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Safeguarding Policy

Till Valley Archaeological Society (TillVAS) Safeguarding Policy

Overview
This policy sets out the responsibilities of the committee, members and volunteers involved with TillVAS towards vulnerable people.
The policy aims to protect all vulnerable persons regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion or faith. A vulnerable person is any child (legally defined as a person under the age of 18), any adult who might have learning, mental or physical disability, and a frail or elderly person.
 
The role of members of TillVAS
TillVAS is a small, local group where all members and volunteers tend to know each other. Group members and volunteers all have a responsibility to safeguard vulnerable people attending any event or activity organised wherever it is held.
Members and volunteers have a duty to record and respond immediately to any concerns of abuse whenever these are brought to their attention.

Definition of Abuse
Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons.
Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts.
Abuse can be:

  • Physical - hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions.

  • Sexual - including rape and sexual assault.

  • Psychological - including emotional abuse, threats of harm, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, misappropriation of property.

  • Financial or material abuse- including theft, fraud, exploitation, or the misuse or

  • Discriminatory abuse- including racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability, age or sexuality and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.

 

Children
Children who attend TillVAS events are required to be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
No photographs will be taken of children without the accompanying adult’s permission.
No TillVAS member or volunteer will be expected to have unsupervised access to children or
vulnerable adults at any event.


Vulnerable adults
A vulnerable adult in this context is a person aged 18 years or over, who is less able to protect him
/herself than others and who may have some difficulty making his/her wishes and feelings known.


Safeguarding Officer
TillVAS Committee has a nominated Safeguarding Officer who is responsible for the implementation
of the policy. The nominated person is:
Pauline Hogarth
 

The Safeguarding Officer should be notified immediately of any suspicions of abusive behaviour using the form attached to the protocol sheet. Any such reports will be taken seriously and will be recorded and investigated thoroughly.
 

Procedure in the event of a disclosure
Any concern to be reported as soon as possible to the named Safeguarding officer, who will advise and liaise as necessary. A full record of an alleged incident of abuse should include all relevant information including date, time, place and persons involved. A form is available for this.
A full report of the nature of the allegation and any other relevant information shall be recorded by the Safeguarding officer as soon as possible. This information to include:

  • the date, time and place where the alleged abuse took place.

  • the names of all present

  • allegedly been abused.the name of the complainant and, where different, the name of the child or adult who has the nature of the alleged abuse.

  • a description of any injuries observed.

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Promises of confidentiality should not be given in all situations as this may conflict with the need to ensure the safety and welfare of the individual.
In an emergency, i.e. if someone’s safety is under immediate threat, dial 999 and then report to safeguarding officer.
It is important to remember that it is not the responsibility of the person who encounters a case of alleged abuse to make a decision as to whether the abuse has occurred.
Any incidents will be reported to Northumberland County Council as soon as possible by the Safeguarding Officer using the Onecall number: 01670 536 400


Training
The Safeguarding Officer will have undertaken training in Introductory Level Safeguarding delivered online by Community Action Northumberland.


Confidentiality
Child and vulnerable adult protection raises issues of confidentiality, which should be clearly understood.
All members of TillVAS have a responsibility to share information about the protection of children and vulnerable adults with other professional personnel but this will only be done via the Safeguarding Officer. All personal information will be kept confidential. Where possible, consent will be obtained before sharing personal information.

All written records of alleged incidents will be kept securely by the Safeguarding Officer for a specific time as identified in data protection regulations.

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Health and Safety

TillVAS endeavours to ensure that all events organised comply with appropriate Health & Safety requirements.

There is a Health & Safety Risk Assessment in place for any fieldwork and participants of all ages are required to acknowledge that they have read and understood it before participating.

 

Policy Review

Policy approved: 1 December 2017

Updated policy approved: 7 November 2022

 

The Safeguarding Policy is to be reviewed every second year at the first committee meeting after lst November.

Signed: ME Keating, TillVAS Chair

Date: 8 November 2022

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Safeguarding form:

 
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