The Autistic Community of Cornwall: CIC registration number : 1481923
SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE and VULNERABLE ADULTS POLICY
The purpose and scope of this policy statement:
The Autistic Community of Cornwall CIC (ACC) is a not for profit project that aims to support autistic people through promoting positive identity and kinship. Our aims are to provide peer to peer mentorship and befriending programmes, autistic designed and led training in professional and business related organisations , attend steering groups for national policy around autism service design and delivery, to promote awareness and acceptance, and to provide social opportunities for autistic people to find support and meet other autistic people.
As a group of autistic NHS Professionals, all working together with the common aim of supporting autistic people in Cornwall, we work tirelessly to ensure that our Neurokin have a space to express themselves and find new ways of communicating, and find positive mental and emotional awareness skills.
The purpose of this policy statement is:
• to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults who receive services from the ACC from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services
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to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people, vulnerable adults, and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of the ACC, including the board of Directors, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students.
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults in England, U.K.
A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning. We also follow the Gov guidance and statutory expectations, which can be found here:
Supporting documents
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This policy statement should be read alongside our other organisational policies on safeguarding. This includes:
• Role description for the designated safeguarding officer
• Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person
• Managing allegations against staff and volunteers
• Recording concerns and information sharing
• Child protection records retention and storage
• Code of conduct for staff and volunteers
• Behaviour codes for children and young people
• Photography and sharing images guidance
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​Online safety
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Anti-bullying
• Managing complaints
• Whistleblowing
• Health and safety
• Induction, training, supervision and support
We believe that:
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• Children, young people and vulnerable adults should never experience abuse of any kind
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• We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, young people, and vulnerable adults , to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
We recognise that:
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• the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
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• some children and adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
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• working in partnership with children, young people, vulnerable adults their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting good welfare.
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We will seek to keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe by:
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• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated safeguarding lead, a deputy and a lead member.
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
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developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures
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providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently
• recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
• recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance [more i information about this is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/for- organisations]
• sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children, young people and vulnerable adults and their families via leaflets, posters, group work and one-to-one discussions
• making sure that children, young people and vulnerable adults and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern
• using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, vulnerable adults, parents, families and carers appropriately
• using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
• ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
• ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, vulnerable adults, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
• building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, vulnerable adults and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.
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Contact details:
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Nominated safeguarding lead (level 3 DSL):
MARIE RALPH
Phone/email: 07745358588 / minnieralph101@googlemail.com
Deputy safeguarding lead(s):
IAN HUTCHINSON
Phone/email: 07809 279472/ ian.hutchinson@hotmail.com
Senior lead for safeguarding and child protection:
MARIE RALPH 07745358588
NSPCC Helpline
0808 800 5000
Cornwall council MARU:
Telephone
0300 1231 116
Website
• Local Authority Designated Officer
• 01872 326536
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on 12/05/2024
Signed and named:
Senior lead:
M L RALPH
Deputy leads:
I Hutchinson