Reporting Concerns Policy

Our Statement

At CoppaFeel! we value everyone’s safety and wellbeing, whether you are a trustee, staff, volunteers, fundraisers or the wonderful people interacting with us at events. Therefore we want to make sure everyone associated with the charity is happy and safe when carrying out our work.

As members of SAFE, we aim at all times to attain best safeguarding practice throughout all our activities with children, young people and adults at risk. We endeavour to provide a safe and friendly environment. We will achieve this by adhering strictly to this policy, guidance and risk assessments. Our organisation also holds current Public Liability Insurance which covers all of our activities.

All volunteers and staff will receive CoppaFeel!’s Reporting Concerns Policy to read through, which details how to report any worrying behaviour towards yourself or others and how this will be handled by the charity.

If you have any concerns about your personal safety or anyone else’s at an event or when representing CoppaFeel!, please take appropriate action:

1. Take yourself or others to safety
2. Report concerns to the venue or emergency services 999 (if appropriate)
3. Report concerns to your main contact at Boob HQ as soon as possible

The team at Boob HQ is there to support you and handle any concerns you may have. Please report any worries and they will be handled by our safeguarding leads.

Our Equal Opportunities Statement

We recognise that anyone can become subject to discrimination, harassment or victimisation because of:

• age
• culture
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Comments and actions that contribute to discrimination, harassment or victimisation are not acceptable and will be challenged. The remit of what is covered under this policy also extends beyond the characteristics listed above. All incidents will be recorded and shared with the relevant agencies when necessary and appropriate.

We will:

• treat everyone with respect and celebrate their achievements,
• carefully recruit and select all staff whether paid or unpaid,
• respond to concerns and allegations appropriately.

When there are concerns about the welfare of any, child, young person or adult at risk, all responsible adults in our organisation are expected to share those concerns, without delay, with the Lead for Safeguarding (or the Deputy, if the Lead is unavailable). Our policy is approved by our board of trustees and will be reviewed and updated annually. We will publish and promote this policy to all staff, paid or unpaid through induction and training. We endeavour to disseminate, as appropriate, this policy to all who come into contact with our charity e.g., children, young people, adults at risk, and others, such as organisational partners and fundraisers.

Our Safeguarding Leads

Our Lead for Safeguarding is:

Name: Natalie

Role: CEO

Contact Details: natalie@coppafeel.org | 07557 458 179

Our Deputies for Safeguarding are:

Name: Eleanor Bedford

Role: Compliance Manager

Contact Details: eleanor@coppafeel.org | 07799 369883

Name: Kristie Thacker

Role: Volunteer Community Manager

Contact Details: kristie@coppafeel.org | 07384 337 365

Their role is to oversee and ensure that our safeguarding policy is fully implemented.

Their responsibilities are:

• monitoring and recording concerns
• making referrals to social care, or police, as relevant, without delay
• liaison with other agencies
• arranging training for all staff

The responsibility for safeguarding at board or committee level is shared between members. Safeguarding is on the organisation’s risk register and we have a Senior Lead for Safeguarding on our Board of Trustees.

Our Senior Lead for Safeguarding is:

Name: Sarah Pugh

Role: Trustee and Board Safeguarding Lead

Why do we need a Reporting Concerns policy?

All organisations that work or come into contact with children, young adults and/or adults at risk need to have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. Government guidance is clear that all organisations working with children, young people, adults at risk, parents, carers and/or families have responsibilities for safeguarding. It is important to remember that children, young people and adults at risk can also abuse and that such incidents fall into the remit of this policy.

To undertake these responsibilities we:

• have senior managers and trustees committed to safeguarding
• are clear about people’s responsibilities and accountability
• have a culture of listening to concerns
• undertake safer recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers
• have procedures for dealing with allegations against, and concerns about any staff
• make sure staff, paid and unpaid, have mandatory induction and further
• safeguarding training where necessary along with support

Related Policies

This policy should be read and adhered to alongside the other related policies listed below. Our Employee Handbook details the following policies, which should be followed by employed members of staff and the relevant people within the wider CoppaFeel! Community. These policies will be made available to others where necessary or if requested.

• Whistleblowing
• Data Protection
• Equal, Inclusion and Diversity
• Social Media
• Positive Work Environment which includes procedures for dealing with alleged harassment or bullying.
• Grievance and Disciplinary procedures

Data Protection

We will treat any personal information by which an individual can be identified (i.e. name, address, email etc.) in accordance with the provisions of Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will not share information with any third party, except where required by law.

Confidentiality

This policy is in line with government guidance about confidentiality and these details will be made available to all staff, children, young children, adults at risk, parents and carers. We fully endorse the principle that the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, override any obligations of confidence we may hold to others. No one working, or involved, with our organisation can promise absolute confidentiality in relation to safeguarding concerns. We treat all information with the strictest of sensitivities and individual cases will only be shared or discussed on a “need to know” basis when relevant.

Information Sharing

Timely and accurate written records play an essential role in safeguarding individuals, who may have suffered, are suffering or at significant risk of suffering harm. It is important that records are shared at the appropriate time as necessary. Within our organisation the decision to share written information, and with whom, will be undertaken by the Lead or the Deputy for safeguarding.

Working Practices

As part of our activities we do not have anyone working or volunteering for the charity under the age of 18. We do not conduct home visits or carry out any activity where lone or one to one working will take place with children, young people and adults at risk.

Code of Conduct

We aim to provide a safe environment free from discrimination, upholding and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. Everyone within the CoppaFeel! Community undertakes to:

• treat all children and young people and adults at risk with respect and dignity
• ensure that their welfare and safety is paramount at all times
• maintain professional boundaries both face to face and when using technology
• always listen to individuals and take account of their wishes and feeling
• always act in a professional way and not accept bullying, swearing or other disruptive behaviour
• avoid being alone with children, young people and adults at risk whenever possible
• listen to, and act upon, any disclosures, allegations, or concerns of abuse
• participate in approved safeguarding training at appropriate levels when necessary
• follow our reporting concerns policy at all times
• make activities FUN and enjoyable

What is concerning behaviour?

If you witness or are subject to concerning behaviour you must take action. Concerning behaviour can include any form of physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect. There may also be a reason to act if you witness or are subject to bullying, racism or violent extremism. The following list is for guidance only. It is important to be observant, listen to what is being said and record. e.g. is what you are observing and being told about an injury consistent with the injury?

• Alcohol and Substance misuse
• County Lines
• Concealed pregnancy
• Discriminatory
• Domestic violence, including “honour” based violence
• Emotional
• Exploitive use of technology
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Financial or material abuse
• Gambling
• Hate and “mate” crime
• Misuse of technology
• Modern slavery
• Neglect and acts of omission
• Organisational or institutional
• Psychological
• Physical
• Radicalisation
• Self-neglect
• Sexual
• Sexual Exploitation
• Spiritual abuse
• Trafficking

If you ever feel concerned about any behaviour or situation, whatever that may be, we would encourage you to flag this with CoppaFeel!’s safeguarding leads and follow the process outlined in this document.

Your responsibility as a member of the CoppaFeel! Community:

Handling Concerns

We do not expect you to put yourself in uncomfortable or potentially harmful situations, so please only undertake your role when you feel comfortable and safe to do so. It is everyone’s responsibility at CoppaFeel!, including trustees, staff and volunteers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of themselves and everyone they come into contact with when carrying out our work.

We do not expect you to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to defend the charity if confronted with a negative reaction to our message, mission or branding. Please always refer people onto the team at CoppaFeel! who will be happy to handle any issues of this nature.

We expect everyone to read and uphold the information in this document and take their safety and the safety of others seriously. When someone has made a report to you…

• take what you are being told seriously
• stay calm and reassure, always make sure the person speaking up feels they’re being listened to and supported.
• do not investigate.
• do not delay and always seek advice from CoppaFeel! through your main contact or the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding.
• make a careful recording of anything you are told or observe, if a staff member, you must complete an incident form with a date and your name.
• action must be taken no matter if the information you received is about a concern that is non-recent or from an anonymous source.
• don’t promise to keep information confidential between you and them. Refer to this policy to make sure information is only shared with people who need and have the right to know.
• take immediate action if there is an immediate risk of harm.

A report may come from someone telling you:

• they have or are being abused
• they have concerns about someone else
• they are themselves abusing or likely to abuse someone else

Responding to Concerns

We ensure and emphasise that everyone in our organisation understands and knows how to share any concerns immediately with the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding.

Step 1

If you are worried about the safety of a child, young person or adult at risk because

• you have seen something
• someone says they have been abused
• somebody else has told you they are concerned
• there has been an allegation against a colleague
• there has been an anonymous allegation
• an adult has disclosed that they were abused as a child
• a child, young person or adult say they are abusing someone else

Check out the Reporting Concerns policy for guidance. Talk to the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding without delay. If they are implicated then report to Additional Senior Lead.

Step 2

If someone is in immediate danger call 999 or report concerns to security if at a venue.

If you are at an event or in a school/college, report any concerns to the lead contact on site, as well as your main contact at CoppaFeel!.

CoppaFeel! staff must listen to the report and record all the details down carefully in the Reporting A Concern Incident form. Remember to include the date and your name/job role.

Step 3

The Lead, Deputy or Additional Senior Lead should assess the report and refer the concern to the relevant adult or children’s social care service and/or the Police and follow up the referral in writing within 24 hours where necessary.

Under “whistle blowing”, anyone can refer directly to the police or social care services and all relevant authorities, when they are concerned the organisation is not managing safeguarding concerns appropriately

Always report any concerns to your main contact at CoppaFeel!. If they are unavailable, please contact team@coppafeel.org or the main office on 02074074597.

Working with Young People

If a young person ever discloses something, don’t ask questions or delve deeper – it’s not your job to investigate or support, but instead report the incident. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant something may seem, if anyone discloses anything concerning then it needs to be reported without delay.

In light of a report, the following action will be taken:

1. Reporting concerns form is completed promptly and sent to Safeguarding Leads.

2. Safeguarding Leads or most senior manager available to assess any incoming reports immediately and take appropriate action.

3. This action will depend on the incident reported, but will include logging it internally and speaking to the appropriate external team from the list (not exhaustive) below to seek advice or to refer on:

• Local safeguarding board
• Charity Commission
• Police or Local Safer Neighbourhood Teams
• Specialist charities e.g NSPCC or SAFE CIC
• Local Authorities

4. The Safeguarding Lead or most appropriate member of the management team may also contact the venue, event or festival for further information and will be in touch with the person who reported the concern to share (where appropriate) detail of the action taken.

5. A final note will be made on the Reporting Concerns form detailing the action taken.

6. The Board of Trustees and Charity Commission will also be made aware of any serious incidents as necessary. The Trustees will also be kept informed of the number of safeguarding reports received at Board meetings.

Key points to remember:

★ Keeping yourself and others safe is the responsibility of everyone.
★ Always report any concerns to staff on site and your main point of contact at CoppaFeel!
★ Call 999 if there is a real emergency and someone is harmed or in danger.

Record Keeping

At all times when required, and especially where there is a safeguarding concern, we are committed to keeping records which are:

• recorded on a safeguarding incident form
• of sufficient details of people at risk to identify individual who is subject of concern and any significant others
• accurate and factual/based on fact, as a true record of:
  ➔ what has been monitored/observed
  ➔ what has been said and by whom
  ➔ what has given cause for concern
  ➔ what action has and/or will be taken including the reason for those
  actions
  ➔ the reason stated for no action being taken and by whom
• non judgmental
• timely within 48 hours
• signed and dated by the writer and co- signed by the Lead or Deputy
• shared as appropriate by the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding
• stored safely and securely by the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding

eSafety

Why do we need to include eSafety?

Modern digital technology has made access to information and communication increasingly easy for everyone. This is especially so for those who cannot always go out to socialise and rely on websites for social networking, watching films, downloading music, buying lottery tickets, shopping etc. Government guidance is clear, that all organisations working with children, young people and adults at risk have responsibilities. It is also important to remember, children, young people and adults at risk can also abuse and such incidents fall into the remit of this policy.

eSafety Code of Conduct

We expect everyone in our organisation to agree and sign up to our eSafety code of conduct to:

1. use the internet and other forms of communication in a sensible and polite way.
2. only access websites, send messages or access and use other resources that will not hurt or upset anybody.
3. seek permission if they want to use personal information or take photographs of other people.
4. report any concerns to the Lead or Deputy
5. not maintain confidentiality if there is a concern about the welfare of a child, young person or adult at risk.

What are the risks?

There are many potential risks including:

• accessing inappropriate or illegal websites.
• receiving unwanted or upsetting texts, e-mail messages or images.
• being “groomed” by another with a view to meeting the child, young person or adult at risk for their own illegal purposes including sex, drugs or crime.
• sharing nudes or semi nudes.
• viewing or sending unacceptable material such as inciting hatred or violence.
• sending bullying messages or posting malicious details about others.
• ignoring copyright law by downloading e.g. music, videos, homework cheat materials etc.
• overspending on shopping and gambling sites.
• being at risk of identity fraud for money transactions.
• inappropriate relationships or prostitution.

What else might be of concern?

 A child, young person or adult at risk who:

• is becoming secretive about where they are going to or who they are meeting.
• will not let you see what they are accessing online.
• is using a webcam in a closed area, away from other people.
• is accessing the web or using a mobile for long periods and at all hours
• clears the computer history every time they use it.
• receives unexpected money or gifts from people you don’t know.
• does not appear to have the money they should have.

A person who:

• befriends a child, young person or adult at risk on the internet or by text messaging.
• has links to children, young people and/or adults at risk on their social media pages especially if they work in a position of care such as a sports coach or care worker.
• is secretive about what they are doing and who they are meeting.

What do I do if I’m concerned?

If you have any concerns, speak to the Lead or Deputy for Safeguarding.

Remember:

• do not delay.
• do not investigate.
• seek advice from the Lead or Deputy
• make careful recording of anything you observe or are told.

Minimising the Risks

We will:

• ensure all staff are trained on e-safety and our Social Media Policy
• Share our Social Media Safeguarding Briefing document with anyone in our community who is sharing their story online or on our channels, from takeovers to case studies.
• Use our Celebrity/Influencer Safeguarding Handbook to ensure staff working with public figures are comfortable managing risks involving public figures at events, treks, shoots or online.
• Share guidance with volunteers around e-safety specific to their roles during training and through handbooks.
• Share Facebook Community Guidelines for all our community Facebook groups.

Photography & Filming Guidance

The use of photography is really important to record the successes and achievements of our activities. However, it is vital to remember that photography can be used and distributed inappropriately including on the Internet.

It is therefore important to be clear about:

• explaining to everyone in our community why caution is necessary
• the purpose of photos e.g. to event attendees
• the content required when using a professional photographer
• informing people and seeking their consent for any publication or media use
• publishing only limited details alongside individual’s photos in newspapers etc.
• taking photographs openly and away from any inappropriate areas, along with ensuring clothing is suitable.
• any group photos being taken only during the activity or on the premises
• all those taking photos signing a registration form, which includes the reason, use and storage of all photographs and films.

The above guidance applies to any photographic and filming equipment including camera phones, digital or video cameras.

Policy Date

This policy was agreed and disseminated on 14th March 2022 and will be reviewed annually or when there are substantial organisational changes.

Policy Review Date: January 2022

Date of next review: January 2023