Safeguarding

Safeguarding Practice

From our background of working with young people both at activity centres and in schools, we know how important it is to have a robust safeguarding process in place. We take safeguarding of adults just as seriously as young people and that is why we have updated our safeguarding statement below.

For extra information and good practice on safeguarding, head over to the NSPCC webpage.

Safeguarding Statement

Note: The terms ‘child’ and ‘young person’ describe any person under the age of 18. References to ‘parents’ should be read as parents and carers inclusively.

Our statement

Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice. The policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children and vulnerable adults are paramount in all circumstances. It aims to ensure that regardless of age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, socio-economic background, all children and participants:

have a positive and enjoyable experience of our activities at The Outdoor Club CIC and associated groups in a safe environment
are protected from abuse whilst participating in activities provided by the organisation or outside of the activity.

We acknowledge that some children, including disabled children or those from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

Our Policy

What we’ll do

As part of our safeguarding policy we will:

promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
value, listen to and respect children
ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation
adopt safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people
provide effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about our policies, procedures and behaviour codes and follow them confidently and competently
ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents or concerns of abuse and support provided to the individual(s) who raise or disclose the concern
ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored record and store information securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
prevent the employment or deployment of unsuitable individuals by recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
appoint a nominated safeguarding lead for children and young people, a deputy and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding
develop and implement an effective online safety policy and related procedures
share information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their parents via leaflets, posters, and social media posts
make sure that children, young people and their parents know where to go for help if they have a concern

The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved in The Outdoor Club CIC. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal or exclusion from the organisation.