Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

As a national provider of leisure services, Everyone Active has a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of everyone who uses our services and is committed to sustaining a safe organisational culture. This policy and the procedures have been developed to comply with that duty, relevant legislation, and guidance, and to respond effectively if concerns arise.

Children and adults have contact with Everyone Active in different ways. For example, they attend our clubs, use our sports facilities, crèches and nursery, hire our venues and attend birthday parties. Whenever they come into contact with us, we want them to be safe and to enjoy their time. We are committed to the safeguarding of everyone who uses our services so they can develop and thrive in a safe environment. We work with people who use our services in a way that values and respects them and ensure that we listen to their views and concerns.

Everyone who works for or on behalf of Everyone Active has a duty to recognise safeguarding concerns. This includes concerns where there may be risk to children or adults from family members, members of the public, or from the behaviour of colleagues and others. This policy and procedure is also intended to safeguard everyone who works at Everyone Active and to preserve the good reputation of our organisation.

Scope

This policy and internal procedures, applies to all those working for Everyone Active, whether paid or unpaid (both are referred to as colleagues throughout the policy and procedures). All of our Colleagues are aware of this policy and associated procedures, and know what to do if there are any concerns about an individual.

The policy and procedure will be made available at induction.

Equality & Diversity

The welfare of all of our service users is paramount. All children and adults, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, identity, or any other difference, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

Legislation and Guidance

This policy and internal procedures is underpinned by law and statutory guidance, including these documents:

• The Human Rights Act 1998
• Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR 2018
• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
• Modern Slavery 2015
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• Serious Crime Act 2015
• Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
• Care Act 2014
• Care & Support Statutory Guidance 2023
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1991
• Children Act’s 1989 and 2004
• Children and Families Act 2014
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (2023 update)
• Information Sharing Guidance 2018 (updated 2023)
• Sport England/Child Protection in Sport Unit Standards (2018)

Other Policies and Procedures

Everyone Active has a range of other policies and procedures which, in combination with this safeguarding policy and internal procedures, work to safeguard people involved with us. Other relevant policies and procedures include:

• Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedures
• Disciplinary and Grievance Policy and Procedures
• Nursery Policies (where applicable)
• Data Protection Policy
• Children’s Activities Procedures
• Film/photography Procedure
• Children’s Party Procedures
• Swim Lesson Procedures
• Colleague Code of Conduct
• Social Media Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Lost and Found Children

In doing our work and in overseeing safeguarding at Everyone Active, we will uphold these principles and we will:

1. Work to ensure that the safety and welfare of children and adults who use our services is paramount.
2. Ensure that all adults and children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, identity, or any other difference, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
3. Take seriously all suspicions and/or allegations of harm and respond to them swiftly and appropriately using these procedures.
4. Work collaboratively with other agencies to support the management of safeguarding concerns; share information appropriately and when necessary; involve those who are subject of the concern and their parents/carers as appropriate and store safeguarding information securely.
5. Support colleagues by:
   • providing a code of conduct to promote best practise and monitor its effective use
   • offering training and supervision so colleagues can safeguard individuals, and protect themselves from allegations being made against them due to misunderstandings of poor practice
   • Providing support to colleagues via the Counselling Service if needed

6. Strive to high standards of professionalism and practices which reassure and give confidence to our customers.
7. Review our safeguarding practices regularly and promote a learning and improvement culture in our safeguarding work. We will also update this policy and procedure annually or more frequently if required on the basis of experience, learning or other changes. The updated policy and procedure will be re-issued to colleagues.
8. Appoint designated safeguarding officers whose specific remit will support the implementation of this policy.
9. Recruit colleagues safely, ensuring all necessary steps are taken and checks are made, in line with our recruitment and selection policy.
10. Ensure that all hirers, including clubs, have basic safeguarding measures in place and are aware of the Everyone Actives’ responsibilities set out in the safeguarding policy and procedures.

Approved on behalf of the SLM Board

David Bibby
Managing Director

Approved on behalf of the Board of Trustees

Jacqui Tillman
Chief Executive Officer

Document last reviewed: 9th October 2024