Policies

Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy & Procedure

This policy defines a child as a person aged 11 or under and a young person between the ages of 12 to 21. A vulnerable adult is classed as someone aged 22 or above who is subject to a range of risk factors, including the presence or threat of abuse, neglect or exploitation in their private or professional life. This policy defines children, young people and vulnerable adults as participants. This policy defines Access All Areas employees, volunteers, sessional workers and freelance practitioners as Access All Areas representatives. Those working on behalf of Access All Areas must be observant of signs and symptoms of physical abuse, social abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

This policy is to ensure that:

Access All Areas protects the welfare of the participants in its care.
All suspicions and allegations of abuse are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.

We believe that all participants have the right to protection from abuse regardless of age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity. For this policy, the definition of abuse includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and verbal. Abuse within groups of children, young people and vulnerable adults or between these groups and Access All Areas representatives should not be tolerated by Access All Areas.

The welfare of participants and Access All Areas representatives is crucial to running a safe activity. All project participants and Access All Areas representatives, regardless of age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse. Access All Areas representatives should read this policy before project delivery.

Code of Conduct

Access All Areas representatives should:

Endeavour to work in an open environment.
Avoid private or unobserved situations and encourage open communication with no secrets.
Act as a positive role model and treat all participants with respect, dignity and understanding.
Ensure that a staff representative of the host organisation is present at workshops and other events when undertaking off-site work.
Secure parental consent in writing when bringing any participant out of their familiar environment or away from the host delivery site.
Keep a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.
Avoid taking or dropping off a participant at an event alone.
Never spend time alone with participants away from others.
Never make unnecessary physical contact with participants. There may be times when physical contact is deemed necessary (for example, if providing comfort for a child in distress.) In such a case, the contact should only take place appropriately and with consent.
Never meet with participants outside organised activities unless it is with the knowledge and consent of their guardian and a Director of Access All Areas.
Never make sexually suggestive comments about, or to, a project participant, even in fun.
Never do things of a personal nature for a project participant that they can do themselves. If privacy is needed, the door can be left open; preferably, an additional staff member should be present, or other supervisors should be made aware of the circumstances.
Keep clear written and confidential records of any allegations a participant may make.
Make sure that all participant contact details are kept in a secure place and are not passed onto anyone without their consent (see our data protection policy).
Never use illegal drugs or alcohol before or during working hours for Access All Areas.

Abuse of Trust

Abuse of Trust legislation asserts that under no circumstances can an Access All Areas representative enter into a personal or sexual relationship with a project participant. This is a criminal offence punishable with up to five years imprisonment.

Other Guidelines

Workshop leaders should provide evidence of an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check to Access All Areas every two years, and a note of the reference number should be made. Access All Areas may be prepared to process this if this is a practitioner we regularly work with.
Volunteers should also have a CRB processed every two years by Access All Areas.
Access All Areas should be notified of any relevant changes to the circumstances or record of their representatives within this time period. This should be assessed by Access All Area’s Directors and board. A revised decision on future employment will be made with this in mind.
Workshop leaders should ideally be supported by a staff member from within the organisation they are working in.
For projects at the Access All Areas headquarters, the lead practitioner should be supported by an Access All Areas team member, a sessional worker or a volunteer. Where this is not possible, an additional staff member should be available to provide support if needed and the lead practitioner should never work one-to-one with a participant.
Workshop facilitators employed as freelancers are not covered by any Access All Areas insurance unless stated and are responsible for their own public liability insurance.
Volunteers should never be left in the room on their own with participants and should not be given responsibility for them.

Procedure: Handling sensitive information

It is possible that a participant suffering or has suffered abuse will confide in you. The following action should be taken if there are concerns of abuse:
Listen carefully to what is said. Allow the individual to tell you at their own pace and ask questions only for clarification.
Don't promise to 'keep it a secret’. Use the first opportunity to say that you must share the information with others. Make it clear that you will only tell the people who need to know and who should be able to help
Reassure the participant that 'they did the right thing' in telling someone
Tell the participant what you are going to do next
Speak immediately to the person in the school/educational establishment, youth or care setting who has designated responsibility for the protection of the participant (usually the Head Teacher or director of a youth or community centre). It is that person's responsibility to liaise with the relevant authorities, usually social services.
As soon as possible after disclosing the conversation, note what was said, using the individual’s own words. Note the date, time, any names involved or mentioned, and who gave the information to you.
In confidence, make the Access All Areas Director aware of the situation. If the individual has been attending a project, Access All Areas will be entrusted with acting on the information given.
If an allegation of abuse is made against an Access All Areas representative, the Access All Areas Director should be immediately informed of the allegation and will follow our disciplinary and complaints procedure. Access All Areas will liaise with Social Services or Leicestershire Constabulary, depending on the nature of the complaint.
If the allegation is made and an Access All Areas Director is unavailable when making the complaint, responsibility will defer to the freelancer or employee.
If you are worried about sharing concerns about abuse of a participant with a senior colleague, you can contact Social Services or Leicestershire Constabulary directly.

Leicestershire Police 0116 222 2222

Adult Social Care, County Hall 0116 305 0004

First Response – Children’s Duty Team 0116 305 0005 (24hrs)

LCC Children and Young Peoples Service 0116 232 3232