Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Children and Adults Policy

Date devised: September 2020

Date to be reviewed: September 2021

Last updated: Aug 2022

1: Policy statement

This policy is made in accordance with the value and mission that both adults and children are able to be safe, secure and supported whilst engaging with Give Your Best UK. As an organisation, Give Your Best UK predominately work with adults, however, recognise that they may have some involvement with children as well. 

Give Your Best UK works to provide asylum seeking women the opportunity to pick clothing items that have been donated to them which are high quality, fashionable and in good condition. However, they have a duty to promote the wellbeing and safety of all those that have both a shopping or donating experience with them or those they may be informed about. As an organisation they believe that it is always unacceptable for a person to experience abuse or neglect of any kind. 

Give Your Best UK is committed to practice that protects children and adults from harm and recognises its duty to ensure that appropriate action is taken where a child or adult is experiencing harm or is at risk of harm.

2. Purpose

• To safeguard and promote the wellbeing of all the children and adults with whom Give Your Best UK works or associates with.

• To provide all those volunteering with Give Your Best UK with guidance on how they should behave if they suspect that a child or vulnerable adult may be experiencing, or be at risk from abuse or harm.

• To guide those volunteering on how to respond to - and report – concerns.

• To provide guidance to those donating and shopping on how to protect their privacy and safeguard within these relationships. 

3. Who is affected by this policy

This policy applies to all paid staff, volunteers, mentors, students, contract, and unpaid staff working on behalf of Give Your Best UK in any capacity and in any setting. Anyone undertaking work on behalf of Give Your Best UK should be made aware of the safeguarding policies and procedures. 

Those with specific communication needs because of language or disability should have access to information in appropriate forms to ensure their understanding.

This policy relates to all children from unborn up to 18 years of age and includes children with whom Give Your Best UK has direct or indirect contact with, for example children known to adults with whom NCB works directly.This policy also relates to adults who need to be safeguarded from harm.

4. Definitions

As per the definitions set out in the Children Act 1989, a ‘child’ is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. It also includes unborn children.

Adults aged 18 and over have the potential to be vulnerable (either temporarily or permanently) for a variety of reasons and in different situations. An adult may be vulnerable if he/she:

• Has a learning or physical disability

• Has a physical or mental illness, chronic or otherwise, including an addiction to

alcohol or drugs

• Has a reduction in physical or mental capacity

• Is in the receipt of any form of healthcare

• Is detained in custody

• Is receiving community services because of age, health or disability

• Is living in sheltered or residential care home

• Is unable, for any other reason, to protect himself/herself against significant

harm or exploitation.

5. Legal Framework

Everyone has a right to be safeguarded from abuse or neglect. There is a legislative framework in place in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults through The Children Act 1989 (as amended by section 53 of the Children Act 2004) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Further guidance that sets out the requirements and expectations on professionals to work together to effectively safeguard children include Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015), Safeguarding Disabled Children: Practice Guidance (2009) and What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2015) (Department for Education 2015).

6. General Principles

Safeguarding relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and to protect them from harm.

Everyone should have a basic awareness of safeguarding issues. This includes:

• Being alert to the possibility of abuse and neglect

• Having enough knowledge to recognise an abusive or potentially abusive

event or set of circumstances

• Knowing who in the organisation to raise concerns with

• Being competent to take the appropriate immediate or emergency action.

If any member of staff has any concerns about a child or vulnerable adult they must alert Give Your Best UK Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) immediately. If the DSO agrees there is grounds for concern, they must take appropriate action to safeguard the child or vulnerable adult. This may include contacting the relevant local authority social care service or the local police child abuse investigation team.

If a child or vulnerable adult is in immediate danger the member of staff who first becomes aware of the danger should dial 999 for the police. The above may include concerns about a member of staff, a suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused or neglected, or a suspicion that an activity is taking place that could place a person at risk. 

If the concern relates to a volunteer, Give Your Best UK DSO should contact the local authority designated officer (LADO) responsible for providing advice and liaison in such cases. This is a general guide as the role of the LADO is expected to change, additionally some local authorities will have new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.

In any situation where there is a suspicion of abuse, the welfare needs of the child or vulnerable adult must come first even where there may be a conflict of interest (e.g. where the suspected perpetrator may be a member of staff).

7. What constitutes abuse?

Abuse is a deliberate act of ill-treatment that can harm or is likely to harm a person’s safety, wellbeing and development. Abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional. Abuse may not, however, fall easily into these categories and volunteers are not expected to be experts in the field. Neglect also constitutes abuse but can be defined as failing to provide or secure a child or vulnerable adult with the basic needs required for physical safety and wellbeing.

8. Volunteer responsibilities

All Give Your Best UK volunteers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults with whom they work. It is the responsibility of staff to promote good practice and minimise and manage potential risks. 

All volunteers, freelance staff and associates must be aware of the requirements within these procedures.

Action to safeguard:

Give Your Best UK staff have no powers to investigate abuse. Nonetheless all NCB staff have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and/or vulnerable adults and a responsibility to work closely and co-operatively with other agencies in order to achieve this. Staff may have a role as referrers, witnesses or supporters in safeguarding processes.

If a member of staff suspects that a child or vulnerable adult is being harmed by experiencing, or already has experienced, abuse or neglect and/or is likely to suffer harm in the future, they must talk to the Designated Safeguarding Officer. The DSO will agree next steps including making any necessary referrals. 

If anyone other than the DSO makes a referral, they should inform the DSO as soon as possible to ensure a record of this log of this referral is recorded. It is not the responsibility of Give Your Best UK to decide whether or not abuse has taken place. It is the responsibility of them to act if there is cause for concern, in order that the appropriate agencies can investigate and take any action necessary to protect the young and/or vulnerable adult.

If a member of staff is concerned that a child is in immediate danger, or requires immediate medical treatment, they should call the police and/or emergency medical services on 999 straight away.

9. Staff behaviour 

Give Your Best UK staff should not:

• meet with a child or vulnerable adult on their own unless specifically related to a work project. 
• ask overly personal questions, including those about age or appearance (unless specifically related to a work project, in which case it must be documented).
• send/give out material that could be considered offensive, which includes material on social media sites
• suggest or imply a personal relationship could develop
• take an aggressive or bullying tone
• have physical contact
• offer or accept personal gifts
• travel alone with a young and/or vulnerable person

10. Confidentiality and sharing information

Confidentiality and the possible impact on the child or vulnerable adult

In any work with children and/or vulnerable adults it is important to be clear about confidentiality. Both shoppers and donors can be made aware of the privacy policy that Give Your Best UK have in terms of how their information is stored by the organisation. 

While personal information held by professionals and agencies is subject to a legal duty of confidence and should not normally be disclosed without the subject’s consent, it is essential that staff respond quickly where they have concerns or suspicions of abuse. Any concerns about confidentiality should not override the rights of children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of, or suffering, harm. 

Give Your Best UK responsibility for protecting children and vulnerable adults means that, where necessary to protect welfare, it will breach confidentiality to raise concerns. 

Should it become necessary to pass on information shared by another party this decision should always be discussed with the person in question and where possible their cooperation sought beforehand. Explanations of the reasons; processes; likely sequence of events; and who to contact for information or for support should also be provided.

When a child or vulnerable adult makes an allegation of abuse they may hope that the abuse will stop without further enquiries. They may fear the effect this will have on their family and may fear retribution from the abuser. They should be helped to understand why the referral (to the Designated Safeguarding Officer) must be made and what is likely to happen as a result. It is important to reassure the child or vulnerable adult but he/she must not be told that their allegation will be treated in a particular way or that the information will be kept a secret.

A record should be kept of any decision and the reasons for it – whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose. Even if a concern has been discussed with the DSO, it is important that all concerns are properly recorded in writing whether or not further action is taken. It is important that concerns raised are recorded accurately and in detail. All discussions should end with clear and explicit recorded agreement about who will be taking what action. Where no further action is the outcome the reason for this should be clearly recorded. Records pertaining to issues of child protection may be accessible to third parties such as Children’s Services, Police, the Courts and Solicitors. Records must be kept securely file to which access is restricted. 

11. Allegations against staff

Any suspicion, allegation or actual abuse of a child or vulnerable adult by a volunteer or anyone acting on behalf of Give Your Best UK must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Officer.

Concerns about staff must be treated with the same rigour as other concerns. If there are concerns that abuse has taken place the DSO will pass this information to the Local Authority Designated Officer for investigation. 

On occasion, a child or vulnerable adult may abuse another child or vulnerable adult. Safeguarding procedures should be followed in respect of all parties in those situations.

12. Concerns surrounding relationships between shoppers and those donating

It is Give Your Best UK’s policy that shoppers and those that donate do not continue a personal relationship, however, recognise that this may take place without the support of Give Your Best UK. 

If individuals do choose to maintain a relationship, Give Your Best UK accepts no responsibility for any consequences of this arrangement, however, if notified of any safeguarding concerns, will respond in accordance with this safeguarding policy to any concerns raised. 

Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) : Sarah Edwards 

For concerns please contact us on: Safeguarding@giveyourbest.uk