Safeguarding Policy
The Shared Value Business regards its safeguarding practices as fundamental to ensuring that Social Impact measurement techniques and community engagement activities are safe, physically and emotionally accessible and enable all participants to engage and contribute to the process.
To achieve this, we adhere to the following three principles:
Personal Safety
The nature of our work means that we engage with diverse and disparate groups of people (some of which will have particular support needs in order to participate fully) and deliver activity in a range of community and private locations.
We will carry out a risk assessment for each engagement session which, in addition to physical safety considerations (including fire regulations and accessibility for less mobile participants) also considers appropriate psychological safety implications which may impact on an individual’s ability to attend and/or fully participate. This evaluation will consider the emotional implications of a venue, or the structure of engagement delivery, for an individual or group. For example, young people who have disengaged with school, or who have interacted with the law may feel uncomfortable in an institutionalised setting. An individual with poor mental health may feel unsafe in any setting with significant numbers of other people.
Emotional Wellbeing
We recognise that talking to people about what is important to them can be an emotive process. Safeguarding practices help people to express their emotions in an environment where they feel supported.
We will assess the sensitivity of the topic to be discussed and potential (known) tensions between participants. We will ensure (to the best of our ability) that there is private space for people to use if they need quiet time, in line with safeguarding practices (we will never be in a room alone with any identified vulnerable individual, child or young person).
To enable full participation the safeguarding needs of identified individuals or groups with poor emotional wellbeing or mental health will be discussed with the individual or carer/ support worker to facilitate an environment where that person can have their voice heard.
Active Participation
Safeguarding principles play an important role in enabling active participation. In particular, we use good safeguarding to create an environment which enables all members of a community to have their voice heard. This is particularly relevant in the following areas:
a. Children and Young People and Identified Vulnerable Adults
We will always create an environment which meets safeguarding standards when working with children and young people, and adults who have been identified as vulnerable, by working closely with relevant organisations and individuals. These will include Schools, Youth Groups, Social Purpose Organisations, Public Sector, and parents/guardians.
We will never work alone with any individual, or group of individuals within these user groups, and will ensure that an appropriate number of relevantly experienced and appropriately qualified support workers are represented from the community organisations we are engaging with.
In the case of children and young people, at no time will we consider ourselves to be acting in loco parentis, and responsibilities will be clearly communicated to parents/guardians or professionals present.
b. Physical and Learning Support Needs
In situations where community members have additional support needs, these will be discussed with the individual or group (or if this is not possible, with the carer/support workers) to identify what support is necessary to enable full and active participation. It is likely that people with additional needs will fall into the category of vulnerable adult, in which case previous statements also apply.
Adaptations which may be needed to enable participation will include consideration of venue accessibility, engagement techniques (visual, auditory) and enabling that person or group to feel safe and welcome. As such, this may require additional support from an appropriately qualified person.
Safeguarding Procedure
The Shared Value Business will ALWAYS:
1. Ensure staff hold current DBS Certification
2. Safeguard Risk Assess activities to ensure settings and activities are appropriate and accessible for user groups
3. Deliver activities as developed in partnership with a local organisation or experienced individual who understands the needs of the client group
4. Ensure that staff members are never placed in a situation which may compromise themselves, or a client. This will include 121 consultations with identified vulnerable individuals, travel (either by public transport or private vehicle) or working with children and young people in any situation where loco parentis responsibility could be challenged.
5. Staff members finding themselves in a situation where they believe that a client may be experiencing in abuse or maltreatment (to include physical, sexual, psychological, neglect or exploitation) will in the first instance obtain the individuals permission to discuss the situation with whoever is acting in loco parentis of that individual.
If this is not appropriate, with the individual’s permission the staff member will contact the appropriate public services. If consent is not given, the staff member reserves the right to contact public services if they believe the situation is life threatening to either the individual in question, or those in their care.
6. No personal or sensitive information about any participant will ever be given to a third party or gathered in a capacity which contravenes GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) regulations.