SAFEGUARDING POLICY

A&A Fitness Limited t/a CrossFit Southampton (further referred to as CrossFit Southampton) –

Safeguarding Policy

 

What are the key policy principles?

CrossFit Southampton is committed to ensuring its safeguarding practices reflect statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and requirements.

CrossFit Southampton recognises that the welfare and interests of children and young vulnerable adults are important in all circumstances regardless of age, gender, religion or beliefs, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.

 

People Responsibilities

CrossFit Southampton recognises that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

 

Learners and Parents

You are responsible for:

• Ensuring that you are fully aware of this policy, so when you believe there is a need to notify us of such an incident you immediately inform the designated safeguarding officer or necessary authorities within the organisation. The policy is clearly displayed on our website at crossfitsouthampton.com and available to view on TeamUp within your account.

 

Coaches

• Warranting you fully understand the details of this policy to take the appropriate action and inform the managing directors and the necessary authorities when considered appropriate.

 

Managing Directors

• Responsible for full compliance
• Undertaking and completion of a full investigation on any issues or concerns raised
• Reporting any incident to the necessary authorities To ensure all staff are DBS checked; that all staff have received appropriate safeguarding training that is regularly updated, are aware of and understand the boxes safeguarding policy

 

What is the process?

 

1. Our commitment

All our coaches who work with learners have a crucial role to play in their learner journey. You have a unique opportunity to interact in ways that are both affirming and inspiring. This policy has been produced (and is supported by Information, Advice and Guidance), to help you to establish safe and responsive environments which safeguard all individuals and reduce the risk of improper or unprofessional conduct.

We all have a duty of care to safeguard and promote welfare for all, and to enhance awareness of the broader welfare spectrum.

2. Objectives

The aim of the policy is to ensure you are aware and understand your responsibilities; Understand the responsibility of others, signs that might be a safeguarding concern, along with reporting procedures for all safeguarding issues.

3. Scope

This policy covers the safeguarding of learners within our delivery and learners within any subcontracted provision.

It is inclusive of specific highlighted safeguarding agenda areas – as defined by law, and in the wider context all our students, learners and staff. 

4. Key Contacts

Designated Safeguarding Officer: Charles Balchin Email: charles@crossfitsouthampton.com
Contact No: 07816564215

5. Definitions

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm (NSPCC) and can also apply to vulnerable adults over the age of 18. The Safeguarding Agenda includes a wide range of potential:

• Abuse (physical, emotional, financial, institutional, sexual, organisational)
• Self-neglect
• Discrimination
• Child sexual exploitation
• Bullying & cyberbullying
• Substance misuse
• Fabricated or induced Illness
• Faith abuse
• Forced marriage
• Gang and youth violence
• Private fostering
• Female genital mutilation (FGM)
• Gender based violence
• Radicalisation
• Sexting
• Teenage relationship abuse
• Mental health concerns

A Child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 including unborn children right up to teenagers (UK government guidance).

 

An adult at risk (previously vulnerable adult) is defined as any person over the age of 18 and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their need for support or personal circumstance.

Alongside the Safeguarding Agenda above this could be due to, and not limited to any of the following:

• Living in sheltered housing
• Receiving any form of health care
• Receiving a welfare service to support their need to live independently
• Receiving a service due to their age or disability
• Living in residential accommodation such as a care home
• Receiving domiciliary care in their own home

 

While the definitions of a child and adult at risk give the rationale for legislative intervention, it is important to note that an individual may be deemed at higher risk of a safeguarding issue affecting them due to other factors, examples:

 

• Poor numeracy and literacy skill, or specific learning need
• Unsupportive home environment
• English not a first language
• Unsupportive employer
• Under represented group
• Acting as a carer for another family member
• Background in offending
• Disability or social need

 

 

6. Our responsibility

We all have a responsibility to ensure that children, young people and adults are protected from harm, informed about potential risks to their welfare, and understand how to seek help.

We must ensure all concerns are dealt with in a timely manner and appropriately. We also have a responsibility to minimise the risk of allegations against you.

 

All staff are expected to comply with any DBS check request and to have a good understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding or welfare concern and how to provide support, guidance in such instances and the channels for escalating a concern.

 

To assist you in this, on-going training and awareness, as well as continuous information, advice and guidance will help you to feel confident in proactively promoting safeguarding and understanding your individual responsibilities.

 

The responsibilities of individuals are detailed below:

 

• Our Managing Directors – to ensure we have effective policies, and to ensure policies are implemented and followed, and sufficient time and resources are allocated to employees to carry out their responsibilities.
• Our Designated Safeguarding Officer – Carry out investigations where appropriate into welfare concerns reported and liaise with external bodies such as the safeguarding board where appropriate. Overall recording and management of safeguarding issues and report on any issues that arise. Review procedures and policies on a timely basis. Maintain own CPD to ensure their role can be fulfilled competently.
• Our Coaches and Staff – to check safety and welfare with all learners at each visit/communication, ensuring learners complete all safety related learning activities within their programme.

 

You must be mindful of indicators and that there may be a safeguarding issue – see Appendix), and if required to follow our flowchart for reporting issues that concern them or are reported to them (see Appendix).

 

7. Safer Recruitment

CrossFit Southampton carries out a safe recruitment process and ensures that all appropriate checks are carried out on new staff that will work or encounter children and adults in line with the Disclosure and Barring Service requirements. See resourcing policy for further detail on recruitment procedures.

 

7.1 Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is an executive agency of the Home Office and its primary purpose is to help employers make safer recruitment decisions and appointments. By conducting checks DBS helps to identify applicants who may be unsuitable for certain work and positions, especially those involving contact with children (those less than 18 years old) or adults at risk. Depending on the type and regularity of contact with children or adults at risk involved in a particular role, employers are entitled to make appropriate types of enquiry about the applicant’s criminal record and seek a disclosure through a DBS check.

 

CrossFit Southampton undertakes different types of criminal records checks depending on the role applied for:

 

1. Standard DBS check This will be for positions that are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. This type of check contains details of an individual’s      convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings recorded on police central records and includes both ‘spent’ and ‘unspent’ convictions that will be shown on a criminal records check.
2. Enhanced DBS check this will be for positions included in both the ROA 1974 Exceptions Order and in the Police Act 1997 regulations. This type of check contains the same details as the standard check plus any information held locally by police forces that it is reasonably considered to be relevant to the post applied for.
3. Enhanced DBS & barred list check (child) An enhanced check with information from the DBS’s children’s barred list is only available for those individuals engaged in regulated activity with children and a small number of posts as listed in the Police Act 1997 regulations.
4. Enhanced DBS & barred list check (adult) An enhanced check with information from the DBS’s adults barred list is only available for those individuals engaged in regulated activity with adults and a small number of posts as listed in the Police Act 1997 regulations.
5. Enhanced DBS & barred list check (child and adult) An enhanced check with information from the DBS’s children and adults barred list is only available for those individuals engaged in regulated activity with both vulnerable groups including children and a small number of posts as listed in the Police Act regulations.

 

7.2 When and What Type of DBS Check is Appropriate

Even where a post has some contact with a child or vulnerable adult, the definition of regulated activity may not be fully satisfied, but in order to safeguard our learners any unsupervised contact with learners will result in an enhanced DBS check with child barred list.

 

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012) defines what types of activities involving children and adults at risk are regulated and therefore require barring list checks.

Regulated Activity is a term that defines activities that an individual engages in. The criteria for regulated activity differs for adults and children as detailed below:

 

Children

 

• Regular activity (once per week or 4 times over the course of 1 month)
• Unsupervised activity
• Teaching, coaching, training, assessing, mentoring based activities – working intensively and closely with a child within a specified setting

Adult

 

• Aiding in someone’s personal affairs or allowing someone else to do so
• Aid with cash, bills and shopping (allowing someone else to or shopping on someone’s behalf)

 

Further advice on types of DBS disclosure and the circumstances in which regulated activity applies can be obtained from the support team.

 

When the most suitable candidate for the position has been identified, the offer of appointment will be made subject to a satisfactory DBS, right to work, references and qualification checks.

In the instance that the outcome of a DBS check has not been received from the appropriate authority prior to learner visits being carried out, all visits with learners will be supervised by a person whose DBS outcome has been received and approved. The managing directors will be responsible for arranging this supervision.

 

As a DBS check forms part of our recruitment process for both employed and self-employed team members, we encourage all candidates to declare anything relevant to the type of disclosure required for the role they applied for. Once an offer has been made, candidates should tell us of any further details of convictions, including those that normally would be considered as spent, cautions or reprimands.

 

DBS checks have no official expiry date, however we will re-apply for the appropriate types of DBS checks as or when required our aim is to review on a 3-year basis during employment or self-employment at CrossFit Southampton.

 

7.3 Confidentiality

Information provided in a DBS disclosure report must be kept confidential and only on a need-to-know basis. Such information will be handled in accordance with CrossFit Southampton’s policies on data protection.

We recognise that applicants and our employees need to feel confident that information about their convictions will not be disclosed to colleagues unless there is a specific reason for doing so. Those involved in recruitment decisions should ensure that when appointing an individual with a conviction, they are advised as to whom within CrossFit Southampton knows of their conviction and the reasons why the information has been disclosed.

 

Failure to Disclose Information Relevant to the Type of DBS Check Appropriate to your role having a criminal record does not necessarily preclude an individual from working at CrossFit Southampton

The decision as to whether a person with a criminal record should be appointed, or an offer of employment withdrawn, or employment terminated will be taken only after careful and thorough consideration of the outcome of any DBS check as well as the job and offence related factors as explained.

 

Failure to disclose information relevant to the type of DBS check appropriate to your role would be seen by CrossFit Southampton as a breach of trust and confidence. Such acts are considered as gross misconduct and you would be invited to a disciplinary hearing with a potential outcome of instant dismissal.

 

7.4 Exploring the Relevance of Information Provided in the Disclosure Report

As we explained in the previous section having a criminal record does not necessarily preclude an individual from working at CrossFit Southampton. The decision as to whether a candidate with a criminal record should be appointed, or an offer of employment withdrawn, will be taken only after careful and thorough consideration of the outcome of any DBS check as well as the job offered.

Like the recruitment process, a disclosure of a criminal record will not necessarily lead to termination of your employment with us and the decision will be taken only after careful and thorough consideration of the job and offence related factors. Any decision to terminate employment would follow our Disciplinary Policy (or Probation). A managing director alongside the designated safeguarding officer, will make an initial assessment of the content of the disclosure report.

 

7.5 Exploring a Conviction and its Relevance

All discussions relating to convictions must take place after the selection process has been completed and will involve a managing director and, if appropriate, the company designated safeguarding officer. As part of the decision-making process they will normally meet with the individual to gain more information from the person about the nature and circumstances of any conviction. The suitability for employment of a person with a criminal record will clearly vary, depending upon the nature of the job and the details and circumstances of any convictions.

 

The decision will be made based on a risk assessment to enable the applicant’s criminal record and circumstances to be assessed in relation to the tasks he or she will be required to perform and the circumstances in which the work is to be carried out.
The following job-related factors should be considered:

• Does the post involve direct contact with learners or the public?
• What level of supervision will the post-holder receive?
• What level of trust is involved? Will the nature of the job present any opportunities for the post-holder to reoffend in the place of work?
• Does the post involve any contact with children or other vulnerable groups of learners or employees?
• The assessment is also likely to include consideration of the following factors relating to the individual’s offence(s):
• The seriousness of the offence(s) and relevance to the safety of other employees, students, research subjects, the public etc.;
• The length of time since the offence(s) occurred.

 

8. Reporting a Concern (Please also see the Concern Process Flow Chart)

If the learner has a concern over their own personal welfare and wellbeing, you are to listen to and record all information given, making no judgement or assumptions and inform the Designated Safeguarding Officer.

All learners are to be informed that if they have a concern over their own personal welfare and wellbeing that they do not feel comfortable talking to their coach about, they are to contact CrossFit Southampton’s designated safeguarding officer, or can be provided with details of outside organisations if they’d prefer.

 

Contact details for safeguarding officer are available in this policy (see section 4). If a parent contacts you to report a concern about their child, ensure you listen, and record the details as per a learner reporting a concern to you. Ensure you have contact details for the parent.

 

You must report the issue to the safeguarding officer. The safeguarding officer will then decide the appropriate course of action, and if a referral outside the organisation is appropriate, liaise with the parent as appropriate.

 

If a learner reports unsafe practices or safeguarding issues to you within their working environment advise the learner to follow in house reporting procedures. You may support the learner in speaking to the appropriate senior team members. Report the incident to the designated safeguarding officer who will offer additional guidance and signposting for the learner, and will monitor.

 

It is important you do not pass any information to other parties or try to investigate the concern yourself.

If you require an immediate response call your designated safeguarding officer immediately, it is noted that the designated officer may not be available out of normal working hours, so in circumstances where the individual is in immediate danger report the incident to the police on 999.

 

• The designated safeguarding officer will endeavour to make initial contact with regard to the concerns within 72 hours.
• The designated safeguarding officer will assess if the individual is at risk of significant harm and decide upon the next course of action and complete the relevant documentation. This can range from offering signposting to support agencies to referral to the police and local safeguarding authorities.

 

9. Training and Educating Employees

Each member of the safeguarding team holds a formal safeguarding qualification and undertakes regular CPD events in order to keep updated with legislation and refresh their knowledge.

 

10. Keeping Yourself Safe

Maintaining personal safety is also encouraged and the following activities are strictly prohibited for CrossFit Southampton Staff:

 

• Befriending young and vulnerable adult learners on personal social media sites or distributing personal telephone numbers
• Visiting young and vulnerable adult learners at home or transporting child learners to and from locations
• You will naturally build a rapport with learners, and the learners may see you as a confident and support but be sure to maintain professional boundaries whenever carrying out work on behalf of CrossFit Southampton.
• Be respectful of all members, notably young and vulnerable adults, and appreciate you are in a position of trust. We have the opportunity to listen to their concerns and support them.
• Avoid spending time alone with learners in a closed environment. If this is unavoidable ensure a member of staff is aware where you are, and monitors this.
• Be careful when giving learners advice – as this is based on your opinion, focus support around information (facts) and guidance (signposting).
• If at any point you feel unsafe in a learner’s company inform the designated safeguarding officer or one of the managing directors.

11. Future Extensions to the Safeguarding Offering

A dedicated safeguarding officer has been identified and is able to provide both CrossFit Southampton employees and learners with a greater focus on safeguarding and safety of learners.

 

Concern Process Flow Chart

Learner has a concern

• Over their own personal welfare and wellbeing or unsafe practices or safeguarding issues.
• Over their own personal welfare or has a concern about a learner who has shown some signs of behaving in a way that promotes radicalisation or extremism.
• Observing a safeguarding issue taking place within the working practices of an employer setting.

 

Learner

• If they have a concern over their own personal welfare and wellbeing that they do not feel comfortable talking to their coach, they are to contact the designated safeguarding officer listed within.
• Safeguarding incidents are recorded in a safeguarding log and should be reported to the designated safeguarding officer in the first instance.
• If you require an immediate response call your designated safeguarding officer immediately if they are not available and circumstances where an individual is in immediate danger report the incident to police on 999.
• The designated safeguarding officer will endeavour to make initial contact regarding the concern within 72 hours.
• The designated safeguarding officer to assess if the individual is at risk and complete the next course of action this also includes updating the Safeguarding log.
• Where applicable, the concern will be reported to the designated LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer)

 

 We are committed to reviewing our policies annually when required.

 

Policy title	Safeguarding policy
Version	1
Written by	Charles Balchin (Managing Director)
Date	10/01/2022
Next review	10/01/2024