Safeguarding Policy

Rivers of Prayer Foundation | Charity No. 1216700

Rivers of Prayer Foundation is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people. It recognises its responsibility to take all reasonable steps to promote safe practice and to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation. Rivers of Prayer Foundation acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports or suspicions of abuse.

Paid staff and volunteers will endeavour to work together to encourage the development of an ethos which embraces difference and diversity and respects the rights of children, young people and adults.

In implementing this Safeguarding Policy, Rivers of Prayer Foundation will:

Ensure that all workers understand their legal and moral responsibility to protect children and young people from harm, abuse and exploitation
Ensure that all workers understand their responsibility to work to the standards detailed in the organisation’s Safeguarding Procedures and work at all times towards maintaining high standards of practice
Ensure that all workers understand their duty to report concerns that arise about a child or young person, or a worker’s conduct towards a child / young person, to the organisation’s Named Person for Child Protection
Ensure that the Named Person understands his / her responsibility to refer any safeguarding concerns to the statutory safeguarding agencies (i.e. Police and / or Social Work)
Ensure that any procedures relating to the conduct of workers are implemented in a consistent and equitable manner
Provide opportunities for all workers to develop their skills and knowledge, particularly in relation to the welfare and protection of children and young people
Ensure that children and young people are enabled to express their ideas and views on a wide range of issues and will have access to the organisation’s Complaints Procedure
Ensure that parents / carers are encouraged to be involved in the work of the organisation and, when requested, have access to all guidelines and procedures
Endeavour to keep up to date with national developments relating to the welfare and protection of children and young people

Introduction

Rivers of Prayer Foundation provides faith-based activities, pastoral care, counselling and community outreach to local people and organisations for the benefit of the whole community, including children and vulnerable adults.

Rivers of Prayer Foundation is committed to the welfare and protection of children and / or young people within all the activities our organisation undertakes.

The purpose of these procedures is to ensure that all concerns about the care and protection of children / young people are effectively managed and that all workers and volunteers are required to implement the procedures, not solely those who work with children and young people under the age of 18 years.

These procedures have been designed to ensure the welfare and protection of any child and / or young person who accesses the services provided by Rivers of Prayer Foundation. The procedures recognise that safeguarding can be a very difficult subject for workers to deal with, to the extent that it is sometimes easier to close your eyes to what is happening or believe that it is somebody else’s problem to deal with. Rivers of Prayer Foundation is committed to the belief that protecting children and young people is everybody’s responsibility, and therefore the aim here is to provide guidelines that will enable all workers and volunteers to act appropriately to any concerns that arise in respect of a child / young person.

Rivers of Prayer Foundation is committed to equality of opportunity in all areas of its work. All individuals will be treated in a fair and equal manner and in accordance with the law regardless of gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Recognising the Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

(See Appendix 1: Definitions of Abuse, as cited in: Working Together to Safeguard Children – HM Government 2013)

Abuse is the violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person(s). Abuse comes in many different forms (see below) and may result in the person being physically injured. Failure to act to protect children and vulnerable people could also be considered a form of abuse.

Physical — possible signs include: unexplained injuries; injuries on certain parts of the body; injuries in various stages of healing; injuries that reflect an article used; flinching when approached; reluctant to change; crying / instability; afraid of home; behavioural extremes; apathy / depression; bites (human bite marks are oval/crescent shaped — over 3cm across suggests an adult or older child); fractures (suspect if pain, swelling and discolouration over a bone or joint); burns/scalds (clear outlines or uniform depth over a larger area are suspicious).

Points to note: it is very rare for a child under one year to sustain fractures accidentally; bruising is very rare in babies who are not yet mobile.

Emotional — possible signs include: clingy; attention seeking; over ready to relate to others / low self-esteem; apathy; fearful / withdrawn; sleep disorders; depression / self-harm; drink / drug / solvent abuse.

Sexual (including Child Sexual Exploitation) — possible signs include: age-inappropriate sexual behaviour / knowledge / promiscuity; wary of adults / running away from home; eating disorders / depression / self-harm; unexplained gifts / money.

Neglect — possible signs include: tired / listless; unkempt; poor hygiene; untreated medical conditions; hungry; over-eats when food is available; poor growth; poor / late attendance.

Rivers of Prayer Foundation will ensure that all staff members, whether paid or unpaid, undertake training to gain a basic awareness of the signs and symptoms of child abuse.

Concerns about a child or young person’s safety can come to light when: a child alleges abuse or feels unsafe; a third party or anonymous allegation is received; a child’s appearance, behaviour, play, drawing or statements cause suspicion; a child reports past abuse; or a report is made regarding serious misconduct of a worker towards a child.

A Named Person for Child Protection

Rivers of Prayer Foundation will have an appointed individual who is responsible for dealing with any safeguarding concerns.

The Named Person for Safeguarding / Child Protection within Rivers of Prayer Foundation is:

Name: Memory Savanhu
Mobile number: 07466808745
Emergency contact no: 07466808745
Email: riversofprayerfoundation@gmail.com

The role and responsibilities of the Named Person are:

To ensure that all staff are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they are concerned that a child / young person may be subject to abuse or neglect
Ensure that any concerns are acted on, clearly recorded, referred on where necessary, and followed up to ensure issues are addressed
Record any reported incidents in relation to a child / young person or breach of Safeguarding Policies and Procedures. This will be kept in a secure place and its contents will be confidential.

Stages to Follow if You Have Concerns About a Child

Stage 1

Initially talk to the child / young person about what you are observing — never use leading questions
Listen carefully and take it seriously
Never investigate or take sole responsibility for a disclosure
Explain that information given will have to be shared with others
Notify the Named Person for Child Protection
Record what was said as soon as possible
Complete the pro-forma, signed and dated
Respect confidentiality and file documents securely

Stage 2

The Named Person will take immediate action if there is a suspicion of abuse — contacting police and / or the local authority children’s department
If a referral is made directly, it must be followed up in writing
The Named Person can seek advice through the NSPCC 24-hour National Safeguarding Helpline on 0808 800 5000

Managing Allegations Made Against a Member of Staff or Volunteer

The worker must ensure the child is safe and away from the person against whom the allegation is made
The Named Person for Safeguarding should be informed immediately
If the allegation involves the Named Person, an independent person handles the matter:

Independent Person for Child Protection: _____________
Work telephone number: _____________
Mobile number: _____________
Emergency contact no: _____________

The individual who first received / witnessed the concern should make a full written record as soon as possible (see Appendix 2). The Named Person can support the worker but must not complete the report for them. This report must be made available on request to police and / or social services. Regardless of any police/social services investigation, Rivers of Prayer Foundation will ensure an internal investigation takes place, with consideration given to disciplinary procedures, including possible suspension and / or dismissal.

Recording and Managing Confidential Information

Confidentiality must be maintained for all concerned, on a need-to-know basis only, limited to: the Named Person for Safeguarding; the parents of the alleged victim; the person making the allegation; social services / police; and the alleged abuser (and their parents, if a child). Seek social services advice on who should approach the alleged abuser.

Information should be stored securely with limited access, in line with data protection laws. All Safeguarding and Data Protection policies will be reviewed annually by the Rivers of Prayer Foundation Management Committee.

Useful Contacts and Support Organisations

If worried about a child’s safety, contact your Local Authority Children’s Services Team (insert local number) or Out of Hours Team (insert local number).

If a child is at immediate risk of harm, contact the police on 999.

NSPCC Safeguarding Helpline — free 24-hour service: 0808 800 5000 | help@nspcc.org.uk

Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact us, including parents/carers, children/young people themselves, or professionals seeking advice.

Signed by: Memory Savanhu (Named Person for Safeguarding)
Date: _____________

Appendix 1: Definitions of Abuse

(As cited in: Working Together to Safeguard Children, HM Government 2013)

Physical Abuse: Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning/scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm. Also includes fabricating or inducing illness.

Emotional Abuse: Persistent emotional maltreatment causing severe adverse effects on development — conveying worthlessness, silencing, age-inappropriate expectations, overprotection, exposure to others’ ill-treatment, bullying (including cyber), or exploitation. Present to some degree in all forms of maltreatment.

Sexual Abuse: Forcing or enticing a child into sexual activities, contact or non-contact, including via images or grooming (including online). Can be perpetrated by adults of either sex or by other children.

Neglect: Persistent failure to meet basic physical/psychological needs — inadequate food, clothing, shelter; failure to protect from harm; inadequate supervision; failure to access medical care; or unresponsiveness to emotional needs.

Appendix 2: Disclosure of Information / Record of Allegations or Suspicions of Abuse

Child’s Surname: _____ Forename(s): _____ Address: _____ Date of Birth: _____

Your Observations (e.g. change in behaviour): _____

Child’s account of what happened (if given): _____

Note: you must inform the child of the action you propose to take.

Action taken as a result of disclosure: _____

Your Signature: _____ Date: _____