Introduction

Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action we take to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play. 

Safeguarding is defined in the Working together to safeguard children 2013 document 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; and
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

The African Families in the UK CIC Directors, Volunteers and Staff members work with a variety of vulnerable groups, including children, and will always act in their best interests and will ensure they take all reasonable steps to prevent harm to them. Having safeguards in place within this organisation not only protects and promotes the welfare of children but also it enhances the confidence of directors, staff, volunteers, parents/carers and the general public.

All children have the right to be safe and to be protected. All professionals have the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This can only be achieved through professionals working together and agencies co-operating to ensure the well-being of children within their area. The African Families in the UK CIC is committed to working in partnership with others across the statutory and voluntary sectors to ensure that children are protected from harm. 

The African Families in the UK CIC shares the beliefs that:

The welfare of the child is paramount and should underpin all child protection work and resolve any conflicts of interest;

All children deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential;

All children have the right to be safeguarded from harm and exploitation whilst consideration must be given to: 

• Race, religion, preferred language or ethnicity 
• Gender or sexuality 
• Age 
• Health or disability 
• Location or placement 
• Criminal behaviour 
• Political or immigration status 

These must not impede a child’s right to be safeguarded from harm and exploitation. 

The African Families in the UK CIC ensures that all staff and volunteers:

• Have been checked for suitability for working with children and understand the extent and limits of their role;
• Are sensitive to the possibility of child abuse and neglect in all environments in which they have responsibility for children; 
• Have access to training opportunities to promote their knowledge; 
• Know how to report any concerns they have about possible abuse or neglect; 
• Are vigilant about their own actions so they cannot be misinterpreted. 

The African Families in the UK CIC has designated a senior member of staff:

Colchester – Rachel Walton

Oxford – Jacqui Gitau

• to take responsibility for drawing up and maintaining policy and procedures for the protection of children;  
• to promote and maintain links with local statutory agencies in relation to both general and specific child protection matters; 
• to ensure that all staff and volunteers are appropriately vetted through appropriate uptake of references and enhanced DBS disclosure before commencing paid or unpaid work with the company;
• to ensure that all staff and volunteers are aware of their responsibilities to safeguard children, to promote their welfare and act according to company policy;
• to facilitate access to the most up-to-date Southend, Essex and Thurrock Safeguarding policy and procedures for all staff and volunteers;
• to ensure that all parents and carers are aware of the responsibility of all staff and volunteers to act according to company policy to safeguard children and young people;
• to enable parents to access company safeguarding policies if they wish to do so;
• to ensure that all staff and volunteers have access to appropriate training and regular supervision with respect to safeguarding issues;
• to offer support to staff, volunteers, carers or group leaders during any child protection investigation.

Recognising signs of abuse or neglect

All staff and volunteers will be made aware that:

• It can often be difficult to recognise signs of abuse or neglect in children and young people;
• Children may behave strangely or appear unhappy for many reasons, depending on their age and circumstances;
• Someone can abuse a child by actively inflicting harm or by failing to keep a child safe from harm;
• Abuse can take place within a family, institutional or community setting;
• Abuse can be delivered in person, by phone or over the internet;
• Abuse can be carried out by someone known to the child or by a complete stranger.
• No member of staff should be left alone with a child where they cannot be observed by others

All staff and volunteers will be given information and training about the signs and symptoms to look out for that may indicate abuse or neglect (see appendix 1)

If a member of staff has any concerns about the safety of a baby, child or young person, it is important that these concerns are shared with the parent or carer if it is deemed appropriate to do so. If this action might place the baby, child or young person at risk of additional or immediate harm, the member of staff should follow Southend, Essex and Thurrock safeguarding procedures and notify Social Services.  If the member of staff is unsure about the best course of action, he / she should always share his/ her concerns with the designated African Families in the UK lead for child protection.

All incidents and concerns must be recorded. A confidential record will be made whenever there are worrying changes in a child’s physical condition, appearance or behaviour, there are worrying aspects of the parents health or circumstances which might compromise the child’s safety or statements are made about the baby, child or young person, by the parent or carer that give cause for concern. 

In the event that a child or young person makes a disclosure of abuse against an adult or another child or young person, African Families in the UK staff and volunteers must 

• Listen to the child or young person and / or closely observe their presentation and behaviour;
• let them know that they are being taken seriously and that the information needs to be shared with someone else in order to help them;
• not attempt to question or interview the child or young person;
• inform the designated child protection officer as soon as possible;
• make a written record of the allegations and events.

Written records should include details about: 

• location, time and circumstances in which the member of staff encountered the child, parent or carer;
• the child’s name, date of birth, place of residence, next- of- kin, household and family composition, accompanying relative (s);
• contact details for the accompanying adult and/ or the next-of-kin;
• details of what actually happened, what was observed and the explanations given for the injury or presenting features that were giving cause for concern;
• any communications, information and advice given to the parents, carer or accompanying adults;
• the course of action taken by the member of staff; 
• the name and signature of the member of staff;
• the date and time of the written entry.

All information about the child and his/ her family is confidential unless it is the best interests of the child to share that information. See appendix 2 for the ‘seven golden rules for information sharing’. All written documentation will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in the African Families UK central office or recorded in a password protected electronic file.

Aim of Policy

The aim of this policy is to ensure the safety of vulnerable adults by outlining clear procedures and ensuring that all staff members are clear about their responsibilities.

Definition 

A vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 years or over who may be unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm or from being exploited. 

This may include a person who:

         Is elderly and frail

         Has a mental illness including dementia 

         Has a physical or sensory disability

         Has a learning disability

         Has a severe physical illness

         Is a substance misuser

         Is homeless

What is abuse?

Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. It can take a number of forms:

• Physical abuse e.g. hitting, pushing, shaking, inappropriate restraint, force-feeding, forcible administration of medication, neglect or abandonment
• Sexual abuse e.g. involvement in any sexual activity against his/her will, exposure to pornography, voyeurism and exhibitionism
• Emotional/psychological abuse e.g. intimidation or humiliation
• Financial abuse e.g. theft or exerting improper pressure to sign over money from pensions or savings etc.
• Neglect or acts of omission e.g. being left in wet or soiled clothing, or malnutrition
• Discriminatory abuse e.g. racial, sexual or religious harassment
• Personal exploitation – involves denying an individual his/her rights or forcing him/her to perform tasks that are against his/her will
• Violation of rights e.g. preventing an individual speaking his/her thoughts and opinions
• Institutional abuse e.g. failure to provide a choice of meals or failure to ensure privacy or dignity

Reporting Procedures

If the allegation or suspicion of abuse is discovered by a member of staff/facilitator then they should inform a director as soon as possible. 

The director will then make a written record of the allegation or suspicion of abuse and discuss the situation with another director before speaking to professionals.

If a facilitator/staff member has been told about the allegation of abuse in confidence, they should attempt to gain the consent of the victim to make a referral to another agency. However, the gaining of the consent is not essential in order for information to be passed on. Consideration needs to be given to:

• The scale of the abuse
• The risk of harm to others
• The capacity of the victim to understand the issues of abuse and consent

If there is any doubt about whether or not to report an issue to Social Services then it should be reported.

In emergency situations (e.g. where there is the risk or occurrence or severe physical injury), where immediate action is needed to safeguard the health or 

safety of the individual or anyone else who may be at risk, the emergency services must be contacted.

Where a crime is taking place, has just occurred or is suspected, the police must be contacted immediately.

Responsibilities

All members of staff/facilitators have a responsibility to be aware of this policy and to report any suspicions that they might have concerning adult abuse.

DBS Checks

Newly recruited staff who have contact with clients must pass a DBS check. 

Contacts
 

• Social Services 
• Adult Protection – Principal Officer

Legislation

This policy is informed by, and adheres, to The African Families in the UK (CIC) Adult Protection Policy and Procedures, and to the following legislation:

NHS and Community Care Act 1990

Mental Health Act 1983

Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Care Standards Act 2000