Safeguarding Policy

Forest Gate Community Garden Safeguarding Policy and Procedures       

 

Forest Gate Community Garden (FGCG) aims to reach out to and engage its diverse community and its members and in particular young people, in gardening and related skills.

FGCG believes that all our community, including children, young people and vulnerable adults should be able to enjoy the facilities of the garden, events and activities we organise in safety and in a framework that minimises risk of harm through accident or abuse.

Our safeguarding policy requires that children under 16 and vulnerable adults must always be accompanied by a parent/carer.

Aims

The policy aims to:

  • Protect people from abuse or any kind of harm or distress as a result of their contact with us, including children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • Protect individual staff and volunteers from accusations of misconduct through clear processes and procedures.
  • Respond to and raise safeguarding concerns including reporting to the relevant authorities.

Implementation

Our safeguarding policy will be achieved through:

  • Keeping policies and procedural guidelines for this area appropriate, up-to-date and accessible.
  • Having clear processes for reporting and addressing any safeguarding concerns or allegations relating to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults from abuse.
  • Ensuring that our events and activities are planned and delivered to uphold safeguarding standards, with clear lines of responsibilities and risk assessments outlined.
  • Ensuring that all volunteers, trustees and FGCG employees are familiar with the safeguarding code of conduct and regular volunteers have completed safeguarding training.

Responsibilities

The Trustees must ensure that:

  • Staff working on a regular basis are suitably qualified and/or experienced to supervise and deliver the activities they undertake.
  • Safeguarding incidents are monitored, ensuring appropriate protocols are followed
  • Policies are regularly reviewed and updated

The Co-ordinator must ensure that:

  • They have taken appropriate safeguarding training and are aware of procedures relating to identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns.
  • Staff working on an occasional basis and volunteers are suitably qualified and/or experienced to supervise and deliver the activities they undertake.
  • Any third party individual or organisation involved in delivering activities as part of a garden event has appropriate experience and where relevant holds the appropriate qualifications and/or accreditation and insurance. If they are operating with any degree of autonomy, i.e. not under the close supervision of garden staff or volunteers, they should have safeguarding procedures at least equivalent to ours.

  • Report safeguarding concerns to Newham 24-hour Safeguarding helpline on 020 3373 0440 within 24 hours of an incident taking place.

 Code of Conduct/Responsibilities of staff and volunteers

You should:

  • Set a good example; you are likely to be seen as a role model and should adopt an approach that encourages mutual respect.
  • Always respect an individual’s right to privacy and personal space.
  • Be alert to inappropriate or potentially harmful behaviours, this includes signs of neglect, abuse or harm within a group or individually.
  • Always seek the consent of a child, young person or vulnerable adult if you need to touch them to administer first aid or to help with clothing.
  • Respond sensitively to those anxious or unsure about participation in any activities.
  • Encourage a culture of openness, where anyone experiencing upset feels able to report it.
  • Immediately report any concerns you have about the welfare or safety of any child, young person or vulnerable adult or of inappropriate behaviour of other adults to the Engagement and Outreach Co-ordinator within 24 hours.
  • Ensure other adults attending a group (such as children’s parents) or family event recognise the need for appropriate behaviour around children.
  • Ensure that parents give permission for photographs of their children to be taken and used for publicity purposes

 You should not:

  • Rely on your good name to protect you from allegations.
  • Be alone with a child/vulnerable person. If a degree of privacy is required then you should aim to remain within sight or earshot of other people.
  • Allow or engage in suggestive remarks, gestures or touching which could be misunderstood or misconstrued.
  • Take photographs without consent from both the individual concerned and any responsible adult or carer.
  • Engage in rough or physical contact unless it is permitted within the rules of a game or activity.
  • Smoke, or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Swear or use explicit language.
  • Behave in a discriminatory way, this includes making discriminatory remarks or behaviours such as racist, ableist, xenophobic, sexist or homophobic comments.

Reporting procedure

The Chair is Designated Safeguarding Lead who will advise the Trustees and Steering Group on appropriate procedures and how to implement them and liaise with the Police and Social Services should need arise. She can be contacted on info@fgcommunitygarden.org

Any concerns relating to treatment of children or vulnerable adults at the garden should be addressed to her.  All efforts should be taken to maintain confidentiality for all concerned when an allegation has been made and is being investigated.

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead is to:

    • Be fully informed of safeguarding responsibilities, including policies and processes.
    • Receive information relating to safeguarding concerns from staff, volunteers, children or parents and carers who have child protection or vulnerable person concerns and record them;

    Report any safeguarding concerns relating to a child, young person, or vulnerable adult within 24 hours of the incident taking place to Newham 24-hr Safeguarding Helpline on 020 3373 0440.

    It is not their role to decide whether a child/vulnerable person has been abused or not.

Awareness of safeguarding policy

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and FGCG staff, trustees and volunteers should be aware of safeguarding procedures and policies. The Code of Conduct will be given to all new staff and volunteers as part of their induction training. This policy document will be published on the group’s website, and displayed in the storage container.

For whistleblowing relating to children, use the NSPCC's dedicated whistleblowing line: 0800 028 0285.

Policy ends

Updated December 2024

Aapproved by Trustees                To be reviewed  March 2027