As a national provider of leisure services to adults and children, Everyone Active has a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of everyone who uses our services and is committed to sustaining a safe organisational culture. This policy statement and company procedures have been developed to comply with that duty and to respond effectively if concerns arise.
Children and adults have contact with Everyone Active in different ways. For example, they attend our clubs, use our sports facilities, crèches and nursery and attend birthday parties. Whenever they come into contact with us, we want them to be safe and to enjoy their time with us. We are committed to the safeguarding of everyone who uses our services so they can develop and thrive in a safe environment. We work with people who use our services in a way that values and respects them and ensure that we listen to their views and concerns.
Everyone has a duty to recognise safeguarding concerns, however they may be encountered. This includes concerns where risk to children or adults at risk may arise from family members, members of the public, or from the behaviour of colleagues, volunteers, managers and others. This policy statement and company procedures is also intended to safeguard everyone who works at Everyone Active and to preserve the good reputation of our organisation.
SCOPE
This policy statement and company procedure applies to all those working for Everyone Active, whether paid or unpaid (both are referred to as colleagues throughout the policy and procedure.) All of us should be aware of this policy statement and company procedure and know what to do if there are any concerns about an individual.
The policy statement and procedure will be made available at induction and also be available on the company Quality Management System EQMS.
A copy of this policy statement is displayed at all Everyone Active sites.
In doing our work and in overseeing safeguarding at Everyone Active, we will uphold these principles and we will:
- Work to ensure that the safety and welfare of children and adults who use our services is paramount.
- Ensure that all adults and children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, identity, or any other difference, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
- Take seriously all suspicions and/or allegations of harm and respond to them swiftly and appropriately using these procedures.
- Work collaboratively with other agencies and professionals to support the management of any safeguarding concerns; share information about concerns with those relevant agencies that have a legal duty to act, involve individuals who are subject of the concern and their parents/carers as appropriate; store safeguarding information and correspondence securely and limit that information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
- Respond to our duty of care to our colleagues by:
- providing a code of conduct to promote best practice and monitor its effective us
- offering training and supervision so colleagues can safeguard individuals, and protect themselves from allegations being made against them due to misunderstandings or poor practices
- providing support to colleagues via the Counselling Service if needed.
- Strive to high standards of professionalism and practices which reassure and give confidence to our customers.
- Review our safeguarding practices regularly and promote a learning and improvement culture in our safeguarding work. We will also update this policy and procedure annually or more frequently if required on the basis of experience, learning or other changes. The updated policy and procedure will be re-issued to colleagues accordingly.
- Appoint designated safeguarding officers whose specific remit will support the implementation of this policy.
- Recruit colleagues safely, ensuring all necessary steps are taken and checks are made, in line with our recruitment and selection policy.
- Ensure that all hirers, including clubs, have basic safeguarding measures in place and are aware of the Everyone Actives’ responsibilities set out in the safeguarding policy and procedures.
Document last updated: 27th July 2022
