Safeguarding Children

Safeguarding children – the actions taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm – is everyone’s responsibility.  Every organisation that has contact with children and families has a role to play, and responsibilities to fulfil.

GAVS can provide support and information to assist organisations to develop effective and up to date Safeguarding practices.  We also work closely with the Greenwich Safeguarding Children Board (GSCB) on a range of Safeguarding issues including training and voluntary sector representation.

See below for a range of Safeguarding resources.  If you would like to contact GAVS to discuss any specific Safeguarding issues please e-mail Chris Rees or call 0208 858 1363.

Please note: there is a lot of information on this page, including Resources and Guidance; DBS checks (formerly known as CRB checks); Safeguarding Training; Specific Safeguarding Issues (such as bullying, domestic violence etc.); What to do if you are concerned about a child; and the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer).  Please scroll down to find the information you are looking for.

Safeguarding Resources and Guidance

The Safe Network is jointly managed by the NSPCC and Children England, and was created to provide safeguarding advice and support to Voluntary and Community Organisations. Their website has a range of excellent information and organisations can also sign up for a FREE pack full of resources.

The Greenwich Safeguarding Children Board have developed a Safer Organisations Toolkit to help organisations develop effective Safeguarding polices. The toolkit is intended to help organisations meet high standards of safe and effective practice regarding the well-being of children and young people. The toolkit will help staff and volunteers to have the necessary information and procedures to help them carry out their safeguarding duties more effectively.

Working Together – this guidance, from the Department of Education, sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and how practitioners should conduct the assessment of children. An updated version (March 2013) includes specific guidance aimed at Voluntary, Community and Faith Organisations.

The London Safeguarding Children Board has news, updates and resources relating to safeguarding across London.

The Charity Commission provides a range of guidance on Safeguarding including:

Overarching guidance for charities on Safeguarding issues, which includes links to other relevant organisations.

The Charity Commission also has a strategy document describing the Charity Commission’s role and approach in dealing with safeguarding issues in relation to charities, and guidance on DBS/CRB checks.

The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) – Provides professional advice and support in all areas of safeguarding children throughout the UK. Their services are used not only by churches and groups across the denominational spectrum, but increasingly by other faiths as well.
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DBS Checks (Formerly CRB Checks)

Disclosure and Barring Service – The primary role of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is to help employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. The DBS was established in 2012 and merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

An overview of the DBS checking process can be found here.

Information and advice aimed specifically at organisations can be found here.

Online DBS checks – Disclosure Services, Sanctuary and CRB-Checkonline provide online DBS checks.
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Safeguarding Training

The Greenwich Children’s Safeguarding Board – Provide training for professionals working in Greenwich, and any members of local Voluntary and Community Organisations (staff or volunteers) can attend these courses for FREE. Their Basic Induction is recommended as a first step for all staff, and  Working Together is a good idea for managers of services and/or Safeguarding Leads.  Also see their Refresher Course.  See how to apply here, and complete the delegate request form.

FREE Online Safeguarding Training – read this Training Flyer and User Guide to find out how to log in to the Me Learning website.  Here you can access 14 key safeguarding training courses (including NEW CAF courses) – ideal as a refresher or induction for new staff. These courses are aimed at professionals and volunteers who work or have contact with young people and their families and/or adults at risk. Most courses take between 60 – 90 minutes to complete and are available FREE to all working within Greenwich. To set up your login details click on the links to Training Flyer and User Guide above and following the instructions, then register from the Greenwich Me Learning website.

Educare – Work in partnership with the NSPCC and offer online/distance learning training programmes on a range of Safeguarding and Child Protection issues.

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Specific Safeguarding Issues

See below for a list of organisations that provide specific advice and support on a range of issues relating to Safeguarding:

Bullying
Childline
Kidscape

Domestic Violence
Victim Support
Her Centre
Greenwich Women’s Aid

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Forward

Forced Marriage
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Karma Nirvana

Online/Esafety
CEOP

Private Fostering
Greenwich Council

Sexual Abuse
Rape Crisis
The Havens
Mosac
NSPCC have a free and confidential helpline 0808 800 5000, as well as other useful resources.
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What to do if you are Concerned about a Child

If a child is in immediate danger, you should always call the Police on 999.

Anyone who is concerned about a child’s safety or well-being can contact Children’s Services, Safeguarding and Social Care during working hours on 020 8921 3172.

Emergency Duty Team (Out of office hours only)
Tel: 020 8854 8888
Monday to Thursday: after 5.30pm, Fridays: after 4.30pm plus weekends and bank holidays.

The contact and referral team are responsible for:
• Responding to information or referrals about children who are or may be children in need.
• Carrying out assessments of children and their families who may require services or our intervention to prevent impairment to health or development.
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in need, including taking action to protect children from harm.
• Intervening early in a child’s life or as soon as potentially serious or complex needs are identified, in order to prevent them from causing problems that affect a child’s welfare and life chances.
• Supporting disabled children and their families.
• Responding to concerns about the welfare of children outside our of normal office hours.
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Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Do you know what to do if you have someone in your organisation who has:

Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child?
Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child?
Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children?

If you have any of these concerns about staff or volunteers your Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) has a statutory responsibility to provide advice about what action needs to be taken. The LADO is a Senior Social Care Manager who has expertise in Safeguarding Children.  See this briefing for more information.

To contact the Greenwich LADO call 0208 921 4477 or email: safeguardingunit@royalgreenwich.gov.uk