OPCC Safeguarding contact:

Designated Safeguarding Lead – Liz Hubbuck, Youth Engagement Manager Tel 07392 289317

Email – liz.hubbuck@hampshire.police.uk

If the Safeguarding Lead is not immediately available, please contact; Kate Gunson, Chief of Staff

Tel 07392 314342

Email – kate.gunson2@hampshire.police.uk

Or your line manager

Introduction:

This policy sets out the statutory requirements for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (OPCC HIOW) in discharging its responsibility to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk of harm or abuse. A downloadable copy of the policy can be found here. OPCC Safeguarding Policy 2024

This policy should be read alongside the OPCC’s Whistleblowing Policy:

Whistleblowing Policy – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk)

Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities

The Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team are responsible for ensuring that this policy and related procedures are implemented, monitored and consistently reviewed. The Chief Executive is the Safeguarding Champion within the OPCC and is responsible for dealing with reports or concerns about the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults appropriately. The Senior Management Team are responsible for ensuring the implementation, consistent monitoring and improvements of this Safeguarding policy. The Youth Engagement Manager is responsible for supporting the Chief Executive in ensuring safeguarding is embedded within the organisation.

Policy statement

• This Policy applies to anyone working for and on behalf of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) who has contact with Children (those 18 years of age and under) and young people (those 25 years of age and under).
• This includes the Police and Crime Commissioner, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, all staff, volunteers, casual workers, agency staff and
• OPCC employees have a specific duty of care to ensure that any suspected incident, allegation, or other manifestation relating to child protection is reported using the procedures detailed in this Policy.
• This policy is aligned to relevant legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England, including the Children’s Act 2004 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (DfE), which provides the key statutory guidance for anyone working with children and young people.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cb4349a7ded0000c79e4e1/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023_-_statutory_guidance.pdf

•  This policy provides information about safeguarding and informs managers of what to do when they are alerted to a concern about an employee, casual worker, agency worker, student, or It also signposts to further support relating to safeguarding concerns.
• Safeguarding involves everything an organisation can do to keep children and young people safe, including minimising the risk of harm and accidents and taking action to prevent safeguarding concerns arising in the first place as well as tackling safety concerns.
• Safeguarding requires an employer to be able to respond quickly and appropriately to concerns or allegations relating to the This means having the right policies and procedures in place to deal with difficult situations if they arise.

The OPCC commits to:

• protect and enhance the safety and well-being of all children and young people by actively promoting awareness, best-practice and carefully considered procedures
• actively recognise that children and young people have a fundamental and equal right to be protected from harm regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation
• understand and fully embrace responsibility for safeguarding the safety, protection and well-being of all children and young people involved with the OPCC
• respond appropriately and take seriously any concerns raised by a child, young person or any person working for or on behalf of the OPCC, that relates to the safety, welfare, working environment or discrimination against any person within scope of this policy. Consideration will also be given to the ensure that there is a clear course of action for any person within the scope of this policy to raise any concerns they have
• respond immediately and appropriately where there is a suspicion that any child or young person under the age of 18 years old may be a victim of bullying, harassment, abuse (including physical, sexual, emotional) or This applies to any concern for the child or young person’s welfare outside of the stated work activity, as well as within it.

• The OPCC’s safeguarding lead is – Liz Hubbuck, Youth Engagement Manager

 

• Commissioning

As a commissioner of services, the OPCC has a responsibility to ensure safeguarding responsibilities are detailed in all contracts and grants awarded. The OPCC will work with providers to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and are adhered to in line with best practice arrangements and ensure this is monitored through the contract / grant management process.

Key definitions

For the purpose of this policy, ‘harm’ is defined as:

• child – ‘anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday’.
• abandonment – leaving a child unattended in circumstances that are inappropriate for their age and/ or level of ability
• discrimination that is verbal or physical based on age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation
• emotional abuse – persistent, emotional ill treatment that has a severe adverse effect on the emotional development of children and young people. It may involve conveying to them that they are not wanted, not loved or It may involve inappropriate expectations being placed on the young person, leaving them unable to cope. It may also involve the threatening, exploitation or corruption of children and young people.
• neglect – the persistent failure to meet the basic physical and physiological needs of the young person that results in serious impairment of their health and development, including the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, and failure to respond to basic emotional needs, such as being cared for when sick
  • physical abuse – hitting, kicking, shaking, slapping, throwing, scalding, burning, poisoning, drowning, suffocating, or any other action intended to cause physical harm or ill health to the child or young Physical harm may also be caused when a parent, carer, or other person responsible for a young person covers up the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child or young person within their care
  • sexual abuse or sexual exploitation – forcing or enticing a child or young person to participate in sexual activities, whether or not the child or young person is aware or has knowledge of what is happening. It includes child prostitution, encouraging children or young people to watch or participate in the production of pornographic material, online grooming, encouraging children and young people to behave in inappropriate ways. Sexual acts include penetrative (rape or buggery) and non-penetrative acts such as touching or stroking.

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines ‘consent’ as ‘if an individual agrees by choice and has the capacity to make that choice’. The Act removes the element of consent for many sexual offences for:

• children/ young people under 16 (including under 13)
• children/ young people under 18 having sexual relations with a person of trust (for example: teachers, youth workers, foster carers, police officers)
• children/ young people under 18 involved with family members over 18
• persons with a mental disorder impeding choice or who are induced, threatened, or deceived
• persons with a mental disorder who have sexual relations with care

In relation to young people under the age of 13, consent is irrelevant. The law says, ‘a child under the age of 13 does not, under any circumstances, have the legal capacity to consent to any form of sexual activity’.

The Police must be informed immediately of any sexual activity involving a child under 13 years of age.

Safeguarding – general advice

Situations where concern may be raised, disclosed or observed:

• A child or vulnerable adult may tell you about something or someone that has upset or harmed them
• Someone may disclose they have harmed someone else or themselves
• Someone else might report that a child or vulnerable adult has told them, or that they believe that a child or vulnerable adult has been or is being harmed
• A child or vulnerable adult might show signs of physical injury for which there appears to be no explanation
• A child or vulnerable adult’s behaviour may suggest he or she is being abused
• The behaviour or attitude of a worker towards a child or vulnerable adult worries you
• You witness worrying behaviour from one child or vulnerable adult to another
• A child or vulnerable adult demonstrates worrying behaviour towards other children or vulnerable adults
• You witness something that give you cause for concern
• The situations where staff have contact with the public but not direct work with children or vulnerable adults could include OPCC summer events, meetings, out and about days, surgeries, contact correspondence, etc.

Good practice guidelines for staff working with volunteers Social media

Staff should only be ‘friends’ with volunteers on social networking sites via a designated and approved work account for business purposes.

Personal details

Staff should not divulge details such as their home address, personal phone numbers and email addresses to volunteers.

Role modelling

Staff should be a positive role model, this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in front of volunteers. Staff should never allow a volunteer to drink or use drugs when working or attending events. Staff should promote healthier lifestyles, be appropriately dressed and work in a respectful manner, e.g. not use obscene language. Staff should never make sexually suggestive comments.

Staff should not socialise with, or invite a volunteer to their home and never enter into inappropriate relationships (i.e. relationships of an intensely personal or sexual nature), even though some volunteers are over the age of consent.

Gifts

Staff should not give, or loan, money, presents or items to volunteers. Gifts given to OPCC staff should fall within the OPCC staff policy.

Touch

Staff need to maintain a safe and appropriate distance, work in an open environment, ideally with another worker present and avoid physical contact. Where any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and with the consent of the volunteer.

Spending time alone

If for any reason a member of staff is supervising a volunteer on a one to one basis, this should ideally be done in a public area. It is accepted that this will not always be possible, and in such cases the door to the room should be kept open. If possible, another member of staff should be made aware that such one to one supervision is taking place.

It is inappropriate for a member of staff to share a bedroom with a volunteer.

It is recognised that occasionally staff members may be required to take a volunteer in their vehicle. In this case the staff member should advise a colleague of the time they leave, where they are going, with who and what time they are due to finish that journey. The staff member should then confirm with that colleague that the journey has been completed and the volunteer is safely at their destination.

If the volunteer is under 16 years of age they should take a registered and pre-booked taxi with parental consent.

Personal values

Staff should work in an inclusive and respectful manner. Staff should refrain from discussing internal issues in front of volunteers, who may misconstrue information received or which may present the office or PCC in a negative light. Equally staff should never show disrespect for a person’s culture, religion or personal choices in line with the OPCC’s equality and diversity policy.

Photography

Photos taken with volunteers are for use on official channels only and with their consent.

Safeguarding Disabled Children (referenced from HIPS Safeguarding Procedures) https://hipsprocedures.org.uk/qkyyhh/children-in-specific-circumstances/abuse-of-disabled-children/#s3667

 The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) defines a disabled person as someone who has “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” According to the DDA ‘substantial’ means ‘more than minor or trivial’ and ‘long-term’ means that it ‘has lasted or is likely to last more than a year’.

Vulnerability to abuse

Safeguarding disabled children’s welfare is everybody’s responsibility, and given that we know that disabled children are more vulnerable to abuse than non-disabled children, awareness amongst professionals about safeguarding disabled children and what constitutes best practice, is essential. Disabled children may be especially vulnerable to abuse for a number of reasons. For example:

• Many disabled children are at an increased likelihood of being socially isolated with fewer outside contacts than non-disabled children
• Their dependency on parents and carers for practical assistance in daily living, including intimate personal care, increases their risk of exposure to abusive behavior.
• They have an impaired capacity to resist or avoid abuse
• They may have speech, language and communication needs which may make it difficult to tell others what is happening
• They often do not have access to someone they can trust to disclose that they have been abused
• They are especially vulnerable to bullying and intimidation
• Looked-after disabled children are not only vulnerable to the same factors that exist for all children living away from home, but are particularly susceptible to possible abuse because of their additional dependency on residential and hospital staff for day to day physical care needs.

For more information, see Safeguarding disabled children (Department for Education).

Indicators of possible abuse or neglect

When undertaking an assessment (and considering whether significant harm might be indicated) professionals should always take into account the nature of the child’s disability. The following are some indicators of possible abuse or neglect:

• A bruise in a site that might not be of concern on an ambulant child, such as the shin, might be of concern on a non-mobile child
• Not getting enough help with feeding leading to malnourishment
• Poor toileting arrangements
• Lack of stimulation
• Unjustified and/or excessive use of restraint
• Rough handling, extreme behaviour modification e.g. deprivation of liquid, medication, food or clothing
• Unwillingness to try to learn a child’s means of communication
• Ill-fitting equipment e.g. calipers, sleep boards, inappropriate splinting; misappropriation of a child’s finances
• Invasive procedures which are unnecessary or are carried out against the child’s will.

Reporting procedures

All employees must bring safeguarding concerns to the attention of the Safeguarding Champion

In an emergency:

It is vital to take every action which is needed to safeguard the child or young person. Immediate action is necessary in the following situations:

• if emergency medical attention is required, phone the emergency services or (if relevant DBS and Travel checks are passed) take the child/ young person to the nearest Accident and Emergency department
• if the child or young person is in immediate danger the police should be contacted by calling 999

Do not wait for the Safeguarding Lead in an emergency.

You should inform the Safeguarding Lead and your line manager as soon as possible if child or young person is in receipt of care from a health professional or the police.

If the concern relates to children, contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Tel – 01962 876364, Out of hours – 0300 555 1373

Email – child.protection@hants.gov.uk

If the concern relates to adults, report to the Contact Assessment and Resolution team (CART) who will then fast-track your referral to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) to gather information and refer to the Safeguarding Allegations Management Advisor (SAMA).

Tel – 0300 555 1386 (CART)

Out of hours – 0300 555 1373

Email – adult.services@hants.gov.uk

Whistleblowing and escalating a concern

• If you have a concern about a member of staff working with children (in either a paid or voluntary capacity), please speak with your line manager or the Safeguarding Leads. You can also contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 01962 876364.

For further guidance and the role of the LADO, please see Hampshire County Council’s guide on Allegations against people in a position of trust and the Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers HIPS Procedure.

• If you are concerned or worried about a decision or practice relating to a child you are working with, and;
• This might result in the child being at risk of harm, and;
• You have raised your concern in established ways such as to the Safeguarding Lead or your line Manager and your concern has not been resolved, you can use the HIPS Escalation Policy for the Resolution of Professional Disagreement procedures. Please follow the below link to find out more:

https://www.hampshirescp.org.uk/professionals/learning-and-reviews/learning-from-reviews/learning-from-reviews-4/

At all times:

• any suspicion, allegation or disclosure of abuse or harm should be reported immediately or as soon as practicably possible on the day of the occurrence to the Safeguarding Lead.

If you are unable to contact the Safeguarding Lead, please contact Kate Gunson and your line manager.

Or contact your line manager

Reacting to a disclosure

Individuals in contact with a young person should consider that disclosure or evidence for concern may occur in a number of ways; this could include a comment made by a child, physical evidence such as bruising, a change in behaviour or inappropriate behaviour or knowledge.

• listen carefully, rather than asking leading questions
• never promise any particular action or NOT to disclose any information shared
• allow silence and allow a child or young person to be upset
• try to relate to the age, understanding or special needs of the child or young person
• write down carefully the information you have been given as soon as possible, always within 24 hours and only including what you have been told
• discuss this as soon as possible with the Safeguarding Lead
• any concerns about informing the child or young person’s parents must be discussed with the Safeguarding Lead, unless the child or young person is in immediate danger.

Recruitment, vetting and training.

Individuals in scope of this policy who are working with children and young people are subject to recruitment vetting process and will be trained and supported throughout their working relationship to prevent safeguarding concerns arising.

If a safeguarding concern arises, this is taken seriously and managed appropriately through to conclusion. Safer recruitment practices are adhered to regardless of whether the individual is an employee, a casual worker or working in a voluntary or student capacity. The OPCC also ensures that agencies who supply staff vet their workers accordingly.

Relevant checks including by the Disclosure and Barring Service will be made as part of pre-employment or any re-checking requirements ahead of any contact with a child or young person.

Any failure to disclose convictions may result in disciplinary action or dismissal. Any positive disclosures will be discussed with the Safeguarding Lead and Chief Executive.

DBS information will be kept on the personnel file. The DBS number and date of processing will be held on a secure database. A risk assessment will be completed if there is a positive DBS check sent back.

Training

All OPCC staff will receive a minimum level of training in relation to safeguarding, being trauma informed their responsibilities in upholding this policy, risk assessment and modern slavery awareness as part of their induction programme and this should be refreshed every three years. The nature and extent of further training will be determined by the requirements of individual roles and discussed in your PDR.

HIPS Safeguarding Partnership offer an extensive programme of FREE training to all professionals working with children and young people in Hampshire & the IOW. Please do look to see if anything interests you and request line manager approval if appropriate to your role.

Training – Hampshire SCP

On the intranet:

Training Opportunities offered by our Partner Agencies to all Officers and Staff

https://forcesserip.sharepoint.com/sites/hcdepedw/SitePages/External-Safeguarding-Training-Details.aspx

Helpful contacts

HIPS Safeguarding Children Partnership

Homepage – Hampshire SCP

•  Hampshire and IOW Police

In an emergency, always dial 999. Call 101 for non-emergency enquiries. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use textphone service on 18001 101.

• Hampshire County Council Children’s Services

Phone 0300 555 1384

Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

Email – childrens.services@hants.gov.uk

Please note: Emails are dealt with during normal office hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. At other times phone the out of hour’s number.

Out of hours contact telephone number for Children’s Services Phone 0300 555 1373.

·       IOW Children’s services

Phone 0300 300 0117 (This number is for the general public and runs 24 hours a day).

• NSPCC Helpline (24hrs) Telephone: 0808 800 5000

Roles and responsibilities 

The OPCC is responsible for;

• the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy. The OPCC may designate a certain member of staff to oversee the implementation of this Safeguarding Policy within the context of specific project, working place or duration for practical

The OPCC Safeguarding Lead is: Liz Hubbuck (Primary contact)

The OPCC will ensure the Safeguarding Lead is supported with appropriate and regular training in Safeguarding.

The OPCC Safeguarding Lead is responsible for;

• It will be the responsibility of the OPCC Safeguarding Lead to take appropriate action following any expression of concern raised by anyone working for and on behalf of the OPCC. The Safeguarding Lead must ensure:
  • details of the concern are recorded in writing
  • a decision, in adherence with this policy, is taken as to whether to inform Social Services and/or the police (contact details below), depending on the nature of the allegation
  • any details relating to the concern are kept strictly confidential and stored securely
  • the employee who reported the disclosure is informed of any action taken and any outcome, where appropriate.

All staff are responsible for;

• familiarising themselves with this safeguarding policy and the Whistle blowing policy.
• reporting any safeguarding concerns to the identified safeguarding contact(s).

If in any doubt about what action to take, employees should seek advice from the Safeguarding Lead.

 Monitoring

Compliance with and effectiveness of this policy will be reviewed every three years or in the following circumstances:

• Changes in legislation and or government guidance
• As a result of any other significant change or event

Any concerns that have been raised will be monitored by the OPCC Safeguarding Champion until they are closed.

Governance

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Date of publication:	V1 – 17-10-2022 V1.1 – 13-07-2023 V2 – 08.07.2024
Owner:	Chief of Staff OPCC
Webpage author:	HR Operations