Safeguarding Policy

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Contents of this document

Important contact details

Safeguarding is everybody’s business

Definitions

Government National Policy Guidance

Church of England National Policy Guidance

Duties of Faith Organisations

Statutory Safeguarding Requirements for all Vulnerable People

SWMTC’s Implementation of Statutory Safeguarding Requirements

Appendices:

Types of Abuse

The designated officer for safeguarding: role description

Responding to Serious Situations: flow chart

Important Contact Details

The name of the SWMTC Designated Officers for Safeguarding (children and adults) are:

Revd Lucy Larkin: Telephone 01872 241716

Mrs Elaine Cook: Telephone 07726 281981

The name of the SWMTC Trustee with responsibility for Safeguarding (children and adults) is:

The Revd Canon Professor Morwenna Ludlow

The contact details for the local Social Services (sometimes known as Social Care):

Devon County Council

Children’s Services: Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Email: mashsecure@devon.gov.uk

Telephone (office hours): 0345 155 1071  

Telephone (emergencies out of office hours): 0345 6000 388

Adult Services: Care Direct

Email: csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk

Telephone (office hours): 0345 155 1007

Telephone (emergencies out of office hours): 0345 6000 388

Cornwall Council

Children: Multi-agency Referral Unit:

Email: children@cornwall.gov.uk

Telephone (office hours): 0300 123 1116 / 0300 1234 101

Telephone (out of hours service): 01208 251300

Adults

Email: adultcare@cornwall.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 1234 131 (adults)

Torbay Council

Children: Torbay Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hib (MASH)

Telephone: 01803 208100

Adults: Torbay Safeguarding Adults team:

Telephone: 01803 219700

Plymouth City Council

Children: Plymouth Children’s Services:

Telephone (office hours): 01752 668000

Telephone (out of hours): 01752 346984

Plymouth Adult Services:

Telephone (office hours): 01752 668000

Telephone (out of hours): 01752 346984

Police:

Emergencies:  999

Non emergencies:  101

The name(s) of the relevant Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers are:

Exeter

Costa Nassaris

Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser

Email: charles.pitman@exeter.anglican.org

Telephone: 01392 345909 /07889 542640 

Truro

Andy Earl

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor

Email: andy.earl@truro.anglican.org

Telephone: 01872 274351 extension 231

Safeguarding is Everyone's Business

The Church of England works in partnership with other Christian Churches and agencies in delivering safeguarding. In doing so, the Churches subscribe to the following principles, which, in partnership, the TEI also subscribes to. Therefore, SWMTC is committed to:

  • The care and nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and adults
  • The safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults
  • The establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where victims of abuse can report or disclose abuse and where they can find support and best practice that contributes to the prevention of

In particular, SWMTC aims to:

  • Reduce the risk of significant harm to vulnerable people (children and adults) from abuse or other types of exploitation, whilst listening to and supporting individuals
  • Ensure safeguarding is everybody’s business, with this institution playing its part in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse
  • Ensure arrangements are in place locally to protect those least able to protect themselves.

Definitions

A child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or in custody in the secure estate, does not change his/her status or entitlements to services or protection.

An adult is someone over 18 years old and includes any adult, whether or not they consider themselves vulnerable, who may be vulnerable by reason of age, illness, disability; and any adult who has been made vulnerable by their situation or circumstance, such as by discrimination, or as a victim / survivor of abuse.

For definitions of abuse, see Appendix 1: Types of Abuse

Government National Policy Guidance

This policy statement follows requirements from the following Government Guidance:

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (July 2018) 
  • Statement of Government Policy On Adult Safeguarding (Department of Health, 2013)[2]
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (Department for Education, 2018)[3]

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729914/Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children-2018.pdf

[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/197402/Statement_of_Gov_Policy.pdf

[3] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741314/Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_September_2018_14.09.18.pdf

Church of England National Policy Guidance

This policy statement follows Church of England national safeguarding policies and procedures:[1]

  • Promoting a Safer Church (2017)
  • Protecting All God’s Children: Safeguarding Policy for Children and Young People (4th edition, 2010)
  • Promoting a Safer Church (safeguarding policy for adults, 2006)
  • Responding well to domestic abuse practice guidance (2017)
  • Responding well to those who have been sexually abused practice guidance (2011)
  • Safer recruitment practice guidance (2016)

[1] https://www.churchofengland.org/more/safeguarding

Duties of Faith Organisations (Section 11 of The Children Act 2004)

  • Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places duties on a range of organisations and individuals to ensure their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of
  • The range of organisations includes “Faith Organisations”: “Churches, other places of worship and faith-based organisations provide a wide range of activities for children and have an important role in safeguarding children and supporting families. Like other organisations who work with children they need to have appropriate arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children” as described in Working Together (Chapter 2 paragraph 4.)”.

Statutory Safeguarding Requirements for all Vulnerable People

Ultimate legal responsibility for safeguarding in SWMTC rests with the Governing Body which ensures that the SWMTC has put in place safeguarding arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults in accordance with statutory requirements and locally agreed interagency procedures:

  1. as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (chapter 2 paragraph 4), in relation to children
  2. following equivalent guidance in relation to adults who are

 

Such statutory requirements are as follows:

  • a clear line of accountability for the commissioning and/or provision of services designed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults
  • a member of the Governing Body to take leadership responsibility for the organisation’s safeguarding arrangements
  • a culture of listening to children and adults, taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and the development of services
  • arrangements which set out clearly the processes for sharing information, with other professionals and with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)[1] or Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB)[2]
  • a member or members of staff appointed as Designated Officer(s) for Safeguarding. Their role is to support other staff in recognising the needs of children and adults, including rescue from possible abuse or neglect. [See appendix 2]. Designated Officers for Safeguarding roles should always be explicitly defined in job descriptions. Designated Officers for Safeguarding should be given sufficient time, funding, supervision and support to fulfil their child welfare and safeguarding responsibilities effectively
  • safe recruitment procedures ensuring that all appropriate checks, including criminal record checks, are carried out on staff, students and volunteers who work with children and adults who are vulnerable
  • appropriate supervision and support for staff, including undertaking safeguarding training:
  • employers are responsible for ensuring that their staff are competent to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and creating an environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in their safeguarding role;
  • staff should be given a mandatory induction, which includes familiarisation with child protection responsibilities and procedures to be followed if anyone has any concerns about a child’s or adult’s safety or welfare; and
  • all staff should have regular reviews of their own practice to ensure they improve over time.
  • clear policies in line with those from the LSCB/LSAB for dealing with allegations against people who work with children or adults who are vulnerable. An allegation may relate to a person who works with children or adults who has:
  • behaved in a way that has harmed a child or adult, or may have harmed child or adult;
  • possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child or adult; or
  • behaved towards a child or children or adult(s) in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children or adults.
  • in addition:
  • county level and unitary Local Authorities should have a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)[3] to be involved in the management and oversight of individual cases. The LADO should provide advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations, liaising with the police and other agencies and monitoring the progress of cases to ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process;
  • any allegation should be reported immediately to a senior manager within the organisation. The LADO should also be informed within one working day of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention or that are made directly to the police; and
  • if an organisation removes an individual (paid worker or unpaid volunteer) from work such as looking after children (or would have, had the person not left first) because the person poses a risk of harm to children, the organisation must make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.[4] It is an offence to fail to make a referral without good reason.

Specific arrangements for SWMTC’s implementation of these requirements are set out in section 8.

[1] Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) were established by the Children Act 2004 which gives a statutory responsibility to each locality to have this mechanism in place. LSCBs are now the key system in every locality of the country for organisations to come together to agree on how they will cooperate with one another to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The purpose of this partnership working is to hold each other to account and to ensure safeguarding children remains high on the agenda across their region.

[2] The Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) is a multi – agency partnership which provides strategic leadership for the development of adults safeguarding policy and practice, consistent with national policy and best practice.

[3]  The LADO works within Children’s Services and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has: behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children. The LADO role applies to paid, unpaid, volunteer, casual, agency and self-employed workers. They capture concerns, allegations or offences emanating from outside of work. The LADO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case. They will provide advice, guidance and help to determine whether the allegation sits within the scope of the procedures. The LADO helps co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation, with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible. If you need to contact your Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), please consult your Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) or Local Children’s Services Authority.

[4] Information about the Disclosure and Barring Service can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service

SWMTC's Implementation of Statutory Safeguarding

SWMTC follows the detailed guidance and procedures of the Dioceses of Exeter and Truro. The Exeter Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Costa Nassaris  (01392 345909 /07889 542640)  or the Truro Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor Andy Earl (01872 274351 extension 231) can be contacted for advice on putting arrangements in place[1] and information about policy and practice.

SWMTC staff seconded from dioceses should follow the training requirements of the sponsoring diocese.

For each of the sections below, the person or body named as responsible in each section is required to list actions specific to SWMTC which demonstrate how the arrangement is being implemented, and to note the date for review.

Procedures for activities (ref 7.1)

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff) and Safeguarding Representative (Governing Body)

  1. Procedures are in place for activities for children, adults and mixed age within the SWMTC community (including risk assessment of activities and premises; ratios of leaders to children/vulnerable adults; record keeping).
  2. Ensuring that placement supervisors have put in place procedures for students running activities for children, adults and mixed age when out on placement, in line with placement church’s and diocese’s
  3. Diocesan safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance are held by the Designated Officer for Safeguarding and Safeguarding Representative, and details of SWMTC procedures reflect the
  4. Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff) are in contact with the Diocesan Safeguarding.

Designated Officers for Safeguarding (ref 7.2, 7.5)

Responsibility: Governing Body

  1. Senior members of SWMTC’s leadership team are appointed as Designated Officers for Safeguarding, and a Governing Body Safeguarding Representative is appointed by that body, to ensure procedures are in place for dealing with safeguarding issues.
  2. Safeguarding roles are defined in the job descriptions of Designated Officers.
  3. Supervision, support and training, including Local Authority and Diocesan safeguarding training, is in place for the Designated Officers for Safeguarding, and Governing Body Safeguarding.

Culture of listening to children and adults (ref 7.3)

Responsibility: All Staff

  1. All safeguarding information about abuse, whether past or present, and including internet abuse, is taken seriously and referred to the Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff).

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)

  1. Independent authorised listeners, appointed by the Diocese, are made available through the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to adults reporting

Responsibility: Governing Body

  1. Taking into account the views of children and adults affected, the Governing Body:
    • reviews all allegations and concerns brought to its attention, and remedies without delay any deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to safeguarding arrangements that are brought to their attention;
    • reviews SWMTC’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

Information sharing (ref 7.4, 7.9)

Responsibility: All staff

  1. All allegations or concerns are reported to the Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff).

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)

  1. The Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff) share information about any allegation or concern with the statutory agencies in which the alleged victim resides: police if criminal behaviour; and with the LADO of Children’s Services, or equivalent senior manager in Adult Services, within one working day; and follow statutory advice.
  2. The Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff) liaise with and inform the Governing Body Safeguarding Representative of the issues to do with the allegation and the response made.
  3. In responding to serious situations,[2] the Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff) share information with any relevant Diocesan or Church of England Safeguarding Adviser. For a member of staff this includes the Diocese in which the SWMTC is located; for a student, this includes the Diocese or any agency sponsoring the student. For an independent student, the responsibility remains with the

Responsibility: Governing Body

  1. Name of member of the Governing Body nominated to be responsible for liaising with the local authority and/or partner agencies, as appropriate in the event of allegations of abuse being made against the SWMTC Principal: Rev Canon Professor Morwenna Ludlow- Trustees’ representative.

Safer recruitment (ref 7.6)

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)/Human Resources Committee

  1. For staff: SWMTC follows Church of England and Diocesan practice in recruitment of staff, including references, interviews and criminal checks with the DBS.

Responsibility: Human Resources Committee/Diocesan Directors of Ordinands

  1. For students: SWMTC works with the sponsoring diocese to ensure that all students have been recruited safely, including a criminal check. [NB Occasional or short term students do not need a criminal check unless they are involved in regulated activity].[3]
  2. Any student wishing to apply to the college who does not have a clean DBS will be subject to a risk assessment conducted by a small group consisting of the Principal, the Safeguarding lead and the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer for the relevant diocese.

Competence for role/raising concerns/support (ref 7.7)

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)

  1. Temporary staff and volunteers who work with children or adults who are vulnerable are made aware of SWMTC’s arrangements for safeguarding and their.

Training, supervision, induction, review (ref 7.7)

For staff:

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)/Human Resources Committee/Staff training

  1. SWMTC Principal, and all staff (teaching and support staff if they work directly with children or adults who are vulnerable), undertake training required to equip them to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding effectively, that is kept up to date by refresher training at three yearly
  2. Details of training are provided in a timely fashion for all
  3. Introduction to safeguarding policies and procedures is included in staff induction programmes.
  4. Review of improvement in safeguarding practice forms part of staff ongoing

For students:

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)/Curriculum planners

  1. Safeguarding training forms a core part of the SWMTC’s curriculum for students. Students are required to have completed C0 and C1 online safeguarding training prior to beginning IME Phase 1 or Reader training. SWMTC will arrange for all students to undertake the Leadership module (C2) training early in Year 1 prior to undertaking a placement. Students give a copy of their up to date Safeguarding Certificate to the SWMTC Programme Administrator.
  2. Review of improvement in safeguarding practice forms part of student ongoing assessment.

Responding to serious situations (ref 7.8, 7.9 and cross reference 7.4)

Responding to serious situations

Responsibility: Designated Officers for Safeguarding (staff)

  1. Procedures for responding to serious situations, including allegations of abuse against members of staff, students and volunteers, are in place and followed, in line with LSCB/LSAB procedures, Church of England and Diocesan policies and practice guidance.

[1] See Church of England Safeguarding Practice Guidance, Responding to Serious Situations, reference Appendix 3 Flow Chart.

[2] See Practice Guidance: Responding to, assessing and managing safeguarding concerns or allegations against church officers V2 December 2017

[3] Changes to Disclosure and Barring 2012, Summary of the new definition of Regulated Activity, p 9.

Appendix 1: Types of Abuse

Abuse is mistreatment by any other person or persons that violates a person’s human and civil rights. The abuse can vary, from treating someone with disrespect in a way that significantly affects the person’s quality of life, to causing actual physical or mental suffering.

Physical Abuse

A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing  physical harm to a child or adult. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

Sexual Abuse

Involves forcing or enticing a child or adult to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child or adult is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children or vulnerable adults in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Neglect and acts of omission

The persistent failure to meet an individual’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of their health or development. It includes ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.

Emotional/psychological Abuse (including web-based bullying and witnessing domestic violence/abuse).

The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child or adult such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the individual’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to them that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.

Institutional Abuse

Institutional Abuse occurs where the routines and regimes within care settings (day, residential, hospital or other institutions including TEIs) deny people rights, choices and opportunities. Abuse can be caused by weak or oppressive management, inadequate staffing (numbers, competence), inadequate supervision or support, “closed” communication, lack of knowledge of Whistleblowing policies and lack of training.

Discriminatory Abuse

Whether racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability, sexual orientation, and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.

Financial / material abuse

Including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in   connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.

 

Domestic Violence/Abuse

Domestic violence is physical, sexual, psychological or financial violence that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and that forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. This can include forced marriage and so-called ‘honour crimes’. Domestic violence may include a range of abusive behaviours, not all of which are in themselves inherently physically  violent.

Spiritual Abuse

The inappropriate use of religious belief or practice. This can include the misuse of the authority of leadership or penitential discipline, oppressive teaching, or intrusive healing and deliverance ministries.

 

Appendix 2: The Designated Officer(s) for Safeguarding

The Designated Officer(s) for Safeguarding need not be a teacher/lecturer but must have the status and authority within the TEI management structure to carry out the duties of the post including committing resources to safeguarding matters, and where appropriate directing other staff.

In many TEIs a single designated person will be sufficient, but either two people should be appointed or a deputy should be available to act in the designated person’s absence. In large establishments, or those with a large number of safeguarding concerns, it may be necessary to have a number of deputies to deal with the workload.  

In addition to basic safeguarding training the Designated Officer(s) undertakes training in inter- agency working that is provided by, or to standards agreed by, the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult boards and refresher training at two yearly intervals to keep his or her knowledge and skills up to date.

The Designated Officer(s) should make contact with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for children and his or her equivalent for adults. Their names can be obtained from the local social services department.

The broad areas of responsibility proposed for the Designated Officer(s) for Safeguarding include:

  • Making referrals to the statutory authorities, the Disclosure and Barring Service and supporting people involved in the process
  • Training
  • Raising awareness.

These are detailed in Keeping Children Safe in Education Department for Education 2014. Annex B which provides a useful guide to TEIs in safeguarding arrangements.

Appendix 3: Responding to Serious Situations

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