The Little Princess Trust Safeguarding Policy

1. Introduction and purpose

1.1. The purpose of this policy is to protect children and also adults with additional care needs who come into contact with The Little Princess Trust, either directly or indirectly. This protection extends to any child or adult who has contact with the charity on any level, including those who volunteer.

1.2. The purpose of this policy is also to provide the charity’s staff, its associates and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide its approach to safeguarding and child and adult protection.

1.3. The Little Princess Trust believes that a child or adult should never experience abuse of any kind. The charity recognises that it has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and adults with additional care needs and to keep them safe.

1.4. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children are everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information, and taking prompt action.

1.5. The charity will take all reasonable measures to ensure that all staff and volunteers read the Safeguarding Policy, which includes as an appendix the staff Code of Conduct and the charity’s Protected Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy, as part of their induction. The Little Princess Trust is dedicated to Safeguarding both children and adults with additional care needs. This policy applies to all staff, Trustees, volunteers, representatives, including salons and individual wig fitters providing the services of The Little Princess Trust to its beneficiaries. It also applies to all staff and volunteers as they go about their daily tasks.

 1.6. The purpose of this policy is to protect children and adults with additional care needs who come into contact with The Little Princess Trust, either directly or indirectly. This protection extends to any child or adult who has contact with the charity on any level, including those who volunteer.

1.7.  The purpose of this policy is also to provide the charity’s staff, its associates and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide its approach to safeguarding and child and adult protection.

2. Scope

 2.1. This policy applies to all staff, Trustees, volunteers, representatives, including salons and individual wig fitters providing the services of The Little Princess Trust to its beneficiaries. It also applies to all staff and volunteers as they go about their daily tasks.

2.2. The following policies and documents have informed this policy:

3. Responsibilities

 3.1. Every employee and volunteer of the charity is under a general duty to protect children and also adults with additional care needs from abuse.

 3.2. The Designated Safeguarding Lead and the nominated Trustee will monitor the operation of this policy and its procedures and make an annual report to the Board of Trustees.

 

3.3.  Responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Officer

  •  Act as the first point of contact for personnel
  • Advise and provide guidance to personnel for making referrals
  • Train staff (or arrange for their training) on how to respond to concerns for the safety of children, young people, and adults at risk of abuse or neglect
  • Ensure the effective monitoring of paid staff working with children and young people and adults at risk of abuse or neglect by line management, through supervision, progress and performance reviews and volunteers’ personal development
  • Monitor and record concerns about children, young people, and adults at risk of abuse or neglect and actions taken
  • Liaise with appropriate local agencies for support and advice where necessary
  • Promote the importance of safeguarding across the organisation

3.4.  Responsibilities of employees and volunteers

  • To protect children from abuse
  • To read, understand, and follow the charity’s Safeguarding Policy
  • In exceptional circumstances, such as in an emergency or a genuine concern that appropriate action has not been taken, to speak directly to Children’s Social Care
     

4. Training

4.1. The Head of Operations will ensure all staff, including temporary staff, and volunteers are provided with induction training that includes; the identity of the Designated Safeguarding Officer, the charity’s Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct, and a copy of the charity’s Protected Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy.

4.2. The Wig Referrals Manager will ensure all salons and wig fitters in the LPT referral network receive a copy of the policy and as far as practically possible, have read and understood it. Training on the policy is included in LPT salon training seminars.

5. Monitoring

5.1. A safeguarding report will be produced and discussed at each quarterly Board meeting.

5.2. Safeguarding concerns and incidents will be discussed at Operational Leadership Team meetings

5.3. Safeguarding questions will be encouraged during staff ‘huddles’.

5.4.The Trustees will undertake an annual review of the policy and procedures and the efficiency with which the related duties have been discharged.

5.5. The Designated Safeguarding Lead and the nominated Trustee will also scrutinise and monitor the operation of this policy and its procedures and make an annual report to the Board of Trustees. The Trustees will undertake an annual review of the policy and procedures and the efficiency with which the related duties have been discharged.

6. Risk assessment

6.1. The effective implementation and regular monitoring of this policy are a critical component of The Little Princess Trust’s risk management arrangements to protect children and also adults with additional care needs who come into contact with The Little Princess Trust, either directly or indirectly.

7. Child protection and safeguarding

7.1. Child protection is the immediate reaction to an issue which places or may place a child at risk of significant harm. Safeguarding is a wider term which includes proactive work to prevent a child becoming at risk. The charity recognises that the welfare of the child is paramount, as per the Children Act 1989. Therefore, all children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse and to be safeguarded from the possibility of being abused.

7.2. The Little Princess Trust is aware that some children are additionally vulnerable because of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues, including their health.

 7.3. The charity will always work in partnership with other agencies as appropriate in order to promote young people’s welfare, for example Children’s Social Care, the Police, and the Local Authority Designated officer (LADO). In order to do this effectively, The Little Princess Trust has appointed Phil Brace as a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO). The charity has also appointed one of its Trustees, Tim Wheeler, as Trustee with responsibility for safeguarding. It also adopts child protection and safeguarding practices through procedures and a Code of Conduct for staff, its associates, and volunteers.

7.4. A child is anyone under the age of 18 years. It is essential that children coming into contact with The Little Princess Trust are protected.

7.5. There are 4 categories of abuse for children:

  • Physical Abuse – involves non-accidental delivery of physical harm or trauma that was caused by beating, punching, kicking, burning, biting, or otherwise harming a child; as a result of these violent actions, physical abuse is the most tangible form of child abuse or maltreatment
  • Sexual Abuse - There are 2 types of sexual abuse – contact and non-contact abuse

 

  •  Contact abuse is where an abuser makes physical contact with a child. This includes:

 o   Sexual touching of any part of a child's body, whether they are clothed or not

o   Using a body part or object to rape or penetrate a child

o   Forcing a child to take part in sexual activities

o   Making a child undress or touch someone else

o   Contact abuse can include touching, kissing and oral sex

 

  •  Non-contact abuse is where a child is abused without being touched by the abuser. This can be in person or online and includes:

 o   Exposing or flashing

o   Showing pornography

o   Exposing a child to sexual acts

o   Making them masturbate

o   Forcing a child to make, view or share child abuse images or videos

o   Making, viewing, or distributing child abuse images or videos

o   Forcing a child to take part in sexual activities or conversations online or through a smartphone

 

  • Emotional Abuse - Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It is sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate, or ignore a child
  • Neglect - Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child's basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without proper clothing, shelter, supervision, or health care, including not providing them with required medication. This can put children and young people in danger. It can also have long term effects on their physical and mental wellbeing

7.6. Additional areas of abuse

7.6.1. In addition to the main 4 categories, for children there are other areas of abuse which staff and volunteers need to act upon should they become aware:

  •  Female Genital Mutilation – the removal of all or part of the female genitals. This is child abuse and carries a 14-year prison sentence in the UK. Any concerns that this is about to happen, or has happened should be reported immediately to the police (via 101)
  • Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) – the provision of gifts or favours to children in return for sex. Children under the age of 18 cannot choose to be exploited, despite the legal age for consent to sex being 16. Concerns regarding CSE should be reported to the DSO for referral to the Police and Children’s Social Care
  • County Lines – The trafficking of children and/or drugs between counties by gangs. Children may be subject to being trafficked for sex themselves, or to being used to carry drugs and deliver them. Concerns should be discussed with the DSO for onward referral to the Police and Children’s Social Care
  • Fabricated or Induced Illness - a rare form of child abuse occurring when a parent or carer exaggerates or deliberately causes symptoms of illness in the child. It can have serious consequences for a child and concerns should be discussed with the DSO and Children’s Social Care
  • Radicalisation - Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and other forms of extremism. Children and adults can be vulnerable to radicalisation and the Government’s Prevent Programme provides a process for referring and managing risk. Concerns regarding Radicalisation should be reported to the DSO for onward discussion with the Police Prevent Lead (via 101)

7.6.2.  Recognising these forms of abuse is essential in order to act on them. Anyone from The Little Princess Trust who sees or hears a concern that may fall into one of these categories should speak immediately to the DSO. If the DSO or Trustee for safeguarding is not available, any member of staff or volunteer should ensure that they speak to Children’s Social Care or the Police. Contacts are listed in this policy and follow up should be made with the DSO or Safeguarding Trustee.

8. E-safety

8.1. E-safety is particularly important in our work with children and young adults, as well as adults at risk of abuse or neglect. We expect all personnel to adhere to The Little Princess Trust’s Code of Conduct with regards to their conduct, especially on-line.

8.2. Staff must not invite children onto their personal social media, take or post photographs of them outside of usual protocol, or give out or receive the personal telephone numbers for children.

9. Recognising adult safeguarding concerns

9.1. An adult is any person over 18 years of age. Adults are different from children in that they can choose to take risks and make poor decisions. However, if they are deemed not to have capacity to make decisions, for example they have a mental health concern (self-harm, hoarding etc), have an additional care need such as an illness that means they are incapable of making decisions, or they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are classed as having additional care needs and any concerns should be noted and reported.

9.2. There are 10 categories of abuse for adults:

  • Physical – involves non-accidental delivery of physical harm or trauma that was caused by beating, punching, kicking, burning, biting, or otherwise harming as a result of these violent actions.
  • Domestic - psychological (stalking etc.), coercive control, physical, sexual abuse by a partner or ex-partner plus honour-based violence
  • Sexual - includes rape, indecent exposure, harassment, looking or touching inappropriately, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, anything sexual which the adult has not consented to.
  • Psychological – includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, blaming, controlling or humiliation and cyber bullying
  • Financial or Material - theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to financial affairs (wills, benefits, property etc.)
  • Modern Slavery - slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude.
  • Discriminatory - slurs and harassment due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation
  • Organisational - poor care or neglect in an institution e.g. hospital or care home
  • Neglect and acts of omission - ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to health care and support, withholding the necessities e.g. medication, nutrition etc.
  • Self-Neglect - behaviours by the person failing to take care of hygiene, health, or surroundings – includes behaviours such as hoarding.
     

10. Safer recruitment

10.1. The Little Princess Trust practises safer recruitment to ensure that those working or volunteering with children are safe to do so. The interview process and recruitment of volunteers will be in line with safer recruitment procedures. All staff will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

10.2. Staff and volunteers are expected to promote a safeguarding culture within the charity.

11. Allegations of abuse or neglect made against members of staff or volunteers

11.1. Allegations of abuse within The Little Princess Trust are taken seriously. Staff must report allegations to the CEO. Allegations are reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Herefordshire who will liaise with the charity and follow the Government’s Allegations Management Process. LADO contact details are provided within this policy. Allegations regarding the CEO should be made to the Chair of Trustees.

11.2. Staff must not investigate allegations but should seek advice at the earliest opportunity.

 

The MBE for voluntary groups was awarded to The Little Princess Trust by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.