Safeguarding Policy for the South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Partnership, including ARC

Policy statement

All children, young people and adults at risk[1] have a fundamental right to be protected from all types of harm and abuse. They also have the right to expect adults in positions of responsibility to do everything possible to promote their welfare, keep them safe and practise in a way that protects them. 

SHAK is committed to upholding these rights as a vital part of our wok to improve the wellbeing, inclusion and life chances of people living locally. We recognise that all children, young people and adults at risk have an equal right to protection, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We recognise, too, that some children, young people and adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of their previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues. 

This policy and the supporting annexes set out our arrangements for preventing abuse from happening and for responding quickly and appropriately where abuse occurs or is suspected. 

The policy covers all of SHAK’s activities and our youth provision (ARC). It applies to everyone working with SHAK and ARC, including the board of trustees, paid staff, sessional workers, volunteers, and anyone else working on our behalf. 

We will seek to keep children, young people and adults at risk safe by:

  • Building a safe culture where everyone is valued, listened to and respected and feels comfortable raising concerns. 
  • Designating a safeguarding lead, deputy safeguarding leads and a lead trustee for safeguarding and being clear about roles and responsibilities.
  • Keeping up-to-date with safeguarding best practice and incorporating this throughout our policies and procedures. 
  • Practising safe recruitment of trustees, staff and volunteers, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
  • Providing guidance, training and support so that everyone working for us understands what’s required of them in relation to safeguarding and feels equipped to make informed and confident responses to specific issues.
  • Ensuring we provide a safe physical environment, and that all activities and services are adequately supervised.
  • Identifying potential risks and looking at how these can be minimised. As part of this, assessing the extra safeguards needed to keep children, young people and adults who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse
  • Helping those we work with to protect themselves and others, including by sharing information and good practice, by making sure they know how to report a concern or incident and through the content of our programmes. 
  • Taking all suspicions and allegations of abuse seriously and responding to them swiftly and appropriately.
  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents/carers, adults at risk, the people who support them and with other agencies. 
  • Recording, storing and using information safely and securely in line with data protection legislation and guidance.
  • Monitoring our performance and reviewing this policy annually (next review December 2023). Reviews may also be prompted by changes in legislation and/or by the results of a significant case.

Key contacts

Designated lead for safeguarding  –  John Boyle 

Phone/email:  0207 372 9249 /  jboyle@shakonline.co.uk

Deputy designated lead for safeguarding (ARC) – Leanne Lewis

Phone/email: 0207 624 8935 /  llewis@shakonline.co.uk 

Deputy designated lead for safeguarding (SHAK) – Elze Zymantaite

Phone/email: 02073727021 / elze@shakonline.co.uk

Lead trustee for safeguarding – Elena Besussi

Phone/email: 02073727021 / chair@shakonline.co.uk   

Social Services Office and out of hours duty social worker 

Phone number: 020 7974 4444 during office hours

Emergency out of hours number 020 7278 4444

Address Crowndale Centre, Eversholt Street, NW1 1BD

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): LADO@camden.gov.uk / 

Sonia Forbes Sonia.forbes@camden.gov.uk  0207974 4351, 07880 055223 

Local Police: West Hampstead Police Station, 21 Fortune Green Road, London NW6 1DX.    07920 233766

Annexes

  1. The legal framework
  • Roles and responsibilities of Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputies and of Lead Trustee for Safeguarding 
  • Recognising, responding to and reporting abuse
  • Safe recruitment of staff and volunteers
  • Managing allegations against staff or volunteers
  • Digital safeguarding

[1] An adult at risk is a person aged 18 or over: who is in need of care and support (whether or not those needs are being met); who is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect; and who because of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it