ND Calm Collective CIC Safeguarding policy – Children and Vulnerable Adults 2025
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. For reasons of consistency and practicality, the CIC's procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults will be the same as those for safeguarding children and young people or vulnerable adult, except where the law, or the specific circumstances of an individual's need require otherwise.
Child and vulnerable adult protection are part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children or vulnerable adults who are suffering or are at risk of suffering significant harm. As adults and/or professionals or volunteers, everyone has a responsibility to safeguard children and vulnerable adults and promote their welfare.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults – protecting them from significant harm - depends upon effective joint working between volunteers, agencies and professionals that have different roles and expertise.
Individual children and vulnerable adults, especially some of the most vulnerable children and vulnerable adults and those at greatest risk of social exclusion, will need co-ordinated help from health, education, children’s or adult social care.
For those children and vulnerable adults who are suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm, joint working is essential to safeguard and promote welfare of the child(ren) and vulnerable adults and, where necessary, to help bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against children or vulnerable adults. All volunteers, agencies and professionals should:
✓ be alert to potential indicators of abuse or neglect.
✓ be alert to the risks which individual abusers, or potential abusers, may pose to children or vulnerable adults;
✓ share and help to analyse information so that an assessment can be made of the child’s or vulnerable adult’s needs and circumstances;
✓ contribute to whatever actions are needed to safeguard and promote the child’s or vulnerable adult’s welfare;
Definitions of abuse and neglect:
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child or vulnerable adult. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child or vulnerable adult by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children or vulnerable adult’s may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.
Physical abuse
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child or vulnerable adult.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child or vulnerable adult such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s or vulnerable adult’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children or vulnerable adults that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children or vulnerable adult. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s or vulnerable adults’ developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child or vulnerable adult participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying causing children or vulnerable adults frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children or vulnerable adult. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child or vulnerable adult is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (eg: rape, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts.
They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children or vulnerable adult in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children or vulnerable adults to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s or vulnerable adult’s health or development. Neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home or abandonment, failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult from physical and emotional harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic emotional needs.
Awareness
All volunteers will be made aware of this policy as part of their initial induction process and there will be regular briefings and updates for all staff.
Reviewing the Policy and Procedure
This policy and procedure will be reviewed every year, this will include checking telephone numbers, accuracy of personnel details, and any updates required by a change in local or national policy.
Procedures
What to do if you have concerns about a child or vulnerable adult
You may have concerns about a child or vulnerable adult because of something you have seen or heard, or a child or vulnerable adult may choose to disclose something to you. If a child or vulnerable adult discloses information to you, you should:
✓ Do not promise confidentiality, you have a duty to share this information and refer to Children’s Social Care Services.
✓ Listen to what is being said, without displaying shock or disbelief.
✓ Accept what is said.
✓ Reassure the child or vulnerable adult, but only as far as is honest, don’t make promises you may not be able to keep eg: ‘Everything will be alright now’, ‘You’ll never have to see that person again’.
✓ Do reassure and alleviate guilt, if the child or vulnerable adult refers to it. For example, you could say, ‘You’re not to blame’.
✓ Do not interrogate the child or vulnerable adult; it is not your responsibility to investigate.
✓ Do not ask leading questions (eg: Did he touch your private parts?), ask open questions such as ‘Anything else to tell me?’
✓ Do not ask the child or vulnerable adult to repeat the information for another member of staff.
✓ Explain what you have to do next and who you have to talk to.
✓ Take notes if possible or write up your conversation as soon as possible afterwards.
✓ Record the date, time, place any non-verbal behaviour and the words used by the child (do not paraphrase).
✓ Record statements and observable things rather than interpretations or assumptions.
Whatever the nature of your concerns, discuss them with your manager or designated member of staff. See the diagram on the next page for the process to follow.
If you still have concerns, contact the appropriate safeguarding organisation (eg: Local Authority social services department) with as much details of the individual and the concerning issue.
Allegations Involving a Members of Staff/Volunteer
ND Calm Collective is committed to having effective recruitment and human resources procedures, including checking all staff and volunteers to make sure they are safe to work with children and young people or vulnerable adult.
However, there may still be occasions when there is an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer. Allegations against those who work with children or vulnerable adult, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity, cover a wide range of circumstances
All allegations of abuse of children or vulnerable adult by those who work with children or vulnerable adult or care for them must be taken seriously. All reports of allegations must be submitted within one working day to the child protection officer or adult social care.
The following procedure should be applied in all situations where it is alleged that a person who works with children or vulnerable adult has:
✓ Behaved in a way which has harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or may have harmed a child or vulnerable adult;
✓ Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child or vulnerable adult;
✓ Behaved towards a child or children or vulnerable adult(s) in a way which indicates that he/she is unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adult.
The allegations may relate to the persons behaviour at work, at home or in another setting.
The child protection officer or adult social service will discuss the matter to determine what steps should be taken and where necessary obtain further details of the allegation and the circumstances in which it was made. The discussion should also consider whether there is evidence/information that establishes that the allegation is false or unfounded, whether a referral other services or organisations is required and/or whether disciplinary action is appropriate.
If the allegation is not patently false and there is a major concern that a child or vulnerable adult is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, the child protection officer or adult social service will immediately be asked to intervene.
Some allegations may be less serious and at first sight might not seem to require action. However, it is important to ensure that even apparently less serious allegations are followed up and examined objectively by someone independent of the organisation. Consequently, the child protection officer or adult social service should be informed of all allegations that come to a volunteer’s attention and appear to come within the scope of this procedure so that he or she can consult police and social care colleagues as appropriate.
Where such allegations are made, consideration must be given to the following three strands:
1) The police investigation of a possible criminal offence;
2) Enquiries and assessment by children’s or adult social care services as to whether the child or vulnerable adult is need of protection or in need of services;
3) Consideration by the ND Calm collective CIC of disciplinary action in respect of the individual.
We do not accept any form of verbal or physical abuse, harassment or rudeness towards our visitors, participants, volunteers, or members of staff. If we are notified or notice this kind of behaviour we will speak to the individual, highlighting the inappropriate behaviour once. If this issue continues and further issues are raised or noticed, we will ask the individual to leave and implement a ban from further participation. Any form of physical abuse will be handled by the police and results in an exclusion of any further activities.
Additional, we are following local guidelines in relation to Stoke-On-Trent and Staffordshire's Safeguarding Board.
Contact numbers: Staffordshire 0800 1313 126 Stoke-On-Trent 01782 235 100
Home - Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board (staffsscb.org.uk
Risk Management Policy and Risk Register for ND Calm Collective CIC
This risk management policy has been written to emphasise areas of activity are potentially vulnerable to adverse actions and events. A certain degree of risk must be accepted in all NDCC activities but should be managed at an acceptable level. "Risk" is used in this guidance to describe the uncertainty covering procedures and their outcomes that may have a substantial effect, either improving or reducing:
• Operational performance
• Achievement of aims and objectives
"Major risks" are those risks which have a high probability of arising and would, if they occurred, have a serious impact on operational performance or achievement of aims and objectives. They could harm the reputation of NDCC or change the way staff might deal with or look at activities accommodated by NDCC. Risk management should therefore not be simply a compliance issue, nor as being solely focused on the deterrence of disaster.
The procedure will allow Directors to focus on the mitigation of risks that would prevent the organisation achieving its objectives. Therefore, the NDCC will be able to take opportunities and develop objectives with an understanding of the risks faced. It will provide the needed confidence that reasonable steps have been taken to manage potential risks and how to encounter them. Consideration of the risks fundamental in all activities will be an element of planning and decision making.
Considerations Strategic Management
The strategy used when defining risk is the action taken to give effect to long-term plans and objectives.
Safety
The physical safety and health of our members is paramount in all NDCC activities. Technical Changes in accordance with NDCC safeguarding policy must be considered along with other legislation governing community activities such as:
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Group Act 2006
• Equality Act 2010
• The Children Act 2004
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Legal responsibilities – civil and criminal – including compliance with law and regulation, e.g. breach of trust law, employment law, and legislative requirements of particular activities such as fund-raising.
Financial:
The economic and financial effect of each project should be considered in planning, monitoring and managing it, along with the overall management of funds, for example:
• Accuracy and timeliness of financial information, adequacy of reserves and cash flow, diversity of income sources, such as different funding opportunities
Insurance for all known risk factors and their financial implications. Responsibility: The responsibility that NDCC has to its service users, staff and grant donors.
• Governance e.g. conflicts of interest
• Operational e.g. service quality and development, employment issues, health and safety issues
• External e.g. public perception and adverse publicity, demographic changes, government policy and guidelines
• This list is not definitive or exhaustive and will be updated to consider changes to relevant policies, legislation and best practice.
Identification and Management of Risk must be identified through examination of:
• What is going to happen
• What else could happen
• What could go wrong
• Why could it go wrong
• Where could it go wrong
• When could it go wrong
• What are the other implications
• What external factors could have an impact
• Risk is managed by consideration of:
• The likelihood of it happening (Low, Medium, High)
• How often will it happen
• The impact of the harm or loss to ND Calm Collective (Low, Medium, High)
• How it can be avoided and/or the consequences minimised
• The recovery programme to rectify the damage
• Whether we should continue with the event/activity.
Risk Rating is determined as follows:
LIKLELIHOOD x SEVERITY = RISK
For activities taking place during NDCC sessions, the following risk scores are relevant:
• green: Some risk acceptable, regular training, preventative measures and policies vigorously maintained, with high standards of supervision
• yellow: Extensive precautions with considerable expenditure, intensive training and stringent safe working procedures enforced to ensure compliance
• red: Contact NDCC BEFORE starting any form of activity.
The ND Calm Collective Directors will take overall responsibility for the implementation and review of risk management and will consider any additional action that needs to be taken to mitigate the risk, either by reducing the likelihood of it occurring, or diminishing its impact. NDCC will maintain risk registers on various subjects, including activities coordinated during NDCC sessions, outsourced and lead by an external provider and safeguarding in line with the NDCC Safeguarding policy, to ensure that the organisation has proper mitigations in place to respond to a variety of risks.
Sporadic Monitoring of Risk management is not a one-off event and should be a process that will require monitoring and assessment. A regular review should include establishing the adequacy of controls already in place.
Regular monitoring will ensure that systems and procedures are being followed and that new risks are addressed and identified as they arise. Regular reviews at specified periods will establish how previously identified risks may have changed. Communication with staff, partners and external providers of activities at all levels will ensure responsibilities are understood and embedded into the culture of the staff and volunteers.
A successful process will ensure that:
• Risks are properly reported and evaluated
• Significant failures of control systems are properly reported, and action is taken to rectify the failure
• An adequate level of understanding of individual responsibilities for both implementation and monitoring of the control systems is held
• Further actions required are identified and carried out
• The NDCC directors are provided with updated information in relation to risk monitoring, who shall consider and review the process and the Risk Register annually as a minimum.
• The Directors should monitor risk by:
• Ensuring that the identification, assessment and mitigation of risk is linked to the achievement of NDCC aims and objectives
• Reviewing and considering the principal results of risk identification, evaluation and management
• Reviewing and considering updated reports where the need for further action is identified
• Reviewing and considering processes and procedures as an integral part of risk management
• Considering any significant new activities or opportunities as they arise to ensure any risks are identified and managed
• Continually considering external factors such as new legislation or policy changes.
The Role of the responsibility of Directors for the management and control of NDCC rests with the directors who are the executive body and as such their involvement in the key aspects of the risk management process is essential in setting the limitations of the process and in the review and consideration of the results. The directors are likely to delegate elements of the risk management process ensuring that they review and consider the key aspects of the process and results. The level of involvement should be such that the Directors can make the required statement on risk management with reasonable confidence.
This is likely to involve:
• Ensuring the identification, assessment and mitigation of risk is linked to the achievement of ND Calm Collective aims and objectives
• Ensuring the process covers all areas of risk
• Reviewing the evaluation and management identification of risk
• Ensuring that risk management is ongoing and embedded in the culture of ND Calm Collective
.
Further Risk related Policies:
• Safeguarding Policy of ND Calm Collective
Risk Register
Risk Register for Calm Club Youth Groups:
Potential Risks and actions to be taken:
Accident or Injury to child- 2 members of staff to be present at all times with knowledge of where to locate first aid box. Call to parent/ guardian, check consent forms for guidance on treatment and contacting 111nhs. In the event of a serious health emergency call 999 for assistance immediately.
Accident or Injury to staff member- 2 members of staff to be present at all times, with knowledge of where to locate first aid box. Assess severity of the situation and call 111 for minor injuries/ health problems. If in doubt call 999 emergency services.
Staff to be first aid trained.
Behaviour incident towards staff or child - Refer to behaviour agreement - If a child is behaving in a way that could upset or harm others- if safe to do so, try to engage in a conversation about NDCC expectations and if the behaviour continues they will be asked to leave. If behaviour continues, please call parent or guardian. If a parent cannot be reached, the child may be separated from the group until the end of the session. If the behaviour becomes harmful and cannot be contained, then call 999 emergency services. Keeping other children in a separate room.
If A staff member is behaving inappropriately or in a way that could harm or upset others, they will be spoken to by another staff member and potentially asked to leave. This could mean that the club closes early and parents/ guardians would be contacted. As above, if the incident cannot be contained, then 999 will be called. Safeguarding procedure would then be followed.
Child not collected by appropriate adult: Consult the booking/ consent forms for emergency contact details.
Colour agenda: Green-Low Yellow- medium Red- high
Risk Register for Calm Club
Risk Level Action Review
Visitors are responsible to speak to staff if they have any food allergies, food intolerances or food aversions to avoid any risks. Without this information, NDCC cannot be held responsible for any consequences or health issues.
Adult groups: Children are welcome, but parents or guardians have the overall responsibility for their children and carry the full risk.
Youth Groups: Safety of the young people attending is managed by NDCC. Parents must assess whether the activities are suitable for their child and sign a waiver that they agree.
Colour agenda: Green-Low Yellow- medium Red- high