1. Introduction

At Help Mental Health, we are dedicated to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people. We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young people and their families in all of our activities. Our safeguarding framework, policy, procedures and guidance set out how we will fulfill our duty of care to safeguard those we work with, including staff, volunteers, trustees and partner agencies.

 

2. Purpose of this policy

At Help Mental Health, we believe that everyone should have the right to feel safe and well, regardless of their circumstances. We are dedicated to promoting the wellbeing of individuals and families in all that we do.

Care is the fundamentals of how we formulate the wellbeing of our young people. The prevention of harm and the promotion of resilience and wellbeing our main principal. We believe that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone within our organisation, including our staff, volunteers, and consultants.

We strive to create an environment that is both proactive and responsive to issues of safety and wellbeing. We understand the devastating impact that abuse and neglect can have on individuals, families, and society as a whole. Therefore, our commitment to safeguarding is of utmost importance.

To ensure that everyone within our organisation is clear about their roles, responsibilities, and the procedures to follow in order to protect children and adults at risk from harm, we have established clear standards and processes through this policy and accompanying procedures. These standards and processes apply to all our staff, volunteers (including trustees and young people), and partners.

3. Scope

This policy applies to all individuals who work for or with ‘Help Mental Health’, including employees, volunteers, trustees, advisors, contractors and unpaid staff, regardless of the setting they work in. We also expect all our partners, present and future, to share our dedication to safeguarding.

4.  Definition and Terminology

For the purposes of our policy, procedures and guidance at Help Mental Health, the following definitions apply:

Abuse: A form of maltreatment that may include inflicting harm or failing to prevent harm to a child or adult.

Child: A person who is legally defined as a child in England and Wales includes babies, children, and young people from pre-birth until their eighteenth birthday. In Scotland, a child is typically someone who is under 18, but in some contexts, such as child protection orders, a child is defined as someone under 16.

Adult at risk: A person aged 18 or over who is at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and support.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults: The process of protecting individuals from maltreatment, preventing harm to their health or development, ensuring they receive safe and effective care, and taking action to help them achieve the best outcomes.

Child or adult protection: Refers to the activity undertaken to protect specific children or adults who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm.

Significant harm: Refers to the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in the best interests of the child or adult. This may be a single traumatic event or the cumulative effect of incidents and/or behaviors over time that significantly impairs an individual’s physical and psychological development.

Early identification and help: Refers to the importance of providing children and adults with early help and support to avoid child or adult protection intervention at a later time, as emphasized in statutory guidance.

5. Roles & responsibilities

At Help Mental Health, we believe that safeguarding is a crucial responsibility for everyone. It affects all aspects of our organisation and it’s important for all of our staff to be aware of our policies and procedures to follow in order to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

We understand that some concerns or allegations may require specific attention, and to ensure that they are handled appropriately, we have designated positions and specific job roles in place. These roles are outlined below:

5.1 Trustees

At Help Mental Health, we understand the importance of recognising concerns when a child or adult may be at risk of harm. Our team is trained to respond appropriately when someone tells us what is happening to them, ensuring they receive the support they need.

We follow our safeguarding procedures and report/refers any concerns to the relevant authority, such as an LSO, the Safeguarding Manager, Social Care, or the police. We record all concerns and any subsequent actions taken, making sure there is no delay in passing on information. We aim to respond as quickly as possible to any safeguarding issues, and nothing should prevent us from taking swift action.

At Help Mental Health, we take responsibility for resolving any issues raised during the safeguarding process. We ensure that reports and referrals are followed up promptly and take further action if we are not satisfied with the response.

Our team also takes time to reflect on our learnings from the safeguarding process and how we can support the wellbeing of ourselves and others involved. We understand the importance of maintaining a supportive environment for everyone involved in the safeguarding process.

5.2 Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Safeguarding Lead

At Help Mental Health, we take safeguarding very seriously. To ensure that we are meeting the highest standards of safeguarding, we have appointed an experienced member of our Senior Leadership Team as our SLT Safeguarding Lead.

This individual is responsible for:

• Ensuring that safeguarding is considered in all strategic decision-making processes.
• Providing line management support, coaching, and debriefing to our Safeguarding Manager.
• Ensuring that our Board of Trustees is provided with regular reports on our safeguarding activities, as agreed.
• Commissioning an external audit of our safeguarding practices every three years, and planning and monitoring resulting actions alongside our Safeguarding Manager.
• Leading complex investigations related to safeguarding where there is significant risk of reputational damage to our organisation.

With our SLT Safeguarding Lead in place, we are confident that our safeguarding practices will remain of the highest standard and that our service users will be protected from harm.

5.3 Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO)

At Help Mental Health, we take safeguarding very seriously, and we have a dedicated Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) who is responsible for overseeing our safeguarding policies and procedures.

 

Our DSO is our Safeguarding Manager, and they are responsible for:

• Ensuring that all of our staff have access to appropriate safeguarding advice and support.
• Checking that all safeguarding referrals, incident reports, and actions taken are recorded, fully reviewed, and logged in a restricted file.

Providing oversight and supporting us to:

• Enable young people, adults, and their families to be aware of our safeguarding procedures.
• Assess that partner organisations working with us, have appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place.
• Appraise the training needs of all teams and LSOs on a regular basis.
• Develop guidance and deliver training to increase the level of understanding and expertise on safeguarding across all teams, including safer recruitment training.
• Ensuring that there is a clear and fair system of high-quality supervision for all staff who may benefit from it.
• Supporting recruiting managers to identify the appropriate level of DBS check for vacancies.
• Planning and undertaking an annual internal audit of safeguarding practice, and supporting staff to respond to recommendations.
• Working with teams to respond to recommendations from a three-yearly external safeguarding audit.
• Reporting quarterly to the People and Governance Committee on how we have discharged our safeguarding duties.
• Providing an annual report to the Board of Trustees regarding our safeguarding activity.
• Alerting the CEO of any significant safeguarding concerns, contributing to decision-making, and ensuring appropriate follow-up to manage and reduce risk.
• Giving feedback to the SMT/SLT about safeguarding trends, concerns, and emerging issues.
• Keeping up to date with relevant law, guidance, and case examples.
• Proactively engaging with other agencies and external experts to ensure that our approach is informed by and contributes to best practice within the sector.

With our DSO in place, we are confident that our safeguarding policies and procedures are of the highest standard, and our service users are protected from harm.

 

5.4 Lead Safeguarding Officers (LSO)

At Help Mental Health, we understand that safeguarding is a critical aspect of our work, and we are committed to managing specific risks that arise in each area of operation. Our LSOs play a vital role in responding to and managing the highest frequency and complexity of safeguarding concerns. They work closely with our DSO to ensure that strategic safeguarding issues are managed effectively and that proactive measures are in place to prevent harm across all areas of our operation.

The responsibilities of our LSOs include providing safeguarding advice, support, and debriefing to our staff and volunteers. They also undertake out-of-hours on-call responsibilities, ensuring that all concerns are recorded and logged appropriately. Our LSOs highlight serious concerns immediately to our DSO and ensure that any external referrals are of high quality and are followed up promptly.

We believe that keeping up-to-date with safeguarding training is critical for our LSOs, so they stay informed and knowledgeable about the latest developments in safeguarding. They act as advocates for safeguarding and increase awareness of safeguarding measures within their specific areas of operation in conjunction with their team/line manager(s).

 

Additionally, our LSOs help disseminate guidance, procedures, and signpost teams to relevant resources. They advocate for the needs of their teams, ensuring that relevant guidance and support is provided by our Safeguarding Manager. Finally, they contribute to safeguarding audits to ensure that we are continually improving our approach to safeguarding.

Overall, we are proud of the work our LSOs do to support our DSO and ensure that we are delivering our services in the safest possible manner.

5.5 Line Managers

Help Mental Health’s Line Managers have specific responsibilities to ensure that our staff and volunteers are following all appropriate safeguarding procedures.

These responsibilities include:

• Supporting and encouraging our teams to follow all appropriate safeguarding procedures.
• Providing additional support and advice for any staff member with a safeguarding concern.
• Taking ownership of concerns raised by volunteers and escalating them to an LSO or the Safeguarding Manager as appropriate.
• Abiding by safer recruitment practices to ensure that all new staff and volunteers are suitable for their role.
• Ensuring that all new staff and volunteers are fully inducted and trained to the appropriate level in safeguarding practices.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, we can ensure that we maintain a safe and supportive environment for everyone involved with Help Mental Health, including our staff, volunteers, and the individuals we aim to help.

5.6 Head of People and Culture

At Help Mental Health, the Head of People & Culture plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of our staff, volunteers and service users by overseeing safeguarding training and practices.

Their responsibilities include:

• Ensuring all new staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training and monitoring existing staff’s compliance with annual training requirements.
• Providing advice and guidance on safer recruitment practices to those involved in recruitment processes for staff or volunteers.
• Ensuring all members of recruitment panels have received appropriate Safer Recruitment training.
• Managing the management of allegations process, working alongside the Safeguarding Manager to investigate and respond to any safeguarding concerns or allegations that arise.

By taking these steps, the Head of People & Culture helps to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone at Help Mental Health, promoting best practices and ensuring that safeguarding remains a top priority.

5.7 Staff

At Help Mental Health, our staff are responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of our clients.

To achieve this goal, staff must adhere to the following safeguarding responsibilities:

• Know and comply with the safeguarding procedures outlined in our policies and procedures, particularly when working with external partners.
• Complete the required safeguarding training for their role to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and report potential safeguarding concerns.
• Raise any safeguarding concerns they identify with an LSO or the Safeguarding Manager immediately to ensure that appropriate measures are taken.
• Contact the appropriate services immediately in case of an emergency.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, our staff can ensure that our clients receive the best possible care and support, and that our organisation is fulfilling its safeguarding obligations.

5.8 Volunteers

At Help Mental Health, we expect our volunteers, including trustees and members of the Youth Panel, to follow specific safeguarding practices to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our service users. Here are the responsibilities of our volunteers:

• Raising any concerns immediately: Volunteers should report any concerns they have to their supervisor, an LSO or the DSO as soon as possible. This will help ensure that any potential safeguarding risks are identified and addressed promptly.
•  Volunteers must complete the safeguarding training that is relevant to their role. This will help them understand the safeguarding policies and procedures that are in place, and how they can contribute to maintaining a safe environment for everyone involved.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, our volunteers can play a vital role in supporting our safeguarding procedures and promoting the welfare of our service users.

 

6. Safeguarding Procedures

Help Mental Health is committed to upholding safeguarding standards throughout our work. We have developed a Safeguarding Action Plan that is updated annually and conduct both internal and external safeguarding audits to ensure we meet our standards.

We believe that:

• The welfare and protection of children and adults of concern are of utmost importance.
• Safeguarding must be integrated into our governance, leadership, and culture.
• Young people should be empowered and supported to participate in our activities and decision-making processes, including identifying risks and reviewing our safeguarding practices.
• Everyone has an equal right to protection from harm, and our safeguarding practices should actively oppose discrimination and racism.
• Our recruitment, induction, training, supervision, and appraisal procedures should ensure that staff and volunteers are capable of implementing safeguarding best practices.
• Our physical and online environments should be safe, secure, and enjoyable.
• We should have clear policies and procedures for reporting, addressing, and following up on safeguarding concerns, which are regularly reviewed to identify areas for improvement.
• High standards of safeguarding practice should be expected of all our partners.
• We should proactively care for our staff and volunteers, encouraging them to prioritise their wellbeing and seek support when needed.
• Learning, sharing, and networking to promote best practices benefits everyone involved.
• Our safeguarding policy and related documents should be publicly available.
• These commitments are reflected in our safeguarding policy and related documents.

7. Reporting and responding to safeguard concerns

At Help Mental Health, it is crucial that all staff and volunteers are able to recognise any concerns that a child or adult may be being harmed or could be at risk of harm. We emphasise the importance of responding appropriately and sensitively to any disclosures made by a child or adult who is experiencing harm.

It is essential to report or refer any concerns according to our safeguarding procedures, whether that is to an LSO, the Safeguarding Manager, Social Care, or the police. We require that all concerns are recorded appropriately and any necessary action is taken without delay.

Our staff and volunteers are expected to take responsibility for ensuring that reports and referrals made are followed up in a timely way, and to take further action if they are not satisfied with the response. Finally, we encourage our staff and volunteers to reflect on their experiences and learnings from the safeguarding process, and to consider how they can best support their own wellbeing and that of others involved.

 

8. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

We take confidentiality seriously and are committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. Any information shared with us will be treated as confidential and will only be shared with relevant parties where necessary and with the user’s consent, unless there is a legal obligation to disclose the information.

 

9. Record Keeping and Data Protection

We keep accurate and up-to-date records of our users, their concerns, and any safeguarding measures taken. All information is stored securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

 

10. Training and Development

Our staff and volunteers receive regular training on safeguarding to ensure they understand their responsibilities and are equipped to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns. We also provide training to our users on staying safe online and how to recognise potential safeguarding issues.

 

11. Review and Monitoring

We regularly review our safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure they remain effective and up-to-date. We monitor our website and user interactions to identify and respond to any safeguarding concerns that may arise.

 

12. Legal Framework and Compliance

We comply with all relevant legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding, including the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the Human Rights Act 1998. We also follow any local safeguarding policies and procedures that may apply.

 

13. Additional Resources and Support

We provide additional resources and support to our users to help them stay safe and access the help they need. This includes signposting to relevant organisations and services, providing access to helplines and chat services, and offering practical advice on staying safe online.

 

If you have any concerns about safeguarding or would like to report a safeguarding issue, please contact us at [email protected].