1. Purpose
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk from abuse or neglect. This policy defines how Weare Giffard village hall committee operates to safeguard children, young people, and adults at risk of abuse or neglect. We have a duty of care and are committed to the protection and safety of everyone who enters our premises including children, young people and adults at risk involved as visitors and/or as participants in all activities and events. We also have a duty to safeguard and support our trustees, volunteers, and staff.
2. Definitions
Children and young people are defined as those persons aged under 18 years old. This policy will apply to all staff, contractors and volunteers and will be used to support their work. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s health and development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Adult at risk of abuse or neglect
For the purposes of this policy, adult at risk refers to someone over 18 years old who, according to Section 42 of the Care Act 2014:
- has care and support needs
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
- as a result of their care and support needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it. If someone has care and support needs but is not currently receiving care or support from a health or care service, they may still be an adult at risk.
Persons affected
- All trustees, volunteers, and staff.
- All those attending any activity or service that is being delivered from the village hall charity property.
- All visitors and contractors.
3. Policy Principles
There can be no excuses for not taking all reasonable action to protect children and adults at risk from abuse or neglect. All citizens of the United Kingdom have their rights enshrined within the Human Rights Act 1998. People who are eligible to receive health and community care services may be additionally vulnerable to the violation of these rights by reason of disability, impairment, age, or illness.
- Weare Giffard Village Hall Committee has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.
- Weare Giffard Village Hall Committee recognises that under the Care Act 2014, it has a duty for the care and protection of adults who are at risk of abuse. It also recognises its responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004.
- Weare Giffard Village Hall Committee is committed to promoting wellbeing, harm prevention and to responding effectively if concerns are raised.
- Weare Giffard Village Hall Committee is aware of the work of their local safeguarding Board/Partnership and other support organisations on the development and implementation of procedures for the protection of children and adults at risk. The policy is about stopping abuse where it is happening and preventing abuse where there is a risk that it may occur.
- Weare Giffard Village Hall Committee is committed to the following principles:
- The welfare of the child, young person or adult at risk is paramount.
- All children, young people and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse.
- Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part; and
- All suspicions and allegations of abuse must be properly reported to the relevant internal and external authorities and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
4. Procedures
All members of the committee will familiarise themselves with safe-guarding responsibilities, undertake training where appropriate on safeguarding issues including whistleblowing where it is available and offered by their local safeguarding board/partnership or other local support organisation and ensure that they understand the principles set out in this policy at 3 above.
- All members of the committee will work together to promote a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting welfare to be addressed.
- All members of the committee, helpers or other volunteers will not have unsupervised access to children or adults at risk unless appropriately vetted.
- A member of the committee will be appointed to be responsible for child and adult at risk safeguarding matters. This person will have responsibility for reporting concerns that arise, as a matter of urgency, to the relevant safeguarding agency. The named person is currently Kevin Richards.
- All suspicions or allegations of abuse against a child or adult at risk will be taken seriously and dealt with speedily and appropriately. The appointed person will know who to contact and where to go for support and advice in relation to an allegation, a concern about the quality of care or practice or a complaint.
Making referrals
Anyone can make a referral for children, young people or adults who might be at risk of abuse and in need of safeguarding.
If you believe someone might be in immediate danger, call 999.
For concern about adults, call Care Direct: 0345 155 1007
For concern about children and young people, call the Devon Multiagency Safeguarding Hub (MASH): 0345 155 1071
An allegation may relate to a person who works with children or adults at risk who has:
- Behaved in a way that has harmed a child or adult at risk or may have harmed a child or adult at risk
- Possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to, a child or adult at risk; or
- Behaved towards a child (or children) or adult at risk in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children or adults at risk.
The hall committee will ensure that all hirers of the hall are aware of, and confirm their understanding of:
a) the village hall committee’s safeguarding policy, and
b) the user’s duty of care, and where possible for the user to provide a copy of their own safeguarding policy.
The village hall management committee will carry out an annual review of this policy.
