Safeguarding Policy
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Our commitment to safeguarding:
Wave for Change wants to provide places where everyone knows they are valued and feels safe. WAVE is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults involved with its activities as staff, volunteers, team members or participants do not experience abuse or neglect and that its working practices minimise the risk of any abuse.
The safeguarding responsibilities of WAVE also include matters of health and safety, as well as a concern with the wellbeing of all staff, volunteers, team members and customers.
WAVE seeks to raise awareness of safeguarding issues among its staff, volunteers, team members and participants to ensure that the whole community feels responsible and empowered to identify, protect against and respond to abuse.
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To protect WAVE's staff, volunteers, team members and participants, the following information is to be shared with volunteer teams and staff.
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Safer Recruitment
DBS checks will be required for any volunteers or staff who, through their work with WAVE, will come into direct contact with vulnerable adults, either virtually or in-person. In line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), all information received in relation to applicants will be kept secure and treated with strict confidentiality.
Concerns?
Anyone who has any concerns regarding the treatment of a group participant or team member, should contact the Safeguarding Officer (unless the concern involves the Safeguarding Officer, in which case the person leading the group or activity, or WAVE’s Director, should be contacted). The Safeguarding Officer will talk through the individual’s concerns and together decide what to do. As far as possible, detailed notes of the safeguarding concerns should be taken down and stored securely. No action should ever be taken without first talking to the person at risk.
If a volunteer or staff member receives a disclosure about potential safeguarding concerns, including about possible abuse involving paid or voluntary staff, they have a legal duty to report those concerns to the Safeguarding Officer. WAVE’s Safeguarding Officer or activity leader should then report this concern to the relevant Local Authority.
Wishes of Alleged Victim
The wishes of the person at risk concerned have to be taken into consideration before anything is reported. They may not want to take action or report a matter to the police or social services, and this needs to be accounted for.
The risks associated with not raising any concerns that are disclosed by a vulnerable adult should be discussed with the vulnerable adult by the person receiving the concerns. Any decision not to raise safeguarding concerns to the Local Authority and/or police should be documented and the Safeguarding Officer notified by email. This should be documented in writing on the WAVE drive within the Safeguarding folder.
All allegations involving a member of staff, a paid carer or a volunteer must be investigated, regardless of the wishes of the vulnerable adult.
Employing Best Practice to Protect Ourselves
WAVE endeavours to follow best practice in its handling of safeguarding issues and encourages all staff, volunteers, team members and participants to adhere to these guidelines whenever feasible.
While the following list is not exhaustive, it provides some examples of safeguarding scenarios of which everyone involved with WAVE should be aware.
1) If a vulnerable adult or any individual wants to 'share' something with a team member or volunteer, the team member or volunteer should not not promise to keep anything a secret. They should explain that if something needs to be done to keep them or another individual safe, then they may need to tell someone.
2) Where possible, a team member or volunteer should never listen to a safeguarding concern on their own. If a vulnerable adult insists on speaking with them alone about a concern, they should make sure the discussion takes place in an open/observable space and they should quietly tell someone else where they are going and ask them to watch from a distance.
3) Avoid asking any ‘leading’ questions. Allow the individual to give their account without the team member or volunteer adding any detail or suggestions for clarification in their questioning.
4) Make detailed handwritten notes about any concerns and ensure these are recorded electronically and securely on WAVE’s Safeguarding Google Drive as soon as possible.
5) If a team member or volunteer notices concerning ‘marks’ on anyone, they should record these by drawing a simple outline of a body, indicating where the marks are and providing a description. Any documentation should be scanned and securely stored on WAVE’s Safeguarding Google Drive.
6) If possible, team members and volunteers should avoid being on their own with a vulnerable adult, including in a car. If they are collecting someone, then they should take another team member or volunteer with them whenever possible.
7) If toileting help is needed, this should be provided by a carer; if a carer is not available, then two team members of the same sex should accompany the individual.
8) Always use positive, inclusive language.
Definitions of abuse and neglect
Physical abuse, including hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions;
Sexual abuse, including rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult has not consented, or could not consent or was pressured into consenting;
Psychological abuse, including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks;
Financial or material abuse, including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills, property or inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits;
Neglect and acts of omission, including 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; and
Discriminatory abuse, including racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability, and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment
Safeguarding Officer
Any safeguarding concerns are overseen by Toby Morrison (email: toby.morrison@waveforchange.org.uk) and his contact details are displayed at WAVE gatherings.
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Public liability
All of our activities are covered by public liability insurance and also through the buildings and contents insurance of the premises in which we meet.
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Wave For Change takes the safety and well-being of everyone involved with our organisation very seriously. If you'd like to talk through our Safeguarding Policy or have a concern, please contact info@wave-for-change.org.