General - Policies

General principles 

• Key4Life recognises that employees, volunteers and trustees gain information about individuals and organisations during the course of their work or activities. In most cases such information will not be stated as confidential and colleagues may have to exercise common sense and discretion in identifying whether information is expected to be confidential. 

This policy aims to give guidance but if in doubt, seek advice from your line manager. 

• Colleagues are able to share information with their line manager in order to discuss issues and seek advice 

• Colleagues should avoid exchanging personal information or comments (gossip) about individuals with whom they have a professional relationship 

• It is not appropriate to discuss a person’s sexuality (e.g. ‘outing’ a gay person) without their prior consent 

• Colleagues should avoid talking about organisations or individuals in social settings 

• Colleagues will not disclose to anyone, other than their line manager, any information considered sensitive, personal, financial or private without the knowledge or consent of the individual, or an officer, in the case of an organisation. 

• There may be circumstance where colleagues would want to discuss difficult situations with each other to gain a wider perspective on how to approach a problem. The organisation’s consent must be sought before discussing the situation, unless the colleague is convinced beyond doubt that the organisation would not object to this. Alternatively, a discussion may take place with names or identifying information remaining confidential 

. • Where there is a legal duty on Key4Life to disclose information, the person to whom the confidentiality is owed will be informed that disclosure has or will be made. 

Why information is held 

• Most information held by Key4Life relates to service users and ex-service users, volunteers and ex- volunteers, employees and ex-employees, trustees or services which support or fund the organisation • Information may be kept in order to enable Key4Life to provide its services and only for the intended purpose. 

• Information about ethnicity and disability of users is only kept for the purposes of monitoring our Equalities and Diversity policy and also for reporting back to funders 

Access to information 

• Information is confidential to KEY4LIFE as an organisation but in some circumstances when this is needed it may be passed to colleagues, line managers or trustees to ensure the best quality service for users. This will be done always in accordance with the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislations. 

• Where information is sensitive, i.e. it involves disputes or legal issues, it will be confidential to the employee dealing with the case and their line manager. Such information should be clearly labelled ‘Confidential’ and should state the names of the colleagues entitled to access the information and the name of the individual or group who may request access to the information. 

• Colleagues will not withhold information from their line manager unless it is purely personal. 

• Users may have sight of KEY4LIFE’s records held in their name or that of their organisation. The request must be in writing to the designated person, the Key4Life Director, Eva Hamilton, giving 14 days’ notice and be signed by the individual, or in the case of an organisation’s records, by the Chair or the designated person. Sensitive information as outlined above will only be made available to the person or organisation named on the file. 

• When photocopying or working on confidential documents, colleagues must ensure they are not seen by people in passing. This also applies to information on computer screens. 

Storing information 

• General non-confidential information about organisations is kept in unlocked filing cabinets with open access to all KEY4LIFE colleagues 

• Information about individuals will be kept in filing cabinets by the colleague directly responsible, the Key4Life Operations Manager, Lucy Masters. If for any reasons, a line manager will need to gain access to any of these documents, then he/she must contact the Key4Life Operations Manager 

• Employees’ personnel information will be kept in filing cabinets and will be accessible to the designated person or to those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties 

• In an emergency situation, the designated person may authorise access to files by other people.

Duty to disclose information 

There is a legal duty to disclose some information including: 

• Child abuse will be reported to the Social Services Department 

• Drug trafficking, money laundering, acts of terrorism or treason will be disclosed to the police 

• In addition a colleague believing an illegal act has taken place, or that a user is at risk of harming themselves or others, must report this to the Key4Life Director who will report it to the appropriate authorities 

• Users should be informed of this disclosure. 

Disclosures 

• Key4Life complies fully with the Criminal Records Bureau Code of Practice regarding the correct handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosures and Disclosure information. 

• Disclosure information is always kept separately from an applicant’s personnel file in secure storage with access limited to those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties. It is a criminal offence to pass this information to anyone who is not entitled to receive it. 

• Documents will be kept for a year and then destroyed by secure means. Photocopies will not be kept. However, Key4Life may keep a record of the date of issue of a Disclosure, the name of the subject, the type of Disclosure requested, the position for which the Disclosure was requested, the unique reference number of the Disclosure and the details of the recruitment decision taken. 

Breach of confidentiality 

• Employees who are dissatisfied with the conduct or actions of other colleagues or KEY4LIFE should raise this with their line manager using the grievance procedure, if necessary, and not discuss their dissatisfaction outside of KEY4LIFE. 

• Colleagues accessing unauthorised files or breaching confidentiality will face disciplinary action. Ex-employees breaching confidentiality may face legal action. 

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adult Policy 

• Key4Life abide to the codes and principles of its internal Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (SVA) 

Policy and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy (SVA) of the county council for Key4Life 

• Key4Life understand and accept that the principles regarding safeguarding vulnerable adults take priority over other principles and this is adopted through its practice 

• Key4Life always encourages its staff to break confidentiality and report any issue that concern the safeguarding of vulnerable adults to the management. To this end all the staff at Key4Life is trained in SVA level 2 

• Staff at Key4Life are always protected by our whistle-blowing policy whenever they will report any issue concerning SVA that might also involve other members of staff or volunteers. 

Whistle-blowing 

• Where there are concerns about the use of Key4Life’s funds, concerns may be referred directly to the designated person outside the usual grievance procedure 

• If these concerns involve the designated person then these should be addressed to the Key4Life Chairperson 

Introduction 

At Key4Life we believe that the safety and welfare of our children & young people is of the utmost importance. It is the duty of all our staff & volunteers to protect each child from abuse and to be alert to the possibility of abuse. 

Definition 

Child protection relates to any child (under 18) who has suffered from, or maybe at risk of physical injury, neglect, and emotional or sexual abuse. A full list of definitions is attached as appendix 1. 

Recognition 

The first indication of concern about a child's welfare is not necessarily the presence of an injury. 

Concerns may be aroused by: 

• Bruises, bite marks, burns/scalds, scars or fractures on a child's body 

• Remarks made by the child, another child, a parent or another adult 

• Observations of the child's behaviour or reactions 

• Unexplained changes in the child's behaviour or personality 

• Evidence of disturbance or explicit detail in a child's play, drawing or writing 

• Neglect - where lack of due care for a child is creating significant risk to their health & well being.

Designated person for child protection 

The Key4Life Director, Eva Hamilton, has the designated responsibility for child protection, as appointed by the Management Committee. Anyone who has a concern about a child should contact this person on 07831 622 735 immediately. If that person is not available you should contact the deputy responsible for child protection (information available from administration office). 

The designated person will: 

• Liaise with Local Education Authority, Social Services, the relevant Child Protection Committee and any other agencies on individual cases of suspected or identified child abuse: • Be responsible for co-ordinating action within Key4Life on child protection issues 

• Ensure that all staff & volunteers are familiar with this Policy and Procedures 

• Raise awareness about child protection and arrange training as appropriate 

Safe Recruitment Procedures 

Key4Life recruitment policy stipulates that all staff (paid or voluntary) will have to complete an application form, detailing past work history and references. Individuals are then interviewed and references requested. Only on receipt of satisfactory references will a formal offer of employment or placement be made. 

All staff and volunteers working directly with children (under 18 yrs) and any vulnerable adults, are required to have an enhanced check through the Disclosure Service – the Government’s Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) before commencement of work or placement. 

Staff members (voluntary or paid) are thus required to fill out a DBS form and produce evidence as to their identity, in accordance with the Disclosure Service Guidelines. This information is then witnessed by the Designated Person responsible for child protection and signed as an acknowledgement of information produced. 

Copies of all returned CRB checks and documentation pertaining to any child- protection issues will be kept confidentially and securely locked within the organisation’s administration office. 

Staff can undergo training and induction whilst waiting for the checks to clear but cannot undertake any unsupervised face-to-face work until satisfactory checks have been received. This training will include mandatory child protection awareness. 

The role of individual staff / volunteers 

All staff & volunteers working for Key4Life must be aware that a child may be the victim of abuse. Concern about a child or young person must be discussed with the Designated Person immediately so that, if necessary, a referral can be made without delay. In urgent situations, referral must not be delayed. 

Individual staff or volunteers should not investigate concerns. This is the role of the statutory agencies. However, if a child does say something, it is vital to listen carefully, so that it can be reported accurately. 

Confidentiality 

Our children & young people have the right to expect that all staff and volunteers will deal sensitively and sympathetically with their situation. It is important that information remains confidential and that only those with a 'need to know' should be privy to it. 

Procedure - what to do: 

Concern may arise from observations of the child (e.g. injury, behaviour, appearance and nature of play or work produced) or as a result of something said by the child, another child or an adult.

Do not delay: 

1. Tell the Designated Person - as soon as you can. See emergency contact numbers attached to this policy and procedure. 

Early referral gives more time to help the child and family before the situation becomes severe or serious. When necessary, early referral gives more time for others to protect the child. 

The Designated Person may consult with the Local Education Authority, Social Services, and relevant Child Protection Committee. 

2. Make written notes - as soon as you can, write down your concerns and record the facts accurately on the Child Protection Incident Form, available from admin office (appendix 3). Be clear when you are expressing an opinion and what your opinion is based on. 

These notes must be given to the Designated Person immediately and will help to ensure accuracy in recalling events. 

3. Concern about what the child or someone else says Listen - do not ask questions or interrogate. 

Remain calm - If you are shocked, upset or angry the child will sense this and this may prevent them from talking further. 

Reassure - The child has done nothing wrong - tell her / him it is all right to talk. 

Do not promise to keep it secret - Tell the child that what they have said cannot be kept secret and that you will tell someone who can help. 

4. Remember: 

If in doubt, consult with senior staff members or Designated Person. Do not ignore concerns, even if these are vague. Your first responsibility is to the child. 

5. Contact with the family 

Before speaking to the child's family, you should talk to the Designated Person, who may consult outside the bounds of Key4Life. 

In cases where a physical injury causes concern, it may be appropriate to discuss this with the parent or carer. If the explanation suggests the injury was non-accidental (or a failure to protect the child from harm), the parent or carer should be informed of the need to refer the matter to Social Services. 

In cases of possible neglect or emotional abuse, the concern is likely to have built up over a period of time. There may have been discussion with the family about sources of help (e.g. Social Services, NSPCC), but if concerns persist, there must be an immediate referral to Social Services Referral and Assessment Team. 

Where there are suspicions of sexual abuse, the Designated Person will seek immediate advice from the Social Services Department before discussing the matter with the family. 

6. Concern about a member of staff or volunteer 

Allegations or concerns about a member of staff or volunteer must immediately be referred to a statutory agency. 

7. Requests for assistance by other agencies 

Key4Life should assist local authority Social Services or the Police when they are making enquiries about the welfare of children. Information about a child must therefore be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis. When such requests are received by telephone, always maintain security by checking the telephone listing before calling back. 

Always advise the designated person of this contact. 

8. General issues 

All staff & volunteers must observe the above policy and procedures at all times and adhere to the Key4Life Child Protection Code of Conduct (appendix 4). 

Parental Consent needs to be sought for all individual children & young people taking part in any on or off site activities/events, using Registration & Parental Consent Form (appendix 5). 

As part of overall good practice risk assessments should also be carried out for all on & off site activities, with staff taking full responsibility for using measures to reduce risk for activities within Key4Life.