Safeguarding check up 2016
It’s time to consider safeguarding in your annual check-up, as funding opportunities come around. Many funders including local authorities and Children in Need are likely to check your safeguarding policies and procedures, and maybe ask about recent safeguarding training as part of the application process.
Working Together to Safeguard Children
All organisations that are in contact with children and families must follow the government statutory guidance,Working Together to Safeguard Children, which was reviewed in March 2015. The checks below will help you to comply with your organisational responsibilities in Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Here are 10 checks to make, and yes is the right answer! Below the questions there are resources and links to help you find out more.
Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children:
1Is there an annual review date on your policy and procedures? And was it reviewed in the last 12 months?
2Do you have up-to-date contact details in your procedures for who to talk to, within your group, the local authority, and the police, about any concerns for children and for adults at risk? Are the contact details either on display or easily accessible to all workers, volunteers and trustees/management committee members? Newcastle and Gateshead local authority and police contact details are below.
3Safer staff volunteers and trustees: are there clear processes to check volunteers, workers, and trustees to the appropriate level and to ask for references? And do you have safeguarding induction and training, regular supervision, and ongoing support for staff, trustees and volunteers?
4Is it clear who is responsible for all aspects of your activities and services for children and adults at risk?
5Does a named trustee/management committee member take lead responsibility for your safeguarding arrangements?
6If you work with children and families, does your organisation have a culture of listening to children and taking account of what they say, both in work with individuals and when developing new projects?
7Whistleblowing: is it easy for people to routinely raise concerns in your organisation? Do they?
8Is the role of your named / designated safeguarding person mentioned in their job description?
9Are staff clear about your processes for sharing information so that they are not left on their own with dilemmas, especially in family support, youth work, community development, or in prevention work, which may be less clear than in high risk safeguarding situations?
10If you want to ask for DBS checks (Disclosure and Barring Service, used to be CRB checks) do you have a Recruitment of ex-offenders policy?
Raising safeguarding concerns: go-to people
The contact details in your procedures, which are easily available to all workers and volunteers, should include:
- Your organisation’s named /designated person for safeguarding and their up to date contact details
- Your organisation’s deputy named /designated person and their up to date contact details
- The day and night safeguarding contact details for the local authorities where your group is active
- Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department contact details
- The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) contact details
- NSPCC helpline number
Local contacts to go in your procedures
Newcastle Children's Social Care Initial Response Team for advice and referrals during office hours. Call 0191 277 2500
Newcastle Emergency Duty Team outside of office hours. Call 0191 232 8520
Gateshead Children’s Services for advice about referrals during office hours. Call 0191 433 2653
Gateshead Emergency Duty Team outside of office hours. Call 0191 477 0844
If you think a crime against a child, young person, or adult at risk has been committed, or you want advice if you are worried about sexual exploitation, call 101 and ask for the Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) should be contacted if there are allegations that a member of staff or volunteer has significantly harmed a child or is likely to harm a child.
The Newcastle LADO is Melanie Scott. Call 0191 277 4636 Fax. 0191 211 6744 Email
The Gateshead LADO is Nicholas Leon. Call 0191 433 8021 Email
NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) 24 hour helpline, which includes some Asian languages.
Call 0808 800 5000
Training
To help you decide who needs which training, visit
Newcastle Multi-agency Safeguarding Programmefree training for Newcastle voluntary organisations’ staff and volunteers including management committees. Visit
Newcastle Multi-Agency Domestic Violence and Abuse Training free for organisations working in Newcastle, visit
Gateshead Multi-agency Safeguarding Training (includes domestic violence training) free for small voluntary organisations in Gateshead, and £50 - £100 for those with a turnover above £100,000. Visit
Resources
Free safeguarding tool and resource library for organisations, art and sports clubs, youth clubs, and service providers. Focuses on running activities and events safely, avoiding accidents, child protection, recruitment, and more. Recently updated sample policies, codes of conduct, training needs analysis forms, case studies, self-assessment checklists…
Visit
And
Safeguarding children and young people within faith settings resources include films and case studies from the six main faiths practiced in the UK. Visit
Pokémon Go: a parent's guide NSPCC have released a guide for parents to keep children safer whilst playing on the new Pokémon Go app. Includes Pokémon Go explained! Visit
Working Together to Safeguard Children Visit
Recruitment of ex-offenders policy All employers must treat Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check applicants who have a criminal record fairly. For a sample policy visit
Charity Commission guidance
Trustees The Charity Commission has written guidance for trustees of charities that work with children
Multi-agency procedures
If you need more in-depth procedures for your organisation, they will be available on your local Safeguarding Adults Board or Safeguarding Children Board website. These are the links to the Newcastle and Gateshead procedures.
Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board online procedures
Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board has a policy and procedure template for voluntary organisations. Under ‘p’ on
Gateshead Safeguarding Children Board Procedures Manual
Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board multi-agency policies and procedures
I attach the updated Newcastle CVS Safeguarding Children information sheet and Safeguarding Adults information sheet, and a new one on what to do if there is something on a DBS check. Other NCVS information sheets are:
- DBS checks (used to be CRB checks)
- Safeguarding and social media
- Young people and the Care Act
- Preventing vulnerable people being drawn into terrorism
Visit
and
I hope your summer is going well. I’ll be on leave from tomorrow, returning Tuesday 6 September if you have any queries.
Best wishes
Pam
Pam Jobbins
Policy Officer
Support and Development Team
Direct line 0191 235 7017