Safeguarding Children and Adults-At-Risk - Policy Statement

Wiltshire Creative engages with children and adults across all our platforms, we have a legal and moral duty to create the safest possible environment for everyone to work, participate and be creative.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

• to protect those we engage with, and especially children and adults at risk from harm. This
  includes the children and adults who use our services.
• to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and their families with the overarching
  principles that guide our approach to child protection.
  

This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England, see Appendix W - Legal Framework and Appendix U - Relating Policies in the downloadable policy document. It applies to anyone working on behalf of Wiltshire Creative, including senior managers and the board of trustees, staff, artists, volunteers, casual workers, agency staff, contractors, students and in some instances, hirers of our spaces.

Staff: in this policy the term ‘staff’ refers to those employed by Wiltshire Creative in permanent, fixed term, casual or freelance roles, working on behalf of Wiltshire Creative.

Volunteers: In this policy the term ‘volunteer’ refers to unpaid individuals undertaking tasks on behalf of Wiltshire Creative in the delivery of their services who are 18 and over, for the benefit of their community.

Child: The Children Act, 1989, defines a child as up to and including the age of 18. Extensions exist for children who are disabled and for those in local authority care settings. ‘Young Person’ has no legal status, but it is used to acknowledge that older children may not think of themselves as ‘children’. For the purpose of this policy, people aged 18 and under are referred to as ‘children’, but we do frequently use 'young people' out of respect that this is a recognised and preferred term for some.

Adult at Risk: An adult at risk is ‘any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and support by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of himself or herself, or unable to protect himself or herself against harm or serious exploitation.’ (Care Act 2014 [England]).

We believe that:

• Children and adults at risk should never experience abuse of any kind.
• We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and adults at risk, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
  

We recognise that:

• the welfare of children and adults at risk is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take. Everybody, 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 or adults at risk 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 those who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.
• working in partnership with children, adults at risk, parents, carers and other agencies are essential in promoting their welfare.

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated safeguarding lead for children and young people, a deputy, and a nominated Board member for safeguarding
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies and procedures
• developing and implementing effective digital safety procedures
• providing effective management for staff supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour expectation confidently and competently
• recruiting and selecting staff safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
• recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
• sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children, adults at risk and their families as appropriate to their engagement
• making sure that children, adults at risk and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern
• using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, adults at risk, parents, families and carers appropriately
• using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff appropriately
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
• ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
• ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, adults at risk and staff by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
• building a safeguarding culture where staff adults at risk and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns
• reviewing our policy and good practice annually

Roles and Responsibilities

As a community arts and education charity, every member of Wiltshire Creative staff may have some degree of contact with children or adults at risk and must read the core policy document and adhere to its policies and procedures.

Those we engage with through our work should be aware of how we aim to protect them and who to go to with concerns.

If someone chooses to identify themselves as an Adult at Risk, this information should be shared with identified staff members, following consultation between the Adult at Risk, their Line Manager or session leader and a Designated Safeguarding Officer. Each Adult at Risk will be consulted by completing a Risk Assessment with their Line Manager or session leader, which will be shared with the Designated Safeguarding Officer. The Line Manager or session leader has a duty of care to support and protect them.

Designated Safeguarding Leads are the contacts to assist, support and advise in the case of any problems or concerns. It is also their responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of the policy and procedures including the facilitation of DBS checks. Given the complexities of Wiltshire Creative and its community, the Designated Safeguarding Lead role is shared by two members of staff, including a member of the Executive

Sarah Gregson is the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Rosa Corbishley is the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Designated Safeguarding Officers are contacts to assist, support and advise in the case of any
problems or concerns.

Clare Threadgold and Gjenya Cambray are Designated Safeguarding Officers.

Wiltshire Creative Board of Trustees' Safeguarding Representative is Nicky Jenkins