Safeguarding
Policy

GARDEN GUARDIANS SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

The purpose and scope of this policy statement

The purpose of this policy statement is:

•  To protect children and young people who attend Garden Guardians events or who receive our services, from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services.
• To provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Garden Guardians.

 

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

We recognise:

• that everyone has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them
• the importance of giving equal priority to keeping all children and young people safe regardless of their age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

 

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for volunteers and everyone working with us
• providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently
• recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made, including carrying out DBS checks on everyone working at our events
• recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
• using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately.

 

During the Growing Wild For Nature sessions we will:

• foster a supportive environment in which young people feel able to freely express their views and partake in open discussion of the issues raised
• respect the opinions of young people and answer questions asked by students in a positive and constructive way
• deal with the issues covered in a sensitive and sympathetic manner
• ensure that all film footage and/or PowerPoint presentations shown to students have been submitted to the teacher for approval before the visit
• ensure that all literature such as leaflets, factsheets or booklets made available to the students at the end of the session have been approved by the teacher before the beginning of the lesson
• request that schools have a member of staff present at all times during their visit

 

All Growing Wild For Nature staff/volunteers are required to adhere to the following steps should a child make an allegation or disclosure during their visit:

• Listen to the student and believe them.
• Allow them time to talk freely and not ask leading questions.
• Stay calm and not show that you are shocked or upset.
• Not promise to keep what they say a secret, as it is your duty to pass on the information.
• Explain that information will be shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis and only those people who are in a position to support the child will be told.
• Take the child’s name and inform the school’s designated safeguarding lead (DSL) at the end of the session.

 

Contact details

Nominated child protection lead

Name: Rebecca Haynes

Email: rebeccaahimsa@gmail.com