Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and as an organisation Untangle is committed to ensuring compliance with best practice safeguarding standards and guidance.

Untangle considers the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults of paramount importance and aims to safeguard and promote their welfare, safety and health by providing an open, caring, responsive and supportive learning environment which responds to needs immediately. Untangle will ensure that all children, young people and vulnerable adults who access Untangle services feel safe and will put in place wider Untangle procedures and staff training to achieve this.

We will do this by listening and by talking to you about what you want to do. However, if we feel that you are unable to make decisions for yourself sometimes we might need to tell someone else what you’ve told us to be able to help you. 

There are four main elements to the Safeguarding Policy:

• Prevention (e.g. creating a positive atmosphere, providing guidance and support for children, young people and vulnerable adults, ensuring safer recruitment procedures);  
• Protection (by following agreed procedures, ensuring staff/volunteers are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to Child Protection concerns;  
• Support (to children, young people and vulnerable adults and Untangle staff/volunteers who may have been abused).
• Working with key partners (including staff, parents/carers, employers, sub-contractors, and visitors, to ensure appropriate communications, due diligence and actions are undertaken).

We will seek to keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe by:

• Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
• Appointing a designated Safeguarding officer (DSO) for children and adults. 
• Adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through procedures and a code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
• Developing and implementing an effective safety policy and related procedures.
• Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures.
• Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
• Recording and storing information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with users, staff and volunteers via leaflets, posters, one – one discussions.
• Using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know and involving users 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 users, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.