Home Who we are Courses Funded Courses eLearning Funding for Employers Recruitment Partners Contact PAYE Test Background and Definitions The safety of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance. High profile cases of abuse of children and vulnerable adults highlight the importance of vigilance. New forms of abuse such as internet grooming, financial abuse of older people and the extreme difficulties faced by young asylum seekers, mean our policies and procedures need to be continually reviewed to keep abreast of these developments. The Children Act 1989 defines a ‘child’ as a person under the age of 18. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 defines a ‘vulnerable adult’ as a person aged 18 and over and: Receiving a social care service Receiving a health service Living in sheltered accommodation Detained in custody or under a probation order Requiring assistance in the conduct of his/her affairs Receiving a service or participating in an activity targeted at older people, people with disabilities or with physical or mental health conditions Policy Statement The Mainstream Group is fully committed to providing a working and learning environment that is free from abuse and harm. It will actively promote a free and safe culture within all of its work and learning environments by: Clearly identifying and communicating the roles and responsibilities within the organisation for safeguarding Having clear audited procedures in place Training all staff in safeguarding procedures Allocating sufficient resources to safeguarding Applying a zero tolerance to any form of abuse and harm Roles and Responsibilities Managing Director Allocate required resources to provide adequate safeguarding measures Provide leadership in ensuring the safety of Children and Vulnerable Adults. Review and approve safeguarding policy annually Designated Safeguarding Lead (Quality & Safety Manager) Review and update safeguarding procedures Managers Put in place a comprehensive training programme to ensure all staff are competent to undertake safeguarding duties Manage the application of safeguarding procedures in their teams Ensure all staff are competent to undertake their safeguarding duties Review the application of the safeguarding procedures in their teams. Clearly communicate the safeguarding policy to all staff Ensure all learners are aware of the safeguarding policy. Staff Ensure that Managers are aware of any vulnerable adults in their groups Comply with policy and procedures Promote a safe learning environment Safeguarding Policies Safer recruitment policies must be followed in the appointment of all staff. Site Access policies must be followed for the security of all staff and learners Safeguarding Disclosure policies must be followed to ensure all allegations are handled in a controlled manner. Reporting Any incidence or alleged incidence of abuse whatever the nature must be immediately reported to the Line Manager or Director of the Area concerned. In the event of this not being possible you should report your concerns directly to your Designated Safeguarding Lead. In all cases the Line Manager or Director of the Area concerned will put in place preventative measures to stop any possible abuse from continuing, and in consultation with the designated Safeguarding Lead, put in place actions to resolve the issue in the long term. Recording When recording an alleged incidence of abuse, the record must be precise and use the words of the complainant. The record should use accurate quotation and should also, if appropriate, include factual observations about the physical and emotional state of the person sharing their concerns with you. The information must be recorded (MF296 & MF313) and stored securely in line with the Secure Storage Policy and be accessible only to those who need access as part of action taken to resolve a complaint. 024 – SAFEGUARDING DISCLOSURE The objective of Mainstream is to ensure all disclosures made at Mainstream Group are controlled and dealt with immediately. Disclosures may be made in person, via a third party or through the observation of behaviour and/or general conversation. What Mainstream Staff should know and do. Safeguarding and Promoting Welfare Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is defined for the purpose of this policy is: protecting children and vulnerable adults from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s and vulnerable adults health or development; ensuring that children and vulnerable adults progress in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children and vulnerable adults to have the best outcomes. Children includes everyone under the age of 18 years Where a child is suffering harm, or is likely to do so, Mainstream Group staff must take action to protect the child. Action must also be taken to promote the welfare of a child and vulnerable adults in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk. Role of Mainstream Group. Disclosures Everyone who comes into contact with children and vulnerable adults and their families has a role to play in safeguarding. Mainstream Group employees are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help to children and vulnerable adults, to prevent concerns escalating. Mainstream Group and its staff form part of the wider safeguarding system. Mainstream Group and its staff will work with, where required, the Local Authority Designated Safeguarding Officer (LADO), social care, the Police, health services and any other services to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and protect them from harm. Signs of Abuse and Neglect. What to look out for All Mainstream Group staff must be aware of the signs of abuse and neglect so that they are able to identify cases of children and vulnerable adults who may be in need of help or protection. Mainstream Group staff members must adopt and maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare, staff members must always act in the interests of the child and vulnerable adults, notifying the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately. In The Event of Disclosure or Concern. Staff member with concerns If a Mainstream Group staff member has concerns about a child or vulnerable adult they should raise these with their Line Manager or Director of the area concerned. This also includes situations of abuse which may involve staff members. The Line Manager or Director of the area concerned will discuss the concern with the Designated Safeguarding Lead who will usually decide whether to make a referral to children’s social care, the Local Designated Safeguarding Officer (LADO) or the Police if a crime has been committed. It is important to note that any staff member can refer their concerns to the Local Designated Safeguarding Officer (LADO) or the Police directly. If at any point, there is a risk of immediate serious harm to a child or vulnerable adult a referral will be made to the children’s or vulnerable adult’s social care and/or police immediately. Anybody can make a referral. If the situation does not appear to be improving the staff member with concerns must press for re-consideration. Concerns will always lead to help for the individual concerned at some point. Action when a child or vulnerable adult has suffered or is likely to suffer harm Anybody can make a referral Types of Abuse and Neglect. Abuse A form of maltreatment of a child or vulnerable adult. Somebody may abuse or neglect an individual by inflicting harm, or by failing to prevent harm. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children. All personnel at Mainstream Group have a legal, moral and contractual responsibility to ensure this does not happen. In the unlikely event an incident occurs the member of staff involved or witnessing the abuse will report this to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately. Physical abuse A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in an individual. Emotional abuse The persistent emotional maltreatment of an individual such as to cause severe and adverse effects on an individual’s emotional development. It may involve conveying they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the individual opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on them. These may include interactions that are beyond an individual’s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the abused participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing individuals frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of others. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of the maltreatment of individuals, although it may occur alone. Sexual abuse Involves forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the individual is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving the abused in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging individuals to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can children. Neglect The persistent failure to meet basic, physical and/or psychological needs likely to result in the serious impairment of the individual’s health or development. Neglect may also occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. Specific Safeguarding Issues. Child sexual exploitation (CSE) Bullying including cyberbullying Domestic violence Drugs Fabricated or induced illness Faith abuse Female genital mutilation (FGM) Forced marriage Gangs and youth violence Gender-based violence/violence against women and girls (VAWG) Mental health Private fostering Radicalisation Sexting Teenage relationship abuse Trafficking For further information on the above please contact your Line Manager, Director of the area concerned or the Designated Safeguarding Lead. WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY I did a forklift, warehouse and storage course at Mainstream Group, I loved it! All the instructors were very supportive throughout the course and I gained a very useful Level 2 NVQ award in Forklift trucks operations. Would recommend to anybody looking for training. GET IN TOUCH? We are always delighted to hear from you and answer any queries so please enter as many details as possible below or give us a call on 01795 418100. We are always here to help. Mainstream Training Limited Mainstream House, Bonham Drive Sittingbourne, ME10 3RY Tel: 01795 418100 Email: enquiries@recruitandtrain.com GDPR Prevent Policy Safeguarding Policy Mainstream Training Complaint Flowchart Complaints Procedure Information, Advice and Guidance Modern Slavery Policy ESF Equality & Diversity Policy ESF Sustainable Development Policy Terms and Conditions for Training Courses | Data Protection Statement | Mainstream Training Complaints REC Swedish Derogation | Gender Pay Gap Mainstream Group © 2021. All rights reserved. Web Design by YONET We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Cookie settings ACCEPT