Safeguarding

Our intention is that anyone involved with Hope Nottingham, whether providing or receiving help, can do so in a safe environment. We are committed to our responsibility to protect everyone entrusted to our care, especially children and vulnerable adults, and to ensuring their well-being.

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Hope Nottingham provides a variety of services to a range of children, young people and vulnerable adults and acknowledges therefore on occasion we may suspect or be told about current or historic abuse or neglect.   We have therefore adopted the procedures set out in this safeguarding policy in accordance with legislation & statutory guidance to ensure our staff and volunteers are able to appropriately deal with these situations.  We are also committed to building constructive links with statutory and voluntary agencies involved in safeguarding. 

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Hope Nottingham (this includes any person engaged by Hope Nottingham) will therefore carry out all activities in line with the following principles working to:

• Respond promptly and appropriately to all suspicions or allegations of abuse;

• Help prevent any physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect of children, and will report any such abuse we discover or suspect;

• Help prevent any physical, sexual, psychological, financial or discriminatory abuse or neglect of vulnerable adults and will report any such abuse we discover or suspect;

• Recognise the personal dignity and rights of vulnerable adults and will ensure all our activity and conduct reflects this;

• Treat all guests with respect, listen to them and protect them from all forms of abuse.  We value them and want them to tell us if they are suffering harm;

• Support parents & families and nurture, protect and safeguard children; 

• Make every aspect of Hope Nottingham available to all adults unless they pose an unmanageable risk to the safety of others, and we aim to manage access wherever possible.

 

The Trustees and Management Team will:

• Exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of all those who will work with children and vulnerable adults;

• Endorse and comply with the requirements of all UK legislation and follow good practice guidance in relation to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults;

• Develop and adhere to agreed procedures for safeguarding, keep up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding, and follow relevant guidelines in relation to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults;

• Appoint Safeguarding Co-ordinators and support them in their work and in any action they may need to take in order to protect children & vulnerable adults;

• Appropriately support, resource, train, & monitor all those who undertake our work ensuring they know how to raise safeguarding concerns and are confident in doing so;

• Ensure operational procedures for each service / activity safeguard staff and volunteers from allegations of abuse;

• Support anyone connected with Hope Nottingham who is affected by abuse;

• Recognise Children’s Social Care Teams lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child, and Adult Social Care Teams lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a vulnerable adult, and cooperate fully with their work;

• Contact the Police as a matter of urgency where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed, and cooperate fully with them;

• Regularly review the operational guidelines related to Safeguarding;

• Share relevant information from this Policy and associated procedure with other organisations that we are working with. 

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A complete copy of our annually reviewed Safeguarding Policy and Procedures is available here