Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

 
1.    POLICY PURPOSE

1.1    The purpose of this Policy is to outline One Manchester’s approach to Safeguarding in relation to children and young people. Ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to protect children and young people from the risk of harm and abuse and promote their welfare.

2.   POLICY SCOPE

2.1    One Manchester’s approach to safeguarding children and young people are based upon the principles and values that govern how safeguarding policy and procedures should be implemented. These reflect the most recent national statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. It also includes the latest guidance from the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Children Protocols, 2023.

2.2    Child abuse is when a child (those who have not reached their 18th birthday) is intentionally harmed by an adult or another child – it can be over a period of time but can also be a one-off action. It can be physical, sexual or emotional and it can happen in person or online. It can also be a lack of love, care and attention – this is neglect.

2.3    Children may be abused by:

• family members; 
• friends; 
• people working or volunteering in organisational or community settings;
• people they know; 
• strangers.

2.4    One Manchester accepts the national statutory working together to Safeguard Children 2023 and the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Procedures 2023 categories of child abuse:

• Abuse;
• Domestic abuse; 
• Emotional abuse;
• Neglect;
• Sexual abuse;
• Physical abuse;
• Risks outside the Home; 
• Child on Child Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment.

2.5    This Policy applies to all One Manchester employees and volunteers, including Board members. It also applies to Contractors, suppliers and third parties. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.

3.    RELEVANT LEGISLATION & REGULATION

3.1    This Policy and any subsequent procedures have been written in accordance with relevant guidance and legislation which includes:

• Children Act 1989;
• Housing Act 1996;
• Human Rights Act 1998;
• Housing Act 2004;
• Children Act 2004;
• Mental Capacity Act 2005;
• Equality Act 2010;
• Care Act 2014;
• General Data Protection Regulations 2016;
• Children and Social Work Act 2017;
• MSP Manchester’s Child Neglect Strategy (2021-2024);
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023;
• Greater Manchester Safeguarding Children Procedures Manual Welcome (proceduresonline.com);
• Manchester – Early Help Strategy;
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard;
• Neighbourhood and Community Standard.

4.    POLICY STATEMENT

4.1    Guiding Principles

The guiding principles in our approach to safeguarding children are based upon the key principle that safeguarding children and young people is everyone’s responsibility. One Manchester adopts the four “R’s” of safeguarding to remind everyone of these responsibilities.

• Recognise – everyone must be familiar with the signs and symptoms of child abuse.
• Record – any concerns or observations of abuse must be accurately recorded.
• Report – concerns or observations of abuse must be reported in accordance with the One Manchester Safeguarding Procedures.
• Refer – where there is a concern of immediate risk to a child or young person, do not delay and call the Police on 999 and then Manchester Children’s Social Services on 0161 234 5001.

5.    CHILD AND YOUNG PEOPLES VOICE

    One Manchester recognises that the welfare of the child is paramount and value the importance of seeking the voice of the child and responding to it appropriately.

5.1    Children have been consulted nationally on what they need around safeguarding and have said that they need:

Vigilance: to have adults notice when things are troubling them

• One Manchester will ensure all staff have training in Safeguarding Children and Young People and promote the culture that safeguarding is everyone’s business.

Understanding and action: to understand what is happening; to be heard and understood; and to have that understanding acted upon

• One Manchester will have clear and accessible Safeguarding Children Procedures;
• One Manchester will have a named Designated Safeguarding Lead;
• One Manchester will ensure there are effective processes in place for investigating allegations against colleagues, contractors and suppliers.

Stability: to be able to develop an ongoing stable relationship of trust with those helping them

• One Manchester will ensure all colleagues who work with children and young people receive support, training, and evaluation of their work involved in safeguarding children.
   

Respect: to be treated with the expectation that they are competent rather than not 

• One Manchester will promote well-being, enjoyment and participation in all child and young people activities it provides or commissions.

Information and engagement: to be informed about and involved in procedures, decisions, concerns and plan.

• One Manchester will actively participate as a member of the Manchester’s Safeguarding Partnership.
• One Manchester will invite feedback from children and young people in all the activities we undertake or commission. 
• One Manchester will ensuring learning from Serious Case Reviews is promoted and embedded.

Explanation: to be informed of the outcome of assessments and decisions and reasons when their views have not met with a positive response

• One Manchester will work to achieve effective information sharing and be honest about their responsibilities to report and share their concerns to ensure all children and young people are safe.

Support: to be provided with support in their own right as well as a member of their family

• One Manchester will ensure that effective measures to safeguard children are not seen in isolation from the wider range of support and services available to meet the needs of children and their families.

Advocacy: to be provided with advocacy to assist them in putting forward their views

• One Manchester will ensure there is effective joint working between agencies and practitioners that have different roles and expertise, knowing when to make referrals.

Protection: to be protected against all forms of abuse and discrimination and the right to special protection and help if a refugee

• One Manchester will align its services with wider Government and Local Authority guidance and initiatives.

6.    TRAINING AND AWARENESS

6.1    One Manchester believes that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. We have therefore invested in training for all colleagues at One Manchester including non-front facing colleagues to recognise the importance of safeguarding, the different types of abuse and neglect and reporting mechanisms for all colleagues. It also covers the four “R’s” outlined as above. In addition to online training courses, we have committed to in person training every year for front facing colleagues to act as a refresher and keep safeguarding paramount. Safeguarding training is mandatory for all colleagues.

7.    REPORTING A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN

7.1    There are a number of ways to report and escalate a safeguarding concern and these are laid out in the Safeguarding Procedure which accompanies this Policy. Operatives can use concern cards that trigger a referral to a group of managers within the business including the Head of Neighbourhoods, Designated Safeguarding Lead. Alternatively, an email can be sent to seeit.sayit@onemanchester.co.uk which is monitored throughout the day, and escalated to the relevant neighbourhood managers and operational safeguarding lead to progress. 
  
7.2    Where there is a concern of immediate risk to a child or young person, do not delay, call the Police on 999 and follow up immediately with a referral to Manchester Social Services at socialcare@manchester.gov.uk or 0161 234 5001.

7.3     If you have been affected by witnessing or having a safeguarding concern or case disclosed to you, please discuss with your line manager and/or people services. We will be able to provide you with support and one to one counselling.

8.    REPORTING AND DATA

8.1    One Manchester will work with relevant agencies to ensure the effective safeguarding of children and young people, ensuring data sharing protocols are in place, and we are fully compliant with GDPR legislation.

8.2    One Manchester also has a mechanism in place to assist the delivery of this policy through Tenancy Experience Visits to all customers homes, every year, conducted by Neighbourhood Officers. These annual visits provide a further route to recognising and acting on the signs of child abuse and creates further opportunities to safeguard children and young people. There is a customer indicator of high, medium or low support which takes into account a range of factors. All safeguarding issues will have a high support rating, ensuring more regular catch ups.

9.    RESPONSIBILITIES

9.1    All managers, colleagues, volunteers, contractors and suppliers are responsible for implementing this Policy and working in line with its associated procedures. Colleagues who manage suppliers and contractors are responsible for ensuring that contractors and suppliers are provided with this Policy, and as part of regular contract and supplier monitoring and management are applying this Policy. Failure to follow this Policy could result in disciplinary proceedings against colleagues and sanctions against contractors and suppliers.

9.2    One Manchester has a Whistleblowing Policy in place. If you are concerned about the conduct of a colleague, contractor, or supplier in relation to Safeguarding or if you believe Safeguarding to not be taken seriously in One Manchester, please raise these concerns with your line manager or the Designated Safeguarding Lead, refer to the Whistleblowing Policy which is available on Enigma or the Director of Governance, Strategy and Business Assurance. If the safeguarding concern or allegation are against or involve the operational safeguarding lead or the designated safeguarding lead, please contact the Chief Experience Officer or the Director of Governance, Strategy and Business Assurance who will be able to assist and ensure due process.

9.3    The One Manchester Board and Chief Executive are responsible for ensuring that this Policy complies with legislative requirements and is effectively implemented. The One Manchester Board has designated a Board member to act as the Board Safeguarding Champion, who will meet with the Designated Safeguarding lead on a regular basis.

9.4    The One Manchester Designated Safeguarding Lead is the Head of Neighbourhoods.

9.5    The Operational Safeguarding Lead is the Neighbourhood Manager (Community Safety).

10.    EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EQIA)

10.1    A full Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken and no risks or impacts were identified.

11.    MONITORING AND REVIEW

11.1    Compliance with this Policy shall be monitored by the One Manchester Board who will receive an annual update on live cases and notifications of serious case reviews. One Manchester Board has designated a Board member to act as the Board Safeguarding Champion, who will meet with the Designated Safeguarding lead on a regular basis.

11.2    We will have in place arrangements for the regular and independent scrutiny of the effectiveness of our safeguarding arrangements.

11.3    This Policy shall be reviewed on an annual basis.

11.4    The Head of Neighbourhoods will be responsible for initiating a review of this Policy.

12.    CONTACT PERSON

12.1    The Head of Neighbourhoods has responsibility for the effective delivery of this Policy.

13.    ASSOCIATED POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS

• Safeguarding Adults Policy;
• Safeguarding Procedure; 
• Anti- Modern Slavery and Anti-Human Trafficking Policy;
• Anti-Social Behaviour Policy;
• Hate Crime Policy;
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy;
• Whistleblowing Policy;
• Disciplinary Policy;
• Recruitment Policy;
• Procurement Policy.