Policy Statement:

The National House Project's (NHP) vision is to create a world where young people in, and leaving care, live connected and fulfilling lives’. In realising our vision, we aim to create a safer world for children in care and care leavers to enable them to sustain positive change in their lives. We will do all that we can to ensure that children, young people and adults experience of our organisation is one that is free from any form of exploitation or abuse and that they feel respected, supported, and safe. We will not tolerate abuse in any form.

It is NHP's policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions or omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that places children or adults at the risk of any kind of abuse. We have a duty of care towards those children and adults that engage with our services and activities. This policy applies to both children and adults as we work with them through our varied activities. The UK legal definition of a child is any person up to the age of 18 years. As NHP's remit includes working with young people leaving care we also need to have arrangements in place to protect any of those adults that might be at risk of harm and therefore our policy and procedure includes both child and adult protection.

NHP works to enable young people to transition successfully from care into their own home and it is important we recognise that when working to safeguard teenagers, we should aim to not only protect them, but also prepare them for adulthood. This approach includes working in way that empowers them and promotes their resilience having regard to issues of transitional safeguarding (Appendix 1). Transitional Safeguarding is described as: "An approach to safeguarding adolescents and young adults fluidly across developmental stages which builds on the best available evidence, learns from both children's and adult safeguarding practice, and which prepares young people for their adult lives." (Holmes and Smale, 2018)

 

NHP believes that...
  •  All children and adults have an equal right to protection from abuse and neglect, regardless of their age, ability, gender, disability, nationality, racial heritage, faith, sexual orientation, identity or any other additional vulnerability.
  •  The best interests of the child are paramount in all considerations about their welfare and protection, including when to maintain confidentiality and when to share information about them.
  •  The entire staff contingent, volunteers, consultants, trustees and visitors all have a role to play in safeguarding children and young adults.
  • Concerns or allegations that NHP staff, volunteers, consultants, trustees or visitors have abused or neglected a child or adult will be managed sensitively and fairly in accordance with this policy, relevant legislation and local safeguarding arrangements.
  • Working together with children, carers/parents and authorities is essential in promoting welfare and ensuring the protection of children and adults at risk. In some limited circumstances, it will not be appropriate to engage with carers/parents in order to protect a child or adult at risk.
  • As part of working together, NHP expect the relevant authorities to act on our concerns. We will escalate our concerns, where necessary, in our efforts to be satisfied that our concern has been taken seriously and the child or adult at risk has been protected.

 

Purpose and Scope:

NHP supports and advises local authorities in supporting children and young people in transition and works directly with children and young adults leaving care via Care Leavers National Movement Consequently, NHP requires a safeguarding policy and procedures which safeguard those engaged in our activities and services. The policy and the accompanying procedures are essential because they provide a clear process for all our staff, volunteers, trustees, consultants and visitors. This ensures that everyone is clear about their roles, responsibilities and expectations to protect children and adults at risk from harm. NHP's safeguarding policy and procedures must be followed alongside procedures, protocols and arrangements as detailed in local authority Multiagency Safeguarding Arrangements.

Application:

This policy and the associated code of conduct and procedures apply to NHP entire staff contingent, volunteers, trustees, consultants and visitors.

NHP requires that our partners, current or in future, share our commitment to safeguarding. We will expect them to demonstrate this to us by having their own safeguarding policy and procedures in place that are fit for purpose before any partnership agreement is agreed or continued. If they do not have their own safeguarding policy then they must read and agree to this policy.

Our commitment to safeguard:

 

NHP will fulfil its commitment to safeguarding by
  • Valuing, listening to and respecting children and adults in receipt of our activities and services.
  • Providing a code of conduct for staff, volunteers, trustees, consultants and visitors which also links to other policies and procedures.
  • Ensuring suitable staff, volunteers and trustees are recruited to work with children or adults by adhering to our Safer Recruitment Policy.
  • Providing effective management to NHP staff through induction, supervision, appraisal and support.
  • Providing staff, volunteers and trustees with training appropriate to their safeguarding role and responsibilities.
  • Establishing a safeguarding governance structure with assigned roles and responsibilities, including the identification of operational and strategic safeguarding leads and a lead trustee for safeguarding.
  • Monitoring and regularly reviewing our safeguarding practice in order to draw out any lessons learnt or implications for policy and practice.
  • Making this policy available to carers/parents, young people, adults and professionals via our website and alerting them to it if they have concerns and want to contact us.
  • Having a young person's safeguarding policy that is available to them on the website and in hard copy to Care Leavers National Movement members.
  • Recognise that each Local House Project works to their own Safeguarding arrangements.
  • Ensuring that each contracted service provider either has their own safeguarding policy or agrees to abide by the NHP safeguarding policy.
  • Reviewing our safeguarding policy, procedures, and code of conduct every two years or sooner if it is required due to legal changes or any learning from safeguarding incidents.

 
  If you are accessing our services or wish to know more, read the full safeguarding policy here

 

Contact Us

If you have a query relating to this policy, please contact us: 

Couzens Building CO3A,
Crewe Green Road,
Crewe
CW1 5DU
Tel: 01270 215888 / 07876 217799
enquiries@thehouseproject.org