Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
Unearth Possibility CIC
Purpose
The primary aim of Unearth Possibility CIC is to:
- Protect children and young people who receive Unearth Possibility CIC’s services from harm, including children of the adults we serve.
- Provide staff, volunteers, children, and families with the fundamental principles that guide our safeguarding approach.
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This policy is applicable to anyone working on behalf of Unearth Possibility CIC, including senior managers, trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff, and students. Failure to adhere to this policy and related procedures will be promptly addressed and may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal or exclusion.
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Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up in accordance with current legislation, policies, and guidance to protect children in England. A summary of key legislative documents is available from the NSPCC Learning website (https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/).
Definitions
Child: As per the Children Act 1989, a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, irrespective of their living situation, military status, or hospitalisation.
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Child Abuse: Children may be susceptible to abuse or neglect within or outside of their family setting. The four main types of abuse are physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect.
Specific forms of abuse include:
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- Bullying and cyberbullying
- Child sexual exploitation
- Child criminal exploitation
- Child trafficking
- Domestic abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Grooming
- Neglect
- Non-recent abuse
- Online abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
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Safeguarding Children: Defined by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, safeguarding includes:
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- Providing support to meet the needs of children at an early stage.
- Protecting children from maltreatment, including online.
- Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
- Ensuring children grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.
- Promoting a child's upbringing with birth parents or their extended family, where possible, if it serves the child’s best interests.
- Taking necessary actions to achieve positive outcomes for all children, as per the Children’s Social Care National Framework.
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Training & Awareness
Unearth Possibility CIC will ensure that appropriate safeguarding training is available for trustees, employees, volunteers, and all other relevant individuals connected with the organisation, such as contractors.
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Minimum requirements for those working or volunteering with children include awareness training covering:
- Understanding safeguarding and individual roles in safeguarding children.
- Recognising the difference between safeguarding and child protection.
- Identifying signs of abuse and neglect.
- Responding to indicators of abuse and ensuring the safety of children.
- Respecting children’s dignity during interactions.
- Familiarity with the Safeguarding Children Policy.
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For training information, please refer to your local partnership Learning Zone or the NSPCC.
Safe Recruitment & Selection
Unearth Possibility CIC complies with Section 11 of the Children’s Act 2004 by ensuring safe employment practices that minimise the risk of harm to children. Our policies and procedures include robust recruitment protocols for trustees, employees, and volunteers to ensure suitability for working with children.
Confidentiality & Information Sharing
All staff, volunteers, and trustees are expected to maintain confidentiality in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). However, information must be shared with local authorities if there is concern that a child is at risk of significant harm or with the police if immediate danger is present.
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Refer to our data policy for further guidance.
Recording & Record Keeping
All safeguarding concerns must be documented, including details of the individual involved, nature of the concern, actions taken, and decisions made, with a justification for each decision.
Records must be signed, dated, and stored securely in accordance with GDPR guidelines. Refer to our data policy for further information.
Thresholds
Unearth Possibility CIC follows the Threshold Framework provided by the Gwent Safeguarding Board . This framework is a tool for all agencies and volunteers to decide on the most appropriate support for individual children.
Further details are available on the Gwent Safeguarding Board website: https://www.gwentsafeguarding.org.uk/assets/document-library/Protocols-and-Procedures/Childrens-DTR-Continuum-of-Support-and-Threshold-Guidance-March-2024.pdf
The Prevent Duty
Under Section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015, certain organisations have a duty to identify vulnerable children and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent Duty. For more information, please refer to the Prevent duty guidance legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780348251395/pdfs/ukdsiod_9780348251395_en_001.pdf
Whistleblowing
It is important that individuals feel supported to report any concerns that have not been addressed through escalation procedures. Whistleblowing occurs when a person raises a concern about illegal, unsafe, or unethical conduct within the organisation. Unearth Possibility CIC is committed to protecting whistleblowers in accordance with the relevant policies. See our whistleblowing policy for more details.
Use of Mobile Phones & Digital Technology
All personnel must adhere to Unearth Possibility CIC policies concerning the use of mobile phones and digital technology, ensuring that images and other content are not shared without the explicit consent of individuals with parental responsibility.
Refer to our data policy for further information.
Social Media
Staff and volunteers must follow Unearth Possibility CIC’s Social Media Policy, ensuring that the safety of children is maintained when using digital platforms.
Refer to our data policy for further details.
Escalation Procedures
Professionals have a duty to cooperate across all agencies to safeguard children effectively. Situations may arise where disagreements occur regarding a child’s welfare; in these cases, it is crucial that resolution processes are followed to ensure the child’s safety.
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This policy outlines procedures for resolving disputes and escalating issues when necessary to maintain a cohesive and effective safeguarding approach.
Important Contacts
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Designated Safeguarding Lead
Name: Emir Sean Ishwar Jones
Email Address: emir.jones@unearthpossibility.com
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Trustee for Safeguarding
Name: Jamuna Sivanathan
Email Address: unearthpossibility@gmail.com
Local Authority Telephone number: 01443815588
Emergency Duty Service (Out of Hours): 08003234432
Police Emergency: 999
Non-emergency: 101
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Policy last updated: 12/08/2025
Signature:
Name: Emir Sean Ishwar Jones
Date: 13/05/2025
