Safeguarding Policy

Car Colston and Screveton Village Hall Management Committee
Safeguarding Policy – September 2019

1. Introduction and Purpose

The welfare of children and vulnerable adults is paramount. All organisations, including charities, must comply with the law regarding the protection and safeguarding of children and adults at risk.

The purpose of this policy is to define the safeguarding policy and procedures that apply to the use of Car Colston and Screveton Village Hall.

2. Definitions

Child

A child is anyone under the age of 18.

Adult at Risk

The Law Commission Report into Adult Social Care (2011) defined an adult at risk as a person who:

  • appears to have health or social care needs, including carers, irrespective of whether those needs are being met by services

  • appears to be at risk of harm

  • appears to be unable to safeguard themselves from harm as a direct result of their health or social care needs

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment

  • preventing impairment of children’s health and development

  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Abuse of a Child

The NSPCC identifies a number of forms of abuse which may be perpetrated against a child, including:

  • bullying

  • emotional abuse

  • physical abuse

  • child trafficking

  • neglect

  • sexual abuse

Abuse of an Adult

The Law Commission’s Report into Adult Social Care defines harm as including, but not limited to:

  • ill treatment, including sexual abuse, exploitation and forms of ill treatment which are not physical

  • impairment of physical or mental health or physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development

  • self-harm and neglect

  • unlawful conduct which adversely affects property, rights or interests, for example financial abuse

3. Principles of Our Policy

Children and vulnerable adults, also referred to as adults at risk, have the right to use the Village Hall protected and free from abuse of any kind, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs.

The Trustees of Car Colston and Screveton Village Hall have a duty to safeguard the children and vulnerable adults who use the facilities.

This policy applies to all Trustees and all users of the Village Hall.

The policy will be reviewed and approved annually and whenever there is a change in relevant legislation or published guidance.

The policy will be available for anyone to inspect on the Village Hall website or by request from the Secretary.

Anyone with a conviction for a sexual offence against a child or vulnerable adult, whenever it was committed, is not considered suitable to serve as a Trustee.

All concerns and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously by Trustees and responded to appropriately. This may require a referral to social services or, in an emergency, the police.

4. Responsibilities

The Trustee with specific responsibility for safeguarding, known as the Delegated Lead, is:

[Name]

The Deputy Safeguarding Lead is:

[Name]

All users of the Village Hall are responsible for reporting suspicions of abuse using the contact information below.

The Delegated Lead should be advised of any safeguarding incidents occurring on the Village Hall premises or grounds so that appropriate preventative action can be taken where necessary.

Confidentiality will be observed. However, information may need to be shared if a child or adult is considered to be at risk of harm.

5. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

Concerns about a child

Nottinghamshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Telephone: 0300 500 80 90

Out of hours – Emergency Duty Team
Telephone: 0300 456 4546

Website: nottinghamshire.gov.uk

Concerns about an adult

Telephone: 0800 500 80 80

Email: [email protected]

In an emergency

If someone is in immediate danger or a crime is taking place, call 999.

6. DBS Checks

Anyone involved in regulated activity, as defined by law, with children or vulnerable adults requires an appropriate DBS check.

Trustees are not considered to be undertaking regulated activity as part of their normal Trustee responsibilities and therefore do not require checks on this basis.

Certain hirers who provide services to children may fall within the definition of regulated activity. They will be required to provide a copy of their Safeguarding Policy and appropriate evidence of DBS clearance annually when their letting is arranged.

7. Lettings

Hirers will be made aware that children may not be admitted to films when they are below the age classification for the film being shown.

No gambling or entertainment of an adult or sexual nature is permitted on the premises.

Organisations hiring the Hall for activities involving children or vulnerable adults will be asked to provide their Safeguarding Policy before their first booking takes place.

Individuals hiring the Hall for activities involving children or vulnerable adults will be made aware of the Village Hall Safeguarding Policy.

Any individual or group hiring the Hall to provide activities for children, such as playgroups, football training or youth clubs, will be required to show appropriate DBS clearance to the Lettings Secretary.

The disclosure number will be recorded.

If the hirer delegates responsibility for supervising children to other people, responsibility for ensuring that those individuals are appropriately vetted rests with the hirer. The Lettings Secretary will not vet these delegates for DBS clearance.

The exception to this requirement is where the Hall is hired for a private party.

8. Extremism and the Prevent Duty

Trustees will not permit the Village Hall facilities to be used for extremist activity.

9. Other Relevant Policies

This policy should be read alongside the following Village Hall policies:

  • Health & Safety

  • Equality & Diversity

  • Code of Conduct for Trustees