Safeguarding Policy

Arcangelo Safeguarding Policy

Last reviewed September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set forth the procedures to be followed by Arcangelo (Arcangelo or the charity) to facilitate compliance by it with applicable law and regulation with respect to the safeguarding of those with whom it comes into contact. This policy aims at:

• protecting all persons, especially children, young people, and adults at risk of harm (collectively, vulnerable persons), from harm whenever they come into contact with Arcangelo; and 
• informing all trustees, employees, consultants, freelancers, and volunteers of Arcangelo (collectively, representatives of Arcangelo) of the underlying principles that guide Arcangelo’s approach to safeguarding those with whom it comes into contact, particularly vulnerable persons.

Scope

This policy applies to all representatives of Arcangelo. 

Background 

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect vulnerable persons in England and Wales as in force as of the date given at the end of this document. It will be published on Arcangelo’s website and should  be read together with its Antibullying & Harassment Policy, its Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, and its Privacy Policy. 

Statement of Principle

Arcangelo believes that no-one should experience abuse of any kind. Arcangelo acknowledges that it potentially has a duty of care to those with whom it comes into contact, especially vulnerable persons, and commits to the protection and promotion of their safety, welfare, and wellbeing in all their interactions with the charity. 

Acknowledgments

Arcangelo acknowledges that: 

• when working with vulnerable persons, their safety, welfare and well-being is paramount and that cooperation with parents, carers and responsible agencies is essential in promoting those things; 
• everyone has an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic; 
• some people are especially vulnerable because of previous experiences, level of dependency, communication needs or other issues, and extra safeguards may be needed to keep such people safe from abuse; and 
• anyone, including representatives of Arcangelo and audience members who may have contact with it, may be vulnerable in some way at a point in time.

General Implementing Measures

Arcangelo will seek to keep all persons, especially vulnerable persons, safe by: 

• valuing them, listening to and respecting them; 
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and behaving with civility towards colleagues and audiences alike;
• maintaining policies and procedures in place aimed at dealing effectively with any bullying that does arise: It is Arcangelo’s policy to take appropriate disciplinary action under its Antibullying & Harrasment Policy against any representative of Arcangelo who behaves in any manner constituting bullying or harassment; 
• appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) and a lead trustee for safeguarding—the names and contact details of these persons as of the date of this document are given below;
• maintaining appropriate online security practices;
• providing effective management through supervision, support and training so that all representatives of Arcangelo are knowledgeable about and abide by our policies, procedures and codes of behaviour; 
• recruiting covered persons safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made;
• sharing information about safeguarding best practices with any vulnerable persons with whom Arcangelo works, and with their families and carers, in writing and in person by the DSO or lead trustee for safeguarding; 
• ensuring that all representatives of Arcangelo and all vulnerable persons with whom Arcangelo comes into contact, as well as their respective families and carers, know where to go for help if they have a concerns;
• using its safeguarding to share concerns and relevant information with responsible agencies, and where appropriate with the families and carers of vulnerable persons; and 
• building a safeguarding culture where everyone treats each other with respect and is comfortable about sharing concerns.

Measures Specific to Children and Young People

With regard to children and young people, all representatives of Arcangelo are expected to: 

• behave appropriately around children and young people at all times, bearing in mind that swearing and sexual language are not acceptable; 
• encourage children and young people to behave with respect for each other;
• not work with unaccompanied children or young people at any time;
• avoid physical contact which encourages familiarity;
• support chaperones;
• report concerns for the wellbeing of a child or young person to the DSO. 

No representative of Arcangelo may: 

• do things of a personal nature for children and young people that they can do for themselves; 
• arrange to meet children and young people outside of the normal working environment; 
• photograph or film any children or young people. Photography may be carried out only by a photographer or filmmaker designated by Arcangelo; 
• request or accept personal contact details from a child or young person;
• accept any social media ‘friends’ requests from children or young people. Representatives of Arcangelo must block any existing such friends unless related to them. In the event of uncertainty, questions should be discussed with the DSO or lead trustee for safeguarding; 
• Smoke, vape or drink alcohol in the presence of children and young people at any Arcangelo event, even in permitted areas; and 
• take children and young people alone on car journeys. If absolutely unavoidable, prior consent of a parent or guardian must be obtained, as well as that of the DSO, having satisfied themselves as to the presence of proper age-appropriate safety restraints and insurance coverage. 

Measures Specific to Vulnerable Adults

With regard to adults who are vulnerable or otherwise at risk of harm, all representatives of Arcangelo are expected to: 

• behave appropriately and with respect at all times; 
• be sensitive to their particular needs but not do anything for them that they would prefer to do themselves; 
• not ask for or accept financial donations from anyone who seems confused;
• report concerns for their wellbeing in accordance with the reporting procedures below.

Privacy

In view of the importance of protecting the privacy of vulnerable persons, Arcangelo will record and store information in line with data protection legislation and Arcangelo’s Privacy Policy. To the ensure privacy rights of such persons are protected, in gathering information with respect to them, Arcangelo will: 

• be open and honest about how and with whom information might be shared and seek the agreement of the individual or (if applicable) their parents or carers, unless to do so would be unsafe or inappropriate; 
• seek advice from the DSO if in doubt about sharing information, without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible; 
• share with informed consent where appropriate and where possible, and respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. Confidential information may be shared without consent only if there is good reason to do so, such as where safety may be at risk;  
• base information-sharing decisions on considerations of the safety and wellbeing of the individual and others who may be affected by their actions; 
• ensure that the information shared is necessary for the purpose for which it is being shared and only with those who need to have it, is accurate and up to date, shared in a timely fashion and is shared securely; and
• keep record of each information-sharing decision and the reasons for it. If a decision is made to share information, Arcangelo will record what has been shared with whom and for what purpose. 

Reporting Concerns, Allegations or Suspicions 

Arcangelo’s priority at all times is to safeguard all vulnerable persons with whom it comes into contact. In all situations where there is a concern or suspicion impacting the safety, welfare or well-being of such persons, representatives of Arcangelo must raise it with the DSO and the lead trustee for safeguarding. This is especially important where a representative of Arcangelo has concerns about the possibility of abuse (which might be physical, emotional, sexual or neglect), or behaviour giving rise to a risk of abuse. In any such case, the representative of Arcangelo raising the matter:

• should not feel responsible for determining whether the concern is in fact valid, or whether or not abuse or behaviour that may indicate risk of abuse has in fact taken place; 
• should not feel responsible for investigating the allegations or suspicions; and
• must not promise confidentiality to a vulnerable person, as the information received may have to be acted upon by other authorities. Representatives of Arcangelo may however wish to reassure the vulnerable person that they will pass the information to someone whose role it is to ensure their safety;
• must, in cases where an individual talks about abuse or other inappropriate behaviour, make a record of the conversation as soon as possible afterwards, reflecting the conversation as accurately as possible. The record should be signed and dated, noting the time and location when the relevant discussion took place, and indicating whether anyone else present should be included. This record must be passed securely to a DSO and lead trustee for safeguarding, and shared only with those who need to know about the incident or allegation; and 
• must refrain from contacting the subject of the allegation or concern or discussing the matter with anyone other than the persons you are reporting it to. 

Arcangelo takes all concerns, suspicions or disclosures reported seriously and will respond in good faith. In addition, Arcangelo encourages whistleblowing for the sake of vulnerable persons. Whilst it can be difficult to express concerns about colleagues it is important to do so where the safety, welfare or well-being of vulnerable persons especially is at risk. Arcangelo maintains complaints and whistleblowing procedures to this end, pursuant to which Arcangelo will provide support and protection for whistleblowers.

Equally, Arcangelo will support any representative who has an accusation made against them. Arcangelo undertakes to use its procedures to manage any allegations made against representatives of Arcangelo in an appropriate manner. If an allegation of abuse or a declaration is made against a representative of Arcangelo:

• the DSO, in consultation with the lead trustee for safeguarding, will decide if the matter should be referred to the authorities. 
• If the matter is so referred, Arcangelo’s policy is to suspend the affected individual for an initial period no longer than 10 working days. The suspension is to allow social services to carry out an investigation and is not a disciplinary sanction; 
• The DSO will inform the affected individual of the investigation and of the support available;
• All serious, or potentially serious, such incidents will be reported to the Charity Commission. 

Questions 

If you have questions about this policy or doubts about its implementation any, contact the DSO (at the date of this document, Julian Forbes, General Manager: julian@arcangelo.org.uk). If for any reason you feel that it would be inappropriate to speak with the DSO about such matters, or if you have concerns or complaints about the DSO in relation to this policy, contact the lead trustee for safeguarding (as of the date of this document Carolyn Maddox: carolynmaddox@btinternet.com )

Further Resource

For additional resources and information in respect of safeguarding, consult:

• NSPCC advice: 
  • for more information about child abuse and NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000; 
  • for Internet and social media safety: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/training/online-safety;  
  • for Child line: 0800 1111; 
• The Ann Craft Trust: for information and training in safeguarding vulnerable persons: https://www.anncrafttrust.org;
• National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment (NNCEE): provides access to legislation, regulation, guidance and best practices for safeguarding children in entertainment: https://www.nncee.org.uk;
• Age UK advice:fo r information on protection of elderly people; Silverline helpline: 0800 470 80 90; and 
• National Stalking Helpline – for advice if you have a concern that someone is being stalked – phone no. 0808 802 0300.