Inspire London Charity Safeguarding Policy 2024
Inspire London Charity is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults who engage with our services, as well as ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. This safeguarding policy outlines our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all individuals associated with our organization, in accordance with appropriate legislation and best practices as set forth by the NSPCC.
The purpose and scope of this policy statement:
• To protect children and young people who receive Inspire London’s services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services.
• To provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection. This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Inspire London, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. Failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.
Legislation and Guidance
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England/Northern Ireland/Scotland/Wales. A summary of the key legislation and guidance according to nspcc.org.uk/childprotection
Our safeguarding practices are guided by relevant legislation, including but not limited to:
· The Children Act 1989 and 2004
· The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
· The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
· The Children and Social Work Act 2017
· The Care Act 2014
We also adhere to the guidelines and best practices outlined by the NSPCC and other relevant authorities.
Adult at Risk:
• An adult who has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),
• is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
• because of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Child and Adult Abuse: Children and adults may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their daily lives. There are 4 main categories of abuse, which are: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories, they are:
Bullying and cyberbullying
• Child sexual exploitation
• Child Criminal exploitation
• Child trafficking
• Domestic abuse
• Female genital mutilation
• Grooming
• Historical abuse
• Online abuse
We believe that:
•Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind
• We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them
We recognise that:
• the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the
• decisions we take
• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and
• other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare
• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous
• experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
• extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.
• safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities • safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people
• safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people
• safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people, a deputy and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
• providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently.
Identifying and Managing Risks
If a risk to the safety or wellbeing of any individual associated with Inspire London Charity is identified, clear steps will be taken to address and mitigate the risk. This includes:
Reporting the concern immediately to the designated safeguarding lead or a member of the senior management team.
Taking appropriate action to ensure the safety of the individual(s) at risk, which may include contacting relevant authorities such as the local safeguarding board or the police.
Documenting and reviewing the incident internally to identify any gaps in our safeguarding procedures and implementing necessary improvements.
Leadership and Trustee Contact Details
In the event of a safeguarding concern, staff and volunteers are instructed to contact the designated safeguarding lead or a member of the senior management team.
Important Contacts:
Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Jessica Kim
Email address: support-community@inspirelondon.co.uk
Telephone number: 020 7967 0357.
Designated Officer/Deputy Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Diane Sharon
Email address: support-community@inspirelondon.co.uk
Telephone number: 020 7967 0357.
Trustee for Safeguarding
Name: David A. Lawson
Email address: support-community@inspirelondon.co.uk
Telephone number: 020 7967 0357.
Local Specialist Assessment Team (Children’s Social Care Referral Team) 020 8871 6000(24 hour Monday-Sunday) Online Professional Referral Form
Local Early Help Hub 020 8871 6622
Police Emergency – 999 Non-emergency – 101
NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000
Whistleblowing Guidance
Inspire London Charity encourages a culture of openness and transparency. Staff and volunteers are encouraged to report any concerns about the conduct of colleagues, trustees, or the organization itself. Whistleblowing concerns should be raised following the procedures outlined in our whistleblowing policy, which ensures confidentiality and protection for the whistleblower.
Safer Recruitment Practices
We are committed to ensuring that all individuals who work or volunteer with Inspire London Charity are suitable to do so, particularly when working with children or vulnerable adults. Our safer recruitment practices include:
Conducting thorough background checks, including DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks where applicable.
Providing appropriate safeguarding training to all staff and volunteers.
Implementing robust interview and selection processes to assess the suitability of candidates
Signature and Review
This safeguarding policy has been reviewed and approved by the board of trustees of Inspire London Charity on [date]. It will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains up-to-date and in compliance with relevant legislation and best practices.
Signed:
Name of Trustee/Chair of the Board: David A. Lawson
Date of Signature: 16th January 2024
Review Date: 16th January 2024
Next Scheduled Review Date: 17th January 2025
Conclusion
Inspire London Charity is committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment for all individuals associated with our organization. We recognize our duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and we will continually strive to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding practice.
