Safeguarding Policy & Incident Reporting Process

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 1. Purpose

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk of harm or neglect:

The purpose of this policy statement is to define how Crittenden County Cares operates to safeguard children and adults at risk of harm in order to:

· protect them from harm

· provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding

Crittenden County Cares is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance, complies with best practice and Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership requirements. Crittenden County Cares recognizes that it has responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004. The organization recognizes and meets its responsibilities under Working Together 2023. It also recognizes it responsibilities to safeguarding adults at risk of harm under the Care Act 2014. The organization will act in accordance with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and all relevant legislation.

We have a duty of care and are committed to the protection and safety of everyone who comes into contact with it including children and adults at risk involved as visitors and as participants in all of our activities. We also have a duty to safeguard and support our staff and volunteers.

This policy defines how Crittenden County Cares operates to safeguard children and adults at risk of harm or neglect.

2. Definitions

Children are defined as those persons aged under 18 years old.

“Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children” is defined in Working Together 2023 as:

· Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge

· Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online

· Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development

· Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

· Promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children

· Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.

Adult at risk of abuse or neglect is someone over 18 years old who, according to paragraph 42.1 of the Care Act 2014:

· Has care and support needs

· Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect

· As a result of their care and support needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it

3. Persons Affected

This policy applies to everyone working/ volunteering on behalf of Crittenden County Cares, including paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students.

4. Safeguarding Policy

Crittenden County Cares has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.

It recognizes that under the Care Act 2014 it has a duty for the care and protection of adults who are at risk of abuse. It also recognizes its responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004 and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

It is committed to promoting well-being, harm prevention and to responding effectively if concerns are raised. Adults will be included in swift and personalized safeguarding responses.

It is also committed to inter agency collaboration on the development and implementation of procedures for the protection of adults vulnerable from abuse, it has a duty and responsibility for making arrangements to ensure all its functions are discharged having regard to safeguarding and promoting the adults at risk of abuse. The policy is about stopping abuse where it is happening and preventing abuse where there is a risk that it may occur.

There can be no excuses for not taking all reasonable action to protect adults at risk of abuse, exploitation, and mistreatment. People who are eligible to receive health and community care services may be additionally vulnerable to the violation of these rights by reason of disability, impairment, age or illness.

Crittenden County Cares is committed to the following principles:

• The welfare of the child, young person or adult at risk is paramount.
• All children, young people and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse.
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organization should play their full part.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse must be properly reported to the relevant internal and external authorities and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
• Staff, contractors and volunteers must be clear on appropriate behaviors and responses. 
• All staff are aware of the policy and procedures for the protection of children, young people and adults at risk through appropriate safeguarding training, supervision and support for staff and for creating an environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in meeting their safeguarding role.

The first and most critical part of safety reporting and incident reporting is that the incident gets reported.

At Crittenden County Cares, it's critical that management and teams are set up for reporting success and do everything in our power to make it easy and encouraged.

ALL INCIDENTS SHOULD BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO: ADMIN@CRITTENDENCOUNTYCARES.ORG

Please include the following in all submissions:  

Name, Address, Phone, Email, Subject, Current Date, Date of Incident, Time of Incident, Location of Incident, Names of Parties Involved, Ages of Parties Involved, Relationship to Parties Involved, Nature of Incident, Witnesses, and any other information relevant to the incident in submission.