Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy – Introduction

Re-Solv is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

The key principles of this policy are:

• The welfare of the child, young person or vulnerable adult is the top priority of our work.
• All children, young people and vulnerable adults, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religious belief and sexual identity have a right to protection from harm or maltreatment.

The Safeguarding lead for Re-Solv is the Chair, Michael Spellman. Stephen Ream is the deputy safeguarding lead. Both Michael Spellman and Stephen Ream have completed accredited Designated Safeguarding Lead training.

It is the responsibility of everyone at Re-Solv to promote the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Staff are expected always to ensure that the child’s or vulnerable adult’s welfare is the priority.

It is also the responsibility of Re-Solv to ensure that staff are never placed in situations where an interpretation may be inappropriate. It is not intended that the policy would restrict staff from normal ways of working, but staff must consider how an action or activity might be perceived regardless of how it is intended.

Principles of Good Practice

Re-Solv undertakes to:

• Treat children, young people and vulnerable adults with care, respect and dignity.
• Ask the child, young person or vulnerable adult if they would like a chaperone or responsible adult present during any physical or online meetings.
• Recognise that those working for Re-Solv will be perceived by children, young people and vulnerable adults as trusted representatives of Re-Solv.
• Ensure that communication with children, young people and vulnerable adults is open and clear.
• Assess the risks to children and vulnerable adults of its activities.
• Ensure staff avoid physical contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults except for reasons of health and safety. Any physical contact should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge of the organisation and, if applicable, the child’s parents or carers.
• Ensure Re-Solv staff do not place themselves in any situation where they are alone with a child, young person or vulnerable adult.

In our work, Re-Solv recognises and raises awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and children’s rights (UNCRC).

Policy

Re-Solv and the staff of Re-Solv commit themselves to safeguarding the welfare, wellbeing and safety of the children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom they have contact by:

• Having in place a procedure which must be adhered to by all staff where there are suspicions that the safety or welfare of children, young people or vulnerable adults may be at risk.
• Ensuring that all staff are aware of this policy and procedure for responding in the event of a significant concern or disclosure of maltreatment.
• Ensuring that all staff refer any disclosure of maltreatment immediately to the Director and/or to the Chair as appropriate.
• Exercising due care in the appointment of staff by requiring all staff members who work directly with children, young people or vulnerable adults to have an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, or equivalent, so that children and vulnerable adults are not put at risk from within the organisation.
• All staff who do not work directly with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults will be required to have a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Re-Solv will ensure that all DBS checks for key delivery staff are updated every two years.
• This policy will be reviewed annually.

General definitions of maltreatment

Internationally, four main categories of maltreatment are generally recognised:

Physical Maltreatment: This may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Emotional Maltreatment: This is the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child or vulnerable adult such as to cause severe and long lasting effects on the child’s or vulnerable adult’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children and/or vulnerable adults that they are worthless and unloved, inadequate, or valued only so far as they meet the needs of another person. It can also involve age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children, or causing children or vulnerable adults to frequently feel frightened or in danger. Some level of emotional maltreatment is involved in all types of ill-treatment of a child or vulnerable adult, though it may occur alone.

Neglect: This is the persistent failure to meet the child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s or vulnerable adult’s health or development. For example:

• It may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance use;
• Involve a carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing;
• Failing to protect a child/vulnerable adult from physical and emotional harm or danger;
• Failure to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers);
• Failure to ensure access to medical care or treatment;
• It may include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic emotional needs

Sexual Maltreatment: This involves forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child or vulnerable adult is aware of what is happening or gives consent. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape) or non-penetrative acts. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children/vulnerable adults in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic materials or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children/vulnerable adults to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Other types of maltreatment commonly recognised, such as commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, are complex manifestations of a combination of the above four categories. It is important to highlight that bullying is also a form of maltreatment as it is an act of aggressive behaviour in order to intentionally hurt another person or persons, mentally, physically and/or sexually.

Sexual maltreatment is also manifesting itself in digital and augmented technologies such as smart phones. This can be virtual or real and can take many forms including sexual harassment.  It should be remembered that although we commonly think of adults as those who maltreat children, children can also be the perpetrators.

Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Re-Solv will take the necessary actions to ensure that staff working on projects where they are in direct contact with vulnerable individuals are appropriate and their work is monitored.

Re-Solv works with young people in schools, youth groups and other organisations. There should be no occasion where a member of Re-Solv staff meets a young person on an individual basis that is unsupervised by the responsible organisation. Any exceptions to this must be notified in writing to the Director and have prior authorisation.

Re-Solv also works directly with vulnerable adults. Meetings between a Re-Solv staff member and a client/user must be arranged to take place in a public space. If this is not possible, the Re-Solv staff member must contact the Director prior to the meeting to arrange appropriate security checks.

When working with other organisations Re-Solv staff should comply with the safeguarding procedure of that organisation. Where that procedure is in conflict with Re-Solv’s Safeguarding Policy the matter should be referred to the Director for reconciliation with the other organisation.

Local Threshold Frameworks

Local Threshold Frameworks are in place in England to help people understand when they should make a referral. Details for Threshold Frameworks are listed under the Relevant Organisations section of this document.

Procedure for reporting allegations or suspicions of maltreatment

In any case where an allegation is made, or someone from Re-Solv has concerns, a record should be made. Details must include, as far as practical:

• Name and age of child, young person or vulnerable adult
• Home address (if known)
• Date of birth (if known)
• Name and address of parent or guardian if appropriate
• Is the person making the report expressing their own concerns, or passing on the concerns of someone else? If so, record details
• What has prompted the concern? Include dates and times of any specific incidents
• Has the child or young person been spoken to? If so, what was said?
• Has anybody been alleged to be the abuser? If so, record details
• Who has this been passed on to, in order for appropriate action to be taken? eg school, police, Social Services/Social Work Team
• Has anyone else been consulted? If so, give details

Incident Reporting Form

All staff, volunteers and trustees should use Re-Solv’s Safeguarding Incident Reporting Form and contact the appropriate safeguarding contact as soon as concerns arise.  The Incident Reporting Form is available from Re-Solv. info@re-solv.org

Disclosure

• Never guarantee absolute confidentiality, as Safeguarding will always have precedence over any other issues.
• Listen to the child or vulnerable adult, rather than question him or her directly. Offer him / her reassurance without making promises, and take what the child or vulnerable adult says seriously.
• Allow the child or vulnerable adult to speak without interruption, and accept what is said – it is not your role to investigate or question. Do not overreact.
• Alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, while passing no judgement
• Advise that you will try to offer support, but that you must pass the information on. Explain what you have to do and whom you have to tell.
• Record the discussion accurately, as soon as possible after the event. Use the child’s or vulnerable adult’s words or explanations – do not translate into your own words, in case you have misconstrued what the child or vulnerable adult was trying to say.
• Contact the Re-Solv Director (Stephen Ream) and/or Chair (Mick Spellman) immediately to discuss your concern. The Director/Chair may then discuss the concern with the relevant organisation, and, if appropriate, make a direct referral.
• If the Director/Chair is not available, or it is inappropriate to approach them, the volunteer / member of staff with the concern should make direct contact with the relevant organisation themselves
• Record any discussions or actions taken within 24 hours.

Relevant Organisations

Staffordshire County Council Safeguarding

Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Threshold Framework

Reporting the maltreatment of a young person under the age of 18

Tel:       0300 111 8007 and select option 1  (Mon to Fri 8:30 – 5:00)

Tel:       0345 604 2866 (out of hours emergencies)

Reporting the maltreatment of a vulnerable adult 18 years of age of over

Tel:       0345 604 2719 (Mon to Fri 9:00-5:00)

Tel:       0345 604 2866 (out of hours emergencies)

Northamptonshire County Council Safeguarding

Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Threshold Framework

If you have concerns about a young person or vulnerable adult please contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 126 7000.

NSPCC Helpline

 Tel: 0808 800 5000 (Mon to Fri 10:00-20:00), or email help@nspcc.org.uk

Child Line           

Tel: 0800 1111 – 24 hours, Freephone

Scotland

Go to www.mygov.scot/report-child-protection-concern for a comprehensive list of organisations to speak to if you have concerns about a young person.

For vulnerable adults, contact the local Adult Support and Protection Team in the relevant area.

Recruitment

 All Re-Solv staff, trustees, volunteers and student placements will receive appropriate safeguarding training and are expected to provide two references. All references will be taken up prior to commencement of work with the organisation.

Re-Solv staff, volunteers and student placements working directly with young people and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to a statutory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

All Re-Solv staff receive an induction programme on Re-Solv’s policies and procedures including the Safeguarding Policy.

There is an official annual appraisal system in place for all staff.

Last Reviewed              16/01/2025

Next review date         16/01/2026