Help a family today
Get support today Make a donation
Donate Now
Reading Time: 8 minutes

Safeguarding Policy

Statement of Purpose

  1. Amelia’s Light (the Organisation, we, our or us) is committed to preventing and responding to risks of harm, actively safeguarding, and promoting the welfare of all children and adults at risk that we work with (i.e. as Amelia’s Light’s service users). These individuals are referred to as the “Beneficiaries” of this Safeguarding Policy.
  2. We recognise the importance of this commitment to safety and welfare, and the welfare of the Beneficiary is paramount in all decisions taken. We are further committed to safeguarding all Beneficiaries without discrimination due to an individual’s age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity leave status, marriage or civil partnership status, or sexual orientation.
  3. This Safeguarding Policy is based on the safeguarding laws of England, Wales, and Scotland, including related guidance issued by the UK government and relevant governmental departments, agencies, and public bodies. If this Policy is at any time inconsistent with this body of law, Amelia’s Light will act to meet the requirements of up-to-date safeguarding laws in priority to the requirements set out in this Policy.
  4. Amelia’s Light has implemented this Safeguarding Policy in order to meet its obligations as a charity regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Amelia’s Light is registered with the Charity Commission with charity number 1216132).
  5. Any questions in relation to this Policy should be referred to the Safeguarding Team in the first instance, by emailing safeguarding@ameliaslight.charity or by contacting 0808 531 0404.

Scope of this Safeguarding Policy

  1. This Policy explains key aspects of how Amelia’s Light prevents harm in relation to its Beneficiaries via its practices and its Staff Members’ conduct.
  2. This Safeguarding Policy covers the organisation and operation of all of Amelia’s Light’s activities involving children and adults at risk (our Relevant Activities). These primarily include:
  • Providing support to families experiencing crisis during a child’s hospital stay.
  • Communicating directly with children, young people, parents, carers and adults at risk via telephone, email, online forms or in person.
  • Assessing applications for emergency financial assistance where children or adults at risk are beneficiaries.
  • Providing emergency financial grants or practical assistance to families with seriously ill children.
  • Signposting children, parents, carers and adults at risk to specialist support services, charities, healthcare providers and statutory agencies.
  • Attending fundraising events where children, young people, families and adults at risk may be present.
  • Recruiting, managing and supporting volunteers and trustees who may come into contact with children or adults at risk.
  • Working in partnership with hospitals, hospices, healthcare providers, schools, local authorities and other organisations supporting children and adults at risk.
  • Collecting, storing and processing personal information relating to children, families and adults at risk as part of providing charitable support.
  • Visiting hospitals, community settings, or other locations where children or adults at risk may be present, where appropriate.
  1. This Policy’s guidelines and obligations apply to all individuals working for or acting on behalf of Amelia’s Light in the UK at all levels, including senior managers, officers, employees, consultants, trainees, homeworkers, part-time and fixed-term workers, casual workers, agency workers, volunteers, and interns (collectively, “Staff Members”).
  2. This Policy does not form part of any contract of employment or similar and Amelia’s Light may amend it at any time at its absolute discretion.

Defining Safeguarding

  1. “Safeguarding” is an umbrella term that refers to work (e.g. practices and procedures) aimed at preventing or responding to harm or risks of harm posed to vulnerable individuals, and at promoting these individuals’ wider welfare. Safeguarding is particularly important for children and adults at risk. Most safeguarding legal obligations relate to the care of these groups and these are the groups to whom the protections set out in this Policy apply. For safeguarding purposes:a. Children are individuals younger than 18 years old.b. Adults at risk are individuals 18 years old or over (in England and Wales) or 16 years old or over (in Scotland) who have care and/or support needs and who are, because of these needs, unable to protect themselves from harm (e.g. due to illness or disability). This need not be on a permanent basis.
  2. The commitments and practices contained in this Safeguarding Policy apply to the safeguarding of Amelia’s Light’s Beneficiaries from harm caused by either:
  1. The activities and practices of Amelia’s Light and any conduct of its Staff Members; or
  2. People and situations outside of Amelia’s Light’s and its Staff Members’ control, where Amelia’s Light’s Staff Members are aware of, ought to be aware of, or reasonably suspect the risks posed by a situation.
  1. For the purposes of this Policy, a “Safeguarding Concern” is any conduct or situation that is known or reasonably suspected by a Staff Member or another party that risks violating the safeguarding commitments set out above.

Key Measures that Amelia’s Light is Committed to Implementing and Maintaining to Safeguard its Beneficiaries

  1. Following applicable local safeguarding arrangements when safeguarding children. These arrangements include leadership and guidance issued by the safeguarding partners for a local area (i.e. the local authority, chief officers of police, and a clinical commissioning group).
  2. Following applicable leadership and guidance provided by local Safeguarding Adults Boards when safeguarding adults.
  3. Ensuring that Staff Members are trained to, and encouraged to, report any Safeguarding Concerns that they identify. Staff Members will be encouraged to follow Amelia’s Light’s safeguarding reporting procedures as closely as possible when reporting concerns (set out below under the heading Procedures: Reporting).
  4. Ensuring that all Staff Members listen to all safeguarding-related queries and concerns raised by other Staff Members, Beneficiaries, or relevant other parties, with respect and professionalism. Staff Members should be trained how to, and encouraged to, assist with reporting any such concerns via Amelia’s Light’s regular reporting procedures.
  5. Ensuring that all reported Safeguarding Concerns are dealt with by appropriate individuals and teams and in accordance with Amelia’s Light’s relevant procedures (set out below under the heading Procedures: Investigation and Response).
  6. Implementing and maintaining comprehensive, accessible, fair, and efficient procedures for Staff Members to use when reporting and dealing with Safeguarding Concerns. These procedures will be made known and easily accessible to all Staff Members.a. Procedures will be designed to ensure all safeguarding issues are dealt with fairly and objectively even when allegations are made against one of Amelia’s Light’s Staff Members. Any such allegations will be treated in a manner that takes into account the gravity of the accusations, but which does not vilify or presume the guilt of an accused individual without a fair investigation.b. Any reports that qualify as protected disclosures under whistleblowing law will be treated securely and in a protected manner in line with whistleblowing law and Amelia’s Light’s Whistleblowing Policy.
  7. Appointing Steven Hardy to hold responsibility for managing safeguarding policies and procedures within Amelia’s Light.
  8. Following appropriate recruitment processes when recruiting new Staff Members, including volunteers. This includes:a. Conducting all appropriate pre-employment checks (e.g. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record checks).b. Ensuring new Staff Members take part in, and understand the content of, all necessary safeguarding training before having any contact with Amelia’s Light’s Beneficiaries.c. Following Amelia’s Light’s policies and procedures on hiring and recruitment.
  9. Providing appropriate safeguarding training for all relevant Staff Members. Every Staff Member should be provided with, and required to undertake, training that is appropriate to their role, responsibilities, and degree and type of contact with Beneficiaries. This should, where appropriate, include training on:
  1. How to define and identify potential signs of different types of abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, neglect, and others.
  2. How to listen to and respond to concerns or disclosures about safeguarding issues during an initial conversation (e.g. how to explain when information can and cannot be kept confidential).
  3. How to use Amelia’s Light’s safeguarding reporting procedures and when doing so is appropriate.
  4. Which additional resources (e.g. policies, other supporting documents, or external educational resources) are available to ensure Staff Members remain informed about safeguarding.
  1. Ensuring that all information related to Safeguarding Concerns, including the content of reported concerns as well as the personal data of anybody involved, is handled safely and securely. This involves:
  1. Following the requirements set out by the UK’s data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
  2. Following Amelia’s Light’s data protection policies and procedures, including its Data Protection and Data Security Policy.
  3. Providing Staff Members with training on data protection and privacy, where appropriate.
  4. Ensuring Staff Members always have an identifiable point of contact for questions or concerns about data protection and privacy. This is currently Steven Hardy, who can be contacted by emailing info@ameliaslight.charity or by calling 0808 531 0404.
  5. Only sharing information about a Safeguarding Concern internally as far as is necessary to manage the concern for the relevant Beneficiary’s benefit.
  1. Ensuring transparency and awareness regarding safeguarding information and procedures. For example, by:
  1. Providing information to Beneficiaries about safeguarding procedures so that they are aware of how to raise concerns.
  2. Ensuring all Staff Members are aware of safeguarding laws, Amelia’s Light’s safeguarding commitments and procedures, and Staff Members’ responsibilities in relation to them.
  1. Regularly reviewing all safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that they are up-to-date with safeguarding law and that they remain suitable for Amelia’s Light’s Relevant Activities and workforce, and meet any review and evaluation requirements specific to Amelia’s Light’s industry and organisation type.

Staff Members’ Responsibilities

  1. All Staff Members have a responsibility to promote the safety and wellbeing of all of Amelia’s Light’s Beneficiaries. This means that all of Amelia’s Light’s policies and procedures relevant to safeguarding and all UK laws relevant to safeguarding must be followed at all times.
  2. All Staff Members must contribute to upholding the key measures that Amelia’s Light has committed to taking to safeguard its Beneficiaries to an extent appropriate for their role, responsibilities, and degree and type of contact with Beneficiaries. If a Staff Member is uncertain about their responsibilities, it is their responsibility to raise this with the Safeguarding Team.
  3. Staff Members must actively participate in all safeguarding training they are assigned and, if they do not understand any aspect of that training, must raise this with the Safeguarding Team.
  4. Staff Members must never do anything that actively risks the safety or wellbeing of Amelia’s Light’s Beneficiaries. This includes, but is not limited to:
  1. Subjecting them to or facilitating abuse of any sort.
  2. Engaging in any sexual activity with children (i.e. anybody under the age of 18).
  3. Participating in or facilitating any activities that may commercially exploit Beneficiaries, for example failing to report suspected child labour or trafficking.
  1. Staff Members must report all Safeguarding Concerns that they have regarding Beneficiaries, regardless of whether the concerns relate to potential wrongdoing by other Staff Members, other Beneficiaries, or external parties (e.g. parents, teachers, other organisations, or members of the public).

Procedures: Reporting

  1. Staff Members will receive safeguarding training that should enable them to identify Safeguarding Concerns (e.g. suspected abuse, neglect, or threats to wellbeing) relevant to Amelia’s Light’s Beneficiaries.
  2. If a Staff Member identifies a Safeguarding Concern, they should:
  • If a Staff Member feels unable to follow the above steps, they should report their Safeguarding Concern in a reasonable alternative manner. This may be the case if:
  1. Following the procedure would require disclosing the concern to somebody who is implicated in the concern or whom the Staff Member is uncomfortable contacting; or
  2. The matter is time-sensitive and involves a risk of serious harm, in which case contacting an external agency (e.g. the police, ambulance service, or a mental health crisis line) or a more senior member of staff first may be more appropriate.

Procedures: Investigation and Response

  1. Reported Safeguarding Concerns will be dealt with promptly by appropriate individuals within Amelia’s Light, in accordance with safeguarding response procedures and safeguarding laws. Details of these procedures are available on request from the Safeguarding Team.
  2. Staff Members who report a Safeguarding Concern will be kept informed about the progression of the matter to an appropriate degree. Depending on the nature of the concern and consequent investigations, some information may remain confidential.
  3. If a Staff Member is found to be in breach of this Safeguarding Policy or safeguarding law, they will be treated fairly and in line with Amelia’s Light’s Disciplinary Policy and/or Disciplinary Procedure.
  4. Referrals or notifications to external organisations (e.g. police services, local authorities, or regulatory bodies) will be made only when appropriate and always in accordance with the law.
  5. Notwithstanding confidentiality and data protection requirements, Staff Members must understand that the duty to protect a Beneficiary from harm takes priority over privacy rights. Where a Staff Member or the Organisation’s lead believes that a Beneficiary is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, the Organisation will share all relevant personal and confidential information without consent with the appropriate statutory agencies, including Local Authority Children’s Social Care or the Police. Consent will not be sought and individuals will not be informed if doing so may increase the risk of harm to the Beneficiary.

Supporting Documents and Other Protections

  1. This Safeguarding Policy does not cover all of Amelia’s Light’s commitments relevant to protecting its Beneficiaries. Other supporting policies include:
  • Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy
  • Whistleblowing Policy
  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Data Protection and Data Security Policy
  • Disciplinary Procedure
  1. All of the policies, procedures, and other documents set out above are available on request from the person responsible for HR matters or via Staff Members’ line managers.