbrella of Be Hive whether self-employed, agency, or temporary workers. Or who is referred to as staff.
Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England/Northern Ireland/Scotland/Wales. A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system
Supporting documents
This policy statement works alongside our organisational policies, procedures guidance and other related documents:
▪ Role description for the designated safeguarding officer.
▪ Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person.
▪ Managing allegations against staff or external staff employed.
▪ Recording concerns and information sharing.
▪ Child protection records, retention, and storage.
▪ Code of conduct for staff and external staff employed.
▪ Behaviour codes for children and young people.
▪ Photography/videos and sharing images guidance.
▪ Safer recruitment.
▪ Online safety.
▪ Anti-bullying.
▪ Managing complaints.
▪ Whistleblowing.
▪ Health and safety.
▪ Induction, training, supervision, and support.
▪ Adult to child supervision ratios.
We believe that:
▪ Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind.
▪ We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
We recognise that:
▪ The welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we make.
▪ Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
▪ All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
▪ Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
▪ Extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/deaf-and-disabled-children
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/lgbtq-children-young-people
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
▪ Valuing, listening to and respecting them.
▪ Appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people, a deputy and lead trustee/board member for safeguarding best practice through out policies procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
▪ Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures.
▪ Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision support, training, and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures, and behaviour codes confidently and competently.
▪ Recruiting and selecting staff and outside agencies safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
▪ Recording and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance. (More information about this can be obtained from.
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations
▪ Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets. Posters, group work and one-to-one discussions.
▪ Making sure that children, young people, and their families know where to go for any help or concerns.
▪ Using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know and involving children, young people, parents’ families, and cares appropriately.
▪ Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately.
▪ Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise.
▪ Ensuring that we have an effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place.
▪ Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.
▪ Building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.
Contact details Nominated child protection lead Name:
Phone/email:
Deputy child protection lead(s) Name(s):
Phone/email:
Trustee/Senior lead for safeguarding and child protection Name:
Phone/email:
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on: 4 May 2022
Some groups of people are particularly vulnerable to harm and exploitation, and it is important that their needs are considered:
▪ Those with disabilities
▪ Those living away from home
▪ Asylum seekers
▪ Children and young people in hospital
▪ Children in contact with the youth justice system
▪ Victims of domestic abuse
▪ Those who may be singled out due to their religion or ethnicity
▪ Those who may be exposed to violent extremism
Definitions of harm for Children
▪ Physical harm
▪ Psychological and Emotional harm
▪ Neglect
▪ Sexual exploitation
▪ Female Genital Mutilation
The legislation and guidance relevant to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children includes the following:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/16/contents/enacted
Roles and Responsibilities:
▪ The named safeguarding lead will ensure they understand the safeguarding policy and ensure that they help their staff maintain training and awareness.
▪ That they will conduct regular reviews and modify standards if required.
▪ Full re-assessments of policy will be reviewed annually or where legally required due to changes in standards or new legislation.
▪ Support and supervision and mentoring will be provided for Safeguarding champions and for new employees.
▪ This policy will be monitored on a regular basis regarding its implications for equality and diversity.
▪ To develop an organisational culture where all staff are aware of their personal responsibilities for safeguarding and information sharing.
▪ Develop and promote a learning culture to ensure continuous development.
▪ Safe recruitment practices and arrangements for dealing with allegations against staff.
▪ Ensuring that safeguarding is part of any induction package.
Safeguarding and remote coaching sessions
To understand how to follow safeguarding procedures when planning and implementing remote coaching sessions for children and families.
Discussions with children and families:
To ensure that parents, carers, and children understand the importance of a safe online environment. This includes highlighting the use of safe log in details, to keep passwords safe.
Children must be encouraged to speak out if they come across anything worrying or of concern while online. It is essential that children and parents have clear reporting routes to follow if required.
Additional support that may be accessed:
▪ https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2020/march/undertaking-remote-teaching-safely
▪ https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/safe-remote-learning/
▪ https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/digital-wellbeing-of-learners
Harmful or upsetting content
Additional support:
▪ Reporting online abuse from the National Crime Agency’s https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
▪ Reporting harmful online content, https://reportharmfulcontent.com/
▪ Safeguarding from radicalisation, building resilience to extremism, and promoting shared values https://educateagainsthate.com/
▪ Bullying, https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/if-youre-being-bullied
Recruitment of suitable staff
▪ Ensuring that anyone recruited to work with the children or vulnerable adults is done so following safer recruitment policies to help ensure they are suitable to work with children. All staff will have relevant Child safeguarding qualification.
▪ Ensure that all staff are DBS checked prior to working with children.
▪ Ensure that all parents have given written consent for their child to be involved in online sessions.
▪ Understand that some children may have issues with appearing on a camera for the live sessions due to bad experiences or anxiety. Be aware that some children may refuse to hide neglect and abuse.
▪ Ensure that adequate training and provision on additional training for our staff if required.
▪ Anyone convicted or receiving a caution for serious offenses will, where appropriate be barred from working in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults.
▪ The https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service has comprehensive information and guidance on DBS checks and referrals.
Managing Safeguarding Concerns
▪ As an employee of Be Hive if one suspects that a child or young adult is at risk of harm or abuse, they should notify their clinical lead. Consideration of informing the police should also be made.
▪ A designated member of the Be Hive Safeguarding team will be available to offer advice and support if required.
▪ Staff should consider contacting the Social Services Emergency team out of hours.
Information sharing
▪ Clients must remain confident that their personal information is kept safe and secure.
▪ Coaches or other staff must be confident to share information appropriately when safeguarding vulnerable children or adults.
The following are regarded as the ‘seven golden rules’ of information sharing:
The Data Protection Act 2018 should not be regarded as a barrier to sharing information.
A record should be kept of what has been shared, with whom and for what purpose, and of every decision made and the reasoning behind it.
It is important to be open and honest with the individual concerned (and their family, where appropriate) from the outset, about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could, be shared, and to seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so.
If in doubt, and if possible, a staff member should seek advice, without disclosing the identity of the individual concerned
It is important to consider the safety and well-being of the individual concerned, as well as others who may be affected by their actions.
Information sharing should always be necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure.
Deciding if you need to make a recording
Video and audio recordings of an identifiable person constitute personal data under the Data Protection Act 2018.
Under the legislation, you need to make sure any recordings you make are:
▪ adequate for your stated purpose
▪ relevant for your purpose
▪ limited to what is necessary.
Sessions will be recorded to ensure that safeguarding can be maintained and reviewed.
▪ Consider measures to ensure an environment where children can feel safe and build mutual trust.
▪ Ensure that all staff are aware of and understand the safeguarding and child protection procedures, and how to share their concerns.
▪ If a child is at suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm, ensure information is shared with appropriate agencies.
Behaviour Code for adults (staff) working with children and parents
This code is to outline the conduct that Be Hive expects from all its staff. This includes any staff or external employees that undertake duties from the organisation.
The aim is to protect children and young people from any abuse in any form.
Be Hive is responsible for ensuring that all staff understand and have agreed to follow the code of behaviour, and that they understand the consequences of inappropriate behaviour.
The Role of Be Hive staff
To ensure you have an understanding and awareness that you are in a position of trust and authority. That you have a duty of care towards the children and their families. You are going to be seen as a role model by the young people you work with, so we expect you to act appropriately.
All staff must always display appropriate behaviour. This includes behaviour that takes place outside the organisation and behaviour that takes place online.
Staff are responsible for:
▪ Providing a safe environment for children and young people.
▪ Ensuring they have an awareness of issues to do with safeguarding and child protection, whistleblowing, and online safety.
▪ Prioritising the welfare of children and young people.
▪ Always remaining within the law.
▪ Reporting all concerns regarding to abusive behaviour, following safeguarding and child protection procedures
Respecting children:
▪ Respect and listen to children always.
▪ Respect a child’s right to personal privacy where possible.
▪ Value the child’s contribution and involve them in activities where appropriate.
▪ Follow child protection procedures if there is a need to break confidentiality and explain to the child at the earliest opportunity.
Diversity:
▪ Respect differences in gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability, and religious belief systems.
▪ Challenge discrimination of any form.
▪ Understand that children are individuals with individual needs.
Additional information
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/deaf-and-disabled-children
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/lgbtq-children-young-people
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection-schools/safeguarding-children-wit
Fostering Appropriate relationships
▪ Avoid showing favouritism
▪ Promote open relationships based on, honesty, trust, and respect.
▪ Be patient
▪ Be sensitive to the nature of discussions
▪ Ensure that when delivering sessions communication and content is appropriate and relevant to the session being delivered.
Inappropriate Behaviour
▪ Swear or be verbally abusive
▪ Ignoring concerns or allegations of concern.
▪ Developing inappropriate relationships with children
▪ Engage in any abusive behaviour
▪ Sharing personal information
▪ Acting in a threatening or intrusive manner.
▪ Patronising young children
▪ Making any derogatory or sexually suggestive comments or gestures.
▪ Smoking or consuming alcohol or any illegal substance
Upholding this Code
Staff must always follow the code of behaviour and never rely on your reputation or that of the organisation to protect you. Any inappropriate behaviour will subject you to our disciplinary procedure.
If deemed appropriate it may lead to dismissal and you may be asked to leave the company.
If required, we may report you to the local authority or appropriate agency including local authority child protection services.
While working for Be Hive if you become aware of any breaches of this code you must report them to the Safeguarding lead.
If necessary, you should follow our whistleblowing procedure and safeguarding and child protection procedures.