Safeguarding Policy

At Power2Inspire (P2I [“the Charity”]), we believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and that the welfare of all individuals is paramount.

This commitment applies to all participants in our activities, including volunteers, players, assistants, coaches, staff, and directors, irrespective of their age, culture, disability, language, racial origin, religious belief, or sexual identity (collectively referred to as”Participants” throughout this policy).

We believe:

• All Participants have the right to protection from abuse.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

The Charity’s directors have approved this Safeguarding Policy to emphasise that it is the responsibility of every adult involved with P2I to ensure Participants can enjoy their activities in a safe environment. The charity acknowledges its responsibility:

• To safeguard all Participants.
• To take all reasonable practical steps to protect Participants from harm, discrimination, or degrading treatment.
• To respect all Participants’ rights, wishes, and feelings.
• To ensure all adults are aware of their special responsibilities when working with Participants who are children, young people, or vulnerable adults.

Our procedures will:

• Offer safeguards to all Participants.
• Help maintain the professionalism and good practices associated with P2I.

This policy and the procedures within it are reviewed, approved, and endorsed by the directors.

Alex Laybourne is the designated Safeguarding Officer for P2I.

Rebecca Condie is the designated Safeguarding Trustee for P2I.

The P2I Directors are responsible for ensuring that the welfare of Participants is promoted and safeguarded in all interactions with the charity. Directors acknowledge their legal duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that no one is harmed.

Existing directors have and will require new directors to read the Charity Commission Guidance for Safeguarding and this Safeguarding Policy before starting their roles. This ensures that all directors are fully informed of their responsibilities and the standards expected of them in safeguarding Participants.

This policy and the procedures within it are regularly reviewed, approved, and endorsed by the directors to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness.

The protection of the participant is the most important consideration. Assess whether theparticipant is in immediate danger:

• If yes: Contact the emergency services immediately. P2I advises contacting the Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the region of activity, if reporting immediate danger concerns is required. MASH provides a single point of access to services that help keep children safe. It is a multi-agency team made up of representatives from a range of services that provide advice, support and protectionas needed.
• If no: Report the concern to the designated Safeguarding Officer or Director at P2I. Ensure the concern remains confidential unless instructed otherwise.

When working in a school setting, if possible and appropriate, report the concern to the school. Keep a record of your concern and document how and to whom you reported it. P2I will maintain its own records as well.

It is important to note:

• It is not your responsibility to determine whether abuse has occurred, but it is your duty to act if you have any concerns.
• It is not your role to undertake investigations; however, you are expected to report any concerns and provide clarification if required during an investigation.

• Direct disclosures by children or young people.
• Reports from parents, friends, coaches, school staff, organization staff, or P2I staff/volunteers/ambassadors.
• Direct observation of concerning behaviour.
• Information from other organizations
• Information received through DBS disclosures or references.
• Anonymous reports.
• Verbal, written, texted, or emailed information

• Allegations or indications of abuse made against staff, directors, volunteers, or ambassadors within P2I, the organization, or the school.
• Allegations or indications of abuse emerging within the P2I setting but involving a child’s experience away from P2I activities.
• Allegations or indications of poor practice within the school/organization or involving other volunteers, ambassadors, staff, or directors.
• Information about adults that suggests they may pose a risk to children (e.g., DBS disclosures or information from police or other bodies).
• Concerns regarding online as well as ‘real-world’ behaviour.
• Allegations of non-recent abuse.

It can be very hard for children and young people to reveal abuse. Often, they fear there may be consequences. Some delay telling someone about abuse for a long time, while others never tell anyone, even if they want to. Children value being believed and, as the adult they have chosen to tell, it is vital that you act on what you’ve been told. Below is advice on what steps to take if a child discloses abuse to you and how you can help keep them safe

Listen Carefully

• Allow the child to speak without interruption.
• Avoid expressing your own views. A reaction of shock or disbelief could cause the child to retract or stop talking.

Reassure the Child

• Let them know they’ve done the right thing by telling you.
• Provide reassurance, as this can have a significant impact on a child who may have been keeping the abuse secret.

Tell Them It’s Not Their Fault

• Clearly state that the abuse is not their fault. Children need to hear this to understand that they are not to blame.

Say You Believe Them

• Affirm that you believe what they are telling you. A child may keep abuse secret out of fear that they won’t be believed.

Do Not Confront the Alleged Abuser

• Avoid talking to or confronting the alleged abuser. This could make the situation worse for the child.

Explain What You Will Do Next

• If age-appropriate, explain to the child that you will need to report the abuse to someone who can help.

Report the Abuse Without Delay

• Report the abuse as soon as possible. The sooner the abuse is reported after the child discloses it, the better. Prompt reporting ensures that details are fresh in your mind and that action can be taken quickly.

Do Not Promise Confidentiality

• Never promise a child that you will keep what they tell you a secret. Explain that you need to share the information with those who can help.

Make Notes

• Try to make notes on the conversation using whatever materials you have at the time. This will help you accurately recount what the child discloses and can be crucial if you are required to give evidence in the future

Abuse can happen on any occasion in any place where children and young people are present. Child abuse is any form of physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. It commonly occurs within a relationship of trust or responsibility and represents an abuse of power or breach of trust. Abuse can happen to a child regardless of their age, gender, race, or ability.

Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family, institutional, or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. Children can be abused by adults, either male or female, or by other children. Any allegations or suspicions of abuse, poor practice, or bullying need to be responded to and reported in line with the procedures found later in this policy.

The four main types of abuse are detailed below. For a comprehensive review of these types of abuse, please refer to the NSPCC page

Neglect is when adults consistently or repeatedly fail to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which could result in serious impairment of the child’s health or development. This may include:

• Failure to provide adequate food, shelter, and clothing.
• Failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger.
• Failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
• Refusal to give love, affection, and attention.

Neglect in sport could include a coach or supervisor:

• Repeatedly failing to ensure children are safe.
• Exposing children to undue cold, heat, or extreme weather without ensuring adequate clothing or hydration.
• Ignoring safe practice guidelines or failing to ensure the use of safety equipment.
• Requiring young people to participate when injured or unwell

Physical abuse involves physically hurting or injuring a child. This includes:

• Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, biting, scalding, suffocating, or drowning.
• Causing ill health through feigned symptoms or deliberate actions (e.g.,Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy).

Physical abuse in sport may occur when:

• The intensity of training or competition exceeds the child’s physical capacity.
• Coaches encourage the use of drugs or harmful substances to enhance performance.
• Athletes are required to participate when injured.
• Sanctions imposed by coaches involve inflicting pain.

Sexual abuse is where children are abused by adults or other children for sexual
gratification. This includes:

• Full sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex, anal intercourse, kissing, and
  sexual fondling.
• Showing children pornographic material or taking pornographic images of
  them.

Sexual abuse in sport can occur through:

• Misuse of physical contact during coaching.
• Abusive situations arising from the power imbalance between coach and
  child.
• Grooming children through texts, social media, or other means

Emotional abuse involves the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child causing severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. This includes:

• Conveying to children that they are worthless, unloved, or inadequate.
• Imposing developmentally inappropriate expectations.
• Causing children to feel frightened or in danger.

Emotional abuse in sport may occur if children are subjected to:

• Constant criticism, name-calling, or sarcasm.
• Bullying, racism, or pressure to perform to unrealistically high expectations.
• Devaluation based on sporting success or failure.

In addition to abuse, other concerns to recognise and address within the sports setting include:

Poor practice involves behaviour by an individual in a position of responsibility that falls below the organization’s required standards. Examples include:

• Coaching with alcohol on the breath.
• Smoking, swearing, or not paying due care and attention to participants.
• Giving one child too much attention or encouraging unnecessary physical contact.

Poor practice can create an environment conducive to more serious abuse and can lead to suspicions about the individual’s motivations.

Bullying can take many forms and is harmful to the victim. It includes:

• Physical bullying such as hitting.
• Online bullying, such as abusive messages or images on social media.
• Bullying based on gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, or sporting ability.

For a more comprehensive review of this topic, see the NSPCC anti bullying pages (website reference at end of this policy).

The use of online technology and social media can pose potential safeguarding risks,including:

• Blurring boundaries between personal and professional behavior.
• Inappropriate behavior and digital footprints.
• Online bullying and grooming

Any allegations or suspicions of abuse, poor practice, or bullying must be responded to and reported in line with the procedures outlined in this policy. The welfare of the child is always the primary concern, and prompt, appropriate action is essential to ensure their safety and well-being.

Background Checks and References:

All P2I staff are required to provide at least two referees before appointment.

All staff will undergo an advanced DBS check.

Onboarding:

Upon appointment, directors, volunteers, ambassadors, and staff will receive a welcome pack that includes:

• The Safeguarding Policy.
• The Code of Conduct.

Additional guidance provided includes:

• Prohibition of sharing personal details with anyone under 18 on any project.
• Prohibition of following back or friending under-18 participants on social media (including a 12-month period after they turn 18).
• No private messages on social media and no exchange of personal details.
• Awareness of social media risks such as cyberbullying.

We provide DBS document numbers to schools/organizations upon request.

All P2I volunteers, staff, directors, and ambassadors are expected to:

• Dress appropriately for events.
• Use appropriate language while delivering P2I activities.
• Show no bias in the delivery of P2I activities.
• Provide copies of relevant qualifications promptly when requested.
• Refrain from consuming alcohol or smoking during P2I activities.

• Ensure all staff, volunteers, directors, and ambassadors stay up to date with their safeguarding training.
• Offer regular training sessions that accommodate the schedules and needs of all participants.
• Encourage attendance and participation in safeguarding training to maintain a high standard of awareness and responsiveness to safeguarding issues.

Complaints should be addressed to Power2Inspire CEO Alex Laybourne and/or Chair of Trustees Jeremy Macklin Jeremy Macklin. Please click the names to send an email.