Safeguarding Policy

The Flatcoated Retriever Society aims to ensure that the ways in which we engage with children and vulnerable adults keeps them safe and does not place them at risk of harm. It is also the responsibility of the Society to ensure that any members, officers or volunteers who come in contact with children or vulnerable adults, who use our services or attend our events, are protected and understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

• To protect from harm children, young people and vulnerable adults who receive services from the Flatcoated Retriever Society or attend Flatcoated Retriever Society events.

• To provide members, officers and volunteers, as well as children, young people and vulnerable adults and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

Scope

This policy covers all officers, members and volunteers as well as anyone working on behalf of the Flatcoated Retriever Society. This policy does not form any contract of employment and may be amended at any time. Such amendments should be ratified by the General Committee of the Flatcoated Retriever Society or the Society’s Safeguarding Sub-Committee.

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults in the UK. A summary of key legislation and guidance is available from the NSPCC.

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the approach that we as a Society take to ensure that anyone using our services or attending our events is safe. Safeguarding means putting processes in place to ensure that children, young people or vulnerable adults are not abused in any way, including verbally or physically. The Kennel Club currently has a child protection policy, which outlines good practice to provide children and young people with appropriate safety and protection and to allow members, officers and volunteers to make informed responses to child protection issues.

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/policies/child-protection-policy/

Prevention

The Flatcoated Retriever Society will:

• Appoint a nominated child protection/safeguarding lead and a deputy child protection/safeguarding lead

• Develop safeguarding policies and procedures which reflect best practice

• Abide by The Kennel Club’s child protection policy

• Design and undertake all activities in ways that protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from any risk of harm when using the Flatcoated Retriever Society’s services or attending society events

• Ensure Flatcoated Retriever Society safeguarding sub-committee and Junior Members’ Coordinator hold current enhanced DBS checks

• Ensure Flatcoated Retriever Society officers and volunteers receive training and support on safeguarding at a level appropriate to their role

• Ensure effective reporting procedures are in place

• Follow up reports on safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process

• Share any concerns raised or reported with relevant authorities who need to know, and involve children, vulnerable adults, parents, families and guardians/carers as appropriate

How to raise a concern

It is not your responsibility to diagnose a type of abuse or decide what kind of help a child or vulnerable adult needs. It is your responsibility to share your concerns. If you have a concern, no matter how small, then it is essential you tell someone. You can:

• Report it to the Flatcoated Retriever Society’s designated Safeguarding Officer or their deputy

• Report it to the Kennel Club’s confidential child protection hotline [email protected]

• Contact social care directly by contacting the Police or appropriate department (Child or Adult Safeguarding) of the relevant Local Authority.

Whichever option you choose, it is important that you report the information so that the appropriate people can work together to safeguard the child or vulnerable adult.

Confidentiality

We hope that members will feel safe voicing safeguarding concerns openly under this policy. Completely anonymous disclosures are difficult to investigate. It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns, and we will ensure information relating to the concern and the identities of all involved will only be shared as necessary to investigate the concern and will be kept secure at all times.

External disclosures

The law recognizes that in some circumstances it may be appropriate for you to report your concerns to an external body. If you are concerned that a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of harm please contact the appropriate department (Child or Adult Safeguarding) of the relevant Local Authority or if there is any immediate danger contact the relevant police service.

Protection and support

We aim to encourage openness and will support anybody who raises safeguarding concerns under this policy. Individuals should not suffer any detrimental treatment as a result of raising safeguarding concerns. If you believe that you have suffered any such treatment, you should inform our designated Safeguarding Officer immediately.

You must not make false allegations of such detrimental treatment maliciously or with a view to personal gain. You must not threaten or retaliate against individuals who raise safeguarding concerns in any way. In appropriate circumstances formal action may be taken under the Flatcoated Retriever Society associated policies – The Kennel Club child protection policy and our Code of Conduct.

https://www.flatcoated-retriever-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/FCRS_Members_Code_of_Conduct.pdf

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/policies/child-protection-policy/

This policy has been adapted from The Kennel Club safeguarding policy and the NSPCC example of a safeguarding policy statement.

This policy was last modified on 20/07/2023