Safeguarding children policy (children’s services)

It’s for all children’s services employees, foster carers and adoptive carers across Barnardos.

• The overall purpose of this policy and its associated procedures is to protect the welfare of children and young people using and receiving services we provide. This includes responding to direct concerns of safeguarding raised by children and young people.
• Everyone who works or volunteers for Barnardo's or is a carer has a duty to safeguard and promote children and young people’s welfare alongside a duty to recognise, respond and share concerns or worries about possible abuse and harm in a timely fashion. 
• Everyone must complete mandatory safeguarding training.
• There are specific procedures around conduct and boundaries, responding to concerns or allegations and reporting incidents.
• This policy includes specific guidance on the use of social media and the internet.

• As a Trustee you have a duty of care which includes taking the necessary steps to safeguard and protect children, acting in the child’s best interest to take all reasonable steps to prevent any harm to them.  You must make sure that there are appropriate safeguarding policies in place and that they are implemented properly.
• As a member of the corporate leadership team, or Chief Executive, you are responsible for the management of serious safeguarding incidents. As Corporate Director for Children’s Services you are the designated safeguarding lead for Barnardo’s.
• As Head of Corporate Safeguarding you are responsible for providing advice and support to directors and other senior managers on best practice in adhering to this policy and procedures, safer working practices and oversight of allegations, serious incidents, and significant case reviews. Locality assistant directors are also available to offer support and advice.
• Children’s services region/nation and commercial directors and corporate department heads/managers are responsible for the implementation of the safeguarding and protecting children policy and procedures and effective management of safeguarding concerns in their department/division or region/nation. Locality assistant directors and heads/assistant heads of business hold delegated operational accountability for services.
• Line managers and staff must make sure that all safeguarding and child protection concerns are addressed through respective line management structures in accordance with this policy and procedure.
• As a safeguarding lead you must provide additional safeguarding advice and support in your region, nation, business line or department to make sure that policy and procedures are implemented and that there is oversight of all serious safeguarding incidents, allegations and serious case review activity in your area of responsibility.
• The people team is responsible for consultation and advice in relation to the implication of safeguarding in human resources and learning and development issues.
• All early years settings in England subject to Ofsted registration must identify a manager (at team manager level or above) in the setting to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children and liaison with local statutory children’s services agencies. This will include liaison with the local safeguarding children board which may be through the locality assistant director and should also include communication with the nominated individual for Ofsted early years services.