Introduction:

Genesis Sun abides by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and is committed to a safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice requirements.

• We recognise that the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
• 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
• Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

Safeguarding Team

Genesis Sun’s Safeguarding Lead is Diane Spence, CEO

• Email di**********@***********co.uk
• Phone: 07884180085

The responsible Advisory Board member is Arvind Batra.

Emergency contact details are available at the end of this document.

Statement of intent:

Genesis Sun commits to:

• Safeguarding the welfare of all service users by ensuring child protection guidelines are adhered to at all times 
• Ensure that this policy is publicly available on its website
• Ensure that anyone providing services on behalf of Genesis Sun (for example, partners, mentors, volunteers, suppliers who will have contact with young people) are provided with a copy of this safeguarding policy and receive adequate training and support on a regular basis.
• Where a person has unsupervised access to a young person, whether remotely or in-person (for example, a mentoring session), then Genesis Sun will ensure: 
  • that individual has undergone suitable DBS checking, 
  • is provided with a copy of this document
  • confirms in writing that they have understood and will accept its content. 
• Follow the required process to share information about any concerns with the relevant agencies and will involve parents and children appropriately 
• Apply a robust and thorough selection process to select staff, volunteers and service providers, and ensure appropriate security checks are carried out
• Provide a safe environment for the individuals who receive Genesis Sun’s services, ensuring they are protected from harm.  

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of or representing Genesis Sun, including senior managers and the board, paid staff, partners, 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.

How the intent will be actioned:

We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by:

• Adopting child protection guidelines through a code of behaviour for all individuals that will come into contact with children, both directly and indirectly (see Training and Awareness section)
• Sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, parents, staff, volunteers and relevant stakeholders
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately
• Carefully following the procedures for recruitment and selection of individuals providing services on behalf of Genesis Sun
• Providing effective management for all relevant stakeholders through supervision, support and training

Services to adults

Genesis Sun works mainly with children (as defined below), but acknowledges that it may, on occasion, provide services to individuals older than the defined age of a child.  The ethos of protection detailed in this document will still be applied under those circumstances.  

Additionally, if Genesis Sun is informed, or identifies that an individual is classed as an “Adult at Risk” – appropriate additional measures will be implemented on a case-by-case basis following a risk assessment involving the CEO and any other appropriate stakeholder.  Genesis Sun’s Board will also be informed, and no services will be provided to a known Adult at Risk without approval from all appropriate stakeholders and agencies.

Definitions:

The Children Act 1989 definition of a child is: anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if they are living independently, are a member of the armed forces or are in hospital.

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
• as a result 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

Safeguarding children:

Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Legal Framework:

This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning.

Genesis Sun will reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people as well as vulnerable adults.

The Prevent duty

Some organisations in England, Scotland and Wales have a duty, as a specified authority under section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015 (as amended or updated), to identify vulnerable children and young people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent duty. These organisations include:

• Schools 
• Registered childcare providers
• Local authorities
• Police
• Prisons and probation services
• NHS trusts and foundations.
• Other organisations may also have Prevent duties if they perform delegated local authority functions.

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme.

Should anyone involved with Genesis Sun become aware, or suspicious, of any such activity, the safeguarding lead should be informed immediately.

Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is, in itself a form of harm.

Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

Training and Awareness: 

Genesis Sun will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Board members, Employees, volunteers and any relevant persons linked to the organisation who requires it (e.g. contractors, mentors, relevant service providers).

For anyone working or volunteering with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:

• Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children
• Recognise a child potentially in need of safeguarding and take action
• Understand how to report a safeguarding alert
• Understand dignity and respect when working with children
• Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children Policy.

Similarly, they may encounter concerns about the safety and wellbeing of an adult at risk of abuse.

Whenever any concern is identified, the safeguarding lead must be informed immediately.

Procedures to take in the event of an incident or concern

If a member of the Genesis Sun team or representative has a concern for a young person, they are to speak to a member of the safeguarding team to discuss their concerns at the earliest opportunity.

Procedure for raising a safeguarding incident or concern 

1. A safeguarding concern about a young person is to be made directly to the safeguarding lead or safeguarding board member. This can be face to face, by email or by telephone, as soon as practicably possible. A full written report must be submitted via email within 24 hours of the initial conversation.
2. If the child’s life or health is at risk, the police and relevant emergency services must be contacted by calling 999 at the first opportunity.
3. The safeguarding lead and/or board member will collate the information reported to them, along with any evidence and establish the severity and urgency of the incident/concern. This process will be documented, including the reasons for the prioritisation level.
4. Where appropriate and safe to do so, the person who initially raises the concern will need to make it clear to anyone who shares information with them, that they will have to pass the information on to ensure that no one else is at risk, to prevent a crime or to protect someone if they cannot protect themselves from harm. 
5. Team members and representatives are advised that if there is a concern regarding a young person, they do not need the consent of the young person to escalate the concern to the safeguarding lead/board member.
6. Team members and representatives are advised that if a young person has approached them to report a concern, to:

• Ensure the young person knows they have done the right thing
• Make sure they are listened to and that their rights are respected
• Notify the young person that only the people who need to know will be informed
• Not to attempt to solve the situation themselves or confront anyone
• Remember to take all claims seriously
• Record the concern in writing, giving as much detail as possible. Remember to include dates and times, what was said, using terminology as close as possible to the young person’s exact words if they disclosed the information to you and include any names and locations
• Do not disclose any information to non-relevant parties

All reports must be accurate, be signed, dated, including the year, and filed, notifying the safeguarding lead on completion. 

If due to the severity of the incident/threat there is a requirement to escalate to an external agency, the appropriate protection agency or police will be informed. 

Should a team member not be satisfied that the Genesis Sun Safeguarding Team has taken appropriate action, they must advise the team in writing.  If their concerns persist, then they should contact the appropriate local authority safeguarding body as soon as possible, or the emergency services if there is a severe and immediate threat.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing:

Genesis Sun expects all employees, volunteers and board members to maintain confidentiality.  Information will only be shared in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection.

However, information should be shared with the Local Authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed. 

Recording and Record Keeping:

A written record will be kept by the safeguarding lead about any concern regarding any child, young person or adult with safeguarding needs. This must include details of the person involved, the nature of the concern and the actions taken, decision made and why they were made.

All records must be signed and dated. All records must be securely and confidentially stored in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). 

Safe Recruitment & Selection:

Genesis Sun is committed to safe employment and safe recruitment and selection practices, that reduce the risk of harm to children from people unsuitable to work with them or have contact with them.  This will include appropriate security and criminal background checks.

Social Media:

Employees and volunteers should be aware of Genesis Sun social media policy and procedures and the code of conduct for behaviour towards the children we support.

Use of Mobile Phones and other Digital Technology:

All employees, board members, volunteers and other relevant stakeholders should be aware of Genesis Sun policy and procedures regarding the use of mobile phones and any digital technology.

Important Contacts:

Police
Emergency – 999
Non-emergency – 101

NSPCC Helpline
0808 800 5000

Wolverhampton Council safeguarding reporting line: 01902 552999

Birmingham Council’s suggested reporting route – via CASS (Children’s Advice Support Service) on 0121 303 1888

Other local councils’ reporting facilities can be found on their websites.