Child & Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

Version Number – V4 10.05.18

Congleton Town Council

Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

1.0 Protection Policy Statement

Congleton Town Council is committed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. Staff and Members will accept and recognise their responsibilities to develop awareness of the issues which may cause harm to children or vulnerable adults. It is acknowledged as a sensitive and difficult issue but one which must be addressed.

It will endeavor to safeguard children and vulnerable adults by:

• Stating that the welfare of children/vulnerable adults is paramount
• Adopting child protection and vulnerable adult guidelines through an operational procedure for staff and Members.
• Sharing information about child protection and good practice with children and vulnerable adults, and with parents or guardians.
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies that need to know, and involving parents or guardians and children or vulnerable adults where appropriate.
• Investigating and responding to all suspicions and allegations of abuse.
• Following careful procedures for the recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers.
• Providing effective management for staff through appropriate supervision, support and training.
• Providing suitable training for relevant staff.

The Council’s child/vulnerable adult protection policies and guidelines are there to be acted upon to protect staff and Members as well as children and vulnerable adults.

Child/vulnerable adult abuse can and does occur outside the family setting and it is important to understand what to look for and how to react.

The Council is committed to regularly reviewing its policy and good practice guidelines.

2.0 Operating Procedures

The Council will maintain an operating procedure which includes sections on:

• Defining abuse, including the four main categories: emotional, neglect, physical and sexual abuse.
• Providing guidance on how to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse.
• Ensuring understanding of the consequences and impact of abuse.
• Providing clear guidance on how to respond if a child or vulnerable adult discloses or indicates that they are being abused.
• Providing clear procedures on how to respond to suspicions or allegations of abuse.
• Setting out what staff and Members should do if they have safeguarding concerns.
• Appointing a nominated officer responsible for dealing with issues of actual or potential abuse.
• Undertaking appropriate DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, ISA registrations where applicable, and registering the Council’s employer interest as required for staff, Members and volunteers.
• Maintaining secure and accurate essential records in relation to safeguarding matters.
• Applying the Complaints Procedure and/or Disciplinary Procedure to address complaints made against staff or Members.
• Ensuring that the potential risk of abuse to children or vulnerable adults is properly considered during recruitment and selection processes.

3.0 Congleton Town Council’s Standards

1. 1. All staff, members and volunteers must be DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked and ISA registered as necessary, prior to working in a regulated activity.
2. 2. On initial appointment all volunteers must submit two references (including telephone numbers) from reputable individuals (who cannot be family members). These references will be checked by the Chief Officer.
3. 3. If the Council becomes aware of, or is informed by a reputable source (e.g. Police, NSPCC, Social Services etc.), that an individual is not suitable to be involved with a Council project, the Council reserves the right to prevent that individual from any further involvement in Council projects or services.
4. 4. A copy of the Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy will be available for inspection at any of the Council’s premises by parents, carers or other interested parties.
5. 5. The Chief Officer is appointed as the responsible officer for implementing the Council’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy.
6. 6. The Chief Officer will report all relevant incidents to the Council’s insurers where the project or service is covered by the Council’s insurance policy.

4.0 Good Practice

The Council’s activities and services do not generally require the direct supervision of children/vulnerable adults, however three areas are believed to be regulated activities under current legislation: Paddling Pool supervision; Mayor’s Cadet and administration of the Youth Committee. The following good practice will however be brought to the attention of all staff. Promoting good practice can reduce the possibility of potentially abusive situations and help to protect staff, councilors and volunteers. The following are more specific examples of care which should be taken when working within a Council context:

• Always be publicly open when working with children/vulnerable adults. Avoid situations where a single member of staff and an individual child/vulnerable adult are working unobserved.
• If any form of physical manual support is required, there should always be a second member of staff present or another responsible adult. Care is needed as it can be difficult to maintain appropriate hand positions when a child or vulnerable adult is moving. Parents or guardians may be sensitive about physical contact and their views must always be carefully considered.
• Council staff should not become directly involved in supervising children or vulnerable adults except in an emergency situation. Supervision should normally remain the responsibility of parents, guardians, siblings or the leaders of relevant organisations.

As a general rule, staff and volunteers should not spend excessive amounts of time alone with children or vulnerable adults.

You should never:

• Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.
• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.
• Allow children or vulnerable adults to use inappropriate language without challenge.
• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child or vulnerable adult, even in fun.
• Allow allegations made by a child or vulnerable adult to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
• Do things of a personal nature for children or vulnerable adults that they can do for themselves.

It may in the case of an emergency be necessary for staff to do things of a personal nature for children/vulnerable adults, particularly if they are young or have impairments. These tasks should only be carried out with the full consent of parents or person in charge and the children/vulnerable adults involved. You need to be responsive to the child’s/vulnerable adult’s reactions – if a child is fully dependent upon you, talk with him/her about what you are doing, give choices where possible, particularly, if you are involved in any dressing or undressing, or where there is physical contact or lifting or assisting a child to carry out a particular activity.

If you accidentally hurt a child/vulnerable adult; he/she seems distressed in any manner; appears to be sexually aroused by your actions; or misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done, report any such incident as soon as possible to the Chief Officer or another colleague and make a brief written note of it. Parents/guardians or carers should be informed of the incident.