At Barnardo’s we are faced with a multitude of scenarios that could require us to take emergency actions, like locking down a service or shop, working with the Police, or dealing with wider unrest in our local communities.
Hopefully this is something you never experience but being prepared and thinking about what you could do and how you may support others to keep safe, is what we need to do.
It's important that we remain alert day to day, and that we all contribute personally to ensuring the safety and security of places and communities we work, live and socialise in.
Recent events
In August, we have seen distressing acts of racial violence and civil unrest in the UK and many of us may be experiencing this personally. Read our CEO, Lynn Perry’s message to colleagues about these recent events.
We believe in a society that is fair, inclusive and safe for all, and we want to make sure you have the resources and support to protect this. The policies and procedures below will be relevant to this situation to help keep us safe, and importantly, we've also put together a list of key resources that we can use to support children, young people, and families, and ourselves and other colleagues.
Policies and procedures to keep us safe
-
Business Continuity Policy and Guidance
How we ensure that critical business functions remain intact and that services remain available to the people that depend on them, whatever happens.
Read the policy.
Read the guidance. -
EDI Policy and Code of Conduct
How we ensure that we are compliant with the Equality Act 2010, how we are creating an environment where diversity is valued, and how we can treat each other as individuals and with respect.
Read the policy.
Read the Code of Conduct. -
Emergency Contractors Lists
Phone numbers you can call if you are in an emergency and the process you need to follow.
Emergency Contractors List (All regions).
Emergency Contractors List (Northern Ireland). -
Leave Policies
There are a variety of leave support provisions for different scenarios and more discretion, which you may benefit from in certain situations.
Read the policies. -
Lockdown Procedure
Scenario planning and what to do if you need to lockdown a service, shop, or hub.
Read the procedure.
-
Personal Safety and Lone Working Procedure and Guidance
How to ensure you are safe at work, if working alone.
Read the procedure.
Read the guidance. -
Retail Safety Advice
How to look after your own personal safety and what to do if an incident is taking place near a store.
Read the advice. -
Safeguarding colleagues and volunteers Policy
How we safeguard all who work for and with Barnardo’s, including Colleagues, Volunteers, Foster Carers, Students on placement and Secondees.
Read the policy. -
Social Media Policy
Remember that the use of social media must be appropriate and in line with our charity’s Social Media Policy. This applies to any Barnardo’s accounts or individual’s personal accounts.
Read the policy. -
Wellbeing Support
Information about how to create an environment that is trauma-informed, supportive and has initiatives in place for those who may be struggling. This includes our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Our EAP can also offer critical incident support to help us deal with the impact of a traumatic incident that has caused significant distress, including how we can use coping strategies and self-care techniques to help our recovery. If you feel you would benefit from this support, please contact your line manager to request this.
Read more. -
Whistleblowing Policy
What to do if you see or suspect any malpractice or wrongdoing at Barnardo’s.
Read the policy.
If you experience or witness conduct in the workplace that does not align with our values and behaviours or breaches our EDI code of conduct please tell your line manager or contact the EDI team ASK.EDI@barnardos.org.uk. UNISON members can also contact the local branch on 0800 954 9915 or unison@barnardos.org.uk.
Wellbeing and support resources
Support at Barnardo’s:
-
Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (England, Scotland, Wales) (Access to free confidential mental health support)
-
Employee Assistance Programme (Access to a variety of confidential services including online and telephone counselling)
-
Wisdom app (Access to a variety of support and wellbeing resources on your phone)
-
Mental Health consultations and other benefits available through Aviva DigiCare+ (for Aviva pension members only)
-
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion team (Talk to the team if you need support or want to raise a concern)
-
Talk to your line manager about how the events may be affecting you, how you’re feeling, and if you want to raise any concerns for your safety or others’
External support
-
Every Mind Matters (Advice and practical tips to help look after your mental health and wellbeing)
-
Mental Health Foundation (Health advice and reassurance)
-
Mind (Includes tips for helping yourself, what treatments are available and how to overcome barriers to getting support)
-
Report a hate crime (How to report a hate crime to the Police)
-
Samaritans (24-hour confidential support by phone or email)
-
UK Trauma council (Resources to support comprehensive and compassionate response to traumatic events that affect children and young people)
Supporting children and young people
- How to talk to children about distressing news (Guidance and resources to help you talk to children)
- Young Minds (Resources to support children and young people after experiencing racism and Islamophobia)