Club AUsome Safeguarding Policy

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Kellie Milano • kellie@clubausome.co.uk • 07944 785764

1. Policy statement

Club AUsome exists to keep people safe. Safety comes before convenience, cost, or reputation. We protect children, adults at risk, staff, volunteers, contractors, visitors, and members of the public who interact with our activities in person or online.

Trustees have a legal and ethical duty to prevent harm. They must put in place clear systems, trained people, and regular checks. Because we work with children and adults at risk, our duty of care is higher. We act fast on concerns. We work with the right authorities. We accept scrutiny.

Who this policy protects

  • Children and young people who use our services

  • Adults at risk who use our services

  • Staff, volunteers, trustees, and contractors

  • Visitors and members of the public at our sessions and events

Our approach

  • Zero tolerance of abuse, neglect, bullying, harassment, and discrimination

  • A culture where people speak up early, including “low-level” concerns

  • Safe environments: risk assessments, safe staffing ratios, visible leadership, and clear rules

  • Safe people: safer recruitment, induction, supervision, and training for every role

  • Safe processes: simple reporting routes, accurate records, timely referrals, and secure data handling

  • Partnership: we work with parents and carers, local authorities, the police, and other agencies

  • Learning: we review incidents, fix causes, and improve practice

Definitions we use

  • Child: anyone under 18 years of age

  • Adult at risk: anyone 18 or over who has care and support needs and is unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation

2. Legal framework

We follow current United Kingdom law and statutory guidance, including:

  • Children Act 1989 and 2004

  • Care Act 2014

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)

  • Keeping Children Safe in Out-of-School Settings (2025 update)

  • Charity Commission guidance on Safeguarding and Protecting People (2024 update)

  • Education Act 2002

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Equality Act 2010

  • Data Protection Act 2018 and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation

  • Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (Prevent duty)

  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

  • Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice

What this means in practice

  • We share information for safeguarding on a “necessary and proportionate” basis. We do not promise secrecy.

  • We consult the Local Authority Designated Officer for allegations about staff or volunteers.

  • We use the correct level of Disclosure and Barring Service check for each role.

  • We record decisions and reasons so we can show compliance.

3. Scope of the policy

This policy applies to:

  • All employees, trustees, and volunteers

  • All contractors, agency workers, placement students, and partners who deliver services for us

  • Anyone acting for Club AUsome in any capacity

Where it applies

  • At our sites and venues

  • On trips and transport arranged by us

  • In digital spaces we run, including websites, live streams, messaging groups, and social media

  • In any setting where a person could reasonably see us as acting for Club AUsome

4. Safeguarding procedures

4.1 Recognising abuse and risk

Staff and volunteers must look for signs of:

  • Physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect

  • Bullying, cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, county lines, trafficking

  • Domestic abuse and harmful online contact

  • Self-neglect and financial abuse of adults at risk

  • Discriminatory abuse, hate incidents, and harassment

If in doubt, treat it as a concern and report it.

4.2 Immediate safety

  • If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 now.

  • Make the person safe if you can do so without increasing risk.

  • Then inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead or the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at once.

4.3 How to respond to a disclosure

Do:

  • Listen. Stay calm. Let the person speak in their own words.

  • Thank them for telling you.

  • Explain you cannot keep it secret and you will share with people who can help.

  • Record facts right away.

Do not:

  • Investigate or ask leading questions.

  • Make promises you cannot keep.

  • Delay reporting.

4.4 Reporting a concern

  • Report to the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible on the same day.

  • If the Designated Safeguarding Lead is unavailable, contact the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

  • If neither is available and risk is high, contact the local authority or the police, then tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

What to submit

  • A completed safeguarding concern form the same day

  • Factual notes: date, time, names, what happened, exact words used, any actions taken

  • Your contact details

4.5 Recording and confidentiality

  • Keep a separate safeguarding case file for each concern.

  • Store records in a secure system with restricted access.

  • Share information only with people who need it to protect the person or to meet legal duties.

  • Do not store notes in general messaging groups or personal devices.

  • Keep child case records until the child is 25, or longer if required. Keep adult at risk case records for at least 7 years after closure, or longer if required.

4.6 Decisions and referrals

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will:

  • Review the concern the same day

  • Decide on one or more actions: internal support, speak with parents or carers (where safe), consult the Local Authority Designated Officer for staff or volunteer allegations, make a referral to children’s social care or adult safeguarding, and inform the police if a crime may have occurred

  • Record the decision, the reason, and the outcome

4.7 Allegations about staff, volunteers, or contractors

  • Report at once to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or the Trustee Safeguarding Lead.

  • The Designated Safeguarding Lead consults the Local Authority Designated Officer on the same working day.

  • We remove the person from duties or supervise closely while we assess risk.

  • We keep the process confidential and protect all parties from gossip and retaliation.

  • We keep a clear audit trail and follow disciplinary or capability routes where needed.

4.8 Information sharing and privacy

  • We follow the Data Protection Act 2018 and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation.

  • We share information for safeguarding when it is necessary, proportionate, and lawful.

  • We do not ask for consent if doing so would place someone at greater risk or prejudice an investigation.

  • We tell people what we have shared when it is safe and lawful to do so.

4.9 Safer environments and supervision

  • Risk assess all sessions, venues, and trips.

  • Use safe staffing ratios that fit age, needs, and activity risk.

  • Avoid one-to-one situations. If unavoidable, use visible spaces with open doors and line-of-sight.

  • Use radios for operations, not for personal data unless proportionate for safety, and keep messages brief and factual.

  • Follow our image and photography rules: use consent forms, store media securely, and never post images without recorded consent.

4.10 Online safety

  • Moderate official groups. Remove harmful content quickly.

  • Do not private message children or young people from a personal account. Use approved organisational accounts.

  • No live streaming with identifiable participants unless risk assessed and consented.

4.11 Transport

  • Use vetted drivers and insured vehicles.

  • Keep a register of who travels, pickup and drop-off times, and contacts.

  • Avoid lone transport of a child or adult at risk. If unavoidable, record the reason and route and inform a manager.

4.12 Whistleblowing

  • Raise safeguarding concerns about anyone, at any level, without fear.

  • We protect reporters from victimisation.

  • You can escalate outside the organisation if internal routes fail or are not safe to use.

5. Roles and responsibilities

Trustees

  • Set safeguarding policy, resources, and culture

  • Check that systems work and meet the law

  • Review performance and approve updates each year and after any serious incident

Designated Safeguarding Lead

  • Main point of contact for all safeguarding matters

  • Receive reports, make decisions, and refer to statutory agencies

  • Keep secure case records and an incident log

  • Ensure staff and volunteers get the right training and refreshers

  • Keep up to date with law and local procedures

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

  • Act when the Designated Safeguarding Lead is unavailable

  • Share the same duties and standards

Staff and volunteers

  • Read and follow this policy and the code of conduct

  • Complete safeguarding training before unsupervised work and keep it up to date

  • Report concerns immediately and record facts accurately

  • Maintain professional boundaries and model safe behaviour

Parents, carers, and the community

  • Work with us to keep people safe

  • Share relevant information so we can assess and reduce risk

  • Respect our reporting duties and decisions made with statutory services

6. Safer recruitment, induction, and training

6.1 Safer recruitment

We recruit for safety, not just for skills.

Before advertising

  • Write a clear role description and person specification with safeguarding duties

  • Decide the correct level of Disclosure and Barring Service check and barred list check

  • Plan how the role will be supervised

Advertising and applications

  • Include our safeguarding statement in adverts

  • Use an application form, not a curriculum vitae, so we can assess history and gaps

  • Ask for a full work and education history with explanations for gaps

Shortlisting and interviews

  • Use scoring against the person specification

  • Ask values-based questions about safeguarding and boundaries

  • Probe gaps and inconsistencies

Pre-engagement checks

  • Identity and right-to-work checks with original documents

  • Two written references, including the most recent employer or placement; verify by phone on an official number

  • The correct Disclosure and Barring Service check for the role; record the certificate number, date, and decision, but do not keep a copy

  • Where relevant: qualifications, professional registration, and driving licence checks

Offer and probation

  • Make all offers conditional on satisfactory checks

  • Set clear supervision and a probation plan

  • Remove or restrict duties if concerns arise

Confidentiality in recruitment

  • Store applications, interview notes, and references securely with role-based access

  • Do not share references with the applicant

  • Keep unsuccessful applicant records for 6 months, then delete

6.2 Induction

  • Induction covers this policy, the code of conduct, how to report concerns, boundaries, online safety, and information sharing

  • No one works unsupervised with children or adults at risk until induction is complete and checks are cleared

  • Managers confirm competence during probation

6.3 Training and refreshers

  • All staff and volunteers complete safeguarding training that fits their role

  • Refresher training at least every two years, sooner if guidance changes or after an incident

  • Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy receive advanced training and regular updates

  • Short “toolbox talks” reinforce key topics: recognising abuse, reporting, online safety, and safe touch

Monitoring and review of these sections

  • Trustees review this policy each year or sooner after law changes or major incidents

  • The Designated Safeguarding Lead audits reports, referrals, and outcomes each quarter and reports themes to trustees

  • We test our procedures with scenario drills and fix any weak points