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Safeguarding Children

Safeguarding Policy -Smarti's Club

This policy applies to all staff, including senior managers, paid staff, volunteers, sub-contracted workers or anyone working on behalf of, or in partnership with, Smarti's Club.

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Statement of commitment

Smarti's Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Safer recruitment is central to the way we work and all staff and volunteers are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding, always creating an environment where young people feel safe and can thrive.

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Risk register

The potential risks to a child involved in any Smarti's Club activities have been assessed and recorded on a Risk Register which is central to the safeguarding process. This is regularly reviewed and updated.

Smarti's Club is committed to excellence in each of the following areas:

  1. Safeguarding policy, procedures, and guidance

  2. Safe recruitment and suitability checking of staff

  3. Training of staff, volunteers and managers

  4. Two-way communication with parents/carers

  5. Creating a positive environment for children where they feel safe and listened to

  6. Responding quickly to concerns and reporting to other agencies

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Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely:

  • Children Act 1989

  • United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Sexual Offences Act 2003

  • Children Act 2004

  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

  • Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

  • Children and Families Act 2014

  • Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years; HM Government 2014

  • Keeping Children safe in Education 2022

  • Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers; HM Government 2018

  • England: Working together to safeguard children: HM Government 2018

  • Scotland: National guidance for child protection in Scotland 2021

  • Wales: Safeguarding Children – Working Together under the Children Act 2004

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018

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Accompanying procedures

This policy should be read alongside our policies and procedures on:

  • Disclosure and Cleared Staff

  • Induction and training of programme staff

  • Child Protection

  • Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person

  • Managing allegations against staff and volunteers

  • Recording and information sharing

  • Code of conduct for staff and volunteers

  • Online safety

  • Anti-bullying

  • Complaints

  • Whistleblowing

  • Health and safety

  • Induction, supervision and welfare

  • Training, supervision and support of HQ staff

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We recognise that:

  • The welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989

  • All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal 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

  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

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

  1. Developing strong safeguarding policy, procedures, and guidance

    • Appointing and training to an appropriate standard, a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for all projects, a lead managment member for safeguarding as well as identifying and training a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) and at least one support Assistant Safeguarding Officer (ASO) at Smarti's Head Office

    • Adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through comprehensive and well-communicated procedures

    • Carrying out a regular review of the safeguarding risk register to ensure risks are minimised and working to an agreed action plan with an annual audit submitted to board level

    • Implementing a code of conduct for staff and volunteers which is regularly reviewed and updated

    • Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately

  1. Safe recruitment and suitability checking of staff

    • Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary suitability checks are made

    • Developing a positive culture of safeguarding throughout the organisation using clear messages starting with the job advert and reiterating this through the recruitment, training and on-camp experience

  1. Training and support of staff, volunteers and managers

    • Making staff at every level aware of their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and providing training appropriate to their level. All staff within the organisation including those that do not necessarily have direct contact with children will receive some level of training

    • Ensuring the organisation is up-to-date with most recent legislation and guidance through regular training updates for key managment staff and subscriptions to safeguarding news

    • Ensuring there is a culture of honesty and speaking up, supported by effective whistleblowing measures where staff know how to report a concern

    • Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and applying quality assurance measures using a regional audit structure

  1. Two-way communication with parents/carers

    • Ensuring that parents and carers understand safeguarding policies that affect their children and know how to communicate a concern or complaint

  1. Creating a positive environment for children and young people where they feel, valued, safe and listened to

    • Providing robust induction, supervision, behaviour management anti-bullying and welfare procedures and awareness of e-safety and cyber-bullying

    • Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children and young people as well as staff, volunteers and members of the public by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance

  1. Responding quickly to concerns and reporting to other agencies

    • Recording and storing information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children, their families, staff and volunteers using a variety of media

    • Sharing concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately according to data protection regulations but keeping the interests of the child paramount

    • Keeping an up-to-date record of all local social care, police contacts and other agencies for each site where activities take place including an understanding of differences in practice in England, Scotland and Wales

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Contact details

Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO): Monika Morgans

Phone: 07908583109

Email: smartisclub@gmail,com

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* If you would like to see a copy of our policies and procedures please email: smartisclub@gmail.com

 
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