Safeguarding children policy

Why this policy exists

This policy applies to all children who come into contact with Re-engage.

This includes:

• People who benefit from your charity’s work
• Staff
• Volunteers
• Other people who come into contact with Re-engage through our work

Re-engage operates across England, Wales and Scotland and must comply with the safeguarding expectations of the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

The charity regulators in the operating areas of Re-engage require all charities working with children and/or vulnerable adults to have appropriate policies to govern safeguarding practice. This policy is a key part of the suite of safeguarding policies at Re-engage which are outlined within the Re-engage safeguarding framework. This policy should be read alongside these documents.

England and Wales

All charities have a responsibility to ensure they do not cause harm to anyone who has contact with them. Trustees must make sure the charity fulfils this responsibility. Even if they delegate some activities to a safeguarding lead or group, trustees retain overall responsibility.

A strong safeguarding culture means:

• You protect people
• You minimise the risks of harm or abuse
• Everyone has confidence their concerns will be dealt with appropriately
• Everyone at the charity understands their role

All charities must:

• Identify and manage risks
• Have suitable policies and practices in place
• Conduct necessary checks
• Protect volunteers and staff
• Handle and report incidents appropriately

Scotland

Charities working with children and vulnerable or protected adults must do all they can to keep these beneficiaries safe and protected from harm.

The legal duty of all charity trustees is to act in the interests of their charity and in particular to act with care and diligence. Charities should have the appropriate mechanisms in place to make sure that a safe environment is created for staff, beneficiaries, and volunteers. Charity trustees have a collective responsibility for safeguarding even if certain aspects of the work are delegated to staff.

Charity trustees are accountable for all that happens within their charity.

Ways to protect vulnerable beneficiaries include:

• Having in place policies and procedures that will help make sure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm
• Making sure those policies and procedures are implemented and understood by everyone in the charity
• Having clear lines of responsibility and accountability within the charity to deal with any safeguarding issues
• Making sure that staff and volunteers are trained to identify potential harm, know what action to take and are clear about how, when and to whom to report.

What is safeguarding children

The NSPCC defines safeguarding children as ‘the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.’

Safeguarding children means:

• Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• Preventing harm to children’s health or development
• Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

Definitions

For clarity, within safeguarding, the term ‘child’ is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

The key principles of the Safeguarding Children Policy are that:

• the child’s welfare is, and must always be, the paramount consideration
• all children and young people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, race, sexual orientation, faith, or belief
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
• working in partnership with other organisations and the child and young person is essential and their parents/carers should be involved whenever it is safe to do so.

Understanding who may abuse or neglect

Incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple and affect one person or more.

Most cases of abuse and neglect are perpetrated by people that the victim knows, often in a position of power or trust. Anyone can perpetrate abuse or neglect, including:

• Parents
• Siblings
• Other family members
• Neighbours
• Family friends
• Acquaintances
• Local residents
• Volunteers
• Paid staff, or professionals including carers
• Strangers
• Other children

Categories of abuse and spotting the signs

1. Neglect

Neglect is not meeting a child’s basic physical and psychological needs (Department for Education, 2018; Department of Health, 2017; Scottish Government, 2021; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2020).

It is a form of child abuse that can have serious and long-lasting impacts on a child’s life - it can cause serious harm and even death.

The four main types of neglect are:

• physical neglect: not meeting a child’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, or shelter; not supervising a child adequately or providing for their safety
• educational neglect: not making sure a child receives an education
• emotional neglect: not meeting a child’s needs for nurture and stimulation, for example by ignoring, humiliating, intimidating, or isolating them
• medical neglect: not providing appropriate health care (including dental care), refusing care, or ignoring medical recommendations (Horwath, 2007).

Neglect can happen at any age, sometimes even before a child is born. If a mother has mental health problems or misuses substances during pregnancy, for example, she may neglect her own health and this can damage a baby’s development in the womb (Haynes et al, 2015).

Spotting the signs of neglect

Neglect can be difficult to identify. Isolated signs may not mean that a child is suffering neglect, but multiple and persistent signs over time could indicate a serious problem.

Some of these signs include:

• children who appear hungry - they may not have lunch money, or they may try to steal food
• children who appear dirty or smelly
• children whose clothes are inadequate for the weather conditions
• children who are left alone or unsupervised for long periods or at a young age
• children who have untreated injuries, health, or dental problems
• children with poor language, communication, or social skills for their stage of development
• children who live in an unsuitable home environment

2. Sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is when a child is forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities. This may involve physical contact or non-contact activities and can happen online or offline (Department for Education, 2018; Department of Health 2017; Scottish Government, 2021a; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2020).

Children and young people may not always understand that they are being sexually abused. 

Contact abuse involves activities where an abuser makes physical contact with a child. It includes:

• sexual touching of any part of the body, whether the child is wearing clothes or not, forcing or encouraging a child to take part in sexual activity
• making a child take their clothes off or touch someone else's genitals 
• rape or penetration by putting an object or body part inside a child's mouth, vagina, or anus.
• Non-contact abuse involves activities where there is no physical contact. It includes:
• flashing at a child
• encouraging or forcing a child to watch or hear sexual acts
• not taking proper measures to prevent a child from being exposed to sexual activities by others
• making a child masturbate while others watch
• persuading a child to make, view or distribute child abuse images (such as performing sexual acts over the internet, sexting or showing pornography to a child)
• making, viewing, or distributing child abuse images 
• allowing someone else to make, view or distribute child abuse images
• meeting a child following grooming with the intent of abusing them (even if abuse did not take place)
• sexually exploiting a child for money, power, or status (child sexual exploitation).

Spotting the signs of sexual abuse

There may be physical signs that a child has suffered sexual abuse. These include:

• anal or vaginal soreness or itching
• bruising or bleeding near the genital area
• discomfort when walking or sitting down
• an unusual discharge
• sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• pregnancy
• stomach pains with no apparent cause
• bed-wetting
• disturbed sleep
• nightmares
• alcohol or drug misuse

Changes in the child’s mood or behaviour may also cause concern. They may want to avoid spending time with specific people. In particular, the child may show sexual behaviour that is inappropriate for their age. For example:

• they could use sexual language or know things about sex that you wouldn't expect them to
• they might become sexually active or pregnant at a young age
• have new things such as clothes and mobile phones, which they aren’t able to easily explain

3. Bullying

Bullying is when individuals or groups seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone who is perceived to be vulnerable (Oxford English Dictionary, 2021).

It can involve people of any age, and can happen anywhere – at home, school or using online platforms and technologies (cyberbullying). This means it can happen at any time.

Bullying encompasses a range of behaviours which may be combined and may include the behaviours and actions we have set out below:

• Verbal abuse such as: name-calling, saying nasty things to or about a child or their family or making threats
• Physical abuse: such as hitting, kicking, pushing a child and theft
• Emotional abuse: such as making threats, undermining a child, and excluding or isolating a child from a friendship group or activities
• Cyberbullying/online bullying such as: excluding a child from online games, activities or friendship groups, sending threatening, upsetting or abusive messages, creating and sharing embarrassing or malicious images or videos, 'trolling' - sending menacing or upsetting messages on social networks, chat rooms or online games, voting for or against someone in an abusive poll, setting up hate sites or groups about a particular child, creating fake accounts, hijacking or stealing online identities to embarrass a young person or cause trouble using their name

Bullying can be a form of discrimination, particularly if it is based on a child’s disability, race, religion or belief, gender identity or sexuality.

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices (Department for Education, 2018; Department of Health, 2017; Scottish Government, 2021; Welsh Assembly Government, 2018).

It can happen anywhere online that allows digital communication, such as:

• social networks
• text messages and messaging apps
• email and private messaging
• online chats
• comments on live-streaming sites
• voice chat in games

Children and young people can be re-victimised (experience further abuse) when abusive content is recorded, uploaded, or shared by others online. This could happen if the original abuse happened online or offline.

Children and young 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 (pressure or coercion to create sexual images) 
• sexual abuse 
• sexual exploitation

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.

Spotting the signs of bullying and cyberbullying

It can be hard to know whether or not a child is being bullied. They might not tell anyone because they're scared the bullying will get worse. They might also think that the bullying is their fault. No one sign indicates for certain that a child’s being bullied, but you should look out for:

• belongings getting ‘lost’ or damaged
• physical injuries such as unexplained bruises
• being afraid to go to school, being mysteriously 'ill' each morning, or skipping school
• not doing as well at school
• asking for, or stealing, money (to give to a bully)
• being nervous, losing confidence or becoming distressed and withdrawn
• problems with eating or sleeping
• bullying others

4. Physical abuse

Physical abuse is defined as deliberately hurting a child and causing physical harm (Department of Health, 2017; Department for Education, 2018; Scottish Government, 2021; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2020). It includes injuries such as:

• bruises
• broken bones
• burns
• cuts

It may involve:

• hitting
• kicking
• shaking
• throwing
• poisoning
• burning
• scalding
• drowning
• any other method of causing non-accidental harm to a child

Physical abuse may also happen when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. This is known as Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) (Department for Education, 2018; Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety, 2017; Scottish Government, 2021; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2020).

Breast ironing or breast flattening, a practice of using hard or heated objects to suppress or reverse the growth of breasts, is a recognised form of child abuse (Crown Prosecution Service, 2019).

Spotting the signs of physical abuse

All children have trips, falls and accidents which may cause cuts, bumps, and bruises. These injuries tend to affect bony areas of their body such as elbows, knees and shins and are not usually a cause for concern. Injuries that are more likely to indicate physical abuse include:

• bruising
• bruises on babies who are not yet crawling or walking
• bruises on the cheeks, ears, palms, arms, and feet
• bruises on the back, buttocks, tummy, hips, and backs of legs
• multiple bruises in clusters, usually on the upper arms or outer thighs
• bruising which looks like it has been caused by fingers, a hand, or an object, like a belt or shoe
• large oval-shaped bite marks burns or scalds
• any burns which have a clear shape of an object, for example cigarette burns
• burns to the backs of hands, feet, legs, genitals, or buttocks.

Other signs of physical abuse include multiple injuries (such as bruising, fractures) inflicted at different times. If a child is frequently injured, and if the bruises or injuries are unexplained or the explanation doesn’t match the injury, this should be investigated. It’s also concerning if there is a delay in seeking medical help for a child who has been injured.

5. Domestic abuse

Each UK nation has its own definition of domestic abuse for professionals who are working to prevent domestic abuse and protect those who have experienced it (Department of Health,

Social Services and Public Safety, 2016; Home Office, 2013; Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, 2019; Welsh Government, 2019).

Domestic abuse can include:

• sexual abuse and rape (including within a relationship)
• punching, kicking, cutting, hitting with an object
• withholding money or preventing someone from earning money
• taking control over aspects of someone's everyday life, which can include where they go and what they wear
• not letting someone leave the house
• reading emails, text messages or letters
• threatening to kill or harm them, a partner, another family member, or pet.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone at any time. However, certain events and times of year are associated with an increased risk of abuse. For example, data shows that reports of domestic abuse increase during major football tournaments (NSPCC, 2022; Ivandic, 2022; Kirby,2013; Brimicombe, 2012).

Spotting the signs of domestic abuse

It can be difficult to tell if domestic abuse is happening, because abusers can act very differently when other people are around. Children who witness domestic abuse may:

• become aggressive
• display anti-social behaviour
• suffer from depression or anxiety
• not do as well at school - due to difficulties at home or disruption of moving to and from refuges

6. Child trafficking

Child tracking is child abuse. It's defined as recruiting, moving, receiving, and harbouring children for the purpose of exploitation (HM Department for Education (DfE) and Home Office, 2011; Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and Police Service of Northern Ireland, 2011; Scottish Government, 2013; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2020).

Child trafficking is a form of modern slavery (HM Government, 2014).

Many children are trafficked into the UK from overseas, but children can also be trafficked from one part of the UK to another.

Children are trafficked for:

• child sexual exploitation
• criminal activity, including: cannabis cultivation, street crime - such as pickpocketing, begging and bag theft, and moving drugs
• benefit fraud
• immigration fraud
• selling pirated goods, such as DVDs
• forced marriage
• domestic servitude, including: cleaning, childcare, and cooking
• forced labour, including working in: restaurants, nail bars, factories, and agriculture
• illegal adoption
• unreported private fostering arrangements (for any exploitative purpose).

This list is not exhaustive and children who are trafficked are often exploited in more than one way.

Spotting the signs of child trafficking

Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious, but you might notice unusual behaviour or events. Children who have been trafficked may:

• have to do excessive housework chores
• rarely leave the house and have limited freedom of movement
• not have any documents (or have falsified documents)
• give a prepared story which is very similar to stories given by other children
• be unable or reluctant to give details of accommodation or personal details
• not be registered with a school or a GP practice
• have a history with missing links and unexplained moves
• be cared for by adults who are not their parents or carers
• not have a good quality relationship with their adult carers
• be one among a number of unrelated children found at one address
• receive unexplained or unidentified phone calls whilst in a care placement or temporary accommodation.

There are also signs that an adult is involved in child trafficking, such as:

• making multiple visa applications for different children
• acting as a guarantor for multiple visa applications for children
• having previously acted as the guarantor on visa applications for visitors who have not left the UK when the visa expired

7. Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the ongoing emotional maltreatment of a child, which can have a severe and persistent negative effect on the child’s emotional health and development (Department for Education (DfE), 20201; Department of Health, 20172; Scottish Government, 20213; Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 20204). It's also known as psychological abuse.

Exposing a child to aggression, cruelty or abuse from others is also a form of emotional abuse (Doyle and Timms, 2014).

Most forms of abuse include an emotional element, but emotional abuse can also happen on its own.

Children can be emotionally abused by anyone:

• parents or carers
• family members
• other adults
• other children

We’ve put together some principles of best practice to help you recognise and respond to emotional abuse. It includes information on:

Spotting the signs of emotional abuse

There aren’t usually any obvious physical signs of emotional abuse, but you may spot changes in a child's actions or emotions. Some children are naturally quiet and self-contained whilst others are more open and affectionate. Mood swings and challenging behaviour are also a normal part of growing up for teenagers and children going through puberty. Be alert to behaviours which are out of character for the individual child or are particularly unusual for their stage of development. Babies and pre-school children who are being emotionally abused may:

• be overly affectionate towards strangers or people they haven’t known for very long
• not appear to have a close relationship with their parent, for example when being taken to or collected from nursery
• lack confidence or become wary or anxious
• be unable to play
• be aggressive or nasty towards other children and animals.

Older children may:

• use language, act in a way, or know about things that you wouldn’t expect for their age
• struggle to control strong emotions or have extreme outbursts
• seem isolated from their parents
• lack social skills or have few, if any, friends
• fear making mistakes
• fear their parent being approached regarding their behaviour
• self-harm.

Safeguarding at Re-engage – our safeguarding statement

As a leading charity in tackling social isolation and loneliness in the oldest of the old, Re-engage is committed to providing safe, structured, inclusive, and friendly services for people over the age of 75.

Re-engage acknowledge our duty of care to safeguard, protect and to promote the welfare of all and we are committed to ensuring our safeguarding practices reflect statutory responsibilities, and government guidance and comply with best practice.

Re-engage’s seven safeguarding standards

1. Safe leadership and governance  
2. Influence and empowerment  
3. Equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging
4. Working safely  
5. Safe spaces  
6. Safe processes  
7. Care and collaboration

Roles and responsibilities

Safeguarding children is the responsibility of every adult involved in Re-engage.

Although Re-engage does not work directly with children we understand that on occasion through our work we may come across children. Because of this we recognise the part we have to play in keeping children safe by identifying concerns, sharing information with those who have a right to know it and taking prompt action.

All volunteers and staff members have a duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of all.

Concerns about a child

When a volunteer has a concern about a child

When concerned about the welfare of a child, volunteers must always act in the best interests of the child and act immediately.

Re-engage understands that seeing or hearing about a potential safeguarding issue can be difficult and sometimes we may feel unsure or hesitant about calling the police, but it is important to understand that we need to report it.

If the child is in immediate danger, then the volunteer must call the police on 999, and advice and support will be given. The police will ask for key information, so it is important to share what you have, even if it is only a name and telephone number and explain what you have seen or heard. The police will advise of the steps to take. It is vital that the volunteer contacts Re-engage at the earliest possible opportunity and asks to speak to the SSPOC.

If a volunteer has a concern about the welfare or safety of a child, the volunteer must complete a safeguarding incident and concern form via the Re-engage website and also report it to their group coordinator (if they have one) who will assist.

The safeguarding incident and concern form must be completed at the first possible opportunity and no later than one working day after being informed about a concern. The information recorded on the form must be factual and not based on opinions, recording what the person has said or what has been witnessed, with the specific nature of the concern.

If the safeguarding incident and concern form is not accessible to the volunteer, they must phone Re-engage on 020 7240 0630 and ask to speak to the SSPOC.

Failure to report safeguarding concerns will be considered a serious breach of Re-engage's safeguarding procedures and may result in disciplinary action (for example, a volunteer may be asked to step back from the charity). Submission of the will trigger an alert via email to the safeguarding mailbox which is monitored by the SSPOC.

It is important to remember that it is not a volunteer’s responsibility to determine:

• If abuse has occurred
• What action is required to protect the child

When a staff member has a concern about a child

When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members must always act in the best interests of the child and act immediately. If the child is in immediate risk of danger or at risk of causing harm to themselves or others, the staff member must immediately contact emergency services by calling 999 and then contact the SSPOC.

If a staff member has a concern about the welfare or safety of a child, the staff member must contact the SSPOC immediately.

When a disclosure is made

There are lots of reasons why a child or young person might to tell someone they're being abused, including:

• realising the abuse is wrong
• not being able to cope any more
• the abuse getting worse
• wanting to protect other children
• wanting the abuser to be punished
• trusting someone enough to tell them
• someone asks them directly

It can be very hard for them to open up about what has happened to them. They might be worried about the consequences or that nobody will believe them. They might've told someone before, and nothing was done to help them. Sometimes they might not know what's happening to them is abuse and struggle to share what they're feeling. Some children don't reveal they're being abused for a long time, some never tell anyone.

1. Listen carefully to what they're saying

Be patient and focus on what you’re being told. Try not to express your own views and feelings. If you appear shocked or as if you don’t believe them, it could make them stop talking and take back what they’ve said.

2. Let them know they've done the right thing by telling you

Reassurance can make a big impact. If they’ve kept the abuse a secret, it can have a big impact knowing they’ve shared what’s happened.

3. Tell them it's not their fault

Abuse is never a child’s fault. It’s important they hear, and know, this.

4. Say you'll take them seriously

They may have kept the abuse secret because they were scared that they wouldn’t be believed. Make sure they know they can trust you and you’ll listen and support them.

5. Don't confront the alleged abuser

Confronting the alleged abuser could make the situation worse for the child.

6. Explain what you'll do next

Explain you’re going to speak to someone who will be able to help.

After a disclosure is made

After a disclosure is made it is vitally important that the safeguarding incident and concern form is completed or that the SSPOC is contacted immediately.

The SSPOC or the designated safeguarding lead will contact the local child safeguarding services.

The designated safeguarding lead is responsible for recording further details and outcomes of safeguarding referrals in the safeguarding management case log. The designated safeguarding lead is also responsible for monitoring and overseeing concerns and incidents and for providing assurance that they are being managed appropriately.

Recording and managing confidential safeguarding information

Re-engage will maintain confidentiality of information wherever possible and information around safeguarding issues will only be shared with those who need to know. For further information, please see Re-engage’s privacy notice.

All concerns and incidents will be recorded in OPUS Re-engage’s CRM system. The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with Re-engage’s GDPR guidelines.

Where there are safeguarding concerns staff and volunteers have a duty to share information. It is important to remember that in most serious case reviews, lack of information sharing can be a significant contributor when things go wrong.

Information should be shared with consent wherever possible, decisions to share information with other people will be made by the designated safeguarding lead.

 Re-engage safeguarding governance structure

Re-engage safeguarding concern management process for children