Rainbow Surprise CIO

Safeguarding Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Rainbow Surprise CIO (referred to throughout this policy as Rainbow Surprise) may work with children,

young people and vulnerable adults in various settings, e.g. schools, colleges, youth and community

organisations, and recognises the need to create a safe environment where all are valued and feel

confident to ask for support and help.

Rainbow Surprise is committed to ensuring the welfare of all young people, children and vulnerable

adults involved in its activities, and aims to ensure a safe, happy, and secure environment for all. This

will be in line with legislation and guidelines as listed in the reference list.

Rainbow Surprise recognises that it is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers to prevent and report

the neglect, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or radicalisation of young people and children

involved in its activities. If there are serious concerns about the welfare of any child, the matter must be

immediately referred to the relevant authority.

Risk assessments for programmes of activity for children, young people or vulnerable adults should

always include a review of any safeguarding risks.

Rainbow Surprise is committed to training staff and volunteers who work with young people and to

provide regular supervision and recognises the importance of regularly reviewing procedures designed

to prevent abuse. This policy, and our procedures, will be in line with Working Together to Safeguard

Children, 2015 and complement Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) and Safeguarding Adults

Boards (SABs) strategies.

1. DEFINITIONS

1.1. A Child: The protection of children and young people according to the terms of the

Children Act 1989 defines a child / young person as someone under the age of 18. In this

policy the terms 'child’ and ‘young person’ are used interchangeably.

1.2. Vulnerable Adult: Any person 18 or over who is or may be in need of community care

services by reason of mental or other disability and is unable to protect him or herself

from significant harm or exploitation.

1.3. Staff: These child protection guidelines apply to all Rainbow Surprise employees,

contracted and sessional workers, students, and volunteers, as well as visitors and

representatives of our partner organisations.

1.4. Child Abuse: Child abuse can take on many forms and include physical injury; emotional

and sexual abuse; physical and psychological neglect, exploitation, or radicalisation.

2. DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD

2.1. A designated member of the Rainbow Surprise Board or Rainbow Surprise staff member

will take on the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with responsibility for

minimising the risk of child abuse in the organisation and its operations in accordance

with current legislation. The duties of the DSL will include:

Ensuring appropriate vetting procedures are in place during recruitment and selection

of staff and volunteers, e.g. DBS and references are obtained;

Inducting staff and volunteers on safeguarding issues, including how to access

current and updated information.

Ensuring that staff and volunteers have read and understood this policy and keeping a

record of this.

Organising training for staff and volunteers on safeguarding issues.

Referring incidents of alleged child abuse and safeguarding violations to the

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO); o Informing parents / guardians of any

affected children that a referral is being made (in cases where this disclosure does

not prove detrimental to the child)

Establishing and maintaining Rainbow Surprise’s safeguarding files.

Establishing protocols with the relevant referral organisations.

2.2. A second trained designated board member will deputise at times when the DSL is on

leave or otherwise engaged.

3. RECRUITMENT AND INDUCTION

3.1. In order to minimise the risk of child abuse or other safeguarding breaches, proper vetting

procedures should be in place when staff and volunteers are recruited.

These should include: o Using application forms o Taking up

appropriate references o Interviewing applicants o Checking

employment history o Ensuring that gaps in employment history

are explained o Undertaking enhanced DBS checks

3.2. Upon appointment, staff and volunteers should undertake an induction programme

relating to safeguarding and our legal obligations.

3.3. All staff and volunteers who work with children will be advised to receive training on the

prevention and detection of child abuse and we will recommend relevant courses or

reading.

3.4. All staff and volunteers will receive training with regard to appropriate practice, conflict

resolution and ensuring that the project environment is safe for all participants, staff and

volunteers.

3.5. An appropriate reporting procedure that ensures people have the means to complain

about abuse or other inappropriate behaviour is to be implemented.

4. PROCESS (Guidelines for Staff and Volunteers and partner participants)

4.1. If you think a disclosure is about to be made, or a young or vulnerable person is in the

process of disclosing, you must tell them that you will have to talk to other people.

NEVER tell them that you will keep it secret. Tell the person that you must talk to other

people that can help. Be open and honest. Tell the person to whom you will have to speak

and why.

4.2. Where the young or vulnerable person feels able to talk about abuse to an adult, it is

generally a sign of trust. It is likely that a person will ‘test out’ the likely response before

actually disclosing abuse. It is important to maintain a balance showing interest and

concern whilst not pushing someone to say something before they are

ready to do so. The conversation should be held in a quiet area, although still visible to

others, where there are not likely to be any interruptions. Staff should be aware of the

importance of adopting a supportive role.

4.3. If a young or vulnerable person chooses to talk to you and discloses that s/he has been

abused take them seriously and take the following action:

LISTEN: repeat the disclosing person’s words o STOP: only ask questions that are

necessary for you to fully understand what the person is saying. Keep questions open

e.g. Who did what? What happened next? Avoid leading questions.

ASK: make the young or vulnerable person feel that they have made the right decision

in disclosing. Use appropriate language e.g. I am glad that you told me; it was right to

tell me; I will now talk to someone about what to do next.

4.4. Whilst the young or vulnerable person should have a reasonable expectation of

confidentiality, it is important that as few people as possible are made aware of your

concerns. The nominated DSL will advise you as to who needs to know.

4.5. It is not your responsibility to carry out an investigation into what has happened.

Disclosure of serious abuse will need to be formally investigated by the LADO and/or

Safeguarding Board, and where possible it is important to avoid a situation where the

young or vulnerable person has to repeat their full account on a number of different

occasions. However, you should not stop the disclosing person from talking. It is

important to remain calm and sympathetic and not respond by showing horror or

revulsion at what is being said.

4.6. It is important that the Rainbow Surprise is informed as soon as possible. It is your

responsibility to pass on any concerns. If the situation is an emergency and the DSL

and deputy DSL are not contactable, you should contact the LADO, whose details are

at the end of this document.

4.7. You should record your concerns immediately, preferably on the Safeguarding Incident

Report. This form should be completed within 24 hours of the incident. All notes should

be signed and dated.

4.8. If the DSL agrees that there is a serious concern, they must make a referral to the

LADO without delay. If the DSL and staff member (or volunteer) feel that there is cause

for concern, they should consult with the LADO before referral.

4.9. Where the partner organisation has its own Safeguarding policy and procedure and

they are responsible for the welfare of the young or vulnerable person, any disclosure

or referral must be notified to them, and their policy should be implemented before ours.

In the event that they fail to act on the disclosure, but our staff or DSL feel it needs to

be addressed, our DSL will take the matter further.

4.10. In most situations it will be appropriate to inform the young or vulnerable person when a

referral is going to be made, to explain the reasons for this and to offer support to the

disclosing person through the resulting investigation, unless this places the disclosing

person at greater risk or places the member of staff concerned at risk. This decision will

ultimately be taken by the DSL in conjunction with the LADO.

4.11. Immediate Danger:

If a child is in immediate danger, you should contact the Emergency Services –

999, Greater Manchester Police - 0161 872 5050 or other local police force, as

appropriate.

A report can also be made to a Child Protection Advisor at the National Crime Agency’s

Child Exploitation and Online Protection command's via

https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre.

You can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

If there is no immediate danger, or you need advice or information, you should contact the

local Safeguarding Board.

5. ALLEGED ABUSE BY STAFF, MANAGERS, VOLUNTEERS OR TRUSTEES

5.1. When an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer, then the allegation

must be passed to the DSL or, if the allegation concerns them, direct to the Chair of the

Board.

5.2. The DSL or Chair will contact the appropriate Local Authority Team within one working day.

6. RECORDING PROCEDURES

6.1. Staff should record details about any incident or disclosure as soon as possible,

preferably on the Safeguarding Incident Report; notes must be signed and dated.

6.2. Notes should be made of discussion between staff members and the DSL. These must be

signed and dated and stored securely in accordance with Data Protection procedures.

6.3. If a referral is to be made, this should be made by phone by the DSL, or by the staff

member in an emergency. This must be immediately followed up in writing.

6.4. When making a referral, the DSL should confirm the name of the individual and the date

and the time of referral.

6.5. Information relating to individuals and child protection is strictly confidential. Records should

be kept secure and separate from other project documents.

6.6. Template forms for reporting incidents/concerns are located with the DSL with hard copies

available in office secure cabinet and downloadable from the office computer.

7. IDENTIFYING ABUSE

7.1. Physical Injury:

Where the nature of the injury is not consistent with the account of how it occurred, or

where the injury was inflicted by a person who has care, custody, or control of the young

person. Where the young person is physically hurt, injured, or even killed by a parent or

other adult caring for the young person. Physical abuse can take the form of hitting,

shaking, bruising, biting, squeezing, attempted suffocation and drowning. Physical abuse

also includes inappropriate administration- of poisonous substances, drugs or alcohol.

7.2. Neglect:

7.2.1. Any young person who has been persistently or severely neglected physically,

through exposure to dangers of different kinds including cold and starvation.

7.2.2. When a young person’s basic needs are not met; inadequate clothing; malnutrition;

lack of medical care.

7.2.3. Young people inappropriately left alone and unsupervised.

7.3. Emotional Abuse:

Young people who fail to thrive without a medical reason. Young people whose behaviour

and emotional development has been severely affected and appears abnormal. A young

person where medical and social work assessments find evidence of persistent and

severe neglect or rejection.

7.4 Sexual Abuse:

The young person being involved in or exposed to sexual activities with any person

(including other children) having care, custody, or control of them, which they do not

comprehend, to which they are unable to give informed consent or that violate the social

taboos of family roles. Sexual abuse is perpetrated upon boys and girls and ranges from

touching, fondling, masturbation, and all other forms of sexual activity.

7.5 Radicalisation: refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and

extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups. (Revised Prevent Duty Guidance for

England and Wales, issued on 12th March 2015 and revised on 16th July 2015,

definition.)

7.6 Spiritual/Religious abuse is abuse administered under the guise of religion, including

harassment or humiliation, which may result in psychological trauma. Religious abuse

may also include misuse of religion for selfish, secular, or ideological ends such as the

abuse of a clerical position.

8. E-SAFETY, SOCIAL MEDIA:

8.1. Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through

technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other electronic devices. It can

happen anywhere online that allows digital communication, such as:

social networks o text messages o messaging software

o email

online chats or conferencing o games

8.2. Children, young and vulnerable people can be re-victimised (experience further abuse)

when abusive content is recorded, uploaded or shared by others online. This can happen

if the original abuse happened online or offline.

8.3. People may experience several types of abuse online:

bullying/cyberbullying

emotional abuse (this includes emotional blackmail, for

example pressuring children and young people to comply

with sexual requests via technology)

sexting (sharing explicit images)

sexual abuse o sexual exploitation o radicalisation

8.4. Children and young people can also be groomed online: perpetrators may use online

platforms to build a trusting relationship with the child in order to abuse them. This abuse

may happen online, or the perpetrator may arrange to meet the child in person with the

intention of abusing them.

8.5. More information on e-safety, including advice and standards as found on

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/online-abuse and reports can also

be made to a Child Protection Advisor at the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation

and Online Protection command's via https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre.

9. NOTES ON YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE

9.1. All staff and volunteers should understand that most young people over the age of 13 and

under the age of 18 will have a healthy interest in sex and sexual relationships and this

should be considered to be a normal part of a young person’s development.

9.2. Where volunteers are not qualified, they are expected to refer any young person raising

issues of sexual health to an appropriately qualified worker. Such workers would, where

necessary, risk assess the situation to safeguard and promote the welfare of the young

person.

9.3. If a worker is to discuss personal or sexual matters with a young person under 16 without

parental consent, they must have familiarised themselves with the Fraser Guidelines.

These are clear that consent is a vital part of engaging with young people who may be

sexually active. Young people who are deemed to be ‘Fraser competent’ are considered

to be of sufficient age and understanding to be competent to receive contraceptive advice

without parental knowledge or consent.

However, it is recognised that young people who are ‘Fraser Competent’ may still be

subject to coercion in sexual behaviour.

9.4. If you have concerns regarding a relationship; a young person’s ability to give genuine

consent; where there appears to be an imbalance of power within that relationship; or that

it presents a risk to a young person, you should immediately refer this to the DSL who will

normally contact the LADO.

9.5. Children under 13 years are legally unable to give their consent to sexual activity and,

therefore, any indication of such activity should immediately be referred to the DSL who

will contact the LADO.

9.6. Staff working with young people who are sexually active should further familiarise

themselves with the detailed guidance at

https://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_work_sexually_act_

yp.html.

10. LEGISLATION AND RELEVANT REFERENCE MATERIAL

10.1. Contact details of relevant people or organisations:

1. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Yasmeen Bostan, phone: 07983 152051 email: [email protected]

2. Deputy DSL (DDSL)

Shabnam Hussain, phone: 07751 855229 email: [email protected]

3. Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Majella O’Hagan Telephone: 0161 234 1214

E-mail: [email protected]

Other contacts for Manchester can be found at:

https://www.manchestersafeguardingboards.co.uk/concerned/

Manchester Contact Centre: Telephone: 0161 234 5001 (open 24 hours a day, seven

days a week) Email: [email protected]

Secure email: [email protected] if you are sending sensitive

information. SMS Text: 07860 003160

Children and Young People Vulnerable to Violent Extremism – Local Prevent Contacts –

Advice and Guidance: Samiya Butt E-mail: [email protected] Contacts for

Greater Manchester can be found at:

http://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/pr_contacts.html

Greater Manchester Police Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Unit

Tel: 0161 856 6411 or 0161 856 5017 or 0161 856 7484

E-mail: [email protected]

4. Further resources

NSPCC: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect and

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection

Child Exploitation and Online Protection command: www.ceop.police.uk

UK Council for Internet Safety: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-councilfor-

internet-safety

If a child is in immediate danger of being harmed or is home alone, call the police on 999.

This Safeguarding Policy was updated and approved by the Board of Rainbow Surprise on 2 March

2022. Signed on behalf of the Board:

....................................................................... Shakar Hussain, Chair

....................................................................... Yasmeen Bostan, Safeguarding Lead

....................................................................... Shabnam Hussain, Project Manager

Policy to be reviewed May 2026