At Optimum Parent & Family Coaching Safeguarding is at the heart of our activities.
All of our work is intended to support and empower parents and children, helping children to grown up feeling seen, heard and understood. Acceptance, belonging and connection in family life are key values of the organisation along with working with kindness and integrity. Whether it is coaching work with parents or group activities with children this is our ethos and focus.
The purpose of this policy statement is:
• to protect children and young people and adults who receive Optimum Parent & Family Coaching’s services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services
• to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection. This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Optimum Parent & Family Coaching, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students.
Legal framework
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England.
A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from nspcc.org.uk/childprotection.
Supporting documents
This policy statement should be read alongside our organisational policies, procedures, guidance and other related documents:
• dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person (see Appendix 1)
• managing allegations against staff and volunteers*
• recording concerns and information sharing (See Appendix 1)
• child protection records retention and storage (See Appendix 1)
• code of conduct for staff and volunteers*
• behaviour codes for children and young people (See Appendix 3)
• photography and sharing images guidance (See separate policy)
• safer recruitment*
• adult to child supervision ratios*
We believe that:
• children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind
• we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
We recognise that:
• the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the
• decisions we take
• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and
• other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare
• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
• extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse. Find out more about:
• safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities
• safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people
• safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people
• safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
• valuing, listening to and respecting them
• appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people, a deputy and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
• developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures*
• providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently
• recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
• recording and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance [more information about this is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/fororganisations]
• sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets, posters, group work and one-to-one discussions when relevant or required
• making sure that children, young people and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern
• using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately
• using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately*
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
• ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place*
• ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
• building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.
Contact details
Nominated child protection lead Name: Julie Cresswell
Phone/email: optimumparentandfamily@gmail.com
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on: ……………………27/4/24……………………………………………………(date)
Signed: …………………J. Cresswell………………………………………………………
Date: ……………………27/4/24……………………………………………………
*Whilst some of these may not be directly relevant at present due to the nature of the work being myself as small business of one working with children whilst parents are present I have opted to leave this in the policy as this will be the course of action taking should it be necessary or relevant eg more staff are employed or online work with children occurs.
Document list summary
Appendix 1
Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person
Recording concerns and information sharing
Child protection records retention and storage
Appendix 2
Behaviour Code for adults working with young people.
Appendix 3
Behaviour codes for children and young people (inc health and safety guidelines for child and parent).
For further advice or support contact the NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000
Appendix 1
Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child or young person
Any disclosures regarding your child will be dealt with along the lines of current safeguarding guidance. The facts of a child’s disclosure will be recorded and reported to the relevant local authorities. Where it is possible you will be informed of this happening, unless it is deemed to put your child further at risk.
Depending on the severity of the disclosure or concern the most likely referrals will be made to one or all of the following:
- Early help – to facilitate further support for the child or family
- The local safeguarding board – to further investigate whether there is a need for action
- The police (if there is a need for an immediate intervention)
- If a child has been referred through another provider eg their school then the first port of call would be that organisation’s DSL
Recording concerns and information sharing
If a child makes a disclosure or there is a concern this will be recorded and the date and time logged. This will be stored confidentially (online or in a locked filing cabinet) in line with ICO guidance.
Child protection records retention and storage
Guidance will be taken regarding the storage or any records beyond the usual procedure of Optimum Parent & Family Coaching.
Appendix 2 – Behaviour Codes
For adults working with children
This behaviour code outlines the conduct that Optimum Parent & Family Coaching expects from all our staff and volunteers. This includes anyone who is undertaking duties for the organisation, whether paid or unpaid.
The behaviour code is there to help us protect children and young people from abuse. It has been informed by the views of children and young people.
Optimum Parent & Family Coaching is responsible for making sure everyone taking part in our activities has seen, understood and agreed to follow the code of behaviour, and that they understand the consequences of inappropriate behaviour
The role of staff and volunteers
In your role at Optimum Parent & Family Coaching you are acting in a position of trust and authority and have a duty of care towards the children and young people we work with. You are likely to be seen as a role model by young people and are expected to act appropriately. We expect people who take part in our services to display appropriate behaviour at all times. This includes behaviour that takes place outside our organisation and behaviour that takes place online. Responsibility of staff and volunteers
You are responsible for:
• prioritising the welfare of children and young people
• providing a safe environment for children and young people
– ensuring equipment is used safely and for its intended purpose
– having good awareness of issues to do with safeguarding and child protection and taking action when appropriate.
• following our principles, policies and procedures o including our policies and procedures for safeguarding and child protection, whistleblowing and online safety
• staying within the law at all times
• modelling good behaviour for children and young people to follow
• challenging all inappropriate behaviour and reporting any breaches of the behaviour code to [insert name/role of person to report to]
• reporting all concerns about abusive behaviour, following our safeguarding and child protection procedures – this includes inappropriate behaviour displayed by an adult or child and directed at anybody of any age.
Respecting children and young people
You should:
• listen to and respect children at all times
• value and take children’s contributions seriously, actively involving them in planning activities wherever possible
• respect a young person’s right to personal privacy as far as possible – if you need to break confidentiality in order to follow child protection procedures, it is important to explain this to the child or young person at the earliest opportunity.
Diversity and inclusion
You should:
• treat children and young people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination
• understand that children and young people are individuals with individual needs
• respect differences in gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability and religious belief systems, and appreciate that all participants bring something valuable and different to the group/organisation
• challenge discrimination and prejudice
• encourage young people and adults to speak out about attitudes or behaviour that makes them uncomfortable. Find out more about:
• safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities
• safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people
• safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people
• safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Appropriate relationships
You should:
• promote relationships that are based on openness, honesty, trust and respect
avoid showing favouritism
• be patient with others
• exercise caution when you are discussing sensitive issues with children or young people
• ensure your contact with children and young people is appropriate and relevant to the nature of the activity you are involved in
• ensure that whenever possible, there is more than one adult present during activities with children and young people o if a situation arises where you are alone with a child or young person, ensure that you are within sight or can be heard by other adults – if a child specifically asks for or needs some individual time with you, ensure other staff or volunteers know where you and the child are
• only provide personal care in an emergency and make sure there is more than one adult present if possible – unless it has been agreed that the provision of personal care is part of your role and you have been trained to do this safely.
Inappropriate behaviour
When working with children and young people, you must not:
• allow concerns or allegations to go unreported
• take unnecessary risks
• smoke, consume alcohol or use illegal substances
• develop inappropriate relationships with children and young people
• make inappropriate promises to children and young people
• engage in behaviour that is in any way abusive o including having any form of sexual contact with a child or young person
• let children and young people have your personal contact details (mobile number, email or postal address) or have contact with them via a personal social media account
• act in a way that can be perceived as threatening or intrusive
• patronise or belittle children and young people
• make sarcastic, insensitive, derogatory or sexually suggestive comments or gestures to or in front of children and young people.
You should always follow this code of behaviour and never rely on your reputation or that of our organisation to protect you. If you have behaved inappropriately, you will be subject to our disciplinary procedures. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, you might be asked to leave Optimum Parent & Family Coaching. We might also make a report to statutory agencies such as the police and/or the local authority child protection services. If you become aware of any breaches of this code, you must report them to Julie Cresswell.
For children and young people
Why we have a behaviour code
This code of behaviour is there to make sure everyone who takes part in Optimum Parent and Family Coaching’s activities knows what is expected of them and feels safe, respected and valued.
Optimum Parent & Family Coaching must make sure that everyone taking part in our activities has seen, understood and agreed to follow the code of behaviour, and that they understand what will happen if there is inappropriate behaviour. We expect people who take part in our services to display appropriate behaviour at all times. This includes behaviour that takes place outside our organisation and behaviour that takes place online.
This code of behaviour aims to:
• identify acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
• encourage cooperation, honesty, fairness and respect Research and resources
• create an environment where your self-esteem, self-respect and self-confidence will grow
• encourage you to recognise and respect the rights of others
• encourage you to take responsibility for your own behaviour • help resolve conflicts and make it clear what will happen if you decide not to follow the code.
Dos and don’ts for children and young people
You should:
• be supportive and kind to others
• be friendly
• listen to others
• be helpful
• have good manners
• treat everyone with respect
• take responsibility for your own behaviour
• talk to Julie about anything that worries or concerns you
• follow this code of behaviour and other rules (including the law)
• join in and have fun!
You shouldn’t:
• be disrespectful to anyone else
• bully other people (online or offline)
• behave in a way that could be intimidating
• be abusive towards anyone.
What happens if I do not to follow the code of behaviour? This code of behaviour is part of our process for making sure everyone who takes part in our activities gets the support they need.
If you behave in a way that doesn’t follow our behaviour code, our staff or volunteers will remind you about it and ask you to change your behaviour. This gives you the chance to think and to plan how you could behave differently, with support from staff and/or volunteers.
Formal warning If you continue not to follow the code of behaviour after your first reminder, or if your behaviour is more serious, you will be given a formal warning by the person running your activity. They will make a record about what happened and inform your parents or carers if it is appropriate.
They will also talk with you about what happened and agree what support you need to improve your behaviour in the future. We might also decide that further steps should be taken, such as restricting you from taking part in some activities.
Final warning If the support we have put in place isn’t helping you to change your behaviour, we might need to give you a final warning. Again, this will be recorded and we’ll inform your parents or carers as appropriate. At this point, we might need to talk with you and your parents or carers about other services that might be more able to give you the support you need.
Child protection procedures
If any member of staff or volunteer becomes concerned that your behaviour suggests you might be in need of protection or that you might present a risk of harm to other children and young people, they will follow our child protection procedures. This might involve making a referral to the local authority. If child protection procedures are necessary we will talk this through with you and your parents as soon as possible, unless doing so would put you in danger or interfere with a police investigation.
The role of parents and carers
We see parents and carers as important in encouraging positive behaviour and will involve them as appropriate. We will always inform and involve your parents or carers if you receive a formal warning about your behaviour, unless doing so would put you in danger
This policy has been created based on guidance from the NCSPCC