Children and Young People Safeguarding Policy and Procedure

Document ref: P0016 | Last Updated: 02/07/2025 | Review date: 02/07/2026

Introduction

Facial Palsy UK is committed to the safeguarding and protection of children and young people. Most of our support programmes are offered to adults, with family days offered for children with facial palsy accompanied by at least one responsible adult carer. We do not allow young people under the age of 16 to attend adult support groups. Facial Palsy UK does not have its own physical office, and our in-person support groups are mostly held in a hospital environment, although there are exceptions to this.

Staff and volunteers working on behalf of Facial Palsy UK may come into contact with children at family workshops, support groups and other events. They may also liaise with children by email or telephone, or during specific projects. Facial Palsy UK believes that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind and recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people, by a commitment to practice which protects them. Family days are held at locations such as theme parks.

This document incorporates our Child Protection Policy and details the practices we follow to keep children and young people safe. Facial Palsy UK is registered in both England and Wales and Scotland, and this document has been drawn up with reference to relevant legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children.

All staff and volunteers working directly with children and young people will be made aware of this policy and procedure and will undergo child protection and safeguarding training, they will also be checked via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Responsibility

Everyone working within the organisation understands they have a responsibility with regards to safeguarding children, including board members, staff and volunteers. Children may come into contact with the organisation by accessing our services or they may be a child of an adult who uses our services or of someone working for the organisation. All children should be protected by our Child Protection Policy and Procedures. Everyone has a responsibility to develop awareness of issues which cause children and young people harm.

We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by

• Adopting child protection guidelines through a code of behaviour for staff and volunteers
• Sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers.
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately.
• Following carefully the procedures for recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers.
• Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training.

We are also committed to reviewing our policy and good practice at regular intervals and will report to our Board of trustees should an incident occur.

Code of Behaviour for Trustees, Board Members, Staff and Volunteers

Personnel should at all times show respect and understanding for individual’s rights, safety and welfare, and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the ethos and principles of Facial Palsy UK.

Guidelines for all Facial Palsy UK staff and volunteers, including trustees and Board members

ATTITUDES

Staff and volunteers should be committed to:

• Treating children and young people with respect and dignity
• Always listening to what a child or young person is saying
• Valuing each child and young person
• Recognising the unique contribution each individual can make
• Encouraging and praising each child or young person

BY EXAMPLE

Staff and volunteers should endeavour to:

• Provide an example, which we would wish others to follow
• Use appropriate language with children and young people and challenge any inappropriate language used by a young person or child or an adult working with young people.
• Respect a young person’s right to privacy
• Recognise that children from minority ethnic groups and disabled children may face additional barriers, for example, in communication.
• Take action even if the concern is not recent, or is anonymous.
• Involve the local children’s social care team if an incident occurs.
• Take any necessary action to prevent immediate risk of harm, which might include suspension.

ONE TO ONE CONTACT

Staff and volunteers should:

• Not spend time alone with children or young people, away from others
• In the unlikely event of having to meet with an individual child or young person make every effort to keep this meeting as open as possible.
• If privacy is needed, ensure that other staff are informed of the meeting and its whereabouts

PHYSICAL CONTACT

Staff and volunteers should never:

• Engage in sexually provocative or rough physical games, including horseplay
• Do things of a personal nature for a child or a young person that they can do for themselves
• Allow, or engage in, inappropriate touching of any kind. The nature of FPUK’s work means that qualified medical practitioners may, with agreement, touch the face of a person with facial palsy, but any other form of touching is usually inappropriate as well as unnecessary.

GENERAL

Staff and volunteers should:

• Be aware that someone might misinterpret our actions no matter how well intentioned
• Never draw any conclusions about others without checking the facts
• Never allow ourselves to be drawn into inappropriate attention seeking situations such as tantrums or crushes
• Never exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues or make suggestive remarks or gestures about, or to a child or young person, even in fun

RELATIONSHIPS

Staff and volunteers who are involved in relationships with other members of staff or volunteers should ensure that their personal relationships do not affect their role within Facial Palsy UK or the work of Facial Palsy UK.

SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD PROTECTION AND GOOD PRACTICE WITH, CHILDREN, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

Good communication is essential in any organisation. Facial Palsy UK makes every effort to ensure that, should individuals have concerns, they will be listened to and taken seriously.

It is the responsibility of the management to ensure that information is available to, and exchanged between all those involved in this organisation and its activities. Some information is confidential and should only be shared on a strictly need-to-know basis.

Children and young people

Children and young people have a right to information, especially any information that could make life better and safer for them. Facial Palsy UK will act to ensure they have information about how, and with whom, they can share their concerns, complaints and anxieties.  When sharing information, Facial Palsy UK personnel will be sensitive to the level of understanding and maturity, as well as to the level of responsibility, of the people with whom they are sharing.

Parents

Parents / persons with parental responsibility are ultimately responsible for their children’s welfare at all times, and they should be assured that their children are involved with a credible organisation. Our child protection policy and safeguarding procedures are available on request.

Staff & Volunteers

As an organisation, which offers support and guidance to anyone affected by facial palsy, including children and young people, it is imperative that each member of the Facial Palsy UK staff is aware of their responsibilities under the Child Protection legislation and has a working knowledge of Facial Palsy UK’s procedures. Each member of staff will receive updated training in Child Protection and this will be recorded by staff, with brief details and dates.

All staff, volunteers in roles which involve interacting with people and all trustees are required to undertake training arranged by FPUK on appointment and at least once every three years. This is a condition of their appointment and continuing appointment. Training records will be maintained.

Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately

Procedure for reporting allegations or suspicions of abuse

In any case where an allegation is made, or someone from Facial Palsy UK has concerns, a record should be made. Details must include, as far as practical:

Designated Child Protection Persons

For reasons of confidentiality the only person(s) who need to know this information are the following Designated Child Protection Persons:

1. Rachel Fox

Trustee & Designated Child Protection Person

Facial Palsy UK

Eventus

Sunderland Road

Market Deeping

Peterborough

PE6 8FD

2. Karen Johnson

Co-CEO

Facial Palsy UK

Eventus

Sunderland Road

Market Deeping

Peterborough

PE6 8FD

Email: safeguarding@facialpalsy.org.uk

In the event of a serious safeguarding concern the designated Person(s) will inform the relevant outside organisation of the incident.

NSPCC Help line – Tel: 0800 800 500 – 24 hours, Freephone or email help@NSPCC.org.uk

Child Line (NI) – Tel: 0800 1111 – Freephone

Police – Contact local police to where incident occurred

Social services – Take all reasonable steps to contact local social services to where incident occurred

Record-keeping

• All records, information and confidential notes should be kept on our secure server.
• Avoid keeping paper documentation where possible but if necessary then keep in separate files in a locked drawer or filing cabinet.
• Only the designated Persons will have access to these files.

Board reporting

Any child protection/safeguarding incidents will be reported to the Board, without breaching confidentiality, for the purpose of determining whether process and procedures have been followed and whether lessons can be learnt for FPUK. Designated leads will take any necessary action to prevent the immediate risk of harm which might include suspension.

The Board identifies safeguarding risks and FPUK carries out relevant checks and training as specified. If no safeguarding incidents have been reported to the Board then the designated lead will confirm this as the case, on an annual basis, to the Board.

Disclosure

• Never guarantee absolute confidentiality, as Child Protection will always have precedence over any other issues.
• Listen to the child, rather than question him or her directly. Offer him/her/them reassurance without making promises, and take what the child says seriously.
• Allow the child to speak without interruption. Acknowledge what is said – it is not your role to investigate or question. Do not overreact.
• Alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, while passing no judgement.
• Advise that you will try to offer support, but that you must pass the information on. Explain what you have to do and whom you have to tell.
• Record the discussion accurately, as soon as possible after the event. Use the child’s words or explanations – do not translate into your own words, in case you have misconstrued what the child was trying to say.
• Contact one of the Facial Palsy UK Designated Persons for advice/guidance. The Designated Person may then discuss the concern/suspicion with the relevant organisation, and, if appropriate, make a direct referral.
• If either Designated Person is not available, or it is inappropriate to approach them, the volunteer/member of staff with the concern should make direct contact with the relevant organisation themselves.
• Record any discussions or actions taken within 24 hours.

Following carefully the procedures for recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers

Facial Palsy UK operates employment and supervision procedures that ensure highest priority is given to issues relating to child protection. Each new member of staff or volunteer who will come into contact with children will be required to undergo a DBS check as part of our recruitment policy.

Providing effective management for staff and volunteering through supervision, support and training

Facial Palsy UK encourages the development of staff and volunteers through its on-going support, supervision and training.

Induction

Each new member of staff or volunteer is made familiar with Facial Palsy UK’s policies and procedures including this policy and procedure.

Appraisals

Each new member of staff working directly with children undergoes regular appraisals, and volunteers leading support groups ask for regular feedback using a standard form.

Training

The management of Facial Palsy UK take responsibility for the training needs of staff and volunteers. The individual, however, also plays a part in identifying areas they feel they require training in.

Relevant policies and procedures:

Photography Policy (P0015)

Content from an earlier Child Protection Policy (P0014) has been incorporated in the present document.