Safeguarding Policy
Children’s Safeguarding Policy for “Be Kind. No Excuses CIC”
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC abides by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and is committed to safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice requirements.
- We recognise the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
- All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation has an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
- Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
- Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
Purpose:
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC will:
- Protect children, young people adults who receive their services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services
- Provide staff and volunteers, as well as children, young people, adults and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Be Kind No Excuses CIC including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. Failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.
Definitions:
The Children Act 1989 definition of a child is: anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if they are living independently, are a member of the armed forces or is in hospital.
Adult at Risk:
- Anadult who has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
- as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Child and Adult Abuse: Children and adults may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their daily lives. There are 4 main categories of abuse, which are: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories, they are:
- Bullying and cyberbullying
- Child sexual exploitation
- Child Criminal exploitation
- Child trafficking
- Domestic abuse
- Female genital mutilation
- Grooming
- Historical abuse
- Online abuse
Safeguarding children: Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:
- protecting children from maltreatment.
- preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
- ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding as Part of the Deal:
In safeguarding children, young people and adults, Be Kind. No Excuses CIC is committed to addressing issues that arise from any interaction that we have or to which we become aware of.
Legal Framework:
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning.
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people as well as vulnerable adults.
The Prevent duty
Some organisations in England, Scotland and Wales have a duty, as a specified authority under section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015, to identify vulnerable children and young people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent duty. These organisations include:
- Schools
- Registered childcare providers
- Local authorities
- Police
- Prisons and probation services
- NHS trusts and foundations.
- Other organisations may also have Prevent duties if they perform delegated local authority functions.
Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme.
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.
Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Training and Awareness:
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Trustees, Employees, Volunteers, and any relevant persons linked to the organisation who requires it (e.g., contractors).
For all employees who are working or volunteering with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:
- Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children.
- Recognise any child potentially in need of safeguarding and take action.
- Understand how to report a safeguarding concern.
- Understand dignity and respect when working with children.
- Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children Policy.
Employees and volunteers are likely, due to the nature of the work of Be Kind. No Excuses CIC, encounter concerns about the safety and wellbeing of an adult at risk of abuse.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing:
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC expects all employees, volunteers and trustees to maintain confidentiality. Information will only be shared in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection.
However, information should be shared with the Local Authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed.
Recording and Record Keeping:
A written record must be kept about any concern regarding an adult with safeguarding needs. This must include details of the person involved, the nature of the concern and the actions taken, decision made and why they were made.
All records must be signed and dated. All records must be securely and confidentially stored in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC is committed to safe employment and safe recruitment practices, that reduce the risk of harm to children from people unsuitable to work with them or have contact with them.
All employees and volunteers should be aware of the social media policy and procedures and the code of conduct for behaviour towards the children we support.
Use of Mobile Phones and other Digital Technology:
Taking photographs of children is forbidden. Legislation states that images of children are forbidden without the explicit consent of the person with parental responsibilities.
Be Kind. No Excuses CIC staff must not take photographs of children unless there is an emergency.
An emergency is defined as an incident where anyone of reasonable mind would deem it to be an emergency.
It is important that people within Be Kind. No Excuses CIC have the confidence to come forward to speak or act if they are unhappy with anything. Whistle blowing occurs when a person raises a concern about dangerous or illegal activity, or any wrong- doing within their organisation. This includes concerns about another employee or volunteer. There is also a requirement by Be Kind. No Excuses CIC to protect whistleblowers.
Important Contacts:
Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Rie Pearson
Email address: contact@riepearson.com
Deputy Senior Lead for Safeguarding
Name: Danielle Ramsay
Email address
Social Media Policy
A guide for staff on using social media to promote the work of Be Kind. No Excuses CIC (hereafter referred to as BKNE) and in a personal capacity.
This policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, at least once a year. Be Kind. No Excuses CIC will amend this policy, following consultation, where appropriate.
Date of last review: 15th February 2023
Social media is the term given to web-based tools and applications which enable users to create and share content (words, images and video content), and network with each other through the sharing of information, opinions, knowledge and common interests. Examples of social media include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Social media is essential to the success of communicating BKNE’s work. It is important for some staff to participate in social media to engage with our audience, participate in relevant conversations and raise the profile of BKNE’s work.
Why do we need a social media policy?
The difference between a personal and professional opinion can be blurred on social media, particularly if you’re discussing issues relating to BKNE’s work. While we encourage the use of social media, we have certain standards, outlined in this policy, which we require everyone to observe. Publication and commentary on social media carries similar obligations to any other kind of publication or commentary in the public domain.
This policy is intended for all staff members of all levels, volunteers and trustees as well as those undertaking work on instruction from BKNEand applies to content posted on both a BKNEdevice and a personal device. Before engaging in work-related social media activity, staff must read this policy.
Setting out the social media policy
This policy sets out guidelines on how social media should be used to support the delivery and promotion of BKNE and the use of social media by staff in both a professional and personal capacity. It sets out what you need to be aware of when interacting in these spaces and is designed to help staff support and expand our official social media channels, while protecting the CIC and its reputation and preventing any legal issues.
Point of contact for social media
Our Social Media Director, Portia Powell, is responsible for the day-to-day publishing, monitoring and management of our social media channels. If you have specific questions about any aspect of these channels, speak to the Social Media Director.No other staff member can post content on BKNE’s official channels without the permission of the Social Media Director or Founder.
Which social media channels do we use?
BKNE uses the following social media channels:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bekind.noexcuses
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071823913596
https://www.instagram.com/bekindnoexcuses_cic/
BKNE has a Facebook account and an Instagram account which it uses to share news with supporters (females, primarily aged 14 – 90) and to encourage people to become involved in our work.
The is also a free private Facebook group with an audience of, mostly females, where we discuss any issues in relation to the prevention of domestic abuse, interview people of interest to the group audience, and advertise any workshops BKNE CIC are delivering.
Using BKNE’s social media channels — appropriate conduct
1. Portia Powell is responsible for setting up and managing BKNE’s social media channels. Only those authorised to do so by the Social Media Director will have access to these accounts.
2. OurSocial Media Director responds to comments as and when she deems it appropriate and to fit around her working schedule. There is no response to social media comments between 11pm and 6am.
3. Be an ambassador for our brand. Staff should ensure they reflect BKNE’s values in what they post and use our tone of voice. Our brand guidelines set out our tone of voice that all staff should refer to when posting content on BKNE’s social media channels.
4. Make sure that all social media content has a purpose and a benefit for BKNE and accurately reflects BKNE’s agreed position.
5. Bring value to our audience(s). Answer their questions, help and engage with them
6. Take care with the presentation of content. Make sure that there are no typos, misspellings or grammatical errors. Also check the quality of images. Images must be used subject to copyright rules.
7. Always pause and think before posting. That said, reply to comments in a timely manner, when a response is appropriate.
8. If staff outside of Portia wish to contribute content for social media, whether non-paid for or paid for advertising, they should speak to Rie Pearson about this.
9. Staff shouldn’t post content about supporters or service users without their express permission. If staff are sharing information about supporters, service users or third party organisations, this content should be clearly labelled so our audiences know it has not come directly from BKNE. Staff MUST NOT post interviews, videos or photos that clearly identify a child or young person, without first speaking to Rie Pearson, following which, staff must ensure they have the consent of a child or young person, then also the parent or guardian before using them on social media.
10. Always check facts. Staff should not automatically assume that material is accurate and should take reasonable steps where necessary to seek verification, for example, by checking data/statistics and being wary of photo manipulation.
11. Be honest. Say what you know to be true or have a good source for. If you’ve made a mistake, don’t be afraid to admit it.
12. Should staff wish to offer personal opinions via BKNE’s social media accounts, either directly by commenting or indirectly by ‘liking’, ‘sharing’ or ‘retweeting’, staff must clearly state that their opinion is their own. For example, lead with “IMO”. If you are in doubt about BKNE’s position on a particular issue, please speak to Rie.
13. It is vital that BKNE does not encourage others to risk their personal safety or that of others, to gather materials. For example, a video of a stunt.
14. Staff should not encourage people to break the law to supply material for social media, such as using unauthorised video footage. All relevant rights for usage must be obtained before publishing material.
15. Staff should not set up other Facebook groups or pages, Twitter accounts or any other social media channels on behalf of BKNE. This could confuse messaging and brand awareness. By having official social media accounts in place, the Social Media Director can ensure consistency of the brand and focus on building a strong following.
16. BKNE is not a political organisation and does not hold a view on party politics or have any affiliation with or links to political parties. We have every right to express views on policy, including the policies of parties, but we can’t tell people how to vote.
17. If a complaint is made on BKNE’s social media channels, staff should seek advice from the Rie before responding. If they are not available, then staff should speak to the Media Director.
18. Sometimes issues can arise on social media which can escalate into a crisis situation because they are sensitive or risk serious damage to the charity’s reputation. The nature of social media means that complaints are visible and can escalate quickly. Not acting can be detrimental to the charity.
The Social Media Director regularly monitors our social media spaces for mentions of BKNE so we can catch any issues or problems early. If there is an issue that could develop or has already developed into a crisis situation, Rie Pearson will do the following: view the post, address the post appropriately by either responding or not responding.
If any staff, or people acting under the instruction of BKNE and on their behalf, become aware of any comments online that they think have the potential to escalate into a crisis, whether on BKNE’s social media channels or elsewhere, they should speak to Rie immediately.
Use of personal social media accounts — appropriate conduct
This policy does not intend to inhibit personal use of social media but instead flags up those areas in which conflicts might arise. BKNE staff are expected to behave appropriately, and in ways that are consistent with BKNE ‘s values and policies, both online and in real life.
1. Be aware that any information you make public could affect how people perceive BKNE. You must make it clear when you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of BKNE . If you are using your personal social media accounts to promote and talk about BKNE ‘s work, you must use a disclaimer such as: “The views expressed on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent BKNE’s positions, policies or opinions.”
2. Staff who have a personal blog or website which indicates in any way that they work at BKNE should discuss any potential conflicts of interest with their line manager and the Rie Pearson. Similarly, staff who want to start blogging and wish to say that they work for BKNE should discuss any potential conflicts of interest with Rie.
3. Those in senior management, and specialist roles where they are well known in their field of expertise, must take particular care as personal views published may be misunderstood as expressing BKNE ‘s view.
4. Use common sense and good judgement. Be aware of your association with BKNE and ensure your profile and related content is consistent with how you wish to present yourself to the general public, colleagues, partners and funders.
5. BKNE works with several high profile people.Please don’t approach high profile people from your personal social media accounts to ask them to support the charity, as this could hinder any potential relationships that are being managed by the Social Media Team. This includes asking for retweets about the charity.
If you have any information about high profile people that have a connection to our cause, or if there is someone who you would like to support the charity, please speak to Rie to share the details.
7. If a staff member is contacted by the press about their social media posts that relate to BKNE they should talk to the Rie immediately and under no circumstances respond directly.
8. BKNE is not a political organisation and does not hold a view on party politics or have any affiliation with or links to political parties. When representing BKNE staff are expected to hold BKNE ‘s position of neutrality. Staff who are politically active in their spare time need to be clear in separating their personal political identity from BKNE], and understand and avoid potential conflicts of interest.
9. Never use BKNE ‘s logos or trademarks unless approved to do so. Permission to use logos should be requested from Rie
10. Always protect yourself and the CIC. Be careful with your privacy online and be cautious when sharing personal information. What you publish is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so do consider the content carefully. When you are using social media sites at work, it is important that you do so safely.
11. Think about your reputation as well as the CIC’s. Express your opinions and deal with differences of opinion respectfully. Don’t insult people or treat them badly. Passionate discussions and debates are fine, but you should always be respectful of others and their opinions. Be polite and the first to correct your own mistakes.
12. We encourage staff to share tweets and posts that we have issued. When online in a personal capacity, you might also see opportunities to comment on or support BKNE and the work we do. Where appropriate and using the guidelines within this policy, we encourage staff to do this as it provides a human voice and raises our profile. However, if the content is controversial or misrepresented, please highlight this to Rie] who will respond as appropriate.
13. When you see a post that clearly misunderstands the nature of domestic abuse, coercive control or anything that is undermining to a victim of abuse, bring it to the attention of Rie.
Libel is when a false written statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation is published online or in print. Whether staff are posting content on social media as part of their job or in a personal capacity, they should not bring BKNE into disrepute by making defamatory comments about individuals or other organisations or groups.
It is critical that all staff abide by the laws governing copyright, under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Never use or adapt someone else’s images or written content without permission. Failing to acknowledge the source/author/resource citation, where permission has been given to reproduce content, is also considered a breach of copyright.
Any communications that staff make in a personal capacity must not breach confidentiality. For example, information meant for internal use only or information that BKNE is not ready to disclose yet. For example, a news story that is embargoed for a particular date.
Staff should not post content that could be considered discriminatory against, or bullying or harassment of, any individual, on either an official BKNE social media channel or a personal account. For example:
- making offensive or derogatory comments relating to sex, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief
- using social media to bully another individual
- posting images that are discriminatory or offensive or links to such content
The responsibility for measures of protection and intervention lies first with the social networking site itself. Different social networking sites offer different models of interventions in different areas. For more information, refer to the guidance available on the social networking site itself. For example, Facebook. However, if a staff member considers that a person/people is/are at risk of harm, they should report this to the Rie Pearson immediately.
Under 18s and vulnerable people
Young and vulnerable people face risks when using social networking sites. They may be at risk of being bullied, publishing sensitive and personal information on their profiles, or from becoming targets for online grooming.
Where known, when communicating with young people under 18-years-old via social media, staff should ensure the online relationship with BKNE follows the same rules as the offline ‘real-life’ relationship. Staff should ensure that young people have been made aware of the risks of communicating and sharing information online, and given guidance on security/privacy settings as necessary. Staff should also ensure that the site itself is suitable for the young person and BKNE content and other content is appropriate for them.
Responsibilities and beach of policy
Everyone is responsible for their own compliance with this policy. Participation in social media on behalf of BKNE is not a right but an opportunity, so it must be treated seriously and with respect. For staff, breaches of policy may incur disciplinary action, depending on the severity of the issue. Staff who are unsure about whether something they propose to do on social media might breach this policy, should seek advice from the Rie Pearson.
Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, if a staff member releases information through BKNE ‘s social media channels that is considered to be in the interest of the public, BKNE ‘s founder must be informed.