SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Introduction
Arnold Hills Hall (more commonly known as Penshurst Village Hall) is a registered charity (302816) and will be referred to as the ‘Hall’ for the purposes of this document.
The trustees of the Hall understand that the Charity Commission expects village halls to prioritise safeguarding within their governance frameworks. This document sets out the safeguarding policy as agreed by the trustees of the Hall and is aimed at
the trustees themselves, hirers, cleaning staff and contractors. This policy refers to children (under the age of 18) and vulnerable adults, and should be viewed in conjunction with the Constitution, and the Health and Safety Risk Assessment.
Background information and definitions
The Charity Commission recommends 9 actions that trustees of charities operating in the UK should take to ensure good safeguarding governance. The Charity Commission covers a vast range of charities, with differing sizes and purposes. Some of these recommended actions may be more or less relevant to the Hall:
1. Ensure the charity has an adequate safeguarding policy and Code of Conduct, with regular reviews and updates.
2. Identify possible risks.
3. Consider how to improve the safeguarding culture within the charity.
4. Ensure everyone involved in the charity knows how to recognise, respond to, report and record a safeguarding concern.
5. Ensure people know how to raise a safeguarding concern.
6. Regularly evaluate any safeguarding training provided, ensure it is current and relevant.
7. Review which posts within the charity can and must have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
8. Have a risk assessment process in place for posts which do not qualify for a DBS check, but which still have contact with children or vulnerable adults.
9. Periodically review the safeguarding policy, learning from any serious incidents or near misses.
The trustees recognise the following types of harm and risk, again some may be more or less relevant in the context of the Hall:
• Sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation
• Criminal exploitation
• The charity’s culture, which may allow poor behaviour and poor accountability
• People abusing a position of trust they hold within a charity
• Bullying or harassment
• Health and safety
• Commercial exploitation
• Cyber abuse
• Discrimination on any of the grounds in the Equality Act 2010
• People targeting the charity
• Data breaches, including those under General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
• Negligent treatment
• Domestic abuse
• Self-neglect
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Extremism and radicalisation
• Forced marriage
• Modern slavery
• Human trafficking
• Female genital mutilation
As stated previously, this policy refers to children (under the age of 18) and vulnerable adults. A vulnerable adult being someone who is 18 years of age or older who may need community care services because of a disability (mental or other), age or illness. An adult may also be classed as vulnerable if they are unable to look after themselves, protect themselves from harm or exploitation
or are unable to report abuse.
Regulated activity
A ‘regulated activity’ is something that must not be done by a person who is barred. If they do, it must by law be reported.
For children, regulated activity is divided into work activities and place of work. The activity being carried out by the same person frequently (such as once a week or more), 4 or more days in a 30-day period, or overnight (between 2am and 6am). Certain work activities are regarded as regulated when carried out in specific establishments. These would include:
• Schools
• Pupil referral units
• Nursery schools
• Detention centres for children
• Children’s homes
• Children’s centres
• Childcare premises
For adults, regulated activities are divided into six categories:
1.Providing healthcare.
2.Providing personal care.
3.Providing social work.
4.Assistance with general household matters.
5.Assisting with a person’s own affairs.
6.Conveying a person to a place of social work or care.
Policy principles and procedures
This policy reflects guidance provided by the Government, the Charity Commission and Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Under the Care Act 2014, the Hall has a duty for the care and protection of adults who are at risk of abuse. In addition, under the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Hall has responsibilities for the safety and care of children.
This policy and the trustees are committed to the following principles:
• The welfare of the child, young person or adult at risk is paramount.
• All children, young people and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse.
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. For services to be effective each organisation should play their full part.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse must be properly reported to the relevant internal and external authorities and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
In addition, trustees and anyone else in the Hall (with the exception of private parties with invited family and friends) will not have unsupervised access to children or adults at risk unless appropriately vetted.
The hiring agreement
Although the trustees themselves may not work with children or adults at risk they are responsible for the contracts made with hirers. With the exception of private parties for invited family and friends, where an event includes children and/or adults at risk the hirer must either produce a copy of their own safeguarding policy or confirm that they have understood and agree to adhere to the
Hall’s policy, by signing the hiring agreement. This agreement passes the responsibility for the Hall from the trustees to the hirers for the period of the hire and this includes compliance with all of the Hall’s policies including safeguarding.
Declaration of Acceptance of Office
When trustees sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office after each Annual General meeting, it must include confirmation that they have no convictions in relation to abuse.
Demonstration that safeguarding is integral to the Hall’s governance framework
All trustees will receive a copy of this policy.
In addition to the ‘usual’ agenda, safeguarding will be added as an on-going agenda item.
This policy will be reviewed and updated where necessary on an annual basis, along with the Health
and Safety risk assessment.
Procedure in the event of a safeguarding incident
In the event of a safeguarding emergency (children and adults) call 999
Otherwise contact Alan Massey (07768 555330) or Judith Wilson (07720 447949) or Mandy Curran (07709767490)
If not an emergency but there is a concern regarding a child:
During the day call 03000 41 11 11
Out of hours call 03000 41 91 91
Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership
childsocial.services@kent.gov.uk
If not an emergency but there is concern regarding a vulnerable adult:
During the day call 03000 41 61 61
Out of hours call 03000 41 91 91
SafeguardingadultsWK@kent.gov.uk
Cleaning staff at the Hall
Mandy Curran will advise the cleaning staff of this policy and will ensure they understand the relevance to them whilst in the Hall.
Contractors
Initial – Mandy Curran will advise Initial of this policy and will ensure they understand the relevance to them whilst in the Hall
Other contractors – whichever Trustee arranges for an external contractor to be in the Hall must make them aware of this policy and will ensure they understand the relevance to them whilst in the Hall.
Information sources and further reading
Government statutory guidance, definitions and responsibilities
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-
statutory-guidance#safeguarding-1
NSPCC Child protection guidance
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/voluntary-community-groups/
Charity Commission safeguarding guidance for trustees
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees
Action With Communities in Rural England (ACRE). April 2021. Information Sheet 5 Safeguarding.
Policy author – Mandy Curran
Date of policy agreement by trustees 20th September 2023
Review date September 2024