Safeguarding children and young people

This information sheet is for all voluntary organisations and community groups that have contact with children and young people up to the age of 18.

Every child and young person should be kept safe, and everyone is responsible for protecting children and young people from harm. When your club or organisation is working with or has contact with any children and young people up to the age of 18, your organisation should make sure it takes steps to keep them safe.

The main areas to consider are:

Child protection – know what to do if you are worried about a child • Safer staff and volunteers – during recruitment, induction, supervision, training, responding to allegations
Avoiding accidents and running safe activities and events
Preventing and responding to bullying
Safe use of social media

If you are worried about a child or young person:

Newcastle Children’s Social Care Initial Response Team for advice and referrals during office hours. Call 0191 277 2500 Visit https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/ health-and-social-care/childrens-social-care/contact-childrens-social-care/initial-response-service
Newcastle Emergency Duty Team outside of office hours. Call 0191 278 7878 Visit https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/healthand-social-care/childrens-social-care/ contact-childrens-social-care#duty
Gateshead Children’s Services for advice about referrals during office hours. Call 0191 433 2653 Visit https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/ article/1820/Children-s-social-care
Gateshead Emergency Duty Team outside of office hours. Call 0191 477 0844 Visit https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/ article/3948/Worried-about-a-child-in-Gateshead
NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) 24 hour helpline, includes some Asian languages. Call 0808 800 5000 Visit www.nspcc.org.uk
Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department offers advice. Call 101 and ask for the Safeguarding Department.

Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practice

All organisations that work with, contact, or are visited by children and young people should have a policy statement about how the organisation intends to keep children and young people safe, usually written on one side of paper.
Written procedures should explain how the policy is put into practice.
Good practice will protect the children and young people you have contact with, protect your staff, volunteers and management committee, and protect the good reputation of your organisation.
Taking up regular safeguarding training and carrying out appropriate criminal record checks are part of the safeguarding menu.
Someone senior in the organisation must be the Designated Person for Safeguarding Children.
The way that your group uses social media should be included in your guidelines, so that children and young people, and your staff, volunteers, management committee and your organisation are all protected.

Sometimes guidance refers to safeguarding; sometimes to child protection:

Child protection is about what staff and volunteers should do if they are worried a child has been abused or is at risk of significant harm, or what to do if there are allegations about a staff member or volunteer
Safeguarding usually has a wider focus than child protection, such as preventing bullying and running safe activities

Free support to safeguard children and young people

NSPCC Learning

Free NSPCC resources for voluntary and community sector groups and practitioners
Are they safe? is a guide for leaders especially of small groups; includes running safe events and a wall chart
safeguarding children in faith communities: guidance on safeguarding within the beliefs, teachings and cultural context of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and interfaith
safeguarding children in BME communities
safeguarding D/deaf and disabled children
safeguarding for performing arts
online safety and social media
radicalisation
writing a safeguarding policy
Visit https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/ safeguarding-child-protection/writing-a-safeguarding-policy-statement/
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/safeguarding/safeguardin…

Local Safeguarding Children Boards

offer training, local practice guidance, interagency procedures, and publications to support learning and safeguarding.
Visit Newcastle: www.nscb.org.uk/ Gateshead: www.gateshead.gov.uk/lscb/ home.aspx

Free safeguarding training

Safeguarding training should be renewed at least every three years; Gateshead Council recommends every two years. There are face to face courses at levels 1, 2 and 3, specialist courses, and online e-learning courses.
Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board (NSCB) offers free training for Newcastle voluntary organisations’ staff and volunteers including management committees. Visit www.nscb.org.uk/
Gateshead Safeguarding Children Board offers free training for Gateshead voluntary organisations’ staff and volunteers. Visit https://www.gatesheadsafeguarding.org. uk/article/9209/Training-
Safeguarding children from abuse by sexual exploitation: e-learning The average age of children who become sexually exploited is 11 to 13. This e- learning course is recommended for all voluntary and community organisations that work face-to-face with children and young people in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Action for your group

Write or update your safeguarding children policy and procedures

Visit https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/ safeguarding-child-protection/writing-a-safeguarding-policy/

Write or update your safe recruitment policy and procedures Some organisations have a separate recruitment policy and procedure. Your procedures should include pre-recruitment and ongoing DBS checks
Consider your staff, volunteer and management committee training needs Free safeguarding children training for organisations active in Newcastle. Visit www.nscb.org.uk/training-courses
Free safeguarding children training for organisations active in Gateshead. Visit https://www.gatesheadsafeguarding. org.uk/article/9209/Training
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