Child Protection and Safeguarding
Policy Statement
Waymakers CIC is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all young people who engage in sessions we run.
Independent organisations we may signpost to will be required to have their own safeguarding procedures that must, as a minimum, meet the standards outlined below, and include any additional legal or regulatory requirements specific to their work. These may, but are not limited to:
• Other UK regulators, if applicable, such as Ofsted or CQC.
• Other authorities, such as the DfES or NHS.).
We recognise our responsibility to safeguard their wellbeing and protect them from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
This policy sets out how we will meet our legal and moral duties in relation to child protection, and how we will respond to concerns in a clear, respectful, and child-centred way. We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which our people not only feel safe, but also able to speak up, if they have any concerns.
1. Scope
This policy applies to all staff, facilitators, volunteers, trustees, and anyone working on behalf of Waymakers CIC. It applies to all activities and interactions involving young people under the age of 18, whether online or in person.
2. Our Commitment
Waymakers CIC will:
3. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is:
Name: Helen
Role: DSL – Safeguarding Lead, Waymakers CIC
Contact: [email protected]
They are responsible for:
4. Recognising Abuse
Abuse can take many forms. Staff and volunteers should be alert to signs of:
5. Reporting Concerns
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you are worried a young person may be at risk of harm:
6. Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers
All adults working with children at Waymakers CIC must:
7. Online Safety
Waymakers CIC recognises the importance of safeguarding children in digital spaces. We will:
8. Working in Partnership with Families
We value the role of families and carers and seek to build trusting, collaborative relationships. We will:
9. Safer Recruitment
All staff and volunteers who work directly with children will:
10. Policy Review and Monitoring
This policy will be reviewed annually or in response to significant changes in legislation or practice. Feedback from staff, families, and young people will be used to inform improvements.
11. Key Contacts
Waymakers CIC is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all young people who engage in sessions we run.
Independent organisations we may signpost to will be required to have their own safeguarding procedures that must, as a minimum, meet the standards outlined below, and include any additional legal or regulatory requirements specific to their work. These may, but are not limited to:
• Other UK regulators, if applicable, such as Ofsted or CQC.
• Other authorities, such as the DfES or NHS.).
We recognise our responsibility to safeguard their wellbeing and protect them from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
This policy sets out how we will meet our legal and moral duties in relation to child protection, and how we will respond to concerns in a clear, respectful, and child-centred way. We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which our people not only feel safe, but also able to speak up, if they have any concerns.
1. Scope
This policy applies to all staff, facilitators, volunteers, trustees, and anyone working on behalf of Waymakers CIC. It applies to all activities and interactions involving young people under the age of 18, whether online or in person.
2. Our Commitment
Waymakers CIC will:
- Promote the safety and wellbeing of all young people, including those who are neurodivergent, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable.
- Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their safeguarding responsibilities.
- Maintain clear procedures for reporting and responding to concerns including an incident log.
- Recruit staff and volunteers safely, using enhanced DBS checks and appropriate vetting.
- Provide safeguarding training to all staff and volunteers.
- Respect and uphold children’s rights to autonomy, dignity, voice, and participation.
- Work in partnership with children, parents/carers, and external safeguarding agencies where appropriate.
3. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is:
Name: Helen
Role: DSL – Safeguarding Lead, Waymakers CIC
Contact: [email protected]
They are responsible for:
- Acting as a first point of contact for safeguarding concerns.
- Ensuring this policy is followed and updated.
- Liaising with relevant statutory agencies where needed.
- Ensuring all staff and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training.
4. Recognising Abuse
Abuse can take many forms. Staff and volunteers should be alert to signs of:
- Physical abuse – e.g. unexplained injuries.
- Emotional abuse – e.g. persistent negative criticism, rejection.
- Sexual abuse – e.g. inappropriate sexual contact or grooming.
- Neglect – e.g. failure to meet basic physical or emotional needs.
- Peer-on-peer abuse – including bullying, cyberbullying, or inappropriate behaviour between children.
5. Reporting Concerns
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you are worried a young person may be at risk of harm:
- Record what you have seen/heard—use the child's own words where possible.
- Report it to the DSL as soon as possible (within 24 hours).
- Do not promise confidentiality—explain that you may need to pass information on to keep them safe.
- The DSL will assess the concern and decide on the next steps, including whether to contact the local authority (Children’s Social Care) or the police.
6. Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers
All adults working with children at Waymakers CIC must:
- Prioritise safety and wellbeing in all activities.
- Treat young people with respect, compassion, and fairness.
- Respect children’s rights to privacy, choice, and autonomy.
- Avoid any behaviour that could be perceived as inappropriate.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
- Never use physical punishment or degrading treatment.
- Report any safeguarding concerns immediately.
- Avoid situations with an unsupervised adult being alone with an unaccompanied child.
- Always work alongside at least one other onsite safeguarding-trained facilitator or adult helper who will have access to emergency contacts - ratios increasing and exceeding legal minimums wherever possible in response to group size and needs.
7. Online Safety
Waymakers CIC recognises the importance of safeguarding children in digital spaces. We will:
- Use secure, age-appropriate platforms for any online learning.
- Ensure parents supervise online interactions between children and facilitators.
- Only use secure online tools when communicating with parents to share updates from sessions and using only anonymised images and young people's initials if communications can also be seen by other participants' parents.
- Uphold the same safeguarding expectations during online sessions as in-person ones.
8. Working in Partnership with Families
We value the role of families and carers and seek to build trusting, collaborative relationships. We will:
- Keep parents/carers informed about our safeguarding policy.
- Consult families when planning support for individual children, unless doing so would place the child at further risk.
- Offer free consultations to discuss any additional needs or concerns.
9. Safer Recruitment
All staff and volunteers who work directly with children will:
- Undergo a DBS check.
- Provide references as part of our recruitment process.
- Complete safeguarding training before beginning work.
- Adhere to this and our other policies.
10. Policy Review and Monitoring
This policy will be reviewed annually or in response to significant changes in legislation or practice. Feedback from staff, families, and young people will be used to inform improvements.
11. Key Contacts
- Waymakers CIC DSL: [email protected]
- Cambridgeshire Children’s Social Care: 0345 045 520
- NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
- Police (non-emergency): 101