Policy Statement
BRWR are committed
to taking concerns about the safety and welfare of individuals very
seriously. We expect all Volunteers to
share this commitment and work within the law.
n Policy:
It
is the policy of BRWR to support volunteers in the process of raising a concern
about suspected abuse of children or vulnerable adults.
In all cases, any
suspicion, allegation, incidents of abuse or actions taken, as above must be
reported.
For the purposes of this
policy the following definitions shall apply:
Definition of a Child
Child Protection
Procedures apply to children and young people who have not yet reached their
16th birthday. (Procedures also apply to young people with additional support
needs which may place them at increased risk, up to 18 years). BRWR considers
all refugees relocated here under the SVPS scheme to be vulnerable persons
therefore Child Protection Procedures apply to Refugees up to the age of 18.
Volunteers should not
be alone with a child. BRWR’s principle is that working to help children should
always involve their parent(s) or carer.
Definition of a
Vulnerable Adult
A vulnerable adult is a
person who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental
or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care
of themselves, or unable to protect themself. BRWR considers all refugees
relocated here to be Vulnerable Persons.
The definition of ‘vulnerable adult’ has now
been widened to include individuals who might be at risk of being radicalised.
n Recognising areas of concern:
1. What is child abuse (or abuse of a vulnerable
adult)?
Abuse
can involve any one or more of the following:
a)
Physical injury – this may involve
hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning,
suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child/vulnerable adult. It
may also be caused through an omission or the failure to act to protect a child/vulnerable
adult at risk.
b)
Emotional Abuse – this is the
persistent emotional ill treatment of a child/vulnerable adult. It may involve
making a child/vulnerable adult feel worthless, unloved, or inadequate; have
inappropriate expectations imposed on them; making a child/vulnerable adult feel
frequently frightened or in danger, exploited or corrupted.
c)
Sexual Abuse – involves causing or
encouraging a child/vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, whether
or not they are aware of, or consent to what is happening. This involves both
physical acts. Also non-contact activities, such as viewing sexual activity, or
being involved in the production of pornographic materials or being encouraged
to act in sexually inappropriate ways.
d)
Neglect – is the persistent
failure to meet a child’s/vulnerable adult's basic physical and/or
psychological needs.
It
is accepted that in all forms of abuse there are elements of emotional abuse,
and that some children/vulnerable adults are subjected to more than one form of
abuse.
For
adults the types of abuse may include the following
a)
physical,
b)
domestic violence,
c)
sexual,
d)
psychological,
e)
financial or material,
f)
modern slavery,
g)
discriminatory,
h)
organisational,
i)
neglect and acts of omission and self-neglect
2. How might someone recognise or become aware of
child abuse (or abuse of vulnerable adult)?
Recognising
child abuse or abuse of a vulnerable adult is not easy. It is not the responsibility of BRWR to
decide whether abuse has taken place or if a child/vulnerable adult is at
significant risk. That is the responsibility of Safeguarding agencies following
a referral to them of concern about a child/vulnerable adult. We do though,
have the responsibility to act on concerns and all complaints, allegations, or
suspicions must be taken seriously.
Someone
may become aware of child abuse or abuse of vulnerable adult by:
a)
Being
told by a child/vulnerable adult.
b)
Someone
else reporting that a child/vulnerable adult has told them or that they
strongly believe that a child has been abused.
c)
A
child/vulnerable adult showing some signs of physical injury for which there
appears to be no satisfactory explanation.
d)
Witnessing
a child’s/vulnerable adult's behaviour which may indicate that it is likely
that they are being abused.
e)
Something
in the behaviour of other individuals, or in the way the individual relates to
a child/vulnerable adult, which alerts them to the possibility of abuse.
f)
Observing
one child/vulnerable adult abuse another.
3. Areas of concern other than abuse
Volunteers
should be aware that there may be situations other than abuse or suspected
abuse that should be reported. These may include (but are not limited to) the
following:
·
Inappropriate
behaviour by a child/vulnerable adult.
·
Situations
that may be open to misinterpretation.
If
in doubt the group member should complete a safeguarding form and inform the friendship
group lead and the Chair who will decide whether further action is needed. The
safeguarding form will be filed confidentially and kept for six years.
4. Areas of concern with relation to the Prevent
Strategy
The Prevent Strategy is part of the
Government’s counter-terrorism strategy led by the Home Office. This encourages
organisations to work with the police to contribute to the prevention of
terrorism. Members may have concerns relating to an individual’s behaviour,
which could indicate that they may be being drawn into terrorist activity.
Signs
or indicators that someone is being drawn into terrorist activity may include:
·
Graffiti
symbols, writing or artwork promoting extremist messages or images.
·
Volunteers,
young people or staff accessing terrorist related material online, including
through social network sites.
·
Parental/family
reports of changes in behaviour, friendships or actions, coupled with requests
for assistance.
·
Other
Voluntary Sector organisations’, local authority services’ and police reports
of issues affecting people in other organisations.
·
Volunteers,
young people or staff voicing opinions drawn from terrorist related ideologies
and narratives.
·
Use
of extremist or hate terms to exclude others or incite violence.
n
Responding to concerns of abuse or
inappropriate behaviour:
1. Responding to signs of, or suspicions of,
abuse or other concerns
How
the committee respond to suspicions or signs of abuse will vary depending upon
where and in what circumstances suspicions arise. The Vice Chair who acts as designated
safeguarding lead will be the first point of contact and will decide on further
action which might include taking advice from BARN Designated Safeguarding Lead,
the Police, Refugee Action, Social Services, NSPCC re what has happened and
what action needs to be taken.
2. Designated Safeguarding Lead
The
responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead in relation to concerns of
abuse or inappropriate behaviour are to:
a)
Receive
and record in writing information from volunteers and others who have Safeguarding
concerns using a BRWR safeguarding form.
b)
Assess
the information promptly and carefully, clarifying or obtaining more
information about the matter as appropriate, and then to record such further
information.
c)
Inform
and consult with Social Services or the NSPCC of relevant concerns.
d)
Ensure
that all relevant procedures are followed.
e)
If
appropriate, make a formal referral to either the Social Services or the NSPCC without
delay.
f)
Ensure
that appropriate information is available at the time of referral and the referral
is confirmed in writing, under confidential cover.
g)
Keep
relevant people in the organisation informed about action taken and further
action required, for example against a Volunteer.
h)
Ensure
that an individual case record is maintained of the action taken by the
organisation and liaison with other agencies on the Safeguarding form.
i)
Provide
information and advice on Safeguarding within the organisation.
j)
Advise
the organisation of Safeguarding training needs.
k)
Establish
contact with the senior member of staff of Social Services responsible for Safeguarding
in the local area.
l)
Be
aware of the Area Safeguarding Committee and be familiar with local procedures.
3. Responding
to a child or vulnerable adult disclosing abuse
If a child/vulnerable adult discloses an
allegation of abuse to a group member they should:
a)
Stay
calm.
b)
Listen
carefully to what is said.
c)
Not
promise to keep secrets – explain at an early opportunity that it is likely you
will need to share the information.
d)
Allow
the child/vulnerable adult to continue at their own pace.
e)
Ask
questions for clarification and only to understand what is being alleged. This
is because the use of leading questions can cause problems for the subsequent
investigation and any court proceedings.
f)
Reassure
the child/vulnerable adult that they have done the right thing in telling you.
g)
Tell
them what you will do next and with whom the information will be shared.
h)
Record
in writing what was said using the child’s/vulnerable adult's own words as soon
as possible.
If
this happens at a school or other venue, volunteers should contact that venue’s
liaison person, unless this is clearly inappropriate. Volunteers should then
report what has happened to BRWR’s Co-chairpersons who act as Designated
Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible. If a Designated Safeguarding Lead cannot
be contacted, or that person is involved in the allegation, the report should
be made to the alternative contact, BRWR’s other Co-Chairperson.
On being notified of
any such matter the Designated Safeguarding Lead or alternative contact shall take
such steps as they consider necessary to ensure the safety of the child/vulnerable
adult in question, in line with 2 above.
4. Responding to
allegations of abuse against a BRWR Volunteer
Any
suspicion, allegation or actual abuse of a child/vulnerable adult by a volunteer
in BRWR must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as
possible. If the Designated Safeguarding Lead cannot be contacted, or that
person is involved in the allegation, the report should be made to the alternative
contact.
On
being notified of any such matter the Designated Safeguarding Lead shall:
a)
Notify
the alternative contact.
b)
Take
such steps as they consider necessary to ensure the safety of the child/vulnerable
adult in question and any other child/vulnerable adult who might be at risk.
c)
The
volunteer in question will have their volunteering duties suspended until the
matter is resolved.
5. Responding to
allegations of abuse against someone else
Any
suspicion, allegation or actual abuse of a child by someone not volunteering in
or for BRWR must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead with
responsibility for safeguarding as soon as possible. If this happens at a
school or other venue you should contact that venue’s liaison person.
If
the Designated Safeguarding Lead cannot be contacted the report should be made
to the alternative contact; the other Co-Chairperson of BRWR.
On being notified of
any such matter the Designated Safeguarding Lead or alternative contact shall take
such steps as they consider necessary to ensure the safety of the child/vulnerable
adult in question and any other child/vulnerable adult who might be at risk.
n Responding to concerns
relating to the Prevent strategy:
The
definition of ‘vulnerable adult’ has been widened to include individuals who
might be at risk of being radicalised. If concerns are raised regarding
potential radicalisation the following procedure should be followed:
1. Observe
Note down factual signs and symptoms of
potential or suspected radicalisation without alarming the individual.
2. Discuss
Alert and discuss your concerns with your Designated
Safeguarding Lead.
3. Act
If appropriate, the Designated Safeguarding
Lead will inform the Worcestershire Safeguarding Team and supply them with a
copy of your recorded observations
When reporting information, reports should be
restricted to
·
The
nature of the suspicious behaviour or concern.
·
Facts
which support the concerns.
4. Confirm
Telephone notifications will be confirmed in
writing by email or letter within 48 hours.
5. Record
Ensure that all observations are recorded and
related to the Worcestershire Safeguarding Team/police. They should be kept
confidentially in the safeguarding file together with advice received and
actions taken.
n Recording and
Reporting:
1. Recording
and Reporting Information
A
full record should be made as soon as possible of the nature of the allegation/observation
and any other relevant information on BRWR’s safeguarding form including:
a)
The
date.
b)
The
time.
c)
The
place where the alleged abuse or concerning behaviour happened.
d)
The
name of the complainant if there is one and, where different, the name of the
child/vulnerable adult who has allegedly been abused or at risk of
radicalisation, including any other names mentioned.
e)
The
nature of the alleged abuse or behaviour.
f)
Description
of any injuries observed.
g)
The
account which has been given of the allegation.
h)
Signed
and dated with contact details.
2. Recording
actions after an allegation
All details of the report and actions taken
after an allegation of abuse is made shall be recorded by the Designated
Safeguarding Lead. The report shall deal with all the matters set out in
section 1 above, plus:
a)
Date
and time of incident or disclosure.
b)
Parties
who were involved.
c)
Any
action taken by the organisation involved to investigate the matter further, if
relevant.
d)
Any
further action e.g. suspension of a volunteer.
e)
Where
relevant, reasons why there is no referral to a statutory agency.
f)
Names
of persons reporting and to whom reported.
The record should be clear and factual as it
may be needed as evidence in court.
Copies
of reports, notes etc. will be kept secure at all times, with one of the
Co-Chairpersons of BRWR and kept for a period of not less than six years.
3. Confidentiality
Policy
The
legal principle that ‘the welfare of the child is paramount’ means that the
considerations of confidentiality which might apply to other situations in the organisation
should not be allowed to over-ride the right of the child/vulnerable adult to
be protected. However, every effort should be made to ensure confidentiality is
maintained for all concerned when an allegation has been made and is being
investigated.
Promises
of confidentiality should not be given as the matter may develop in such a way
that these cannot be honoured.
4. Whistleblowing
Should
volunteers have concerns that there has been improper conduct or omissions from
the procedures by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, they should complain to any
member of the committee but also have the right to report safeguarding issues
direct to the police or social services.
Failure to comply with this policy could result in suspension from
BRWR.
n
Other issues:
Use of
photographic/video equipment
Written
consent to take and use images of children/vulnerable adults should be obtained
prior to the taking of photographs and or video footage. Parents/carers should
be made aware of when, where and how the images may be used to give their
informed consent. Permission may be obtained directly from the parent/carer, or
from the responsible organisation (e.g. school, Scout troop etc.) but must be
in writing.
Complaints:
Should
be made in the first instance to one of the Co- chairpersons.
Recruitment procedure
All
BRWR volunteers who work directly one to one with Refugees must be hold a
current Enhanced DBS check which has been registered with BRWR together with
photographic ID. They must be given a copy of this Safeguarding policy.
n
Referral routes:
Regarding
children or young people
If you have any concerns about a particular
child or young person and feel that they may be in need of protection or
safeguarding contact the Worcestershire County Council Access Centre on 01905
822666 from Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm. For assistance out of office
hours (5:00pm to 8:00 am weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays)
contact 01905 768020. Online referrals can be made at https://eservices.worcestershire.gov.uk/FrameworkiEHForm/AccessCentreForm.aspx
Advice, support and referral routes can also be
offered by the NSPCC. They can be reached on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
More information about this process can be found at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/.
If you think a child or young person is in
immediate danger inform the police straight away on 999.
Regarding
vulnerable adults
If you have any concerns about
a particular vulnerable adult and feel that they may be in need of protection
or safeguarding contact Worcestershire County Council Adult Social Care on
01905 768053. At the time of writing there is no online referral method.
If you think a vulnerable adult is in immediate
danger inform the police straight away on 999.
For less urgent or more general concerns you can speak to the local force using
101.