Lancing and Sompting Churches’ Food Bank

Safeguarding Policy (PDF)

1.       Introduction

Lancing and Sompting Churches Food Bank (Hereafter just called The Food Bank) acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and requirements.

2.       Aims & Objectives

The policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children and vulnerable adults are paramount in all circumstances.

It aims to ensure that regardless of age, gender, religion or beliefs, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background, all people have a positive and profitable experience at The Food Bank in a safe environment, are protected from abuse at all times.

The Food Bank acknowledges that some children and adults, including those with disabilities and people from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

As part of our safeguarding policy The Food Bank will

• promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults;

• ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children, young people and vulnerable adults;

• ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support is provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern;

• ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are made, maintained and securely stored;

• prevent the employment/deployment of unsuitable individuals; and

• ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation. The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved in The Food Bank. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.

3.       Preventing Abuse from Occurring

We are committed to taking all possible steps to prevent abuse or harm of children or vulnerable adults from occurring, including:

• setting out and making widely known the procedures for responding to suspicions or evidence of abuse/harm; and

• maintaining vigilance concerning the possibility of abuse/harm of children or vulnerable adults from whatever source.

4.       Identifying Abusers — Those who Harm People at Risk

The Food Bank accepts that abuse/harm can be committed by a range of possible people. It therefore accepts its responsibility to protect the service users from possible abuse from all sources, which include:

• staff;

• children’s parents and relatives / other members of their household or close community;

• people who have contact with children while they are on our premises; and

• other service users.

5.       Identifying Actual or Possible Abuse

The Food Bank aims to identify any instances of actual or possible abuse/harm by all possible means including:

• fostering an open and trusting communication structure so that people feel able to discuss their concerns with someone authorised to take action; and

• Understanding that failing to report incidents or suspicions of abuse is itself abusive and may lead to disciplinary or criminal proceedings.

6.       Protecting our team - Preventing allegations;

Being the subject of a false allegation is distressing and can have far reaching consequences. We will adopt some simple procedures to make false allegations unlikely.

Visitors deserve confidentiality when discussing why they need the Food Bank. When someone is being seen in private, we will:

·         Make sure that a second team member knows who is being seen, when and in which room.

·         The second team member will be aware of how long the meeting has gone on and check in if it is taking longer than expected.

·         Where we need to give more food / resources than normal the session leader must know and agree it – there must be no secret “favours”.

·         Where visitors with particular issues might make them more vulnerable or likely to make inappropriate or untrue claims, they must be seen by two members of our team working together.

Home delivery:-

·         Home delivery is to the doorstep of the dwelling- unless accompanied by another team member we will never enter a visitor’s dwelling.

·         The session leader will keep a record of all home deliveries and when they are being made.

·         Team members who have undertaken deliveries will report back to the session leader to confirm that all went well or any concerns they have as a result of the delivery.

7.       Procedures for When Abuse has Occurred or is Alleged to Have Occurred

If abuse/harm is clearly occurring or is alleged to have occurred, The Food Bank takes swift action to limit the damage to children or vulnerable adults and to deal with the abuse.

If any team member is told by a visitor or suspects that abuse or safeguarding risk has occurred, or is possibly going to occur then they must follow this procedure:

·         No one can promise to keep things confidential or “between ourselves”,

·         Listen, do not question, accept what you are being told,

·         Confidentially notify the person leading the session of their concern.

·         Both the person reporting concerns and the session leader must make a written record of their concern.

·         The person reporting and the session leader may not discuss their concern with anyone else.

The session leader will:

·         If they consider that there is an immediate risk to a child or vulnerable adult, for example a threat of violence, call 999.

·         If they feel the concern needs to be dealt with within a few hours, call West Sussex Social Service IFD on 01403 229900.

·         In all other circumstances the session leader will call Fr. Ben Scott who will discuss and deal with it through St. Michael and All Angels Church, Lancing, Safeguarding route.

·         Fr. Ben Scott will keep the record or concerns, advice received and actions.

8.       Whistleblowing

·          it is vital that everyone who works or volunteers with us maintains the highest standards of conduct, integrity and ethics, and complies with local legislation. If an employee, volunteer, partner, consultant or contractor has any genuine safeguarding concerns, we wish to encourage them to communicate these without fear of reprisals.

·         Concerns about a team member should be reported to the Chair of Trustees

9.       Implementation, monitoring and review of this policy

This policy will take effect from 1st May 2024. The Food Bank will have overall responsibility for implementing and monitoring this policy, which will be reviewed on a regular basis following its implementation and may be changed from time to time.