Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

Pathmakers recognises its responsibility to ensure that a safe environment is provided for all people, and especially children and adults at risk taking part in its activities. This policy specifies how we will provide a safe environment and how we will protect children and adults at risk when they are taking part in Pathmakers events, projects and other activities.

This policy also aims to protect Pathmakers team members, freelancers and volunteers (from this point referred to as ‘team members’) from situations where they may feel threatened or open to suspicion or accusation.

In this policy ‘children’ are defined – in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (ratified in the UK in 1991) – as anyone under 18 years of age.

‘Adults at risk’ are defined as people over the age of 18 who are or who may be in need of community care because of age, illness, physical or learning disability or because the person is unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation (including those for whom English is an additional language).

Vulnerability is subjective, and may be a temporary or permanent condition and therefore the principles of ‘erring on the side of caution’ and awareness of the possibility of vulnerability should be embedded in our practice.

This policy covers the following activities:

Recruitment and conduct of team members
Events and activities where team members come into direct contact with people, especially children or adults at risk
Digital and physical publications we produce
Dealing with allegations and disclosures

Code of Conduct

This code of conduct is designed to avoid most situations in which Pathmakers team members may be compromised.

Team members should always:

Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every individual and treat everyone with equality.
Ensure the safety and welfare of the child/ vulnerable adult is the top priority.
Act as a good role model and display high standards of behaviour when in the presence of children/ adults at risk e.g. do not swear or smoke. Regardless of whether or not the people concerned are in the care of others, or whether the team members member is on or off duty
Ensure that activities involving children are age appropriate
Ensure that all activities have been suitably risk assessed, including consideration of potential risk to children and vulnerable adults

Recognise that children and adults at risk may have complicated or traumatic backgrounds which may make them sensitive to certain issues.
Remember that a child/vulnerable adult may misinterpret words and actions no matter how well intentioned.
Make all volunteers and participants feel welcome at our activities, and encourage their contribution through positive and enthusiastic feedback
Take disclosures seriously and report them in writing as fully as possible to Pathmakers’ responsible trustees

Team members should not:

Be alone with a child or adult at risk, e.g. taking them to the toilet unless unavoidable.
Have physical contact with a child/ vulnerable adult unless absolutely essential for safety reasons
Use actions or language which may cause a child/vulnerable adult to lose self-esteem or confidence.
Do things of a personal nature that a child/vulnerable adult can do for themselves e.g. putting on coats.
Allow allegations or suggestions of misconduct made against them to go unreported.

Publish or display photos of people involved in Pathmakers activities without following the relevant Photography Policy (see below).

Responsible adults

Responsible adults are defined as people over the age of 18 who assume responsibility for children, or adults deemed to lack capacity, during Pathmakers activities e.g. teachers, parents and group leaders.

Pathmakers team members do not usually accept direct responsibility for children, and a responsible adult must be present at all times during outreach activities involving children. Responsible adults must lead on any decisions regarding medical aid for the child. Responsible adults are ultimately responsible for the child’s behaviour.

Adults at risk will not, in most cases, require the presence of a Responsible Adult to take part in activities, but should there be any question of a person lacking capacity a risk assessment should be undertaken before team members accept responsibility for supervision.

Any concern about the behaviour of a Responsible Adult whilst in contact with Pathmakers or during our activities should be reported immediately to Pathmakers trustees. Team members should only intervene without consultation in matters of immediate physical safety.

Recruitment of team members

All team members can be expected to have occasional contact with children and adults at risk, therefore at time of recruitment all team members will receive a copy of this policy and will subsequently be informed of any changes made to this policy.

Due to the varying levels of expected participation in hands-on activities, not all team members will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Team members who have not been checked should normally only work on outreach/volunteer activities alongside a member of team members who has been checked, although this person may be substituted for by the Responsible Adult where appropriate.

Running safe events, including fieldwork

All Pathmakers events will have a nominated event leader, who is responsible for making sure that the planning of the event takes this policy into consideration.

The event leader will be responsible for Risk Assessment of the location in which an activity will take place, and the tools, materials etc which will be used.
The event leader will also be responsible for ensuring that appropriate training and certification is in place for supervision of activities, including DBS checks as required, first aid cover, tool training etc.
All team members involved in running an event will be briefed as to any potential issues an activity raises by the event leader.
Pathmakers is committed to supporting responsible adults in the completion of risk assessments and will outline potential health and safety issues in advance.
Pathmakers recognises that not all children or adults at riskare the same and is committed to making provisions for participation by those with additional requirements wherever possible.

Digital and Physical publication

Photography Policy

Photographs, videos or other images of children/ adults at risk (as individuals or in groups) where people could be recognised must not be kept or published by the centre without obtaining written consent.
In the case of schools and other formal groups Pathmakers team members should discuss the organisations photographic policy in advance with the class teacher/ leader and request suitable paperwork or supply photographic permission forms as appropriate.
In the case of families consent should be sought from parents/guardians on the day using photographic permission forms.

Where the size of the group makes individual consent unfeasible an announcement should be made in advance of photography.
All photographic consents, in whatever form, should be kept on file.
Any photographs taken for which no permission exists, or can be obtained within a suitable time period, must be deleted and any prints treated as confidential waste.

Identity Protection Policy

Pathmakers will not usually identify children/ adults at risk by their full names in any publication.

Email/ phone numbers/ personal website addresses of children/adults at risk should not be passed on to any third party or published without explicit written consent from the individual and/or their responsible adult.

This policy is supplemental to the main Pathmakers Data Protection Statement.

Physical Contact

Physical contact between team members and children/ adults at risk is discouraged and must be kept to an absolute minimum, however, it is recognised that children/ adults at risk may touch team members spontaneously. Circumstances where physical contact may be unavoidable are outlined below:

To prevent children/adults at risk hurting themselves e.g. falling or tripping

During hands on activities where skills are being demonstrated/training offered. (In these cases, the nature of contact should be explained and agreed with the child/vulnerable adult first.)
Providing mobility assistance to children/ adults at risk who have a physical disability, or assisting these people in an emergency.
First aiders administering treatment
If team members are physically attacked or threatened they may take reasonable measures to protect themselves or remove the threat

Allegations

Should a child/vulnerable adult accuse a member of team members of any kind of inappropriate behaviour or abuse this should be referred immediately to Pathmakers Trustees, and NCC. The incident should be recorded in writing by both parties, separately, as soon as possible and passed to a suitable person (‘safeguarding lead’) appointed by NCC.

Allegations will be dealt with by the Pathmakers Trustees and NCC adult social services. The member of team members involved may be excused from work until such time as allegations have been fully investigated, should this be considered necessary, in line with volunteering/trustees’ agreements.

Accusations against team members are subject to the terms of the Data Protection Act.

Disclosure

Pathmakers recognise that group and activity leaders have a responsibility to act as ‘trusted adults’, as well as the responsibilities common to normal members of the public.

If a child/ adult at risk discloses any information to Pathmakers team members suggesting they have been abused, team members must take the disclosure seriously and listen to what is being said. However, they should inform the child/ adult at risk if asked that they will not be able to keep such information confidential.

Any disclosure should be recorded in writing in as much detail as possible straight after the incident and passed to Norfolk County Councils Children’s Services or Adult Social Services team as appropriate. Pathmakers trustees will then act entirely according to their advice.

It is not the responsibility of team members to act on the disclosure themselves. The only exception to this is in any case where immediate danger of serious physical harm is apparent, and then the actions of the member of team members should be confined to calling the police.

Any matter relating to a disclosure must be kept absolutely confidential, both whilst under investigation and afterwards.

Adopted …………May 2023…………………………

To be reviewed …May 2024…………………………