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This is the Safeguarding Statement of Hambleton Foodshare Hambleton Foodshare is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of all workers, contractors, volunteers and visitors who attend our premises, or who participate in foodbank
activities elsewhere, as far as reasonable and practicable. This policy relates to the safeguarding of those that may be vulnerable and to children, and outlines the steps the foodbank will take to ensure that vulnerable adults and children are protected.
Hambleton Foodshare commits:
• To identify risks, and to control those risks wherever practicable
• To provide a safe and nurturing environment for all those considered vulnerable
• To provide adequate information, instruction and training in relation to safeguarding to
employees and volunteers
• To provide adequate support and supervision to all employees and volunteers carrying
out foodbank business
• To review this policy and associated procedures on a regular basis
Definitions (for this document)
Safeguarding:
Hambleton Foodshare follows the Charity Commission definition of Safeguarding which is:
• protecting from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of health or development
• ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe
and effective care.
Vulnerable adult:
A person who Is or may be In need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who Is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to
protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.
Vulnerable adults are entitled to: privacy; be treated with dignity; lead an independent life and to
be enabled to do so; be able to choose how they lead their lives; the protection of the law; have
their rights upheld regardless of ethnic origin, gender, sexuality, impairment or disability, age,
religion or cultural background.
Child:
Describes a child aged 0-17 years old.
For the purpose of packing a food parcel a child is considered to be anyone under the age of 14
as it is assumed that older children will require as much food as an adult. However, for legal
purposes a child is anyone under the age of 18.
Types of abuse:
Physical abuse is an act of another party involving contact intended to cause feelings of physical pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.
Sexual abuse is forcing undesired sexual behaviour by one person onto another.
Emotional abuse is any kind of abuse that is emotional rather than physical in nature. It can include anything from verbal abuse and constant criticism to more subtle tactics, such as intimidation, manipulation, and refusal to ever be pleased.
Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a person's basic needs.
Financial abuse is the misuse of a person's money, property or assets through theft or fraud.
POLICY STATEMENT
Hambleton Foodshare wants to help restore dignity and revive hope to people from all walks of life. We are concerned with individuals and their circumstances and actively encourage an inclusive environment. We seek to ensure that all our team members are aware of what is required from them under the vulnerable adult and child protection policy and make sure that it is practised at all times. It is the responsibility of each one of us to play our part in preventing abuse. We commit ourselves to co-operate fully with the appropriate statutory services when they are conducting official investigation into the abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, children or young people (by an adult or young person).
This statement Is to be brought to the attention of all staff and volunteers when they join, as part
of their induction programme. Any amendments will be brought to the attention of all team
members. The statement will be displayed at all locations in which the foodbank operates and
all team members will be asked to sign to say they have read it.
Implementation
Hambleton Foodshare will plan its work so as to minimise situations where abuse might occur.
Although the number of people who actively seek to abuse vulnerable adults and children is very small, the foodbank can reduce opportunities for abuse in various ways.
We will, for instance:
• Ensure that there is adequate supervision for all vulnerable adults and children.
• Ensure that any vulnerable adult working with the foodbank is aware of who they can
talk to if they have concerns.
• Ensure that all staff and volunteers know where the nearest telephone is in case of
emergencies, and that phones are clearly labelled with directions to make external calls.
• Make sure the Safeguarding Officers receive correct and up-to-date training.
• Ensure that the Local Authority is informed of any safeguarding allegations, incidents or
concerns.
• Ensure that the Charity Commission is informed of any suspicions, allegations and
incidents of abuse or mistreatment of vulnerable beneficiaries. The Charity Commission's 'Serious Incident' guidance will be followed: http://bit.ly/1 vpfv4B.
• Ensure the Disclosure and Barring Service is informed if the trustees have dismissed or ceased using an employee or volunteer because they think they have harmed or posed a risk of harm to a child or vulnerable adult.
• Ensure staff and volunteers who may come into contact with a vulnerable adult or child at the foodbank are suitably trained, including understanding what to do in the event that a disclosure of abuse is made.
• Encourage a culture of transparency, ensuring that volunteers and staff feel able and empowered to report any suspicious or concerning behaviour. Volunteers should be aware that wherever they are located when volunteering for the foodbank, they are legally governed by the foodbank. This means that any allegations or concerns of abuse must be reported to the foodbank's Designated Safeguarding Officer.
Designated Safeguarding Officer and their role
Hambleton Foodshare has a designated person who is responsible for dealing with any concerns about the protection of vulnerable adults or children.
THE DESIGNATED PERSON FOR HAMBLETON FOODSHARE IS:
The Coordinator
They can be contacted at: 07514244158.
Hambleton Foodshare also has a secondary safeguarding officer who is responsible for dealing
with any related concerns in the event that the designated person is ill, on holiday or an
allegation of abuse is made about him/her.
This person is: the Deputy Coordinator.
They can be contacted at 07921622493.
The Trustee with responsibility for Safeguarding is Caroline Dickinson.
The designated person will be available for vulnerable adults and children, as well as staff and volunteers, to speak with should they feel the need to talk with someone about an incident which has happened whilst working for or receiving assistance from Hambleton Foodshare, particularly if they feel they have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused.
The designated person will treat all concerns with the utmost importance. Where staff or volunteers have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child or vulnerable adult and the designated persons are unavailable or acting inappropriately they should contact the Chair of Trustees, who should inform and contact Social Services or the Police. Local contact telephone number for North Yorkshire Council (NYC) is 0300 1312131 and they will refer you to the appropriate department.
Recording:
The designated person will make notes and keep confidential records of any disclosure or concerns they or another staff/team member has, and seek advice from the relevant Social Services Department or the Police if appropriate. Staff and volunteers must ensure that their recording of disclosures, incidents, assessments, referrals and case discussions are all sufficient, accurate, concise, up-to date, legible, dated, factual and kept confidential. When recording details it is important not to jump to conclusions or judge the situation and to remember that the role of the person is to refer to appropriate agencies, not to undertake an investigation. Suspicions should be noted carefully and backed up with factual evidence.
Opinions should be kept to a minimum and backed up by factual evidence. Any supporting evidence should be preserved and clearfy labelled. These records must be stored in an individual file and held securely in a manner that safeguards the individual's right to privacy and security. These records are available to authorised individuals on request (not third party information) and may be used as evidence in disciplinary proceedings or in civil or criminal prosecutions.
Note: once staff and volunteers have passed on their records, they have no right to know what
happens next. They will only receive more information about the case if they are required to be
part of civil or criminal proceedings e.g. as a witness.
Staff and volunteers must refrain from talking to other team members or outside persons about the safeguarding concern (with the exception of the Safeguarding Officers, the Police or Social Services).
Additional point.
Displaying Information
• Display the name of the designated person
• Make sure all staff and volunteers for Hambleton Foodshare know the name of the
designated person and how they might be contacted Hambleton Foodshare will ensure that this policy is displayed in all locations in which the foodbank operates and that any changes to the name and contact details of the Safeguarding Officers are updated.
Applying agreed procedures for protecting vulnerable adults and children to all paid staff and volunteers
It is possible to be lulled into a false sense of security, believing that those who work alongside vulnerable adults and children for Hambleton Foodshare will never be guilty of abuse. It is not safe to assume that all others are automatically safe to be with vulnerable adults or children. For this reason, all procedures set in place to protect vulnerable adults and children should apply to all those in contact with them. This is not the same as treating each person who relates to vulnerable adults or children as being under suspicion, but a matter of taking sensible measures to protect vulnerable adults or children, which are then observed by everyone. This will involve thought and planning within each group to minimise the risk.
If any member of staff or supervising volunteer has concerns, please raise them with the
designated person. If it is brought to the attention of the designated person and not adequately
dealt with the next step is to talk to the Chair of the Board of Trustees for advice, or contact Social Services/the Police as a private citizen to discuss your concerns.
Disclosure of Abuse
Where a member of the Hambleton Foodshare team receives a disclosure of abuse from a child
or vulnerable adult they must:
1 . Ensure they do not promise confidentiality to anyone wishing to share a secret. This is important in case information needs to be shared with the Safeguarding Officers or the Police/Social Services.
2. Listen - if the disclosure is particularly complicated and the person is not very young, this may mean asking permission to make notes as the disclosure is made to ensure nothing is missed. The team member hearing the disclosure can ask the child or vulnerable adult to repeat something if it has not been said clearly but must not ask leading questions.
3 Reassure - making a disclosure of abuse can be a frightening process and often the child or vulnerable adult Is afraid that they won't be believed. Reassuring them that they have been brave and that the Information will be passed on is Vitaly Important.
4. Record - notes should be made as soon after the disclosure as possible. The notes should reflect what the child or vulnerable adult has said in their own words. The record should be signed and dated.
5. Report - the record must be passed on to the designated person at the ear1iest possible opportunity and the child or vulnerable adult told what will happen next.
The designated person will ensure that the trustees are informed of any incident, concern or allegation of abuse. The chair of trustees must also notify the Charity Commission, following the
Commission's 'Serious Incident' guidelines in the event of an incident, or suspected incident, during or resulting from a foodbank activity.
Where a child or vulnerable adult makes a disclosure of abuse to a member of the foodbank team they must never:
1. Trivialise, play down or ignore allegations of abuse
2. Assume that somebody else will take responsibility for reporting/addressing concerns
and making referrals
Disclosure of Information
There is a difference between confidentiality and secrecy. All personal and delicate information disclosed to us is confidential, but may not always be secret.
Personal and delicate information about staff and volunteers will be:
• Confidential to Hambleton Foodshare and can be shared with staff and volunteers on a
'need to know basis' and
• Can be shared with another agency when:
Permission is given by the person about whom the information is held
There is an overriding justification to share information without the person's consent
The law requires it
Whistleblowing
Staff and volunteers are encouraged to take action when suspicious that abuse is occurring at work - no matter what the setting, who the perpetrator is or who the victim is. The foodbank will respect and not penalise those who stand up for anyone who is suspected of being abused.
Staff have a responsibility to report any occurrences or suspicions of abuse. Staff who report
abuse are protected by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
Domestic Violence
Where our customers report an Incident of domestic violence which has taken place whilst a
child or vulnerable adult Is In the home, this must be treated as a disclosure of abuse and
should be passed on to a Safeguarding Officer with immediate effect.
Where an Incident of domestic violence is reported and there is no child or vulnerable adult
present, foodbank staff and volunteers should signpost the client to an appropriate agency but
must not attempt to coerce them to contact the police unless the client feels ready to do so.
Where foodbank staff or volunteers witness an act of domestic violence, they must contact the
police immediately.
For advice or information about anything relating to domestic violence the foodbank team
should contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline on: 0808 2000 247
Use of Images
The foodbank recognises that protecting and upholding the rights of children and vulnerable
adults is of paramount importance and this includes on the internet and other promotional
materials. The foodbank endeavours to present children and vulnerable adults in a positive,
empowering and dignified manner. Furthermore, images will only be used where the child or
vulnerable adult and their parents/guardians give their informed consent.
The following principles will be adhered to:
• Images will not be taken without consent from the subject and their parent/guardian.
• The foodbank will explain to the subject and their parent/guardian how and where the
images will be used and will adhere to this.
• Images used on the foodbank website and social media pages will not be used on
personal social media pages.
NB: External media, television crews and journalists are usually responsible for obtaining their
own informed consent from clients.
Give staff and volunteers clear roles
Abuse of vulnerable adults and children is most easily concealed where there is confusion about
roles and responsibilities. Therefore all job descriptions, both for employees and supervising
volunteers, will include a statement laying down the behaviour and values expected from all who
work as part of this team.
Over and above the written word, expected behaviour towards vulnerable adults or children
when working for Hambleton Foodshare will be explained to new workers as part of their
induction.
It is the foodbank's policy not to engage in regulated activities (close or personal tasks such as
washing, dressing, or accompanying to the lavatory) with vulnerable adults and children, therefore members of staff and volunteers are ineligible for DBS checks
Criminal convictions
All volunteers must complete a volunteer application form before commencing work with
Hambleton Foodshare. Details of criminal convictions (except those 'spent' under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974), and Police cautions must be provided so an adequate risk assessment can be undertaken. All completed forms must be stored securely.
Hambleton Foodshare reserves the right to dismiss a volunteer and/or ban them from the property should they feel it is necessary.
Supervision as a means of protection
Regular staff/volunteer meetings should be held to raise any safeguarding issues that might be
encountered and discuss them. When receiving feedback particular attention should be paid to
any situation or suggestion that a vulnerable adult is being highly favoured or harshly treated, as
these are signs of abuse.
In all recruitment decisions concerning volunteers:
a) An application form should be completed
b) References should be taken about the suitability of the applicant for the post being
considered
c) An informal interview will provide an extended conversation to allow an opportunity to
explore in more detail the applicant's experience and motivation for volunteering
Training
Training in the prevention of abuse and the action to take if abuse occurs will be included as part of the Training Programme for Hambleton Foodshare. The Coordinator, Assistant and Safeguarding Trustee will monitor whether such training is available free of charge via the local authority, advise relevant foodbank personnel, and facilitate attendance. A copy should be kept available as a reference. It should be noted that it is insufficient to give workers guidelines without equipping them with the skills and knowledge to carry them out. Therefore regular updates and training will be provided to all volunteers and the Safeguarding Officers will be encouraged to attend external training in order to remain up-to-date with legislation and good practice.
Remember
It is important that everyone at Hambleton Foodshare is aware that the person who first encounters a case of alleged or suspected abuse is not responsible for deciding whether or not abuse has occurred. That is a task for the professional vulnerable adult and child protection agencies following a referral to them of concern about someone.
If a vulnerable adult or child begins making a disclosure of abuse to a team member who feels
unable to cope with what they are hearing, they should gently halt the conversation and contact
a Safeguarding Officer immediately.
The wellbeing of staff and volunteers is of great importance. If a disclosure has been made
which has caused upset to the person hearing it, the foodbank will endeavour to offer or
facilitate counselling or support if requested.
Review
This policy and its implementation will be reviewed at least annually and whenever there are any legislative changes or amendments to guidance issued by relevant statutory bodies.
Further advice available from www.ncvo.org.uk to link to this policy
Discussed at Trustees Meeting on 24th January 2024
Agreed at Trustees Meeting on 24th January 2024
Morag Joyce, Chair of Trustees
Review dates: January 2025
