Amos Trust
Safeguarding Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults Policy
2023

Introduction and Recommendations

The policy supports and reinforces “The Childrens’ Act (1989) and Children Act 2004 and Care Act 2014, England and Wales

The policy is designed to encourage the development of good practice in Amos Trust to prevent the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. The policy is also intended to protect those who work with children and young people from unfounded accusations or from behaving in ways that may be well intended but inadvisable.

Amos Trust works with international partners that work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. Through their activities these partner projects will have routine contact with people who are at risk of, have or are experiencing abuse.

1.  Policy statement

1.1 Children

Amos Trust is committed to the guiding principles outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

Amos Trust has a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse and exploitation of children and believes that:

• The welfare of the child is paramount.
• All children, whatever their age, ethnicity, culture, disability, gender, marital status, language, race, ethnic or national origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse.
• Children should be: listened to and heard, valued and treated as individuals, respected for their identity and uniqueness, encouraged and praised,  involved in making decisions that affect them.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse should be taken seriously and
• Staff and volunteers should be clear on how to respond appropriately.

1.2 Vulnerable adults

Amos Trust has a similar zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable adults (older persons, and persons with disabilities, including those with mental health problems). In some cases an adult may also be vulnerable to abuse by virtue of their dependency on employment, finance, food and shelter or other necessities. The principles outlined in 1.1 apply equally to all vulnerable adults.

1.3 Sexual exploitation of adults

Amos Trust will not tolerate any form of sexual exploitation of adults. Sexual exploitation is defined as an actual or attempted abuse of someone’s position of vulnerability, differential power or trust to obtain sexual favours, including but not only, by offering money or other social, economic or political advantages. It includes trafficking and prostitution. The principles outlined in 1.1 regarding children apply in this context too.

1.4 Identifying forms of abuse

Abuse can occur in many different ways: 

• Physical: resulting in physical hurt or injury.
• Sexual: sexual gratification by using children & young people Emotional: harm due to a constant lack of love & affection, or threats, taunting etc.
• Spiritual Abuse: fear, oppression or manipulation by the use of spiritual authority
• Neglect: persistent failure to meet a person’s basic physical and/or psychological needs
• Exploitation: those with care and support needs are exploited, physically, financially, criminally and/or sexually
• Modern Slavery: this encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude, and
• We also recognise Financial, Organisational and Discriminatory abuse, and Self-neglect of adults with care and support needs.

2. Scope

2.1 Amos Trust will take the following steps to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults: 

• Awareness: Ensure that all staff and others we work with are aware of abuse and the risks facing children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• Prevention: Ensure that all staff and others minimise the risks to children, young people and vulnerable adults through awareness and good practice.
• Reporting: Ensure that all staff and others are clear about what steps to take if concerns arise regarding the health and safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• Responding: Ensure action is taken to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults where concerns are raised about possible abuse. 

2.2 This Policy applies to all: Trustees, Staff, Freelance contractors, Volunteers Visitors on overseas trips. 

3. Procedures

3.1 Assess and Ensure 

• Assess the risk for all projects and activities including online events of potential risks of harm to children and young people may arise and what mitigated actions are needed. 

• Assess when staff/ volunteers/ trustees or supporters on overseas visits will have contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults as part of their involvement in Amos Trust work. 

• Ensure all staff and volunteers receive clear guidance and have adequate supervision.  

• Ensure that this policy is well-publicised and open so that people will not feel that they are ‘whistleblowing’ if they have concerns over the conduct of others working with young people as part of Amos Trust practice or the practice of Amos’ partners.

3.2 Recruitment

All trustee, staff, volunteer and consultant recruitment will be conducted in accordance with this policy and will prioritise the safeguarding of children and adults. Safeguarding responsibilities will be made explicit in all stages of the recruitment process, from advertisement and job description to interview. All those appointed by Amos Trust will be required to:

• Sign a declaration acknowledging their understanding and acceptance of this Safeguarding Policy
• Complete a declaration of criminal convictions, providing details of any criminal convictions or cautions, in accordance with the relevant legislation.
• Declare any previous allegations, investigations, proceedings or disciplinary hearings that relate to the care, safety or harm to children or adults.
• Satisfactorily complete the appropriate criminal records checking process. Due to the fact that checks can take a long time to be processed, while the check is moving through the system the person will be allowed to work at Amos Trust, but will never be left in an unsupervised situation,i.e. without a co-worker.
• Provide appropriate referees to Amos Trust, although Amos Trust reserves the right to contact any former employer or similar for a reference.
• When interviewed for their role, be asked about their motivation for working with Amos Trust.
• Amos Trust reserves the right to conduct online searches relating to a candidate during the interview process.

3.3 Training

• All staff will complete training within three months of appointment and must undertake refresher training every two years. This training will be designed to help them recognise abuse and exploitation (what constitutes abuse listed in 1.4 above) and understand where risks may arise. It will clarify their own responsibilities and help them meet their safeguarding obligations under this Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. This will also be offered to volunteers and trustees when itis appropriate for their responsibilities.
  
  
• In addition to the online training programme staff will receive more comprehensive, contextualised case-based safeguarding training during their induction period.
  
  
• The training will emphasise the requirement on everyone involved in Amos  to report suspected abuse, and clarify how the responsibilities for investigation will be assigned.

3.4 Personal Code of Conduct 

• Amos Trust does not dictate the beliefs or behaviours of staff volunteers or visitors in their personal lives; however any actions taken outside of working hours that are seen to contradict this Safeguarding Policy will be considered a policy violation. 

• All staff and visitors on trips are expected to sign and abide by Amos Trust’s Code of Conduct for visiting partners.

4. Safeguarding in communications or media work

4.1  Amos Trust seeks to ensure that children and adults are not harmed by supporting our communications and media work.

4.2 Amos Trust communications should use pictures that are decent and respectful. We recognise there are times when children or adults are victims, for example of war or conflict, but presenting the reality of such a situation should never be done at the expense of the child or adult’s dignity.

4.3 Appropriate written or verbal consent should be sought from the child (and his/her parent(s)/guardian(s)) or adult (or his/her legal representative). Please see Amos Trust’s Image Use Consent Form for appropriate wording.

4.4 The safety of the child or adult will remain fundamental to Amos Trust’s work and information that could be used to trace the child (or the child’s family) or adult will not be used on Amos Trust’s website or in any other form of communication.

4.5 Please see supplementary Amos Trust policy entitled Safeguarding Guidance for Use of Images and Interviews for further details.

5. Safeguarding and Partners

Amos Trust seeks to ensure that our partners follow the highest level of practice and take all possible steps to limit the likelihood of abuse to a child, young person or vulnerable adult who is in their care. We are only too happy to provide any assistance partners may need in ensuring this occurs.

5.1  Amos Trust recognises the importance of its partners maintaining robust and effective safeguarding arrangements for children and adults.

5.2. When developing a relationship with a new partner involved in work with children, young people or vulnerable adults a comprehensive exploration of the potential partner including take up of independent references will occur.

5.3  Amos Trust staff will undertake an assessment of all partners and their capacity and procedures in relation to safeguarding. A safeguarding action plan will be developed in collaboration with the partner and monitored on a regular basis. Amos Trust will support capacity building and training as appropriate.

5.4 Partners who require one but do not have an appropriate safeguarding framework will not be eligible to work in partnership with Amos Trust, unless they provide Amos Trust with plans to illustrate how they will develop and implement safeguarding arrangements within a reasonable timescale. Amos Trust support will be given as appropriate and feasible. The partner must always adhere to Amos’ Safeguarding Code of Conduct or their own equivalent document.

5.5 Partners working with children that are not committed to implementing their own safeguarding procedures within agreed time frames will not be considered for partnership with Amos Trust.

5.6 Amos Trust will take all necessary steps to ensure that there is a culture of openness and trust. Amos Trust will encourage the partner to highlight safeguarding issues and reassure the partner that this will not necessarily compromise the partner’s relationship with Amos Trust.

5.7 If the abuse of a child or adult by a staff member or during the partners activities is reported to the  partner organisation and appropriate actions are not taken, then Amos Trust will consider suspension of the partnership agreement pending further investigation.

5.8 Amos Trust is working with our partner organisations who work with children and young people, to ensure that children involved in their work have access to child-friendly guidance and child-friendly versions of their child protection policies.

6. Leadership and governance

6.1 The Board of Trustees, Director and Safeguarding Lead have special responsibilities in relation to the oversight and implementation of Amos Trust’s safeguarding mechanisms.

6.2 A suitably qualified/experienced member of Amos’ Senior Management Team will be Amos Trust’s Safeguarding Lead, with a suitably qualified/experienced Board member appointed as Amos Trust’s Safeguarding Trustee.

6.3 The primary responsibility for oversight of safeguarding mechanisms within Amos Trust lies wth the Director who is directly accountable to theTrustees. However, Amos Trust’s SMT is responsible for the implementation of this Safeguarding Policy across all areas of Amos Trust’s operations. The Safeguarding lead is responsible for ensuring that all records of recruitment, training and investigations of suspected/alleged abuse are compiled for reporting on a quarterly basis to the Board of Trustees.

6.4 This Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct will be reviewed annually, and following any significant safeguarding incident or change in legislation/sectoral guidelines.

6.5 The Designated Safeguarding lead is Karin Joseph

7. Reporting and Investigating alleged abuse

7.1 All those working with Amos Trust or on its behalf must follow the procedures for reporting suspected or alleged abuse of children or adults.

7.2 Should anyone working with Amos Trust or on its behalf receive any information about, or observe, actual or suspected abuse regarding any area of Amos Trust work, he or she must immediately inform the relevant Safeguarding Lead or the Director. 

7.3 Where a member of staff or a representative considers that the Amos Trust reporting procedure cannot be safely used or has been exhausted and risks to children or adults remain, they are entitled/expected to use the Amos Trust Whistleblowing Policy and contact the Safeguarding Lead Trustee.

7.4 Whenever a report of a suspected abuse or of a serious incident is received by either the Safeguarding Lead or the Director, they will both meet with the Safeguarding Trustee to discuss the report and agree whether and how to conduct an appropriate investigation. This decision will then be reported to the Trustees  and, if a serious concern has been raised, the Charity Commission.