Belong: Making Justice Happen 

Safeguarding Policy and Procedure for Children, Young People and Adults at Risk 

 

Last Updated: April 2026
Date of Next Review: June 2026

1. Purpose and Commitment

Belong is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults who engage with our services. We believe that everyone has the right to be safe, treated with dignity and respect, and protected from harm, abuse and exploitation. 

Belong recognises its duty of care to safeguard the wellbeing of all individuals we support or come into contact with through our work. Safeguarding is central to our values and is the responsibility of everyone involved in Belong, including trustees, staff members and volunteers. 

Belong recognises that those delivering Belong’s activities are often in positions of trust in relation to children, young people and adults at risk, and therefore must act with the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability. We acknowledge our responsibility to ensure that all those delivering Belong’s activities are suitable for their role and are appropriately supported and supervised. 

We are committed to creating a safe, respectful and supportive culture within our organisation, where people with safeguarding concerns feel able to come forward with the expectation that they will be listened to, and where action is taken proportionately and appropriately. Safeguarding concerns are never ignored, minimised or dismissed. 

These commitments are upheld through the policies and procedures set out in this document and through our ongoing safeguarding practice.

2. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to: 

• All trustees 

• All staff members 

• All volunteers 

• Anyone working on behalf of, or representing, Belong 

For the purposes of this policy: 

• Children and young people are defined as anyone under the age of 18 

• Adults at risk are adults who may be unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation due to care or support needs 

This policy applies across all settings in which Belong operates, including community and custodial environments. 

Context‑Specific Safeguarding Procedures 

Our Safeguarding Policy is supported by detailed internal operational safeguarding guidance for both community and prison settings, including scenario‑based guidance covering mental health risk, self‑harm, abuse and information‑sharing. These procedures set out clear risk categorisation, reporting and escalation pathways aligned with statutory safeguarding duties and, in custodial settings, with HM Prison & Probation Service requirements. Due to the sensitive and security‑specific nature of this material, it is not publicly available; however, it is used for staff training, supervision and quality assurance. 

These operational procedures sit within and are governed by Belong’s overarching safeguarding policy and are made available internally to staff, volunteers and trustees due to the sensitivity of custodial environments.

3. Safeguarding Framework and Legal Context

Belong’s safeguarding practice is informed by relevant legislation and statutory guidance, including but not limited to: 

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 

• The Children Acts 1989 and 2004 

• The Care Act 2014 (adult safeguarding) 

• Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and trustee responsibilities 

Safeguarding and promoting welfare depends on effective partnership working between agencies with different roles and expertise. Belong works co‑operatively with statutory services and other relevant organisations to ensure individuals are protected from harm.

4. Safeguarding Principles

Belong’s safeguarding approach is underpinned by the following principles: 

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility 

• The welfare of the individual is paramount 

• Individuals’ needs, wishes and rights are central to decision‑making 

• Action will be taken to prevent harm before it occurs wherever possible 

• Any concerns will be taken seriously and responded to appropriately

5. Recognising Abuse and Neglect

Children, young people and adults may be vulnerable to abuse or neglect from within their family, institutions, or wider community. Abuse can take many forms, including but not limited to: 

Physical abuse 

This may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm. It also includes fabricated or induced illness. 

Emotional abuse 

This involves persistent emotional maltreatment that causes adverse effects on emotional wellbeing or development. It may include intimidation, humiliation, silencing, bullying or exposing individuals to harmful situations. 

Sexual abuse 

This involves forcing or enticing a person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening. It includes contact and non‑contact activities, exploitation, grooming and online abuse. 

Neglect 

This is the persistent failure to meet basic physical or psychological needs, where this is likely to result in serious harm to health or development. It may include lack of supervision, medical care, protection or basic necessities. 

Abuse may be perpetrated by adults or peers, and by people known or unknown to the individual.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

Trustees 

Trustees hold ultimate responsibility for safeguarding within Belong. They are responsible for ensuring that effective safeguarding policies, procedures and resources are in place and reviewed regularly. 

Chief Executive Officer and Safeguarding Leads 

Belong has a named Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Lead who are responsible for receiving and managing safeguarding concerns. 

Named Safeguarding Lead: 
Esther Wanjie‑Nyeko, Chief Executive Officer 
Telephone: 07766 004149 

Deputy Safeguarding Lead: 
Samuel Warman, Head of Programmes 
Telephone: 07871 270623 

The Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Lead are responsible for: 

• Ensuring safeguarding concerns are acted upon promptly 

• Providing advice and guidance to staff, volunteers and trustees 

• Liaising with statutory agencies where required 

• Ensuring this policy and associated procedures are implemented effectively 

Staff Members and Volunteers 

All staff members and volunteers must: 

• Be alert to indicators of abuse or neglect 

• Put the needs and safety of individuals first 

• Follow safeguarding procedures and report concerns promptly 

• Co‑operate with safeguarding actions and reviews 

 

7. Safer Recruitment and Training

Belong operates robust recruitment and human resources procedures, including appropriate DBS checks and references, to ensure that those working with children, young people and adults are suitable to do so. 

All trustees, staff members and volunteers: 

• Receive safeguarding information as part of induction 

• Undertake safeguarding training appropriate to their role 

• Are supervised and supported to uphold safeguarding standards 

Through induction, training and supervision, trustees, staff members and volunteers are supported to recognise the signs of abuse or neglect, to respond appropriately to disclosures, and to understand the reporting and escalation procedures set out in this policy. 

Supervision and support arrangements ensure that safeguarding practice is reviewed on an ongoing basis and that individuals are appropriately supported in carrying out their safeguarding responsibilities. 

Additional safeguarding guidance for specific settings (including prison and community contexts) is available to staff members, volunteers and trustees via Belong’s internal HR systems.

8. Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may arise through observation, information shared by others, or direct disclosure. Anyone raising concerns must act in accordance with Belong’s safeguarding procedure. 

If someone discloses information that causes concern, you must: 

• Contact emergency services immediately if someone is at imminent risk 

• Not promise confidentiality, as you have a duty to share this information so that a referral can be made to Children or Adults Social Care Services if necessary 

• Listen calmly and without judgement 

• Accept what is being said 

• Reassure the person but only as far as is honest. Don’t make promises you may not be able to keep, for example ‘Everything will be alright now’ or ‘You’ll never have to see that person again’ 

• Help to alleviate guilt, e.g. you could say, ‘You’re not to blame’, ‘you’re doing the right thing.’  

• Do not interrogate or ask leading questions (e.g. “Did he hit you?”)  

• Ask open questions such as “Do you have anything else to tell me?”  

• Don’t ask the person disclosing to you to repeat the information for another volunteer or colleague 

• Explain what you have to do next and who you have to talk to 

• Take notes if possible or write up your conversation as soon as possible afterwards - recording the date, time, place, non-verbal behaviour and the actual words used by the person disclosing 

• Record statements and observable things and make it clear in your recording if something is an interpretation or assumption rather than a statement or fact 

• In community settings, staff and volunteers should, where appropriate, work with the individual to make a safety plan, using Belong’s community safeguarding guidance and templates  

• In custodial settings, safeguarding concerns must be shared promptly with the relevant prison safeguarding or welfare teams, in line with that establishment’s procedures   

In all cases, staff members and volunteers must provide as much relevant information as possible about their concerns to the appropriate internal and external safeguarding contacts, and to their line manager, so that a decision can be made about next steps to ensure safety and protect wellbeing. 

The following flow chart outlines the main steps that staff members, trustees or volunteers should take if they have a safeguarding concern.   

 

9. Allegations Against Staff, Volunteers or Trustees

All allegations involving trustees, staff members or volunteers must be taken seriously. 

Allegations may involve behaviour that: 

• Has harmed or may have harmed a child, young person or adult 

• Constitutes a criminal offence 

• Indicates unsuitability to work with children, young people or adults 

All allegations must be reported to the relevant local authority social care services. Where necessary, referrals will be made to the police or other relevant bodies, and commissioners informed where appropriate. 

Belong will ensure that allegations are handled: 

• Fairly and objectively 

• With due regard for confidentiality 

• In line with statutory guidance and internal procedures 

10. Information Sharing and Record Keeping

Safeguarding information will be recorded accurately and stored securely. Information will be shared only with those who need to know and in line with data protection requirements, where sharing is necessary to protect individuals from harm.

11. Monitoring, Review and Governance

This policy is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective, up to date and aligned with best practice and legislative requirements. 

Approved by: Chief Executive Officer, Esther Wanjie‑Nyeko 
Authority: Approved under delegated authority from the Board of Trustees 
Review cycle: Annual 
Next review: June 2026 
Trustee oversight: Policy to be reviewed at minimum biennially by Trustees as part of the regular governance cycle