Safeguarding Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Protect children, young people, and adults at risk who engage with our services.
• Promote a culture of safety, wellbeing, and respect.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are recognised and acted upon promptly.
• Provide clear guidance for volunteers and representatives.
• Support compliance with safeguarding legislation and best practice within Wales and the United Kingdom.

This policy applies to all Bountiful Bridges activities, including:

• Youth programmes and holiday activities
• Educational workshops and training sessions
• Community outreach initiatives
• Family support programmes
• Food bank and wellbeing services
• Events, conferences, and community gatherings
• Online activities and digital engagement

This policy applies to all volunteers, leaders, trustees, staff, contractors, and anyone acting on behalf of Bountiful Bridges.

Bountiful Bridges will:

• Place the welfare of children and adults at risk at the centre of our activities.
• Listen to and respect the views, wishes, and experiences of those we support.
• Provide safe environments for all programmes and events.
• Promote equality, inclusion, and diversity.
• Take all safeguarding concerns seriously.
• Work in partnership with parents, carers, statutory agencies, and community organisations where appropriate.
• Respond promptly to concerns, allegations, disclosures, or incidents.
• Maintain appropriate safeguarding procedures and records.
• Regularly review safeguarding arrangements and practices.

Child

A child is any person under the age of 18 years.

Adult at Risk

An adult at risk is a person aged 18 or over who may need care and support and may be unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or harm.

Bountiful Bridges recognises that abuse can take many forms, including:

Physical Abuse

Deliberate physical harm or injury.

Emotional Abuse

Persistent emotional ill-treatment that impacts a person’s wellbeing and development.

Sexual Abuse

Any sexual activity or exploitation involving a child or vulnerable adult without informed consent or where consent cannot legally be given.

Neglect

Failure to meet basic physical, emotional, educational, medical, or welfare needs.

Financial or Economic Abuse

Improper use of money, property, benefits, or assets.

Discriminatory Abuse

Abuse motivated by race, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

Online Abuse

Cyberbullying, online exploitation, grooming, inappropriate communication, or harmful digital activity.

Modern Slavery, Exploitation and Trafficking

Any form of exploitation, coercion, forced labour, trafficking, or abuse of vulnerability.

Bountiful Bridges is committed to safer recruitment practices.

Where appropriate, this may include:

• Application and interview processes
• References
• Identity verification
• Role descriptions
• Safeguarding training
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

Individuals will not be permitted to undertake regulated activities unless appropriate safeguarding checks have been completed.

Everyone involved with Bountiful Bridges has a responsibility to:

• Remain alert to signs of abuse or neglect.
• Promote the safety and wellbeing of participants.
• Report concerns immediately.
• Follow safeguarding procedures.
• Respect confidentiality.
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour where safe and appropriate to do so.

If there is an immediate risk of serious harm or danger, emergency services should be contacted by calling 999.

Where a safeguarding concern arises:

• Listen carefully and calmly.
• Take the concern seriously.
• Do not promise confidentiality.
• Record information accurately.
• Report concerns immediately to the designated safeguarding lead.
• Cooperate with any subsequent safeguarding investigation or referral.

Bountiful Bridges will work with statutory agencies where safeguarding concerns require formal intervention.

Photographs, videos, and recordings involving children or adults at risk will only be taken and used where appropriate consent has been obtained.

We will:

• Explain how images may be used.
• Respect privacy and dignity.
• Store images securely.
• Avoid publishing information that could place individuals at risk.

We are committed to creating safe online environments.

Our online activities will:

• Promote respectful communication.
• Protect personal information.
• Follow safeguarding procedures.
• Prevent inappropriate contact.
• Address online bullying, grooming, or exploitation concerns promptly.

All online engagement must comply with our Social Media and Online Safety Policy.

Safeguarding is supported by appropriate health and safety measures.

For events and activities, we will:

• Conduct risk assessments where appropriate.
• Maintain suitable supervision arrangements.
• Ensure emergency procedures are in place.
• Provide access to first aid arrangements where necessary.

Bountiful Bridges recognises that effective safeguarding requires collaboration.

We will work appropriately with:

• Parents and carers
• Local authorities
• Police
• Education providers
• Health services
• Community organisations
• Safeguarding professionals,

to protect children, young people, and adults at risk.