SAFEGUARDING POLICY

TARVIN COMMUNITY WOODLAND TRUST

Last updated 05 June 2023

Tarvin Community Woodland Trust Ltd (‘The Charity’) is committed to ensuring that children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected and kept safe from harm whilst they are engaged with our organisation where that engagement relates directly to any key activity and objectives of the Charity. It is not Charity policy to meet, interview or personally vet applicants, parents or carers during the normal activities of the Charity. It is however, foreseeable that Trustees and any other volunteers or employed staff (where applicable) may come in to direct contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults as part of their roles within the Charity, or as part of their other roles or private activities within the community.

Policy Aim: to ensure a safeguarding system is in place where harm, or risk of harm is identified, acted upon effectively and ultimately prevented in order to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults we come in to contact with and to protect Trustees and any volunteers.

Policy Objectives:

  • To ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe from harm
  • To create a healthy and safe environment whenever contact is made, either remotely or in person
  • To ensure safe Communication practices
  • To ensure Trustees induction and Safeguarding awareness is in place
  • To ensure suitable awareness and training in Safeguarding issues including recording, reporting and requesting support
  • To ensure safe working practices

Trustee Responsibilities:

  • To work safely to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults
  • To undertake sufficient regular safeguarding awareness sessions and maintain a full understanding of their responsibilities
  • To be familiar with current legislation and documentation
  • To know the correct recording / reporting procedures if you have concerns about anything you have seen or heard.
  • To understand that your report will be treated seriously and sensitively by authorities
  • To understand that children, young people and vulnerable adults need to be listened to, taken seriously, and have their concerns acted upon.
  • To be aware that child abuse could be perpetrated by colleagues.
  • To always undertake all face to face communication which is supervised with all children, young people and vulnerable adults
  • To understand the process provided to record, report and request support

The Safeguarding Officer Responsibilities:

The role of the appointed person is to:

  • Receive information from Trustees, volunteers, children or parents and carers who have child protection concerns and to record them
  • Assess the information promptly and carefully, clarifying or obtaining more information about the matter as appropriate
  • Consult initially with the Trustees and if necessary the statutory child protection agency’s such as the local children’s services, or the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline, to test out any doubts or uncertainty about the concerns
  • To make a formal referral to a statutory child protection agency or the police.

NOTE; It is not the Safeguarding Officer’s or the Trustees role to decide whether a child has been abused or not.

The Safeguarding Officer for TCWT is:

Emergencies should be reported to the appropriate social services team or the police.

This policy has been reviewed and agreed as suitable and sufficient by the Trustees.