Safeguarding
Downloadable Content:
Report Forms:
Safeguarding Policy Statement
The purpose of this policy statement is:
A guide for all members working in the field of children, young people, or vulnerable adult psychotherapy. This guidance sets out to give you, the member, a framework to create your own practice Safeguarding Policy.
The aim is to:
⦁ Protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults who receive therapeutic services from harm and abuse
⦁ Provide members, their staff, and volunteers as well as children, young people, and their families, with a guide to the NCIP approach to child protection. (For the purposes of this document, 'child' means a child, a young person under 18, or a vulnerable adult.)
This policy guidance applies to anyone working on behalf of or is a member of the NCIP, including senior managers, paid staff, volunteers, contractors, and work experience students.
Safeguarding children's duties applies to us all wherever we may be working. This policy statement should be read alongside the NCIP’s organisational policies, procedures, guidance, and other related documents, including:
⦁ Role description for the designated safeguarding lead
⦁ Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person
⦁ Managing allegations against staff and volunteers
⦁ Recording concerns and information sharing
⦁ Child protection records retention and storage
⦁ Code of conduct for staff, members, and volunteers
⦁ Behaviour codes for children and young people
⦁ Photography and sharing images guidance
⦁ Safer recruitment
⦁ Online Safety
⦁ Anti-bullying
⦁ Managing complaints
⦁ Whistleblowing
⦁ Health and Safety
⦁ Adult-to-child supervision ratios
⦁ Induction, training, supervision, and support
We at the NCIP believe that we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe, and to practice in a way that protects them from abuse and harm. (Section 11 of the Children Act 2004).
We recognise that in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take, we ensure protection for children, regardless of age, sex, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation and they have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse. (Equality Act 2010).
We recognise the increased vulnerability of disabled children to abuse and neglect and the barriers they may face. We also recognise that some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues. (Children and Families Act 2014)
We value working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies and feel it is essential to promoting young people's welfare.
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
⦁ Appointing a designated safeguarding lead for children and young people, a deputy, and a lead trustee for safeguarding.
⦁ Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practices through our policies, procedures, and code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
⦁ Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately, creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment, and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise.
⦁ Recording, storing, and using information professionally and securely, in line with GDPR and data protection legislation and guidance [more information about this is available from the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/for-organisations]
⦁ Making sure that children, young people, and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern.
⦁ Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets, posters, group work, and one-to-one discussions.
⦁ Recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made, and that we have effective complaints and whistle-blowing measures in place.
⦁ Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff, and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.
⦁ Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training, and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures, and behaviour codes confidently and competently.
⦁ Building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing and listening to individual concerns.
This policy has been drawn up using guidance from the NSPCC 2019. Registered charity England and Wales 216401, Scotland SC037717 on the basis of legislation, policy, and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from NSPCC. (nspcc.org.uk/learning / 0116 234 7246)
For More Information
Phone: 0300 365 3635
Email: info@the-ncip.com
NSPCC Helpline
Phone: 0808 800 5000
Email: help@NSPCC.org.uk.
This policy came into force on 24th April 2024
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
