May 2018
This safeguarding policy applies to all staff at ‘Inger Madsen’ (referred to as ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’) Business address: Unit 135335, PO Box 7169, Poole. BH15 9EL
The purpose of this policy:
- to protect children and young people who receive Inger Madsen’s services. This includes children of adults who use our services;
- to provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection;
We believe that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children or young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.
Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely:
- Children Act 1989
- United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
- Data Protection Act 1998
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Children Act 2004
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
- Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years – Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities; HM Government 2014
- Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers; HM Government 2015
- Working together to safeguarding children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; HM Government 2015
This policy should be read alongside our policies and procedures on:
- Privacy Policy
- Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person
- Privacy Notice
- Terms & Conditions
- Contract
- Lone working policy and procedure
We recognise that:
- the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989
- all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse
- some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
- working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
- valuing them, listening to and respecting them
- appointing a Designated Safeguarding Office (DSO) for children and young people
- adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through our procedures
- recording and storing information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via one-to-one discussions
- using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately
- ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
- ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children and young people
Contact details
Designated Safeguarding Office (DSO)
Inger Madsen
01799 500690
Online Sexual Abuse
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on 10 May 2018
Signed Inger Madsen