Safeguarding Policy

Car Colston and Screveton Village Hall Management Committee

Safeguarding Policy (September 2019)

1.0 Introduction and Purpose

1.1 The welfare of children and vulnerable adults is paramount. All organisations including

charities have to comply with the law regarding the protection and safeguarding of

children and adults at risk.

1.2 The purpose of this document is to define the policy and procedures that apply to use

of our Village Hall.

2.0 Definition of Terms Used

2.1 CHILD - A child is anyone under the age of 18.

 

2.2 ADULT AT RISK - The Law Commission Report into Adult Social Care (2011) defined

an Adult at Risk as a person who:

  1. must appear to have health or social care needs, including carers (irrespective of whether or not those needs are being met by services)

  1. must appear to be at risk of harm

  2. must appear to be unable to safeguard themselves from harm as a direct result of

their health or social care needs.

 

2.3 SAFEGUARDING - Safeguarding is defined in “Working Together to Safeguard

Children” 2013 as:

  1. protecting children from maltreatment

  2. preventing impairment of children’s health and development

  3. ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of

safe and effective care and

  1. taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

 

2.4 ABUSE OF A CHILD - The NSPCC have identified specific forms of abuse which may

be perpetrated against a child. These are defined as:

  1. Bullying

  2. Emotional abuse

  3. Physical abuse

  4. Child trafficking

  5. Neglect

  6. Sexual abuse

 

2.5 ABUSE OF AN ADULT - The Law Commission's Report into Adult Social Care defines

harm as including but not limited to:

  1. ill treatment (including sexual abuse, exploitation and forms of ill treatment which

    are not physical)

  2. Safeguarding Policy Approved 2nd July 2018 Page 2 of 4

  3. the impairment of health (physical or mental) or development (physical,

    intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural)

  4. self-harm and neglect

  5. unlawful conduct which adversely affects property, rights or interests (for example,

    financial abuse).

3.0 Principles of our Policy

 

3.1 Children and vulnerable adults (adults at risk) have a right to use the Village Hall protected and free from abuse of any kind regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs.

 

3.2 The Trustees of Car Colston and Screveton Village Hall have a duty to

safeguard the children and vulnerable adults who use their facilities.

 

3.3 This policy applies to all Trustees and all users of the Village Hall.

 

3.4 The policy will be reviewed and approved annually and whenever there is a change in

the laws or published guidelines.

 

3.5 The policy will be available for anyone to inspect on the Village Hall web site or by

request from the Secretary.

 

3.6 Anyone with a conviction for a sexual offence against a child or vulnerable adult,

whenever it was committed, is not considered suitable as a Trustee.

 

3.7 All concerns and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously by Trustees and

responded to appropriately - this may require a referral to social services and in

emergencies, the police

 

4.0 Responsibilities

 

4.1 The Trustee with specific responsibility for safeguarding (Delegated Lead) is (Name). The Deputy is (Name).

 

4.2 All users of the village hall are responsible for reporting suspicions of

abuse using the contact details below.

 

4.3 The Delegated Lead should be advised of any safeguarding incidents on the village

hall premises and grounds so that the appropriate preventive action can be taken if

necessary. Confidentiality will be observed but information sharing will be necessary if

a child or adult is deemed to be at risk of harm.

 

5.0 Reporting Suspicions of Abuse

For concerns regarding

children, contact:

 

Tel: 0300 500 80 90(MASH – Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)

or out of hours Tel: 0300 456 4546 (Emergency Duty Team)

 

or email: nottinghamshire.gov.uk/nscb

 

For concerns regarding adults,

contact:

Tel: 0800 500 80 80

or

email: [email protected]

 

6.0 DBS Checks

 

6.1 Anyone who involved in regulated activity (as defined by law) with children or

vulnerable adults requires a DBS check.

 

6.2 Trustees are not in regulated activity as part of their responsibilities and do not require

checks.

 

6.3 Certain hirers who provide services to children will be included in the definition of

regulated activity. They will be required to provide a copy of their Safeguarding Policy

and proof of DBS clearance annually when their letting is negotiated.

 

7.0 Lettings

 

7.1 Hirers will be made aware that no children may be admitted to films when they are

below the age classification for the film on show.

 

7.2 No gambling or entertainment of an adult or sexual nature is permitted on the

premises.

 

7.3 Organisations hiring the hall for activities for children/vulnerable adults will be

asked to show their Safeguarding Policy before the first booking commences.

Individuals hiring the hall for activities for children/vulnerable adults will be made

aware of the Village Hall Safeguarding Policy.

 

7.4 In addition, any individual or group hiring the hall to provide a facility for children

(playgroups, football training, youth clubs for example) will be required to show

their DBS clearance to the Lettings Secretary and the disclosure number will be

recorded. Any delegation of that hirer to other people to supervise the children is

the responsibility of the hirer and the Lettings Secretary will not vet these delegates

for DBS clearance. The only exception to this is when the hall is hired out for

private parties.

 

8.0 Extremism and the Prevent Duty

 

8.1 Trustees will not permit the facilities to be used for any extremist activity.

 

8.0 Other Relevant Policies

  1. Health & Safety

  2. Equality & Diversity

  3. Code of Conduct for Trustees