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24 July 2026 Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk of Harm Policy (v. April 2026) 1. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to set out our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who comes in to contact with our organisation; including children and adults at risk of harm involved as visitors and as participants in any of our activities both on and off site. We will fulfil our duty to safeguard and support our staff and volunteers. It outlines our commitment to prevent abuse, recognise concerns and respond effectively to protect individuals from harm. This policy ensures that all staff, volunteers and partners understand their duty of care, act in accordance with UK safeguarding legislation and guidance and create a safe, respectful environment where people are supported and able to thrive. This policy is a fundamental part of our governance responsibilities and priorities. Trustees responsibilities include ensuring that the organisation provides a safe environment and protects staff, volunteers, and anyone who comes into contact with it from abuse or maltreatment of any kind. 2. Scope This policy applies to all staff and volunteers, including trustees. 3. Definitions • Child: Anyone under the age of 18 years old. • Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in Working Together 2026 as: o providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge o protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online o preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development o ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care o promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children o taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework o Outcome 1: Children, young people and families stay together and get the help they need o Outcome 2: Children and young people are safe in and outside their homes o Outcome 3: Children and young people are supported by their family network o Outcome 4: Children in care and care leavers have stable, loving homes. o Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is defined for the purpose of this guidance as activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suspected to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. This includes harm that occurs inside or outside the home, including in foster care and residential care, as well as online. Effective safeguarding is anti-discriminatory and antiracist. Practitioners should understand and be sensitive to factors, including economic and social circumstances, ethnicity and disability, which can impact children and families’ lives • Adult at risk of abuse or neglect defined by the Care Act 2014 as someone over 18 years old who: o has care and support needs o is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect o as a result of their care and support needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it. If someone has care and support needs but is not currently receiving care or support from a health or care service they may still be an adult at risk 4. Policy This policy must be read in conjunction with the organisations safeguarding procedures and the wider policies and procedures for the organisation which when combined develop a comprehensive and more robust framework for safeguarding including: Code of Conduct, Boundaries, Safer recruitment, IT and Social Media, Cyber Safeguarding, Whistleblowing, Complaints, Health and Safety, Finance, Photography Filming and Video. 4.1 We are committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk, ensuring consistent, lawful, and effective practice across all areas of our work. 4.2 We are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects our legal responsibilities, government guidance and Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership requirements. The organisation recognises that it has responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004 and Working Together 2026. It recognises it responsibilities to safeguard Adults at Risk of Harm under the Care Act 2014. The organisation will act in accordance with all relevant legislation including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the Terrorism Act (2000) and the Modern Slavery Act 2015. 4.3 We will fulfil our duty to report Serious Safeguarding Incidents as part of our governance and reporting responsibilities to the Charity Commission. 4.4 We ensure that everyone involved in the organisation is aware of their responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and adults at risk of harm, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them. 4.5 We recognise that while it is the responsibility of the relevant statutory agencies to determine whether or not abuse has taken place it is everyone’s responsibility to report any concerns and all staff, volunteers, trustees and partners will know how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. 4.6 We have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse. There are no excuses for not taking all reasonable actions to protect children and adults at risk of abuse, exploitation, radicalisation and or mistreatment. 4.7 We are committed to the principle that all children and adults at risk whatever their age, ability, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity have equal rights to protection from abuse. 4.8 Adults will be included in swift and personalised safeguarding responses, in line with the six principles of safeguarding for adults and Making Safeguarding Personal. 4.9 We are committed to inter agency collaboration and information sharing to safeguard children and adults at risk of harm. 4.10 We act to protect children and adults at risk of harm from safeguarding harm both in person and/or from cyber/ virtual risks. 4.11 We ensure all the organisation’s operations and activities are designed and delivered with effective safeguarding in mind to protect adults and children from abuse. 4.12 We provide effective management, induction training, regular refresher training and support for all staff, volunteers and trustees to know about and follow our safeguarding policy and procedures. 4.13 We will share and report all safeguarding concerns to the relevant internal staff and external authorities swiftly and appropriately, following our Safeguarding Procedures, including any allegations of safeguarding concerns about staff or volunteers against a child/ren using the Local Authority Designated Officer process and will report extremism and radicalisation concerns 4.14 We manage the risks of extremist or terrorist abuse and do not support or enable terrorism or other illegal conduct, such as hatred on the grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation. Read the ‘Engaging public speakers and protection from abuse for extremist purposes’ policy and procedures for detail 4.15 We will act in an appropriate professional behaviour as set out in our Code of Conduct and Boundaries policies and procedures. Failure to maintain standards may be dealt with using our Disciplinary Procedures. 4.16 We recruit and select staff and volunteers safely; ensuring all necessary checks are made, including on when to obtain a DBS check in line with our recruitment policy and procedures. 4.17 We have implemented a comprehensive cyber safety policies and procedures, including a Cyber Safeguarding Incident Plan to identify, mitigate and address cybercrime. This plan aims to protect the organisation, its staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries from the harms of cyber-attacks. 4.18 We actively promote a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting welfare to be addressed and for staff/volunteers and trustees to feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in fulfilling their safeguarding role. 4.19 We practise Professional Curiosity, understanding what life is like for the individual and being alert to the needs of children and adults at risk of harm and any risks of harm that individual abusers, or potential abusers, may pose to children and adults at risk 4.20 A senior board trustee takes leadership responsibility for the organisation’s safeguarding arrangements and ensures safeguarding is part of the agenda for all trustee board meetings enabling trustees to fulfil their safeguarding governance responsibilities. 4.21 We have a Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for the organisation. 4.22 This policy and safeguarding procedures are available on our website, and or on demand. 4.24 Our policy is to keep children and adults at risk of harm safe by valuing, listening to and respecting them. We actively uphold that; o The welfare of the child or adult at risk is paramount o All children and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse o Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility o Professional Curiosity is important in recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns o Following information sharing procedures in safeguarding is vital 4.25 We implement effective safeguarding systems where the child’s and adult at risk of harm’s needs are paramount: and staff, volunteers and trustees use their professional judgement to put the person’s needs at the heart of the safeguarding system so that the right solution can be found for each individual 4.26 Safeguarding for adults is person-led and outcome focused, engaging the adult at risk in a conversation about how best to respond to their safeguarding situation. We consider capacity, consent and decision making, the six key adult principles of safeguarding adults and Making Safeguarding Personal. 5. Monitoring and Review Date approved or amended Signed Role This policy and related procedure will be monitored by the Board of Trustees annually or sooner if there is a change in legislation or an serious safeguarding incident occurs. Fundamental Principles of Safeguarding 1. Important terminology used in this document 1. Child- The term child has the specific legal meaning of anyone below the age of 18 years 2. Safeguarding children refers to the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)) their welfare, health, wellbeing and development 3. Adult -The term adult refers to anyone aged 18 years or over. 4. Adult at risk of harm- refers to an adult who has needs for care and support, is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and may be unable to protect themselves (often referred to as a vulnerable adult). 5. Safeguarding adults-refers to preventing harm and to reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care or support needs. 6. Rotary has overall responsibility for safeguarding within the organisation. They ensure that the organisation complies with duties under legislation. Rotary has a role to play in: 7. identifying concerns; sharing information and; taking prompt action. Rotary Policy seeks to provide an environment where all can work safely to serve the community at large and for their own personal development. 8. Rotary will take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk. The organisation is committed to ensure that all, and specifically those who are vulnerable, are kept safe from harm while they are involved with the organisation in any way. We all have a personal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare and wellbeing of all children and adults at risk of harm by protecting them from abuse and will support them wherever this happens. Our commitment Rotary will: • stop abuse or neglect whenever possible • prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect • promote the general welfare, health, wellbeing and development of all and take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk • protect, maintain and uphold the human rights of children and adults at risk of harm • eliminate discrimination • take steps to deal with bullying or exploitation of any kind whenever or wherever it may be found • provide support, training and protection for everyone. To meet this commitment, St John will ensure the following: • All Rotary members should be familiar with and have access to the safeguarding policy and procedures • The organisation continues to monitor the implementation of the safeguarding policy and procedures and takes any measures required to strengthen and improve existing practice • Rotary members should know who to contact for further information and advice • Children and adults at risk of harm, parents and carers should know how to voice their concerns and obtain help if they are unhappy or worried about anything. |
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