Policies and procedures

This Safeguarding Policy & Declaration was last reviewed & updated on 14th March 2023.

Introduction

1. Everyone has a duty to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. Rippingale Parish Council is committed to promoting the protection, safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults in the community and whilst engaged in any activity associated with the Parish Council.

2. The Parish Council does not directly provide care of supervision services to children and vulnerable adults but expects all children and vulnerable adults using its facilities to do so with the consent and the necessary supervision of a parent, carer or other responsible adult.

3. A Child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years. A Vulnerable Adult is anyone over 18 who is:

    a. Unable to care for themselves,

    b. Unable to protect themselves from significant harm or exploitation, or

    c. May be in need of Community Care Services.

Aims and Objectives

4. This document outlines Rippingale Parish Council’s policy on identifying and responding to concerns regarding the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults.

5. The policy applies to all staff, councillors, volunteers and anyone working for or on behalf of Rippingale Parish Council. The aim is to provide guidance should any safeguarding issues arise during their work and seeks to promote effective multi-agency working in light of the Children Act 2004. The objectives are:

    a. To ensure that where possible all facilities and activities offered by the Parish Council are designed and maintained to limit risk to children and vulnerable adults.

    b. To promote the general welfare, health and development of children by being aware of child protection issues and to be able to respond where appropriate as a local government organisation.

    c. To develop procedures in recording and responding to accidents and complaints to alleged or suspected incidents of abuse and neglect.

Lead Officer

6. Rippingale Parish Council will appoint a lead safeguarding officer or member at the Council Annual General Meeting in May. The details will be published on the website and Noticeboard.

7. The Lead Officer will be the Council’s safeguarding champion. They will promote good safeguarding practice within the Council. Duties include, but are not limited to:

    a. Ensuring that they attend appropriate training relevant to the role and as necessary promote then provision of appropriate training for other staff and members of the Council.

    b. Monitor and review the Council’s Policy and recommend appropriate changes when necessary.

    c. Ensure the correct application of the Safeguarding Policy within the Council.

    d. Act as a first point of contact within the Council for anyone with any child welfare or safeguarding concerns. 

    e. Liaise with other agencies as required in connection with child welfare and safeguarding matters.

    f. Ensure that appropriate records are kept of all issues of a safeguarding nature that may arise.

Safeguarding Concerns and What to Do

8. Safeguarding concerns can include abuse, neglect and/or cruelty. More information on how this relates to a child and the forms it can take can be found at Appendix 1.  Details on the type and signs of vulnerable adult abuse is at Appendix 2.

9. Anyone worried about a child or vulnerable adult should follow the procedures detailed below.

Child

• If you believe a child is in immediate danger call 999 and inform the police.
• If there is no immediate danger to the child, or if you need some advice, visit https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/safeguarding/report-concern or call the LCC Childrens Safeguarding number 01522 782111. (Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Outside normal office hours, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01522 782333
• If there is no immediate danger you may also seek advice from the Lead Officer.
• Keep a written record of what you have reported and why.
• Inform the Lead Officer at the earliest possible opportunity if the concern relates to a Council representative or facility.

Vulnerable Adult

• If you believe an adult is in immediate danger call 999 and inform the police.
• If you think someone is being abused or you think their safety is at risk, then it is important to tell someone.
• If you’re worried about an adult and think they may be a victim of neglect, abuse or cruelty, visit https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/safeguarding/report-concern or call LCC Adult Safeguarding on 01522 782155. (Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Outside normal office hours, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01522 782333
• If there is no immediate danger you may also seek advice from the Lead Officer.
• Keep a written record of what you have reported and why.

Information Sharing

10. Knowing when and how to share information is not always easy, but it is important to get it right. Families need to feel reassured that their confidentiality is respected. In most cases you will only share information about them with their consent, but there may be circumstances when you need to override this.

11. More information can be found in the Council’s Data Protection, Publication & Freedom of Information Policies but as a guide:

• Remember that the Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information but a framework to ensure that personal information is shared appropriately.
• Be open and honest with the person from the outset (and/or their family where appropriate), about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so.
• Seek advice if you are in any doubt, without disclosing the identity of the person where possible.
• Share with consent where appropriate and, where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. You may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, that lack of consent can be overridden in the child’s/adults/public interest. You will need to base your judgement on the needs of the child/adult facts of the case.
• Consider safety and wellbeing. Base your information sharing decisions on considerations of the safety and wellbeing of the person and others who may be affected by their actions.
• Necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure. Ensure that what you share is necessary for the purpose for which you are sharing it; is shared only with those people who need to have it; is accurate and up-to-date; is shared in a timely fashion; and is shared securely.
• Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it, whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose.

12. If you are not sure, but in your view, there is a risk of abuse to someone, you should speak to the relevant CSC or the Lead Officer.

13. Points for Consideration:

• Is there a legitimate purpose for sharing information?
• Does the information enable a person to be identified?
• Is the information confidential?
• If so, do you have consent to share?
• Is there a statutory duty or court order to share the information?
• If consent refused/there are good reasons not to seek consent
• Is there sufficient public interest to share information?
• If the decision is to share, are you sharing the right information in the right way?
• Have you properly recorded your decision?

14. There may be circumstances where a parent is not informed that a safeguarding referral is being made, if you suspect:

• Sexual abuse, organised abuse or fabricated illness or injury (FII).
• It isn’t possible to contact parents without causing undue delay in making a referral.
• The risk of destroying evidence.
• Possibility of increased risk of domestic violence.
• Possibility of the family moving to avoid professional scrutiny.

15. It is always essential in safeguarding to consider whether the adult at risk is capable of giving informed consent in all aspects of their life. If they are able, their consent should be sought.

Non-Safeguarding Concerns

16. Where a concern arises but the issues are not of a safeguarding nature, these should be referred to the Lead Officer or relevant CSC. 

Allegations

17. If you have a concern about anyone working on or behalf of the Parish Council, including a councillor, employee or volunteer, you should contact the Lead Officer. If the concern is about the 'Lead Officer' themselves, you should contact the relevant CSC.

18. If the Lead Officer considers that the alleged person has:

    a. behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child

    b. committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or

    c. behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she would pose a risk of harm if they work regularly or closely with children.

19. Then they must follow the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board protocol for 'Managing Allegations of abuse made against persons who work with children and young people'

The Appendixes can be found .Policies and Procedures Downloads – Rippingale Parish Council (lincolnshire.gov.uk)

Appendix 1 - Types and signs of child abuse

Appendix 2 - Types and signs of vulnerable adult abuse

The pdf versions of all Council policy and precedure documents can be found here.