Trauma Informed Community Action C.I.C Safeguarding Policy

SAFEGUARDING POLICY – Children, Young People, and Adults at Risk of Harm and protection of staff

Purpose, Definitions & Scope

Trauma Informed Community Action C.I.C. (TICA) is committed to the safety and protection of all people from harm, recognizing that a sense of safeness and security is essential for healthy functioning and protection from harm is a core tenant of the purpose of this C.I.C. We believe that all staff, freelancers, and volunteers at TICA benefit from a shared vision for safety and are committed to action towards this goal.

This policy covers:

This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, contractors, and anyone working on behalf of the C.I.C. It covers all interactions including face-to-face, online, and in any other setting.
TICA acknowledges that engaging with traumatised individuals may require additional safeguarding measures.

Definitions:

Safeguarding: Protecting individuals from abuse, harm, and neglect, and ensuring their health, development, and well-being.

Trauma-Informed: An approach that acknowledges the widespread impact of trauma and integrates knowledge about trauma into relationships, practices, policies, and procedures to promote healing and avoid re-traumatization.

Vulnerable: Any individual who requires additional care and support, is at risk of or experiencing physical harm, abuse or neglect, has specific needs that require attention to protect them or has trauma related triggers that can be managed in ways that can be predicted.

This policy applies to all staff, members of the Advisory Board, freelancers, volunteers, and any other individuals working on behalf of or associated with TICA (referred to as ‘TICA Associates’). This includes direct and indirect contact with participants.

TICA is committed to treating all participants with respect and dignity, acknowledging that some face barriers to engagement. We strive to reduce these barriers to provide equal protection through our safeguarding policy. We aim:

To provide a safe and supportive environment for all staff and people engaged with our community, particularly those who have experienced trauma.
To provide any associates and volunteers, as well as organisations who commission any work, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.

Principles

Responsibilities of TICA’s Directors:

To read, understand, and adhere to this policy.
To ensure clear and appropriate procedures for managing safeguarding concerns are in place.
To promote a culture of safeguarding within TICA.
To regularly review and update the Safeguarding Policy.
To ensure TICA staff affected by safeguarding issues receive appropriate support and know how to access additional resources.
To source relevant training, when necessary.

Responsibilities of other TICA Advisors or Associates:

To read, understand, and adhere to this policy.
To promote a culture of safeguarding within TICA.
To promptly report any safeguarding concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Officer.

Implementation of the Safeguarding Policy

Code of Conduct

Personal Conduct and Behaviour:

Seek to maintain physical distance unless necessary for health and safety, body based interventions or care and compassion reasons, ensuring contact it is minimal, appropriate, and consented.
Seek to show up at one’s best with appropriate cognition, emotionality and boundaries. This implies that we refrain from using alcohol, drugs, or any substance that could impair judgment while working.
Recognizing the signs of harm and risk in all their various forms.
Work to using an explicit trauma informed approach and reflection.
Be proactive to seek further information or offer advocacy and support where concerns are noticed. This means that we have zero tolerance of any form of bullying, discrimination, abuse.
We support our colleagues to show up at their best and have a direct and just culture where conversations about behavioural blind spots or impact are expected.
Do not give gifts or money to participants, and declare any gifts received to the Safeguarding Officer.
Clear ground rules and compacts and expectations for projects.
Work to non-stigmatizing and human experience language and the language that people choose to represent their own lived experience.
Organize or facilitate either operational or psychological reviews after any incident of concern.
Endeavour to work in environments that facilitate the nature of the trauma informed task and acknowledge that each place has a role to play in facilitating both actual and felt sense of safeness.
Active engagement with justice agencies, when we become aware that traumas are a result of crimes.
Recognizing our role in creating and adapting spaces and relationships for people to function at their best and which mitigates against difficulties.
By seeking feedback on the presence that we create.

Contacting Participants and Social Media Usage:

Do not share personal phone numbers or private email addresses with participants.
Use TICA email accounts for all participant communication.
Administer social media projects through official TICA groups, with at least two TICA Directors, Advisors or Associates as administrators, and avoid direct personal social media contact with participants outside of these groups.

Use of Work and Images:

Do not use images of under 18 participants without written consent from parents/guardians.
Use official TICA accounts for social media posts sharing work and images of participants.
Obtain informed consent from participants or their guardians before using any work produced by participants.

Recording of Information:

For all projects to routinely and proactively consider safeguarding and risks as part of the process and record the absence of any concerns if that is the case.
Record and discuss safeguarding concerns immediately with a TICA Director and a suitable statutory body.
Store all safeguarding-related information securely and limit access to Directors and Advisors on a need to know basis only.
Add to Compass agenda that a safeguarding issue has been raised and ensure this is noted in minutes.

Sharing Information about Safeguarding and Good Practice

Publish the Designated Safeguarding Officer’s contact details and the Safeguarding Policy on the TICA website.
Include information on consent forms for specific projects that require it.

Safer Recruitment and Training

Request DBS checks for positions involving contact with participants.
Ensure the Director of Safeguarding and deputy safeguarding officer (one of the special advisors) receive training up to Level 3, [an1] and all other staff in direct contact with vulnerable participants up to Level 1/Introductory Level as a mimimum.
Maintain and review a record of all training and renewal dates as part of the annual policy review.
Complete disciplinary proceedings related to safeguarding, even if the staff member is no longer employed by TICA and notify relevant authorities and professional bodies as needed.

Partnerships and Collaboration

Work collaboratively with external agencies, including social services, healthcare providers, and law enforcement, to support individuals at risk.
Share information appropriately and in line with data protection laws to ensure coordinated response to safeguarding concerns.
Work only with/for other organisations who align with our values.

TICA’s Main Contacts for Safeguarding

Safeguarding Officer:

Name: Dr Angela Kennedy

Email: angela.kennedy@innovatingforwellbeing.co.uk

External Advice and Support:

NSPCC: 0808 800 5000, help@nspcc.org.uk

Childline: 0800 1111, www.childline.org.uk

Samaritans: 116 123 (free to call from within the UK and Ireland), 24 hours a day www.samaritans.org

Police: 101 (In an emergency always call 999) – https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-us/

Please use the link below to find local helplines for your area:

https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/helplines-and-crisis-contacts/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/

Agreed by Directors: June 2024

Date of Review: June 2025

This safeguarding policy is tailored for TICA, ensuring that all associates are informed and compliant with safeguarding practices to protect the well-being of all participants.