Safeguarding Policy and Procedure: Children, Young People and Adults at Risk

Purpose of the policy

Venture Trust believes that it is always unacceptable for a child, young person or adult to experience abuse of any kind and recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all adults, children and young people. We are fully accountable for ensuring appropriate actions are taken by us to safeguard any of our participants. This may also include ensuring our partner agencies have taken appropriate actions.

Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. A person-centred approach is fundamental to safeguarding and means keeping the person in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.

The purpose and scope of the policy:

To provide protection for the children, young people and adults who receive Venture Trust services, including the children of adult clients, or children for whom they have a caring responsibility
To provide all staff with guidance on procedures they should adopt if they suspect a child, young person or adult may be experiencing, or is at risk of, harm – or if a disclosure to staff is made regarding historical abuse
The policy applies to all staff, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, students, volunteers, freelancers, or anyone working on behalf of Venture Trust

We recognise that:

The welfare of the child / young person / adult is paramount
All children, young people and adults regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
Some children and adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, additional support needs, communication needs or other issues
Working in partnership with children, young people, adults, parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting the welfare of everyone we support
It is important to consider the needs of the child or adult at risk in the context of their family, support networks and community. This contextual safeguarding approach considers the risk and harm that people face beyond the home

We will seek to safeguard children, young people and adults by:

Valuing them, listening to and respecting them
Adopting safeguarding and child protection guidelines
Recruiting staff, volunteers, students and freelancers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made including references and PVG/Disclosure Scotland checks in line with national guidance and appropriate to individual roles in the organisation
Sharing information about safeguarding and child protection good practice with participants, families, staff, volunteers, students, partners and third party contractors
Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately
Providing effective management for staff, volunteers, students and through supervision, support and training

It is essential that members of Venture Trust’s team are aware of their duties concerning safeguarding and ensure that:

The safety and wellbeing of the child, young person and adult is promoted
The law and statutory guidance concerning child and adult protection and safeguarding is complied with
All staff at Venture Trust comply with this safeguarding policy and all associated or related guidance referred to within the policy

Disclosures or concerns arising out of any areas of service delivery will be treated the same and are all covered by this policy.

The Venture Trust Safeguarding Team

At Venture Trust, safeguarding is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers, including Trustees.

The person designated to take responsibility for safeguarding is the Director of Operations, supported by other Safeguarding Leads and Operations Managers. The Director of Operations reports to the Managing Director who holds lead responsibility for safeguarding at Venture Trust.

Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Denny Ford
Director of Operations
Dennyf@venturetrust.org.uk
07576418373

Gilbert Coyne
Operations Manager
Gilbert@venturetrust.org.uk
07557281804

Janice Sheridan
Operations Manager
Janice@venturetrust.org.uk
07393236900

Gavin Sinclair
Managing Director
Gavins@venturetrust.org.uk
07717038424

Statutory and Legal Framework

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

Children, young people and child refer to all people under the age of 18
Adult at risk: An adult at risk is ‘any person who is aged 16 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and support’
Vulnerable adult: Adults who are unable to safeguard their own interests and are at risk of harm because they are affected by: disability, mental disorder, illness, physical or mental infirmity. Harm means all harm including self-harm and neglect

In Scotland, the definition of a child varies in different legal contexts, but statutory guidance which supports the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, includes all children and young people up to the age of 18.

Where a young person between the age of 16 and 18 requires support and protection, services will need to consider which legal framework best fits each person’s needs and circumstances. This National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 explains how professionals should act to protect young people from harm in different circumstances (Scottish Government, 2021b).

Safeguarding Children at Risk

The legal duty to investigate and report in relation to child care and child protection issues is derived from two sources: the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 which provides the mandate for police officers; and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, section 53 of which provides the mandate for local authorities and section 56 for Reporters to the Children’s Hearing.

The Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 provides the primary mandate for social work intervention in Scotland and section 12 of this legislation requires local authorities to provide services to promote the welfare of children in need.

The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 provides the context for child protection work in Scotland, outlines the roles and responsibilities of services and organisations, provides a framework for identifying and responding to concerns about children and provides additional information on child protection in specific circumstances. The guidance clearly states how Child Protection is the responsibility of all who work with children and families, regardless of whether that work brings them into direct contact with children.

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) (Scottish Government 2012) stipulates a consistent approach in Scotland for people to work with all children and young people and promotes action to improve well-being in eight areas, taking in to account the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These well-being indicators state that children and young people must be: healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, included and, above all in the context of this policy, safe. The primary indicator for child protection is to keep a child safe and, in doing so, attention is giving to other areas of well-being as appropriate.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill, which is moving through the Scottish Parliament, will incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scottish law. This means that public authorities across Scotland will have to comply with children’s rights in all the work they do (Scottish Parliament, 2021).

Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Adults at risk of abuse may have additional support needs, meaning that they are more likely to experience abuse, and less able to protect themselves from it. The abuse of adults at risk can have devastating effects on their physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing, as well as on their children or children connected to them. In this respect, safeguarding adults at risk can be important child protection work.

Equally, many adults at risk have been victims or survivors of abuse and harmful experiences in childhood which have impacted upon their confidence, self-worth and resilience and compounded other personal characteristics increasing vulnerability.

Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 affords greater protection to adults at risk of harm or neglect. The Act defines adults at risk as those aged 16 years and over who: are unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property, rights or other interests. Everybody has the right to be safe and well looked after. The Act is there to protect adults vulnerable to harm/abuse.

The 2007 Act provides legislative responses for people and situations which are not necessarily covered by either of the other Acts. In particular, the 2007 Act allows councils to make inquiries where they would otherwise have no power to do so. Following this initial inquiry, a council may choose to use other parts of the 2007 Act or may choose to respond using another Act or even a non-legislative route, such as developing a care plan.

A Code of Practice for local authorities and practitioners provides information on the 2007 Act’s guiding principles and its measures, including guidance on when and where it would normally be appropriate to use the powers that it provides (the Adult Support and Protection Code of Practice was revised in 2014). For more information on the Act and what it does visit the Act Against Harm website which provides details of who to contact when you believe that someone is at risk of harm. The website has lots of information, including how to recognise when an adult may be at risk of harm and examples of the type of support that can be provided once a concern has been reported.

This Act is also one of a number of pieces of legislation which serve to ensure that those in need of care and support are afforded choices and maximum self-determination including the Social Care (Self-directed Support)(Scotland) Act 2013

Recognising Concerns

Recognising Abuse

It is essential that those who work with participants should be alert to the signs of abuse, this includes cases where abuse may be non-recent / historical.

Physical abuse is the causing of physical harm to a person. Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child they are looking after.

There may be some variation in family, community or cultural attitudes to parenting, for example, in relation to reasonable discipline. Cultural sensitivity must not deflect practitioners from a focus on a child’s essential needs for care and protection from harm, or a focus on the need of a family for support to reduce stress and associated risk.

Emotional abuse is persistent emotional ill treatment that has severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development. ‘Persistent’ means there is a continuous or intermittent pattern which has caused, or is likely to cause, significant harm. Emotional abuse is present to some extent in all types of ill treatment of a child, but it can also occur independently of other forms of abuse. It may involve:

conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person
exploitation or corruption of a child, or imposition of demands inappropriate for their age or stage of development
repeated silencing, ridiculing or intimidation
demands that so exceed a child’s capability that they may be harmful
extreme overprotection, such that a child is harmed by prevention of learning, exploration and social development
seeing or hearing the abuse of another (in accordance with the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018)

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an act that involves a child under 16 years of age in any activity for the sexual gratification of another person, whether or not it is claimed that the child either consented or assented. Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.

For those who may be victims of sexual offences aged 16-17, child protection procedures should be considered. These procedures must be applied when there is concern about the sexual exploitation or trafficking of a child.

The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at or in the production of indecent images, in watching sexual activities, using sexual language towards a child, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a person under 18 into sexual activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact. It can also occur through the use of technology. Children who are trafficked across borders or within the UK may be at particular risk of sexual abuse.

Child trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt, exchange or transfer of control of a child under the age of 18 years for the purposes of exploitation. Transfer or movement can be within an area and does not have to be across borders. Examples of and reasons for trafficking can include sexual, criminal and financial exploitation, forced labour, removal of organs, illegal adoption, and forced or illegal marriage.

Neglect consists in persistent failure to meet a child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child or adult’s health or development. There can also be single instances of neglectful behaviour that cause significant harm. Neglect can arise in the context of systemic stresses such as poverty, and is an indicator of both support and protection needs.

‘Persistent’ means there is a pattern which may be continuous or intermittent which has caused, or is likely to cause significant harm. However, single instances of neglectful behaviour by a person in a position of responsibility can be significantly harmful. Early signs of neglect indicate the need for support to prevent harm.

The GIRFEC SHANARRI indicators set out the essential wellbeing needs. Neglect of any or all of these can impact on healthy development. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers); to seek consistent access to appropriate medical care or treatment; to ensure the child receives education; or to respond to a child’s essential emotional needs. Child protection issues of neglect can be raised if a pregnant mother is causing harm to their unborn child

Faltering growth refers to an inability to reach normal weight and growth or development milestones in the absence of medically discernible physical and genetic reasons. This condition requires further assessment and may be associated with chronic neglect.

Malnutrition, lack of nurturing and lack of stimulation can lead to serious long-term effects such as greater susceptibility to serious childhood illnesses and reduction in potential stature. For very young children the impact could quickly become life-threatening. Chronic physical and emotional neglect may also have a significant impact on teenagers. Adult participants may also be poorly nourished to an extent this effects their health, due to a lack of access to food and / or healthy food.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) This extreme form of physical, sexual and emotional assault upon girls and women involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Such procedures are usually conducted on children and are a criminal offence in Scotland. FGM can be fatal and is associated with long-term physical and emotional harm.

Forced Marriage A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the full and free consent of both parties and where duress is a factor. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual, and emotional abuse. Forced marriage is both a child protection and adult protection matter. Child protection processes will be considered up to the age of 18. Forced marriage may be a risk alongside other forms of so called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA). HBA includes practices used to control behaviour within families, communities, or other social groups, to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or ‘honour’. (National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021)

Other Safeguarding Concerns may include:

Domestic Abuse The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is: any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.

If children witness or hear domestic abuse, this must be treated as a child protection matter, even if they are not directly involved in the incidents.

A new offence of coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate and familial relationships was introduced into the Serious Crime Act 2015. The offence closes a gap in the law around patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour during a relationship between intimate partners, former partners who still live together, or family members, sending a clear message that it is wrong to violate the trust of those closest to you, providing better protection to victims experiencing continuous abuse and allowing for earlier identification, intervention and prevention.

Suicidal ideation or high-risk self-harm

The term ‘suicide’ means an act that is intended to end one’s life. Suicidal ideations, often called suicidal thoughts or ideas, is a broad term used to describe a range of contemplations, wishes, and preoccupations with death and suicide (PubMed, 2021). These issues can be caused by many factors, including depression and mental illness, stress, financial problems, relationship breakdown, bereavement and abuse.

Adverse Childhood Experiences are “highly stressful, and potentially traumatic, events or situations that occur during childhood and / or adolescence. They can be a single event, or prolonged threats to, and breaches of, the young person’s safety, security, trust or bodily integrity.” (Young Minds, 2018). Examples of such experiences include children living with someone who abuses drugs, living with someone who abuses alcohol, exposure to domestic abuse or living with someone with serious mental illness.

Self-neglect This covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding. A decision on whether a response is required under safeguarding will depend on the adult’s ability to protect themselves by controlling their own behaviour. There may come a point when they are no longer able to do this, without external support.

Peer on Peer abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

Bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)
Abuse in intimate personal relationships between peers
Physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm, including online facilitation of threats and/or encouragement of physical abuse
Sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault; (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages sexual violence)
Sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a broader pattern of abuse causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party
Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes images and or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)
Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group and may also include an online element)

Modern slavery encompasses:

Slavery
Human trafficking
Forced labour and domestic servitude
Traffickers and slave masters using whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment

Financial or material abuse including:

Theft
Fraud
Coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
The misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits

Financial abuse is the main form of abuse investigated by the Office of the Public Guardian both amongst adults at risk and children. Financial recorded abuse can occur in isolation, but as research has shown, where there are other forms of abuse, there is likely to be financial abuse occurring. Although this is not always the case, everyone should also be aware of this possibility.

Potential indicators of financial abuse include:

Change in living conditions
Lack of heating, clothing or food
Inability to pay bills/unexplained shortage of money
Unexplained withdrawals from an account
Unexplained loss/misplacement of financial documents
The recent addition of authorised signers on a client or donor’s signature card
Sudden or unexpected changes in a will or other financial documents

Honour-based violence embraces a variety of crimes of violence (mainly but not exclusively against women), including assault, imprisonment and murder where their family or their community is punishing the person. They are being punished for (actually or allegedly) undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behaviour. In transgressing this correct code of behaviour, the person shows that they have not been properly controlled to conform by their family and this is to the ‘shame’ or ‘dishonour’ of the family.

Recognising Signs of Abuse

Abused children and adults may be afraid to tell anybody about the abuse. They may struggle with feelings of guilt, shame or confusion – particularly if the abuser is a parent, caregiver or other close family member or friend. Anyone working with children, young people or adults at risk needs to be vigilant to the signs listed below.

Whilst these signs do not necessarily mean that someone is being abused, they probably indicate that there are some problems which should be investigated:

Being afraid of particular places or making excuses to avoid particular people
Knowing about or being involved in "adult issues" which are inappropriate for their age or stage of development, for example alcohol, drugs, sexual behaviour
Having angry outbursts or behaving aggressively towards others
Becoming withdrawn or appearing anxious
Self-harming or having thoughts about suicide
Regularly experiencing nightmares or sleeping problems
Showing changes in eating habits
Running away or regularly going missing from home or care
Not receiving adequate medical attention after injuries

These signs do not necessarily mean that a child is being abused. There may well be other reasons for changes in a child’s behaviour, such as a bereavement or relationship problems with parents or carers. Whether or not a child’s behaviour or appearance is concerning depends on their age or stage of development. Children with learning difficulties, physical disabilities or health-related issues may be at a different developmental stage to most of their peers.

Recognising Concerns about an Adult and their Wellbeing

Venture Trust has a responsibility to prevent and report concerns about the abuse, neglect and ill-treatment of adults who are at risk of being harmed, alongside its responsibility to protect children who have suffered abuse.

There are legal requirements on statutory bodies under the Care Act 2014, and statutory guidance (Care and Support Statutory Guidance 2018) applying to the voluntary sector across England and the devolved nations, for organisations to do everything they can to recognise, and report abuse quickly and appropriately to keep adults safe, and to prevent such abuse from happening in the first place.

An adult at risk of abuse can be anyone over the age of eighteen, including participants, staff or volunteers. Whilst personal characteristics may make an individual more vulnerable i.e. disability and communication difficulties, it is the situation around an individual which may increase risk or place them at potential risk of harm. It is therefore vital to be open to the possibility that any adult may be at risk and that this can be temporary or on-going depending on the support and protective factors around them.

Capacity and Consent

It is important to be alert to issues of cognitive capacity which can increase the vulnerability of people where they have a reduced ability to make informed decisions in the moment. This may be transient (e.g. due to fear, shock, injury, illness) or long term (e.g. due to learning differences, disability, mental health issues).

Whilst this is a complex issue, it should not get in the way of staff and volunteers genuinely seeking to ensure that all individuals are respectfully consulted in relation to participation in activities and/or sharing of information about them.

A young person aged 16 or older is presumed in law to have capacity to consent, unless there is evidence to the contrary. Capacity to consent is not simply based on age however, particularly where intellectual disability and communication difficulties and disabilities are identified. You should also consider a person’s capacity to understand the consequences of giving or withholding their consent. They should not be treated as unable to make a decision until all practicable steps to help them have been taken.

When assessing a person’s understanding you should seek to explain the issues using their preferred mode of communication and language. This should be done in a way that is suitable for them, considering all you know about them from your contact with them, particularly their age, language and likely understanding.

The following criteria should be considered when assessing whether a person has sufficient understanding at any time to consent, or to refuse consent, to sharing of information about them or participating in specific activities:

Can the person understand the question being asked of them?
Are they taking an active part in the discussion?
Can they rephrase the question in their own words?
Do they have a reasonable understanding of what the risks or benefits of giving their consent or saying no?
What do they say they think would happen if they agree the action being suggested

Disclosure

People may disclose abuse in a variety of ways, including:

Directly – making specific verbal statements about what’s happened to them
indirectly – making ambiguous verbal statements which suggest something is wrong
behaviourally – displaying behaviour that signals something is wrong (this may or may not be deliberate)
non-verbally – writing letters, drawing pictures or trying to communicate in other ways

People may not always be aware that they are disclosing abuse through their actions and behaviour.

Sometimes people make partial disclosures of abuse. This means they give some details about what they’ve experienced, but not the whole picture. They may withhold some information because they:

are afraid they will get in trouble with or upset their family
want to deflect blame in case of family difficulties as a result of the disclosure
feel ashamed and/or guilty
need to protect themselves from having to relive traumatic events

When children do speak out it is often many years after the abuse has taken place (McElvaney, 2015).

Barriers to Safeguarding Disclosure

People can be reluctant to seek help because they feel they don’t have anyone to turn to for support. They may have sought help in the past and had a negative experience, which makes them unlikely to do so again. They may also:

feel that they will not be taken seriously
feel too embarrassed to talk to an adult about a private or personal problem
worry about confidentiality
lack trust in the people around them (including parents) and in the services provided to help them
fear the consequences of asking for help
worry they will be causing trouble and making the situation worse
find formal procedures overwhelming

(Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation, 2006).

Not all people realise they have experienced abuse, for example if they have been groomed.

Best Practise in Responding to Safeguarding Disclosure

When responding to safeguarding disclosures made by children, young people, or adults, Venture Trust should ensure they adhere to the following dos and don’ts:

Be accessible and receptive - give your full attention and keep your body language open
Listen carefully, take your time and slow down
Show you understand and reflect back what you’ve heard
Take it seriously
Reassure the person that they are right to share
Remain unbiased - don’t jump to conclusions
Say what will happen next (e.g. I need to tell someone)
Make a careful record of what was said
Report the incident immediately ensuring you follow Venture Trust’s Safeguarding reporting procedures

Don’t

React strongly
Speculate or accuse anybody
Promise confidentiality or make promises you cannot keep
Ask leading questions
Stop a person who is speaking freely
Accept backtracking from an individual. If it has been said, it needs to be reported

Reporting Concerns

Reporting Process

Where safeguarding or child protection disclosures are made, or there are observed safeguarding concerns, the following actions must be taken:

Where appropriate, remind the participant of our safeguarding duty and confidentiality and tell them what you will do next
Immediately make a note of the disclosure, using the exact words of the participant where possible (if concerns need to be paraphrased, this must be made clear on the form). Where the concern has been observed by a student or volunteer, they must immediately tell the Manager. Only facts that occurred (not opinion) can be recorded in the safeguarding report.
Staff must immediately notify the relevant trained in DSL (desingnated safeguarding lead) Manager. If the Manager is not available or appropriate, they must go directly to the Director of Operations or Managing Director and make a joint decision about the level of risk and actions required
Staff must complete a Safeguarding report form as soon as possible, and ordinarily within 24 hours. If there is a delay completing this form the DSL should be informed verbally.
Safeguarding reports must be submitted to safeguarding@venturetrust.org.uk
Safeguarding report must be uploaded to participant/client’s TRACK file.
This report will be reviewed by SLT within 24 hours. If required SLT will contact the relevant practitioner and/ or manager to review the case and ensure appropriate actions have been taken before reviewing and signing off the actions to safeguard the participant.

Managing Concerns and Allegations against Staff

As a charity working with vulnerable children, Venture Trust has a duty to ensure that where an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer has been alleged, steps are taken to investigate the allegation and prevent further harm.

This includes staff behaving in a way that has harmed or may have harmed, a child or adult at risk, or has behaved in a way that indicates that they may post a risk of harm.

If a concern or allegation of abuse or inappropriate conduct is made against a member of staff or you have a suspicion regarding the conduct of a member of staff with regard to children, young people or adults at risk you must:

Contact a Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible, and on the same working day. If any of the DSL’s is not available, please contact Director of Operations or Managing Director
If the person is at immediate risk of harm the Police should be called immediately

Venture Trust has a wider duty to ensure that the necessary authorities are informed of concerns about situations where a member of staff or volunteer has harmed a Child or Adult at Risk, placed a Child or Adult at Risk at risk of harm, or is unsuitable to work with children.

Venture Trust therefore takes responsibility for making the required referrals, to external regulatory bodies such as but not limited to Disclosure Scotland. We will contact the local Social Work department, or the police, and take direction from them on how best to proceed.

Safeguarding concerns or allegations towards staff may result in disciplinary action.

Our organisation is committed to creating an environment where concerns about staff conduct can be raised safely and responsibly. We recognize the need to protect both the individual making the allegation, and the individual against whom the allegation is made. We aim to handle all allegations in a fair, impartial, and confidential manner, in line with principles of natural justice and due process.

Our Commitments Include:

Confidentiality will be maintained for all parties to the extent possible during and after the investigation.
Individuals raising concerns in good faith will be protected from retaliation, victimization, or negative consequences.
Staff who are the subject of an allegation will be presumed innocent unless and until an investigation determines otherwise. They will be treated with respect and fairness throughout the process.
Investigations will be conducted promptly, fairly, and objectively by individuals with appropriate training and no conflict of interest.
Both parties will be given the opportunity to be heard and to present relevant information.
Support services (e.g., HR, counselling, union representation) will be made available to all involved.

Non-recent Abuse

Through the trusted relationships Venture Trust builds with participants, they may choose to tell us about their non-recent experiences of abuse. It’s important that Venture Trust staff are respectful and follow Best Practice Steps in Responding to a Disclosure outlined above.

Sometimes adults who have experienced abuse are made to feel it’s their fault. But this is never the case: there's no excuse for abuse. There can be long lasting effects of abuse that can include:

emotional difficulties like anger, anxiety, sadness or low self-esteem
mental health problems like depression, eating disorders, self harm or suicidal thoughts
problems with drugs or alcohol
disturbing thoughts, emotions and memories
poor physical health
struggling with parenting or relationships

Previously Disclosed Abuse:

If a participant states they have previously disclosed this abuse to another agency, or has reported this abuse we may want to:

Listen to the participant and show them care
Make sure they are okay now
Check they have the support they need in place
Seek consent to talk to other agencies supporting the participant to make sure we can work together to provide the support they need, and are aware of the disclosure
Where the participant is under 18, Venture Trust have a duty to share this information, even where consent is withheld

New Disclosure of Non-Recent Abuse

If this is the first time the participant has disclosed this non-recent abuse we need to:

Establish if there is an immediate risk of harm to the person making the disclosure, or if there is a risk of harm to others, for example children who may be exposed to the abuser
Confirm to the participant our duty to follow our safeguarding procedures at this point, including our responsibilities where there is a potential risk of harm, or where the participant is under 18
Follow safeguarding procedure as outlined in Reporting Concerns section

If there is no risk of harm currently and participants are over 18, we will:

Listen to the participant and show them care
Support them to access appropriate support
Seek consent to share the disclosure with relevant agencies e.g. referrer
Ask if they want or need support to report the abuse to the police. It’s never too late to report abuse, although this should be the participants decision and choice

Managing Concerns of Suicide

Venture Trust has a responsibility for all staff and participants. Through our work and the positive relationships we build, people may share that they are experiencing psychological or emotional distress.

If you are concerned that someone may wish to self-harm or are considering suicide, it is important that you take this seriously and take appropriate action in a timely manner.

If there is an immediate danger to the person, seek help immediately:

Has the person already harmed themselves or taken an overdose
Do they have a plan for killing themselves?
Do they feel unable to stay safe?

If so:

Call 999–Explain what is happening to you. You can stay on the line while you wait for help to arrive
Or go to a Hospital A&E

If there is no immediate danger to the person, but they have disclosed that they are considering suicide or self-harm, or you have observed some concerning behaviour that leads you to believe there may be a risk of suicide or self-harm you should take this seriously.

If you’re unsure if someone is having suicidal thoughts, you should ask directly. Example questions might be:

Are you thinking about suicide?
Have you thought about how / when you might take your life?

It can often be better to ask direct questions rather than vague ones. It’s usually better to address the person’s feelings directly rather than avoiding them. Asking someone about suicide doesn’t usually mean that they’re more likely to kill themselves. And it might be a relief to them to talk about it.

If you feel that you are able to, the following three steps provide guidance on how to respond if someone shares that they have thought about suicide:

Listen without judgement

Talking with someone about their thoughts or feelings of suicide is helpful. The best way to initially help someone who is feeling suicidal is to listen carefully to them and to show them kindness and compassion. You don’t have to agree with them but try to understand how they feel. Many people just want to be heard. Suicide is much more about escaping the feeling of being trapped by mental psychological= pain than the actual ending of one’s life.

Help them to make a safety plan

A safety plan is a tool that someone can use to help keep them safe when they experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm. A Safety Plan includes what you would do, and who might support you, in a crisis. They might include distraction techniques to help you get through the next seconds or minutes as thoughts of suicide becoming overwhelming, how you can make your immediate environment or situation safer, who you can contact when things get really tough, and what to do in an emergency.

A Safety plan would ordinarily include:

Recognising the warning signs – e.g. very negative thoughts, sleeping a lot, feeling trapped, hopeless, overwhelmed or numb, risky behaviours or self-neglect
Identify coping strategies – an activity they enjoy or can distract them e.g. a walk, a bath, video games, going for a drive, sport or exercise, watching TV, music, sensory self-soothing
Identify people or distracting social settings – list places or people they can meet or get in touch with to provide a distraction. Avoid bars, pubs, nightclubs, casinos, or gambling shops
Identify chosen family/ friends – make a list of people they can contact when they are feeling suicidal, people they can trust and feel safe talking to. Not anyone under the age of 18
Identify professionals who can help – e.g. GP surgery, crisis helplines, emergency services, NHS24
Make the environment safe – e.g. securely lock medications away, remove or secure lengths of rope, cable, belts, etc

Make sure they know where to go to find further support

This should include emergency support, if they are in crisis and don’t feel they can keep themselves safe.

The following services offer confidential support from trained staff and volunteers. You can talk about anything that is troubling you, no matter how difficult:

NHS24

If you're feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or in need of emotional support you can phone NHS 24 on 111.

Phone: 111

Visit: nhs24.scot

Samaritans

24-hour helpline offering emotional support for anyone feeling down, distressed or struggling to cope.

Phone: 116 123

Visit: samaritans.org

Shout

Shout 85258 is the UK's first free, confidential, 24/7 text support service. It's a place to go if you're struggling to cope and need mental health support.

Phone: Text 85258

Visit: giveusashout.org

Breathing Space

A confidential out of office hours telephone line for people over 16 experiencing low mood, anxiety or depression.

Phone: 0800 83 85 87

Visit: breathingspace.scot

Any concerns relating to self-harm or suicide should be actioned according to the Safeguarding Procedures outlined within this document. You should inform your Manager. Child protection issues of neglect can be raised if a pregnant mother is causing harm to their unborn child Manager or Designated Safeguarding Lead on the same day, and agree an appropriate course of action to safeguard the person.

Supporting people who are feeling suicidal can be very difficult and emotional. Once all actions have been taken to safeguard the person, Staff should speak with their line manager and may wish to access the Employee Assistance Programme for counselling and support.

Safeguarding Procedures

Safer Recruitment

The safeguarding policy must also safeguard participants from harm from those placed in positions of trust or care. At Venture Trust the following steps are taken:

All staff, students and volunteers who work directly with participants must have two satisfactory references and enhanced PVG clearance before they commence employment
All Staff members who have line management responsibility for people who have regular contact with participants also are required to join the PVG scheme
For staff who do not work directly with participants, they are required to complete a basic Disclosure check when they join Venture Trust and then every 3 years thereafter
If an employee, freelancer or volunteer applies to work with us has lived outside the UK, but has the right to work in the UK, we ask them for a criminal record check from the country they have come/moved from
Safeguarding Induction Training is delivered to all staff, students and volunteers who work with participants

Code of Conduct

All staff are expected to read, sign and work according to the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct sets out clearly how staff are expected to behave and seeks to ensure participants are protected from abuse, manage any allegations or incidents of inappropriate behaviour and ensures everyone – staff, volunteers, and participants feel safe, respected and valued.

The Code of Conduct must be read and accepted by every employee within the first week of employment.

Whistleblowing and Complaints Procedure

If you are concerned of a wrongdoing or that appropriate action has not been taken to deal with a concern, then this is when Whistleblowing should take place. The wrongdoing will typically (although not necessarily) be something you have witnessed at work. Please see Venture Trust’s Whistleblowing Policy within the staff handbook.

Should a participant or third party wish to report a complaint or concern, they should be provided with and follow the Resolving Concerns and Complaints policy and procedure.

Sharing Information

Sharing information amongst practitioners working with children, young people and adults at risk is essential to safeguarding and promoting participant welfare. In many cases it is only when information from a range of sources is put together can it be seen that a person is at risk.

Confidential information should not be passed on to third parties without the consent of the person who provided it, or to whom it relates unless the circumstances in which sharing information without consent can be justified in the public interest, e.g., where there is reasonable cause to believe that a person may be at risk of significant harm. In cases where we have concerns and believe that we will need to share confidential information, we should ideally seek consent to do so. However, refusal to provide consent should not stop us from sharing confidential information if we believe this is justified.

When we start working with people, it is important that staff explain to children, young people, families, and adults at risk our responsibilities for sharing information, what confidentiality means and what we will do when we have concerns about their welfare. Staff must always have a clear and legitimate purpose for sharing a person’s personal information. It is essential to keep a record of the reasons why information is being shared, or why information has been requested.

The safety or welfare of participants must always be the primary consideration when making decisions about sharing information about them. The amount of confidential information shared should be no more than necessary in protecting the health and wellbeing of the participant.

Working with Participants Individually

Throughout our work at Venture Trust, one-to-one work forms a core part of our programmes. One-to-one work should be planned, with consideration given to assessment of participant, location and in line with the Lone Working policy and procedures, and Staff Code of Conduct.

Transport

When providing transport for participants, the best option for this should be considered and planned for in advance. Seatbelts should be always worn as legally required.

Staff transporting participants need to comply with the Rules for Driving on Venture Trust Business within the Staff Handbook, and the Driving Risk Assessment. They also need to have completed all required due diligence before transporting participants.

Public Transport should be used for participant travel where practicable and appropriate. Considerations should be made to determine if the participant is capable and safe to travel on public transport and if any mitigation is required, for example meeting them at the beginning or end of their journey or accompanying them.

Minibus/ van transport

Staff should be placed to ensure there is adequate participant supervision throughout the vehicle. The driver does not form part of this supervision.
Minimum staff ratios of 1:6 on minibus journeys, excluding the driver
If participants are using the minibus to change their clothes, e.g. if they are going home part way through the course steps should be taken to ensure participant privacy and safety
Staff should comply with the Minibus and Trailer Risk Assessment.

Staff vehicles should only be used to transport participants following discussion with the line manager and should comply with the Lone Working policy.

Staff should ensure that the inside of their car is clean, safe and there is no confidential information accessible to participants.

Overnight Supervision

Venture Trust delivers wilderness residential programmes that utilise a variety of overnight sleeping arrangements.

Venture Trust staff are responsible for the pastoral care and overnight supervision of participants and should make appropriate arrangements to ensure this is possible. Clear behaviour guidelines should be set, which are aligned with the law. Sleeping arrangements may be changed if staff are concerned about a participant’s wellbeing. A waking watch may also be considered.

Staff should not enter an enclosed participant sleeping area alone. If this is absolutely necessary, they should leave the door open.

Tents and camping

Staff and participants will not share tents
Participants aged under 18, and adult participants over 18 must not share tents
Participants may share tents where this is considered beneficial and appropriate based on the needs of the participants. Consideration should be given to age, gender and participant vulnerabilities

Yurts/ Tipis / Bothy

Staff and participants may sleep in communal sleeping facilities such as a tipi or bothy where there is no suitable alternative
There must be a minimum of two staff in each sleeping space shared with participants

Bunkhouse / Shared dormitories

Staff and participants should not share enclosed sleeping bedrooms or dormitories unless there are no alternative options. This should be considered when booking accommodation
Under no circumstances should people share beds (staff or participants)
Participants may share dormitory rooms, but this should be dynamically risk assessed based on participant needs, with consideration given to gender, vulnerabilities and wellbeing
Participants aged under 18, and adult participants aged over 18 must not share bedrooms or dormitories

Hotels

Staff and participants will have separate rooms

Please refer to Standard Operating Guidance and Risk Assessment documents for further guidance.

Social Contact

Staff must maintain professional boundaries with participants – past and present and are not permitted to have social contact with participants outside of their work for Venture Trust. This means staff must not take participants to their own homes, and must not arrange social contact with participants. If a participant seeks to establish social contact, or this happens coincidentally, the staff member must inform their line manager and agree an appropriate course of action. The line manager should seek support from DSL and HR if they are unsure about what action to take.

Staff should not share personal contact details, including personal email, phone or social media details with participants. Staff should not be connected with or communicate with current or previous participants via any of their personal social media platforms, with the exception of LinkedIn which can be used for professional purposes to support participants to grow their professional network if appropriate.

Please refer to the Safe Digital Working policy for further guidance.

Taking, Storing and Sharing Images

Venture Trust recognises that sharing photographs and films of our activities helps celebrate the successes and achievements of the participants with whom we work. They provide a record of Venture Trusts activities and raise awareness of our organisation.

In addition, staff are committed to capturing participants views and involving them in planning for the future, and we may record them either individually or as a group. In all cases where recording is undertaken, whether audio, video or photographic, prior written consent must always be obtained:

Staff must ensure that where a young person is under the age of 16, that permission to record images or voices or obtained from a parent or other person holding parental responsibility
Any restrictions stipulated by participants must be respected. Participants have the right to decide when and how their image is taken or used, and this must be respected
Staff must clearly explain the purpose of collecting any image or recording, how the image or recording might be used and how it might be stored
It is essential that all members of a group have valid permissions obtained before undertaking any group recording
Care must be taken to ensure that images and recordings are only used for legititimate purposes, and that they are not released to non Venture Trust staff without specific agreement being obtained about how such images are to be used

Policy updates

Any changes we make to our policy will be put on our website. Please check for updates from time to time, so you are always fully aware of what information is collected and how it is used.

Updated: April 2026

Reviewed: April 2026

Next review due: April 2027