Purpose
The principal purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, young people under the age of 18 and vulnerable adults and adults, from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with My Expedition Rocks Ltd and it’s staff. This includes harm arising from:
- The conduct of director, staff or other people associated with My Expedition Rocks
- The design and implementation of My Expedition Rocks’ programmes and activities..
A further purpose of this policy is to assist My Expedition Rocks director, staff and associated personnel to identify, and provide support to, any children, young people under the age of 18, vulnerable adults and adults who are participating in, or otherwise involved with any My Expedition Rocks programme or activity and who are being sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically abused, or are at risk of such abuse.
The policy lays out the commitments made by My Expedition Rocks and informs its director, staff and other associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
What is safeguarding?
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing, and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect.
We understand it to mean protecting people, including children, young people under 18, vulnerable adults and adults, from harm that either (a) arises from contact with any of our director, staff, or other associated personnel or with any of our programmes and activities or (b) comes to light as a consequence of such contact.
Scope
- The director of, and all staff working for My Expedition Rocks, and
- All associated personnel whilst engaged with work or visits related to My Expedition Rocks, including but not limited to the following: consultants, contractors, venue providers and programme/activity providers.
Policy Statement
My Expedition Rocks believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin, has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse and neglect. My Expedition Rocks will not tolerate abuse or neglect by director, staff and associated personnel or others.
This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: child safeguarding and adult safeguarding.
My Expedition Rocks commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.
Prevention
My Expedition Rocks’ Director responsibilities
My Expedition Rocks’ Director will:
- Has appointed John Rocks, Director of My Expedition Rocks’ the Safeguarding Officer, the role within the organisation with primary responsibility for all safeguarding issues and matters including keeping this Policy under review.
- Ensure all My Expedition Rocks’ staff and associated personnel have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities under this policy.
- Create and maintain an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of this Safeguarding Policy.
- Design and undertake all My Expedition Rocks’ programmes and activities (including online programmes and activities) in a way that protects people, as far as is reasonably practicable, from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with My Expedition Rocks. This includes the way in which information about individuals taking part in My Expedition Rocks’ programmes and activities is gathered and communicated. It also includes the ways in which subscribers to online programmes and activities are vetted, the security of passwords and meeting links is maintained, and virtual meetings are managed.
- Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting/engaging, managing, and deploying staff and associated personnel.
- Ensure all director and staff receive appropriate training on safeguarding.
- Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process.
Staff responsibilities
Child safeguarding My Expedition Rocks director, staff and associated personnel must not:
- Engage, or attempt to engage, in any form of sexual activity with any child or young person under the age of 18
- Sexually abuse, or attempt to sexually abuse, any child or young person under the age of 18
- Subject a child or young person under the age of 18 to any physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect.
- Conduct an interview with the affected child or young person.
Child safeguarding My Expedition Rocks director, staff and associated personnel must:
- Be vigilant for signs that any child or young person under the age of 18, participating in or otherwise involved with any My Expedition Rocks programme or activity, is distressed, under stress or in need of help such as to give rise to reasonable grounds for suspecting that they are being sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically abused or at risk of such abuse; and, where necessary, follow appropriate protection procedures in respect of the child or young person and (if present) the suspected abuser.
- Take seriously any allegation which may be made to them, or which may come to their knowledge, that any child or young person under the age of 18, participating in or otherwise involved with any My Expedition Rocks programme or activity, has been sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically abused or is at risk of such abuse.
- Take immediate action, if necessary, in respect of the victim and the alleged abuser following the appropriate protection procedures. This will include reporting to the Local Authority Designated Officer, Police 101 or Police 999 if there is an immediate threat.
- Make a careful written record of all relevant details (including times, dates, etc) of the concern/allegation and of all actions taken and pass that record to the Safeguarding Officer.
Adult safeguarding My Expedition Rocks director, staff and associated personnel must not:
- Engage, or attempt to engage, in any form of sexual activity with any vulnerable adult
- Sexually abuse, or attempt to sexually abuse, any vulnerable adult
- Subject a vulnerable adult to any physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect.
- Conduct an interview with the affected child or young person.
My Expedition Rocks director, staff and associated personnel must:
- Be vigilant for signs that any vulnerable adult, participating in or otherwise involved with any My Expedition Rocks programme or activity, is distressed, under stress or in need of help such as to give rise to reasonable grounds for suspecting that that they are being sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically abused or at risk of such abuse; and, where necessary, follow appropriate protection procedures in respect of the vulnerable adult and (if present) the suspected abuser.
- Take seriously any allegation which may be made to them, or which may come to their knowledge, that any vulnerable adult, participating in or otherwise involved with any My Expedition Rocks programme or activity, has been sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically abused or is at risk of such abuse.
- Take immediate action, if necessary, in respect of the victim and the alleged abuser following the appropriate protection procedures.
- Make a careful written record of all relevant details (including times, dates, etc) of the concern/allegation and of all actions taken and pass that record to the Safeguarding Officer.
Enabling reports
My Expedition Rocks will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns/complaints are made available to all director, staff and associated personnel as well as all the communities we work with.
My Expedition Rocks will also accept concerns/complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.
How to report a safeguarding concern
Any director, staff member, volunteer or other person associated with My Expedition Rocks who has a concern ralting to the saftey of a child, young person, vulnerable adult or adult should report it immediately to My Expedition Rocks’ Safeguarding Officer.
If the complainant does not feel comfortable reporting to the Safeguarding Officer (for example, if they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern), they may report it to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). All personal information in relation to the child can either be found on Bookwhen system or on the medical form of the participant.
The report may be verbal or written but a verbal report should be confirmed in writing as soon as reasonably practicable. On contacting a LADO, they will likely provide a template form to complete, which will ensure the report is as full as possible.
All venues related to OFSTED registration where any accusations or investigations are taking place, OFSTED must be informed as soon as is possible on the below contact details. All complaints relating to safeguarding also need to be reported to OFSTED on enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk or 0300 123 4666, if a reference number is available this must be recorded.
Response
The Safeguarding Officer will obtain details of the complaint from the complainant as quickly as is reasonably practicable. However, the Safeguarding Officer will not interview any other person. This will be left to the charge of the LADO.
The Safeguarding Officer will refer all complaints without delay to the LADO of the relevant Local Authority that the participant resides. My Expedition Rocks operates across numerous Local Authorities, including, Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and more, but also have clients from across the UK. Most common areas are recorded below.
Bradford (includes Ikley)
Email: lado@bradford.gov.uk
Phone: 01274 435600 or
Leeds
Email: lado@leeds.gov.uk
Phone: 0113 378 9687
North Yorkshire (Harrogate, Craven, etc.)
Email: nyscp@northyorks.gov.uk
Phone: 01609 535123
If the complaint relates to the conduct of a director, staff member, volunteer or other person associated with My Expedition Rocks, the Safeguarding Officer will also refer it without delay to the LADO, and the Police (if required) to investigate.
My Expedition Rocks will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to any member of staff found to have been in breach of this Policy.
Confidentiality
In order to protect the victim and the alleged abuser, it is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when My Expedition Rocks deals with any safeguarding concern/complaint. Other than when referring it to the Police or the Local Authority, information relating to a concern/complaint and to the subsequent management of the concern/complaint should be shared on a strict ‘need to know’ basis only and should be always kept secure.
No child or young person under 18, or vulnerable adults (nor any person on their behalf) may be given an absolute guarantee of confidentiality even if the giving of such a guarantee is stated to be a pre-condition of the disclosure of information. It must always be explained to the victim (or a person on their behalf) that although My Expedition Rocks will treat the information in question confidentially in line with our Privacy Policy, we will be under a legal obligation to share it with certain other organisations, such as the Police or the Local Authority, to ensure necessary steps are taken to protect the individual being abused or further harmed.