Safeguarding Policy

Youth Dreams Project Ltd (YDP) understand that it is absolutely essential that anyone working in close proximity with children has a secure understanding of safeguarding and understands the role they play in protecting children. Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding refers to the process of protecting children (and adults) to provide safe and effective care. This includes all procedures designed to prevent harm to a child.

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is part of the safeguarding process, protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes the child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.

What is Whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing is when someone raises a concern about a dangerous or illegal activity or any wrongdoing within their organisation.

Our coaches are fully aware of how to handle Whistleblowing situations.

Key Principles

• Children and young people have a right to enjoy sport, free from all forms of abuse, exploitation and poor practice.
• All children and young people have equal rights to protection from harm.
• All children and young people should be encouraged to fulfil their potential, and inequalities should be challenged.
• Everybody has a responsibility to support the care and protection of children.
• Sporting organisations have a duty of care to children and young people who take part in sport.

Roles, Responsibilities and Processes

We all have a role to play in ensuring the well-being and safety of children, young people, their families and each other. It is NOT the responsibility of YDP staff to make judgements about whether what a child says is true or not. Our team will immediately pass on any concerns they may have about a child to the Designated Safeguarding Lead in the first instance who will then liaise with the schools Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or local authority if an instance occurs during half term camps.

As part of our safeguarding policy YDP will:

• Promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
• Ensure every YDP coach understands their role and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate education/training to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people.
• Ensure that concerns are detailed and recorded accurately and then passed on to the schools DSL.
• Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and the schools procedures are followed by all coaches.
• Ensure that we support the online safety of our children and communities by regularly checking the latest guidance
• Take any allegations of whistleblowing seriously and report them immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Ensure that all staff responsible for the intimate care of children will undertake their duties in a professional manner and with respect at all times; the child’s welfare and dignity is of paramount importance. No child will be attended to in a way that causes distress or pain.
• Ensure that we only share images and videos of children whose parent/guardian have given consent to use on our social media platforms and promotions. Children over the age of 16 will always be consulted about the use of their image and have the option to give consent to it being used and shared.

What does that mean for YDP coaches?

Our sports coaches, all working on behalf of Youth Dreams Project Ltd fully comply with the 2022 DFE Guidance. Our coaches are subject to rigorous personal checks including:

• An enhanced DBS certificate result which includes clearance to work in an educational environment.
• Barred List, Prohibition, Section 128 and EEA sanctions
• Satisfactory Certificate(s) of Good Conduct (overseas) received where applicable.
• Immigration and eligibility to work in the UK checks.
• Two good references relating to previous training/education/employment.
• Three verifications of identity.

We will:

• Always ensure we know who the DSL is in each school we coach in.
• Understand and follow each schools’ Safeguarding procedure and policy.
• We will give equal priority to keeping all children and young people safe regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation when participating in a YDP session.
• We will listen to all children, respecting them and ensure they feel comfortable sharing any concerns with a member of the YDP team.
• Take all suspicions, concerns or allegations of harm seriously and report them swiftly to the DSL.
• Always follow safeguarding procedures.

Contact Details and Resources

Luke Kennedy is YDPs Designated Safeguarding Lead and can be contacted via email luke.kennedy@youthdreamsproject.co.uk or telephone 07583 688413. If you cannot get hold of Luke Kennedy, please inform Luke Steele 07734 253782.

If you need to speak to your Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), they can be contacted using the below methods:

Email:

LADO@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

LADO@peterborough.gov.uk

LSCP_LADO@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Telephone:

01223 727967 – Cambridgeshire

01733 864038 – Peterborough

Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team: 0345 0455203 Cambridge, 01733 864180 Peterborough

01522 554674 – Lincolnshire

Social Care Contact details

0345 045 5203 8am-5.30pm (Mon-Thu)

8am-4.30pm (Fri)

01733 234724 Emergency Duty Team

(out of hours)

Further support or advice regarding safeguarding can be found below:

Peterborough Safeguarding Referrals

https://www.safeguardingcambspeterborough.org.uk/concerned/

Lincolnshire Safeguarding Referrals

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/safeguarding/report-concern

NSPCC

nspcc.org.uk or telephone 0808 800 5000

Childline

https://www.childline.org.uk/ or telephone 0800 1111

This policy was ratified on 1st January 2023.

Luke Kennedy, Managing Director

Youth Dreams Project