Safeguarding strategy

The Company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We will ensure that our employees who work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults who are victims of, or vulnerable to, various forms of abuse and neglect, are competent to deal with disclosures as these occur, and are able to safeguard and promote the welfare of individuals, working jointly with agencies in cases where there are safeguarding issues.

Core processes:

• The Company observes all legal requirements and formal guidance in relation to safeguarding. It also complies with the guidance contained in the South West Child Protection Procedures.
• The Director of Education Services and the Director of Community Services have been identified as taking lead responsibility for safeguarding.
• All employees are fully vetted (including an enhanced CRB check) and are not allowed unsupervised access to customers, or information about our customers, until satisfactory checks are received.
• All operational staff (including managers) are required, before becoming fully operational, to undertake child protection/safeguarding training. This includes an emphasis upon the need to share information with other agencies where the welfare or safety of a child, young person, or vulnerable adult is at risk. Subsequent refresher training is also mandatory. Staff are encouraged and supported to undertake further training where appropriate to their role.
• All operational staff (including managers) are required, before becoming fully operational, to undertake confidentiality and information sharing training, which includes training upon the need to breach general principles of confidentiality where a safeguarding issues exists.
• Our internal safeguarding guidelines contain detailed instructions for staff and guidance, including confidentiality, disclosures, and professional abuse, plus instructions upon escalation of concerns. Reports completed by employees following a disclosure are read by the line manager and the relevant director. The Company annually samples a selection of these to ensure best practice is observed.
• In contracting or granting funds to any non-statutory agency the Company always requires that agency to evidence its compliance with current legislation and guidance in relation to safeguarding.
• Senior managers are members of the Local Children's Safeguarding Boards in each of the local authority areas covered by the Company.

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