Safeguarding Policies in summary

Summary of Safeguarding Children Policy

The Trust Links Safeguarding Children Policy and Code of Practice applies to all children and young people under the age of 18 years regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, or religion. All staff, trustees and volunteers who work directly with children have a duty to protect and safeguard children and promote their welfare.

Safeguarding and promoting welfare and child protection is defined as protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of health or development, and ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

Our commitment to safer recruitment, selection and vetting of staff, volunteers and trustees

All staff, volunteers and trustees will be recruited following the Trust Links Recruitment and Selection Policy. 

Safeguarding training provided to all Staff, Trustees and Volunteers

Anyone working directly with children at Trust Links will be given training as part of an induction to the role including an introduction to the Trust Links Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Code of Practice, Data Protection and Information Sharing awareness.

Responding to Abuse or the Suspicion of Abuse

All concerns, and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously by Trust Links trustees, staff and volunteers and responded to appropriately – this may require a referral to children’s services and in emergencies, the Police.

Summary of Safeguarding Adults Policy

The Trust Links Safeguarding Adults Policy and Code of Practice applies to all adults regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, or religion and applies to all staff, volunteers and trustees.

Roles and responsibilities:

All individuals regardless of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, or beliefs should have the greatest possible control over their lives.  

Trust Links seeks to promote wellbeing through their safeguarding arrangements. Staff will take a person-centred approach to establish what being safe means to the adult and how that can be best achieved.  All staff, trustees and volunteers of Trust Links have a duty to safeguard adults and promote their welfare and wellbeing.

The Trustees of Trust Links are responsible for ensuring that those benefitting from, or working with, Trust Links and its projects, are not harmed in any way through contact with it.

Duties under the Care Act 2014:

Trust Links embed the following six principles which underpin all adult safeguarding work.

• Empowerment: Adults are encouraged to make their own decisions and are provided with support and information : e.g. “I am consulted about the outcomes I want from the safeguarding process, and these directly inform what happens.”
• Prevention: Strategies are developed to prevent abuse and neglect that promotes resilience and self-determination: e.g. “I am provided with easily understood information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.”
• Proportionality: A proportionate and least intrusive response is made balanced with the level of risk: e.g. “I am confident that the professionals will work in my interest and get involved as much as needed.”
• Protection: Adults are offered ways to protect themselves, and there is a co-ordinated response to adult safeguarding e.g. “I am provided with help and support to report abuse.  I am supported to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want and to which I am able.”
• Partnership: Local solutions through services working with their communities. e.g. “I am confident that information will be appropriately shared in a way that considers its personal and sensitive nature. I am confident that organisations will work together to find the most effective responses for my own situation.” 
• Accountability: Accountability and transparency in delivering a safeguarding response. e.g. “I am clear about the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the solution to the problem.”

Recruitment of Staff, Volunteers and Trustees:

All staff, volunteers and trustees will be recruited following safe recruitment guidelines.

Training for Staff, Trustees and Volunteers:

Safeguarding training will be provided for all trustees, staff and volunteers who work directly with adults. An Introduction to the Safeguarding Adults Policy will be provided during induction.

In addition, all staff and volunteers working with adults will be required to undertake Level 2 e-learning provided by the local safeguarding board.

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Copies of our children and adults safeguarding policies are available on request. Click here to contact us.