Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults

 

POLICY

1. Policy context 

About the organisation and the environment

Biodiversity Bloxham CIC (‘BB’) is a not-for-profit organisation passionate about Bloxham and the natural environment. We work together with fellow local people trying to make a more wildlife friendly, climate resilient village. Our projects and activities (‘events’) aim to inspire community spirit and awareness of what we can do in the face of climate change.

 

Our events: are free-of-charge or may have paid entrance; are ticketed or may be non-ticketed; occur in- or out-doors within the built or natural environment at public or private venues (e.g. Bloxham Ex-Servicemen’s Village Hall, OX15 4LU / Bloxham Mill Business Centre, OX15 4FF / The Joiners Arms, OX15 4LY / Elephant & Castle, OX15 4LZ); are directly created and delivered by BB or may be commissioned from partners; events vary in type, size, staffing levels, volunteer involvement, audience participation and theme; take place within various organisations’ settings and safeguarding procedure systems. Recent events include: Biodiversity Bloxham Monthly Meetings; Bloxham Farmers’ Markets; Wild About Bloxham Workshops.

 

Scope of this policy 

BB acknowledges the need to safeguard vulnerable people during all events, and within the organisation in the preparation and delivery of these events. The safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults is paramount and all, without exception, have the right to protection from abuse. This document outlines BB’s recognition of the threat of abuse, and the organisation’s responsibility to ensure action is taken to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and all suspicions and allegations of abuse are taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately. 

 

This policy applies to all children under 18 years of age and vulnerable adults of any age, who are staff, contractors, volunteers, participants and audience members. 

 

This document outlines a cross-event approach to policy and the creation of procedures for each event, and links with other key documents governing those events, e.g. Terms & Conditions of Booking, and Risk Assessments. 

 

2. Policy statements 

  • All BB directors, staff, contractors, volunteers and any other person engaged to help deliver events or support the organisation (referred to as “BB team”), whether paid or voluntary, have a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and to report safeguarding concerns.  

  • These responsibilities will be made clear, and BB is responsible for ensuring the BB team receive appropriate safeguarding training, and to monitor confirmation of training and agreement to observe the policy and procedures.

  • Safeguarding Policy and Procedures is the responsibility of BB directors.  

  • The Safeguarding Lead for the directors is Jackie Davies. The lead is responsible for providing advice and assistance to the development and application of the Safeguarding Policy and Procedure to facilitate each event.  

  • All staff, volunteer and contractor agreements will include the requirement to carry out the BB Safeguarding Policy and Procedures which apply to their work.  

  • Each event will appoint a Safeguarding Officer. The Safeguarding Lead will act as the Safeguarding Officer when an event has not identified a Safeguarding Officer within the event safeguarding procedures and for the BB organisation outside of events.  

  • Each event will create and operationalise a set of event safeguarding procedures appropriate for that event and in line with this policy.  

  • Risk Assessments for all BB programmed (delivered and commissioned) events will feature the contact details of BB’s Safeguarding Officer who can be contacted with any safeguarding concern. 

  • No events will be programmed to take place on a one-to-one basis with under-18s.  

  • All safeguarding problems reported to BB Team will be taken seriously, documented and dated.

  • Where DBS certificates are required for specific roles, BB Team members will hold Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List(s) certificates.

  • Where child(ren) arrive (pre-booked or with tickets) at child-friendly BB events unsupervised, the BB Team will assume that their visit has been sanctioned by their parents/guardians/carers and will not check unless they identify a problem. 

  • Where child(ren) are deemed by a BB Team member to be too young to be attending an event unsupervised by a parent/guardian/carer (or arrive without pre-booking or tickets) the Team member will ask for the name(s) of the child(ren) and name(s) and whereabouts of the supervising adult(s). If they cannot be located easily, the Safeguarding Officer will be asked to attend.  

  • This Safeguarding Policy is made available to the public via the website.

  • BB has a Privacy Policy outlining how it photographs/records events which is available on request.

 

3. About abuse 

We are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults by taking all reasonable steps to protect them from neglect, physical, sexual or emotional harm. 

 

We recognise that children, young people and vulnerable adults can suffer abuse, which can be:  

  • Neglect: Adults failing to care and protect them from danger or provide adequately for their needs to develop healthily.

  • Physical: Sustain bodily injury.

  • Sexual: Used by adults (or peers) to satisfy sexual desires through indecent sexual activity or subjected to sexual talk and materials.

  • Emotional: When frightened by threats and taunts (bullying); when subject to excessive shouting, belittling and teasing, affecting emotional or behavioural development. 

 

We will always behave in a way that demonstrates the values of the organisation by showing respect and understanding for the rights and welfare of staff, volunteers, contractors, participants and audience members. We will advocate and demonstrate that all children, young people and adults regardless of their age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race or ethnic origin, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity have the same rights to protection. 

 

PROCEDURES

1. Disclosure & Barring Service 

Before an organisation considers asking a person to apply for a criminal record check through DBS, they are legally responsible for ensuring that they are entitled to apply for the job role. This means that if you are a countersigning officer you must satisfy yourself that the position is eligible under the current legal provisions before you countersign each application form. Positions which fall under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (available via www.gov.co.uk) are eligible for DBS checks. 

 

If any such role is created within BB or its events, a DBS check must be completed (at the appropriate level) prior to any person fulfilling that role. Regarding BB events specifically, roles may be considered to fall under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 if the role includes unsupervised ‘access’ to children, young people or vulnerable adults in the course of the role holder’s normal duties. 

 

Event safeguarding procedures must be clear as to any roles which fall under this category (e.g. first aid provision, lost child assistance) and a record of appropriate checks of these post holders must be maintained. Event safeguarding plans must also be clear about abnormal ‘access’ to children, young adults and vulnerable adults which could occur during an event and detail procedures for dealing with these occurrences. 

 

All jobs/tasks, voluntary or paid will be assessed in respect of whether an Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS is required.

 

2. Event safeguarding procedures 

BB’s commitment to safeguarding will be translated to practice in the event safeguarding procedures created for each event, providing clear guidance and procedures for the BB Team on their role and responsibilities for safeguarding at that specific event. 

 

Each document must:  

  • Identify all BB team members (staff, contractors, volunteers) and event partners.  

  • Describe the event environment, demonstrate activities are risk assessed and actions taken to minimise and manage risk.  

  • Ascertain whose safeguarding system and procedures apply.  

  • Identify the Safeguarding Officer, and any deputies as required, and contact arrangements for the duration of the event.  

  • Identify any other specific roles in relation to safeguarding, including any roles with potential unsupervised access to children, young people or vulnerable adults, e.g. first aid provision or lost child assistance.

  • Set out training requirements for all team members, and specific training obligations for those specific roles identified.  

  • Set out how BB Team members will be clearly identifiable during the event.  

  • Consider how marketing materials describe the event clearly and appropriately, including any lower age limit or advice on age suitability or parental supervision.  

  • Consider how audience members or participants will be given an outline of event activity prior to agreeing to take part or where the full nature of the activity is not revealed for artistic purposes, how this will be made explicit before the public agree to take part.  

  • Set out event specific reporting and documenting procedures, for the reporting of concerns.  

  • Lay out the way in which other key documents function together, for example the Risk Assessment / event safety document.  

  • Identify the actions to be taken in relation to the presence of unaccompanied children.  

  • Set out how the Privacy Policy in relation to filming and photography of events will be communicated to participants and audiences. 

  • Clearly identify those responsible for implementation of the event safeguarding procedures, training and review throughout the event.  

  • No event safeguarding procedures should contradict the commitments laid out in this safeguarding policy. 

 

3. Outside of events 

Event Risk Assessments should contain the contact details of the Safeguarding Officer/Lead. In the event of any safeguarding concerns being raised, the Safeguarding Lead must be contacted.  

 

4. Whistleblowing 

Whistleblowing involves contacting someone, inside or outside of BB, to report a concern. Whistleblowing can be very difficult to do. BB has a Whistleblowing Policy. It is important that all BB practice is open to criticism and review, and that BB acknowledges that whistleblowing only works to make practice better. It is our hope that no person will need to whistle blow, and that any issues can be identified and dealt with as part of the supervisory process. If this is not the case. However, we are glad to direct people to sources of help and advice. 

 

Each event safeguarding procedure will outline reporting, recording and whistleblowing procedures for that event. 

 

Date policy reviewed & agreed by BB directors: March 2026.

Date for review: As relevant and applicable, document to be reviewed within 3 years.

 

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Useful resources:

To report a crime

In an emergency, call the police on 999.

If the person is not in immediate danger, call the police on 101.