Beckford Community Village Hall Safeguarding Policy
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This statement of policy and procedures applies to users of, and activities in, Beckford Community Village Hall, including the Old Social Club.
The purpose of this policy is to:
– Protect children and young people who receive services or attend activities at Beckford Community Village Hall. This includes the children of adults who use the Hall.
– Protect vulnerable adults who receive services or attend activities at Beckford Community Village Hall
– Provide the Directors, event and activity organisers, staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection.
Beckford Community Village Hall aims to provide a safe and secure venue for a range of services, activities and events. The Board of Directors recognises the importance of ensuring the safeguarding and welfare of all users of the Hall.
This policy is made available to all adults who use the Hall for any activities, including those who run events or activities on behalf of the Directors. In most cases children will be accompanied by an adult (a parent or carer), who will take responsibility for them. Young people, (defined as secondary school age or above for the purposes of this policy) are more likely to attend on their own. Vulnerable Adults may attend activities independently and may need additional protection accordingly.
This policy includes Child and Adult Protection Procedures, and Whistle Blowing.
The Directors are committed to ensure that robust safeguards are in place, that policies and procedures are current and fit for purpose, and that complaints are investigated and handled promptly, efficiently, sensitively and without fear or favour.
Enquiries about the operation of this policy may be made in the first instance to Graham Galer,
Beckford Community Village Hall Secretary, at graham.galer@hotmail.co.uk.
This policy is subject to annual review and the procedures are updated as and when necessary, (i.e. when regulations or recommendations change or in the light of any case reviews
Procedures for Safeguarding
Groups and individuals hiring the Hall are responsible for their own safeguarding arrangements. The Hall’s responsibility is to ensure that anyone who runs events or activities specifically for Children, Young People or Vulnerable Adults maintains the required levels of disclosure, supervision and has appropriate training. Organisers of activities attended by vulnerable persons must have appropriate measures in place to ensure sufficient protection is afforded to those persons. Organisers of such activities must disclose those measures to the Beckford Community Village Hall upon request. Use of Beckford Community Village Hall may be refused where adequate protection for such vulnerable groups cannot be demonstrated to Beckford Community Village Hall’s reasonable satisfaction.
Groups which serve the under 3, 3 – 5 and 5 – 11 age groups will follow the Ofsted guidelines for levels of supervision: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-safeguarding- policy
If any user of the Hall has concerns about the behaviour or actions of anyone associated with the Hall they should immediately inform the named person in their group initially responsible for Safeguarding and / or Graham Galer at graham.galer@hotmail.co.uk , or the Board of Directors Chairperson at dan.hughes@bridge-ability.com. Anyone acting in an unsafe or unwise manner may be subject to referral to the relevant authorities.
Any concern disclosed to a user or hirer of the Hall should be recorded by them as soon as
practicable. Leading questions should not be asked but a clear factual written record made of what has been disclosed. All referrers should follow the following summary guidance:
– Record the time and date
– Don’t promise to keep what you’re told a secret
– Tell the child or young person what you will do next
– Don’t make promises you cannot keep
All disclosures should be immediately reported to the named Safeguarding person for the hiring group who should as soon as possible inform the Beckford Community Village Hall responsible person (see 2.3 above).
Confidentiality cannot be promised in any case where an individual may be in danger of any form of abuse. Abuse can include physical, sexual, emotional or neglect. Beckford Community Village Hall may without reference to any person seek assistance from or make a referral to any competent authority for them to advise or take appropriate further action, with the adult responsible for the individual who has made a disclosure being notified if appropriate.
Persons making relevant disclosures to Beckford Community Village Hall must co-operate fully with Beckford Community Village Hall and any competent authority in dealing with investigations into complaints, must follow appropriate recommendations and carry out any recommended further actions.
Whistle Blowing Policy
The Directors will, under this Whistle Blowing Policy, protect any individual making a referral. Should the individual making the referral feel that insufficient action/follow up has taken place they should inform the Chairperson of the Board of Directors without fear of repercussion.
Procedures for Whistle Blowing include:
– Protecting those who make referrals under the Whistle Blowing Policy and Procedures so that there is a culture of informing without reprisal or negative consequence.
– As far as possible protecting the anonymity of the whistle blower, (except where so doing could endanger another individual).
– Keeping accurate records.
Further advice and support
At any stage you may wish to seek further advice or support from the following sources:
https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/community-and-living/community-development/safeguarding Child Protection: NSPCC – www.nspcc.org.uk NSPCC Child Protection Helpline – 0808 800 5000 Disclosure and Barring Service – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and- barring-service Save the Children – https://www.savethechildren.org.uk Vulnerable Adults Protection: Action on Elder Abuse – https://www.elderabuse.org.uk
