YMCA Heart of England Safeguarding Policy

At YMCA Heart of England, we are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults who engage with our services, both online and offline.

We recognise our responsibility to promote safe practices and protect individuals from harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. We aim to create a safe and welcoming environment where everyone is respected and valued.

To demonstrate our commitment to best practice and providing a safer place for all YMCA Heart of England is committed to meeting the following Ten Standards:

1) Governance: good governance helps prevent abuse, being more responsive and acting with integrity where abuse arises.

2) Culture: having a safe and open culture creates positive attitudes towards safeguarding and ensures it is taken seriously by all.

3) Policy: having a working policy document sets out the standards and expectations that we have around safeguarding ensuring compliance with latest legislation, regulation, and best practice.

4) Safer Recruitment: recruiting workers safely creates a barrier to those who may pose a risk from getting access to vulnerable groups.

5) Training and Awareness: – raising awareness of safeguarding equips workers and service users to identify, prevent and respond to abuse.

6) Work Safely: agreeing ways to work and communicate safely helps people keep themselves and others safe.

7) Managing Workers: effectively managing staff ensures that policies and procedures are followed, and any issues are promptly identified and responded to.

8) Partnership Working: local solutions through services working within communities, who can have a key part to play in preventing, detecting, and reporting abuse and neglect.

9) Responding to Concerns: responding well to concerns means people can be protected from harm and action taken to stop abuse.

10) Working with those who may pose a risk: Organisations that are open to all can support and work safely with those who may pose a risk.

In addition to these standards there are also six key principles that underpin all adult safeguarding work:

1) Empowerment: People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.

2) Prevention: It is better to act before harm occurs.

3) Proportionality: The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.

4) Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need.

5) Partnership: Local solutions through services collaborating with their local neighbourhoods, where people have a part to play in preventing, detecting, and reporting neglect and abuse.

6) Accountability: Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.

YMCA Heart of England believe that everyone has the right to:

• Live free from violence, fear, and abuse.

• Be protected from harm and exploitation.

• Independence which carries with it a degree of risk.

We follow statutory guidance including the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Care Act 2014, and the Working Together to Safeguard Children framework. Our safeguarding policies are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current legislation and best practice.

To read our full safeguarding policy, please click here

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of someone involved with our organisation, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Tom Jackson

Email: tom.jackson@ymcaheartofengland.org.uk

Phone: 07584697493