Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, at risk adults and beneficiaries of assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to them encountering Body & Mind First Aid Training staff or instructors.
This includes harm arising from:
- The conduct of staff or personnel associated with Body & Mind First Aid Training
- The design and implementation of Body & Mind First Aid Training ’s programmes and activities
Scope
The policy lays out the commitments made by Body & Mind First Aid Training and informs staff and associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
What is safeguarding?
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our staff or programmes.
Further definitions relating to safeguarding are provided in the glossary below.
Policy Statement
Body & Mind First Aid Training believes that everyone we encounter, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Body & Mind First Aid Training will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by staff or associated personnel.
This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: child safeguarding, adult safeguarding, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
These key areas of safeguarding may have different policies and procedures associated with them (see Associated Policies).
Body & Mind First Aid Training commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.
Body & Mind First Aid Training responsibilities
Body & Mind First Aid Training will:
- Ensure all staff have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy
- Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from them meeting Body & Mind First Aid Training instructors. This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated.
- Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying instructors and associated personnel.
- Ensure staff receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organisation
- Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process
Staff responsibilities
Child safeguarding
Body & Mind First Aid Training staff and associated personnel must not:
- Engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18
- Sexually abuse or exploit children
- Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
- Engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labour or trafficking
Adult safeguarding
Body & Mind First Aid Training staff and associated personnel must not:
- Sexually abuse or exploit at risk adults
- Subject an at-risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse
Body & Mind First Aid Training staff and associated personnel must not:
- Exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance
- Engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics
Additionally, Body & Mind First Aid Training staff and associated personnel are obliged to:
- Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy
- Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by a Body & Mind First Aid Training staff member or any associated personnel to the appropriate authority.
Enabling reports
Body & Mind First Aid Training will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to staff and the communities we work with.
Any staff reporting concerns or complaints through formal whistleblowing channels (or if they request it) will be protected by Body & Mind First Aid Training’s Disclosure of Malpractice in the Workplace (Whistleblowing) Policy.
Body & Mind First Aid Training will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.
How to report a safeguarding concern
Individuals who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to their Safeguarding Focal Point or line manager. If the individual does not feel comfortable reporting to their Safeguarding Focal Point or line manager (for example if they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern) they may report to any other appropriate staff member.
Response
Body & Mind First Aid Training will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to legal and statutory obligations.
Body & Mind First Aid Training will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to staff found in breach of policy.
Body & Mind First Aid Training will offer support to survivors of harm caused by staff or associated personnel, regardless of whether a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation).
Confidentiality
It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns. Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need to know basis only and should be kept in accordance with the data protection act 2018.
Policy review date: 10th May 202