Privacy Policy
PRIVACY POLICY FOR MERRYGOROUND
This Privacy Policy applies to information we (MerryGoRound) collect about individuals who interact with our organisation. It explains what personal information we collect and how we use it.
If you have any comments or questions about this notice, feel free to contact us at hello@merrygoroundUK.org.
1. Personal data that we process
The following explains the types of data we collect and the legal basis, under current data protection legislation, on which this data is processed.
Purpose: Enquiring about our organisation and its work
Data (key elements): Name, email, message
Basis: Legitimate interests - it is necessary for us to read and store your message so that we can respond in the way that you would expect.
Purpose: Subscribing to email updates about our work
Data (key elements): Name, email
Basis: Consent - you have given your active consent.
Purpose: Making a donation
Data (key elements): Name, email, address, telephone number
Basis: Legitimate interests - this information is necessary for us to fulfill your intention of donating items.
Purpose: Requesting items for a client
Data (key elements): Name, email, address, telephone number
Basis: Legitimate interests - this information is necessary for us to fulfill your request for items for your client and your expectation of receiving communications from us.
Purpose: Signing up as a volunteer
Data (key elements): Name, email, address, telephone number
Basis: Legitimate interests - this information is necessary for us to fulfill your intention of becoming a volunteer and your expectation of receiving communications from us.
Purpose: Website functionality
Data (key elements): Website activity collected through cookies
Basis: Legitimate interests - it is necessary for us to store a small amount of information, usually through cookies, to deliver functionality that you would expect.
2. How we use your data
We will only use your data in a manner that is appropriate considering the basis on which that data was collected, as set out in Section One at the top of this policy.
For example, we may use your personal information to:
reply to enquiries you send to us;
handle donations or other transactions that you initiate;
where you have specifically agreed to this, send you marketing communications by email relating to our work which we think may be of interest to you.
3. When we share your data
We will only pass your data to third parties in the following circumstances:
you have provided your explicit consent for us to pass data to a named third party;
we are using a third party purely for the purposes of processing data on our behalf and we have in place a data processing agreement with that third party that fulfils our legal obligations in relation to the use of third party data processors; or
we are required by law to share your data.
In addition, we will only pass data to third parties outside of the EU where appropriate safeguards are in place as defined by Article 46 of the General Data Protection Regulation.
4. How long we keep your data
We take the principles of data minimisation and removal seriously and have internal policies in place to ensure that we only ever ask for the minimum amount of data for the associated purpose and delete that data promptly once it is no longer required.
Where data is collected on the basis of consent, we will seek renewal of consent at least every three years.
5. Rights you have over your data
You have a range of rights over your data, which include the following:
Where data processing is based on consent, you may revoke this consent at any time and we will make it as easy as possible for you to do this (for example by putting ‘unsubscribe’ links at the bottom of all our marketing emails).
You have the right to ask for rectification and/or deletion of your information.
You have the right of access to your information.
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner if you feel your rights have been infringed.
A full summary of your legal rights over your data can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website here: https://ico.org.uk
If you would like to access the rights listed above, or any other legal rights you have over your data under current legislation, please get in touch with us.
Please note that relying on some of these rights, such as the right to deleting your data, will make it impossible for us to continue to deliver some services to you. However, where possible we will always try to allow the maximum access to your rights while continuing to deliver as many services to you as possible.
6. Cookies & usage tracking
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that is downloaded on to your computer when you visit a website. Cookies are used by many websites and can do a number of things, eg remembering your preferences, recording what you have put in your shopping basket, and counting the number of people looking at a website.
Where cookies are used to collect personal data, we list these purposes in section 1 above, along with other personal data that we collect. However, we also use some cookies that do not collect personal information but that do help us collect anonymous information about how people use our website. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. Google Analytics generates statistical and other information about website usage by means of cookies, which are stored on users' computers. The information collected by Google Analytics about usage of our website is not personally identifiable. The data is collected anonymously, stored by Google and used by us to create reports about website usage. Google's privacy policy is available at http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.
7. Modifications
We may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time and will publish the most current version on our website. If a modification meaningfully reduces your rights, we'll notify people whose personal data we hold and is affected.
CHILD PROTECTION Policy for MerryGoRound
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, trustees and anyone working for MerryGoRound. Staff and volunteers in this organisation accept and recognise our responsibilities to develop awareness of issues, which cause children and young people harm.
The organisation does not undertake activities with children in the absence of their parents/carers, but may on occasion have the opportunity to observe the young person’s/children’s welfare within their family setting. Parents/carers remain responsible for their children’s welfare throughout all the work undertaken by the organisation.
This policy has been drawn up as a response to:
Children Act 1989
United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
Data Protection Act 1998
Sexual Offences Act 2003
Children Act 2004
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
Relevant government guidance on safeguarding children
We recognise that:
the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989
all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting children’s welfare.
We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by:
Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
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, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
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.
Policy and Procedures
Statement of Intent
It is the policy of MerryGoRound to safeguard the welfare of all children by protecting them from all forms of abuse including physical, emotional and sexual harm. Staff and volunteers should be committed to treating children with respect and dignity, always listening to what a child is saying.
SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD PROTECTION AND GOOD PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
Good communication is essential in any organisation. At MerryGoRound every effort will be made 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.
A copy of our Child Protection Policy will be made available to all staff, volunteers and any other appropriate body. It will also be placed on our website.
Induction – Each new member of staff or volunteer will be made familiar with MerryGoRound’s policies and procedures including the Child Protection Policy and Procedures.
PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING ALLEGATIONS OR SUSPICIONS OF ABUSE
DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE
Abuse
The term “abuse” is intended to include any situation where there is grave concern regarding the well-being of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Physical Abuse
Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institution or community setting; by those known to them, or more rarely by a stranger. Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after.
Emotional Abuse
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger;
ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
FGM involves cutting, and sometimes sewing the girl’s genitalia, normally without anaesthetic, and can take place at any time from birth onwards. It is sometimes referred to as ‘female circumcision’ but this misnomer belies the invasive and irreversible nature of the procedure. It is now more correctly termed female genital mutilation.
The procedure has a cultural, rather than religious, origin and is practised by disparate ethnic communities in many countries, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Yemen and Iraq. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 makes it a criminal offence, not only to carry out FGM in England, Scotland and Wales on a girl who is a UK national or permanent resident, but also to take a girl out of the UK to have FGM performed abroad, even to countries where FGM is legal. The indicators of FGM may initially mirror those of sexual abuse. You may notice, for example, that a girl or young woman shows signs of pain or discomfort, needs to visit the toilet constantly, has vaginal blood loss or is unable to sit comfortably.
It is the personal duty of volunteers who identifies FGM or receives a disclosure to make a crime report to the police.
If a volunteer has either been told by a child/parent/carer that the child has had FGM s/he should personally report the matter to the police by calling 101.
If you think the girl is at imminent risk or has recently been cut you should take immediate action which may involve calling 999.
Individuals within MerryGoRound need to be alert to the potential abuse of children both within their families and also from other sources including abuse by members of MerryGoRound.
The organisation should know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse or potential abuse involving children. There is an expected responsibility for all members of the organisation to respond to any suspected or actual abuse of a child in accordance with these procedures.
Additional information can be found at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/
What to do if children talk to you about abuse or neglect
It is recognised that a child may seek you out to share information about abuse or neglect, or talk spontaneously individually or in groups when you are present. In these situations you must:
React calmly and listen carefully to the child. DO NOT directly question the child.
Give the child time and attention.
Allow the child to give a spontaneous account; do not stop a child who is freely recalling significant events.
Make an accurate record of the information you have been given taking care to record the timing, setting and people present, the child’s presentation as well as what was said. Do not throw this away as it may later be needed as evidence.
Use the child’s own words where possible.
Explain that you cannot promise not to speak to others about the information they have shared. Never guarantee absolute confidentiality, as Child Protection will always have precedence over any other issues.
Reassure the child:
you are glad they have told you;
they have not done anything wrong;
what you are going to do next.
Explain that you will need to get help to keep the child safe.
Do NOT ask the child to repeat his or her account of events to anyone.
It is not our responsibility to decide whether abuse has taken place or not, however it is our responsibility to pass on any concerns to the appropriate person / authority immediately.
Consulting about your concern
The purpose of consultation is to discuss your concerns in relation to a child and decide what action is necessary. You may become concerned about a child who has not spoken to you, because of your observations of, or information about that child.
It is good practice to ask a child why they are upset or how a cut or bruise was caused, or respond to a child wanting to talk to you. This practice can help clarify vague concerns and result in appropriate action.
If you are concerned about a child you must share your concerns. Initially you should talk to one of the people designated as responsible for child protection within the organisation. At MerryGoRound, the Designated Safeguarding Lead is Clare Parrott. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will contact the relevant services if required. If one of those people is implicated in the concerns you should discuss your concerns directly with Social Services.
You should consult externally with your local Social Services Department in the following circumstances:
when you remain unsure after internal consultation as to whether child protection concerns exist
when there is disagreement as to whether child protection concerns exist
when you are unable to consult promptly or at all with your designated internal contact for child protection
when the concerns relate to any member of the organising committee.
Consultation is not the same as making a referral but should enable a decision to be made as to whether a referral to Social Services or the Police should progress.
Islington Children's Services Contact Team Call 020 7527 7400 (24 hours)
Emergency action – In some cases you may need to protect a child immediately – in these situations dial 999. The police are the only agency with statutory powers for the immediate protection of children.
Making a referral
A referral involves giving Social Services or the Police information about concerns relating to an individual or family in order that enquiries can be undertaken by the appropriate agency followed by any necessary action.
In certain cases the level of concern will lead straight to a referral without external consultation being necessary.
If your concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from a family member or someone known to the children, you should make a telephone referral to your local Social Services Office (see above).
IF YOUR CONCERN IS ABOUT ABUSE OR RISK OF ABUSE FROM SOMEONE NOT KNOWN TO THE CHILD OR CHILD’S FAMILY, YOU SHOULD MAKE A TELEPHONE REFERRAL DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE AND CONSULT WITH THE PARENTS.
Information required
Be prepared to give as much of the following information as possible (in emergency situations all of this information may not be available). Unavailability of some information should not stop you making a referral.
Your name, telephone number, position and request the same of the person to whom you are speaking.
Full name and address, telephone number of family, date of birth of child and siblings.
Gender, ethnicity, first language, any special needs.
Names, dates of birth and relationship of household members and any significant others.
The names of professionals’ known to be involved with the child/family eg: GP, Health Visitor, School.
The nature of the concern; and foundation for them.
An opinion on whether the child may need urgent action to make them safe.
Your view of what appears to be the needs of the child and family.
Whether the consent of a parent with parental responsibility has been given to the referral being made.
Action to be taken following the referral
Ensure that you keep an accurate record of your concern(s) made at the time.
Put your concerns in writing to Social Services following the referral (within 48 hours).
Accurately record the action agreed or that no further action is to be taken and the reasons for this decision.
Extremism/Radicalisation/Prevent Policy and Procedures
The government has defined extremism as:
Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of our armed forces as extremist.
MerryGoRound does not tolerate the expression or promotion of extremist views of any kind from any member of our charity or any external agencies or visitors.
Any concerns about extremist views or radicalisation should be recorded and reported to the designated Child Protection Officer who will then take appropriate action, consulting with Social Care and if necessary, make a Channel referral.
Confidentiality
MerryGoRound will ensure that any records made in relation to a referral will be kept confidentially and in a secure place. Only the designated Persons will have access to these files.
Information in relation to child protection concerns should be shared on a “need to know” basis. However, the sharing of information is vital to child protection and, therefore, the issue of confidentiality is secondary to a child’s need for protection.
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Clare Parrott
Date of policy review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024
Safeguarding Policy for MerryGoRound
MERRYGOROUND SAFEGUARDING ADULTS POLICY
MerryGoRound aims to recruit volunteers from all sections of the community, which may include adults with care and support needs.
MerryGoRound will not tolerate the abuse of adults in any of its forms and is committed to safeguarding adults with care and support needs from harm.
This policy outlines the steps MerryGoRound will make to safeguard an adult with care and support needs if they are deemed to be at risk or at risk. This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of MerryGoRound in working together with other professionals and agencies in promoting the adult’s welfare and safeguarding them from abuse and neglect.
MerryGoRound will ensure that decisions made will allow adults to make their own choices and include them in any decision making. MerryGoRound will also ensure that safe and effective working practices are in place.
This policy is intended to support staff and volunteers working within MerryGoRound to understand their role and responsibilities in safeguarding adults. All staff and volunteers are expected to follow this policy.
The key objectives of this policy are for all employees and volunteers of MerryGoRound to:
have an overview of adult safeguarding
be clear about their responsibility to safeguard adults
ensure the necessary actions are taken where an adult with care and support needs is deemed to be at risk
This policy is based on:
The Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support statutory guidance
London Safeguarding Adults policy and procedures
Islington Safeguarding Adults Board’s local procedures and appendices
Under the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to live free from abuse and neglect. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act
Staff and volunteers can access this policy on our website.
What is Safeguarding adults?
‘Safeguarding means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action. This must recognise that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and may be ambivalent, unclear or unrealistic about their personal circumstances.’
Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Department of Health, updated February 2017
All adults should be able to live free from fear and harm. But some may find it hard to get the help and support they need to stop abuse.
An adult may be unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation due to many reasons, including their mental or physical incapacity, sensory loss or physical or learning disabilities. This could be an adult who is usually able to protect themselves from harm but maybe unable to do so because of an accident, disability, frailty, addiction or illness.
MerryGoRound adheres to following the six key principles that underpin safeguarding work (See Care Act guidance)
Empowerment
Prevention
Proportionality
Protection
Partnership
Accountability
MerryGoRound will not tolerate the abuse of adults in staff and volunteers should ensure that their work reflects the principles above and ensure the adult with care and support needs is involved in their decisions and informed consent is obtained. MerryGoRound should ensure that the safeguarding action agreed is the least intrusive response to the risk. Partners from the community should be involved in any safeguarding work in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse. MerryGoRound should be transparent and accountable in delivering safeguarding actions.
What is Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP)?
MSP means a case should be person-led and outcome-focused. The individual should be involved in identifying how best to respond to their safeguarding situation by giving them more choice and control as well as improving quality of life, wellbeing and safety.
MerryGoRound will not tolerate the abuse of adults. MerryGoRound will ensure that adults are involved in their safeguarding arrangements and each individual is dealt with on a case by case basis. As adults may have different preferences, histories and life styles, the same process may not work for all.
Who do adult safeguarding duties apply to?
The Care Act 2014 sets out that adult safeguarding duties apply to any adult who:
has care and support needs, and
is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse and neglect, and
is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect, because of those needs.
Who do I go to if I am concerned?
The named responsible person for safeguarding duties for MerryGoRound is the Safeguarding Lead named below.
All staff and volunteers should contact the Safeguarding Lead for any concerns/queries they have in regards to safeguarding adults. A log of the concern must be kept.
Safeguarding Lead will be responsible to make decisions about notifying adult social services if required and consider alternative actions, where necessary.
Safeguarding Lead will also ensure that the safeguarding adults policies and procedures are in place and up to date. They will ensure a safe environment is promoted for staff and volunteers and adults accessing the service. Safeguarding Lead will ensure they are up to date with their safeguarding adults training.
What should I do if I am concerned?
Staff and volunteers at MerryGoRound who have any adult safeguarding concerns should:
Respond
Take emergency action if someone is at immediate risk of harm/in need of urgent medical attention. Dial 999 for emergency services
Get brief details about what has happened and what the adult would like done about it, but do not probe or conduct a mini-investigation
Seek consent from the adult to take action and to report the concern. Consider whether the adult may lack capacity to make decisions about their own and other people’s safety and wellbeing. If you decide to act against their wishes or without their consent, you must record your decision and the reasons for this.
2. Report
Report any potential safeguarding concerns to the Safeguarding Lead.
3. Record
The Safeguarding Lead will record the details of the incident in an incident form.
As far as possible, records should be written contemporaneously, dated and signed.
Keep records about safeguarding concerns confidential and in a location where the alleged abuser will not have access to the record. Access should not be given to any unauthorised personal for accessing confidential information including the sharing of passwords. Records will be kept in accordance with MerryGoRound’s Data Protection Policy.
4. Refer
In making a decision whether to refer or not, the designated safeguarding lead should take into account:
the adult’s wishes and preferred outcome
whether the adult has mental capacity to make an informed decision about their own and others’ safety
the safety or wellbeing of children or other adults with care and support needs
whether there is a person in a position of trust involved
whether a crime has been committed
This should inform the decision whether to notify the concern to the following people:
the police if a crime has been committed and/or
Islington’s Access & Advice Team (part of adult social services) for possible safeguarding enquiry
relevant regulatory bodies such as Care Quality Commission, Ofsted, Charities commission
service commissioning teams
family/relatives as appropriate (seek advice from adult social services)
The designated safeguarding lead should keep a record of the reasons for referring the concern or reasons for not referring.
Incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple and may affect one person or more. Staff and volunteers should look beyond single incidents to identify patterns of harm. Accurate recording of information will also assist in recognising any patterns.
As soon as Adult Social Services becomes involved, a 4-stage safeguarding adults process is followed. For more information about this 4-stage safeguarding adults process, refer to the London Safeguarding Adults Procedures.
What are your roles and responsibilities?
All staff, management, trustees and volunteers at MerryGoRound are expected to report any concerns to the named person for safeguarding. If the allegation is against one of MerryGoRound members, volunteers, trustees or directors, seek advice from MerryGoRound Safeguarding Lead. If the allegation is against the safeguarding lead, seek advice from Islington’s Access & Advice Team.
The designated safeguarding adults lead should be responsible for providing acknowledgement of the referral and brief feedback to the person raising the original concern. Feedback should be given in a way that will not make the situation worse or breach the Data Protection Act. If the police are involved, they should be consulted prior to giving feedback to the referrer to ensure any criminal investigation is not affected.
The local authority will decide on who will lead on a safeguarding enquiry should it progress to that stage. The named organisation should not conduct its own safeguarding enquiry unless instructed to do so by the local authority.
Staff and volunteers should ensure that the adult with care and support needs is involved at all stages of their safeguarding enquiry ensuring a person-centred approach is adopted.
Complaints procedure
MerryGoRound promotes transparency and honesty when things go wrong. All staff and volunteers should apologise and be honest with service users and other relevant people when thing go wrong.
If a staff or volunteer or any other member of the organisation is unhappy with MerryGoRound’s decision about the safeguarding concern, please refer to MerryGoRound’s Handling Complaints and Whistleblowing policy.
MerryGoRound is committed to ensuring that staff and volunteers who in good faith whistle-blow in the public interest, will be protected from reprisals and victimisation. Please refer to MerryGoRound’s Handling Complaints and Whistleblowing policy.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is to be used when decisions on behalf of those adults with care and support needs who are unable to make some decisions for themselves. Refer to the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice. You will need to involve an advocate if the person lacks capacity to make decisions about the safeguarding concern.
Why is it important to take action?
It may be difficult for adults with care and support needs to protect themselves and to report abuse. They rely on you to help them.
Confidentiality and information sharing
MerryGoRound expects all staff, volunteers, trustees to maintain confidentiality at all times. In line with Data Protection law, MerryGoRound does not share information if not required.
It should however be noted that information should be shared with authorities if an adult is deemed to be at risk of immediate harm. Sharing the right information, at the right time, with the right people can make all the difference to preventing harm. For further guidance on information sharing and safeguarding see: https://www.scie.org.uk/care-act-2014/safeguarding-adults/sharing-information/keymessages.asp
Recruitment and selection
MerryGoRound is committed to safe employment. Safe recruitment practices, such as Disclosure and Barring checks reduce the risk of exposing adults with care and support needs to people unsuitable to work with them.
Training, awareness raising and supervision
Each new member of staff or volunteer will be made familiar with MerryGoRound’s policies and procedures including the Adult Safeguarding Policy.
The Safeguarding Lead shall complete the basic awareness safeguarding adults training provided by Islington Council. See: https://www.islington.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/support-for-professionals/courses-for-professionals
Similarly, staff and volunteers may encounter concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children. For more information about children’s safeguarding, refer to MerryGoRound Child Protection policy.
Prevent
Radicalisation and extremism of adults with care and support needs is a form of emotional/psychological exploitation. Radicalisation can take place through direct personal contact, or indirectly through social media.
If staff are concerned that an adult with care and support needs is at risk of being radicalised and drawn into terrorism, they should treat it in the same way as any other safeguarding concern.
For more information about Prevent see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
Useful contacts
If your concern relates to an adult at risk of harm or abuse, please contact Islington Access & Advice Service (first point of contact for adult social services) on 027 527 2299 or email access.service@islington.gov.uk
Useful links
Care act- http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents/enacted
London Safeguarding adults policy and procedures- http://londonadass.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/LONDON-MULTI-AGENCY-ADULT-SAFEGUARDING-POLICY-AND-PROCEDURES.pdf
Safer recruitment- http://www.islingtonscb.org.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Safer%20recruitment%20-%20safeguarding%20children%20and%20adults%205%20August%2013.pdf
Carer and support statutory guidance-https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/506202/23902777_Care_Act_Book.pdf
Prevent-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
Information sharing-
https://www.scie.org.uk/care-act-2014/safeguarding-adults/sharing-information/keymessages.asp
Appendix 1
What are the types of safeguarding adults abuse?
The Care and Support statutory guidance sets out the 10 main types of abuse:
Physical abuse
Neglect
Sexual abuse
Psychological
Financial abuse
Discriminatory
Organisational
Domestic violence
Modern Slavery
Self-neglect
However, you should keep an open mind about what constitutes abuse or neglect as it can take many forms and the circumstances of the individual case should always be considered.
For more information, read section 14.17 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance.
What are the possible signs of abuse?
Abuse and neglect can be difficult to spot. You should be alert to the following possible signs of abuse and neglect:
Depression, self-harm or suicide attempts
Difficulty making friends
Fear or anxiety
The person looks dirty or is not dressed properly,
The person never seems to have money,
The person has an injury that is difficult to explain (such as bruises, finger marks, ‘non-accidental’ injury, neck, shoulders, chest and arms),
The person has signs of a pressure ulcer,
The person is experiencing insomnia
The person seems frightened, or frightened of physical contact.
Inappropriate sexual awareness or sexually explicit behaviour
The person is withdrawn, changes in behaviour
You should ask the person if you are unsure about their well-being as there may be other explanations to the above presentation.
Who abuses and neglects adults?
Abuse can happen anywhere, even in somebody’s own home. Most often abuse takes place by others who are in a position of trust and power. It can take place whether an adult lives alone or with others. Anyone can carry out abuse or neglect, including:
partners;
other family members;
neighbours;
friends;
acquaintances;
local residents;
people who deliberately exploit adults they perceive as vulnerable to abuse;
paid staff or professionals; and
volunteers and strangers
Appendix 2
Flow Chart for raising a safeguarding concern:
MerryGoRound Safeguarding Lead: Clare Parrott / clare@merrygorounduk.org
Date of policy review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024
MerryGoRound Health and Safety Policy
It is the general policy of MerryGoRound to provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our activities:
We will provide, maintain and oversee safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all volunteers.
We will provide such information, training and supervision as is needed for this purpose.
We will ensure safe handling and use of hazardous substances, in line with COSSH regulations.
We will ensure that all volunteers are competent to do their tasks and give them adequate training.
Our volunteers do not work unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults or have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults. In the event that there is a change to our processes and such contact is required, we will follow the policies and procedures outlined in our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Adult Safeguarding Policy.
This policy will be reviewed and revised as necessary (at least annually).
Responsibilities
Responsibility for this policy lies with the Board of Trustees. Day to day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to the Health & Safety Officer.
All volunteers have a duty to:
co-operate with the Board of Trustees on health and safety matters
not interfere with anything provided to safeguard their health and safety
take reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety
use equipment correctly in accordance with training and instructions
report all health and safety concerns to an appropriate person.
Risk assessment
Risk assessments of our storage unit will be carried out annually by the Board of Trustees. Responsibility for observing the decisions made in the risk assessment lies with all volunteers.
The Board of Trustees will check at quarterly intervals that the action/s have been taken and the risks have been removed/reduced.
For special events, assessments of each activity will be carried out by the volunteer who is planning that activity. That volunteer is responsible for liaising with the Health and Safety Officer to ensure hazards are dealt with as outlined in the risk assessment.
First aid and accidents
The First Aid Box is located in the storage room. The Health & Safety Officer is responsible for checking the contents every quarter.
All accidents are to be recorded in the Accident Book. The book is located in the first aid box.
Health & Safety Officer: Julia Maile
Date of review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024
MerryGoRound Equal Opportunities Policy
This policy applies to all trustees, staff, volunteers, service users and the general public.
Aims
MerryGoRound believes that no child, individual, or family should be excluded from the charity’s activities on the grounds of age, gender, health or disability, pregnancy, maternity, sexuality, class, family status, means, ability, colour, ethnic origin, culture, religion, or belief.
We aim to ensure that all who wish to work in, or volunteer to help with, our charity should have an equal chance to do so. We aim to create effective partnerships within all parts of our community and provide services that are accessible according to need.
MerryGoRound is committed to:
Tackling social exclusion, inequality, discrimination and disadvantage;
Ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect, valuing the diversity of all;
Promoting equality of opportunity and diversity;
Delivering services that are accessible, appropriate and delivered fairly to all;
Working together with the community to provide accessible and relevant service provision that responds to service users’ needs;
Providing fair resource allocation
For this policy to be successful, it is essential that everyone is committed to and involved in its delivery. MerryGoRound’s goal is to work towards a just society free from discrimination, harassment and prejudice. MerryGoRound aims to embed this in all its policies, procedures, day-to-day practices and external relationships.
Responsibility for Implementation
Overall responsibility for ensuring adherence to and implementation of this policy lies with the Board of Trustees.
Method of Implementation
MerryGoRound implements this policy by:
Ensuring that trustees, staff and volunteers are made aware, understand, and are willing to implement, this policy. All staff and volunteers will be given a copy of this policy as part of their induction;
Monitoring the services, publicity and events provided by MerryGoRound, to ensure that they are accessible to all sections of the population and do not discriminate, and taking reasonable steps to ensure that participation is representative.
Continuing to learn and adapt to ensure this policy is upheld. Any person who feels that this policy has not been upheld can make a complaint, which will be dealt with in line with MerryGoRound’s complaints procedure.
Monitoring and Reviewing
MerryGoRound is committed to establishing, developing, implementing and reviewing a policy of equality of opportunity. Effective record keeping and monitoring, and acting on information gathered, are essential in order to measure effectiveness and plan progress. The trustee board will review the policy annually.
Date of policy review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024
MerryGoRound Complaints and whistleblowing Policy
Introduction
MerryGoRound is committed to working in an open and accountable way that secures the trust and respect of stakeholders, and as such recognises the role of an effective complaints policy in fostering transparency, fairness, and a culture of continuous improvement.
MerryGoRound undertakes to ensure that:
Making a complaint is as straightforward as possible.
Complaints are dealt with promptly, courteously, and discreetly – confidentially when appropriate. We will respond decisively with an explanation, an apology where we have been at fault, or information on the outcome.
We will learn from complaints and use them to make improvements in the way we work.
How to contact us
We hope that the majority of complaints can be dealt with informally, but in cases in which the formal procedure is more appropriate, we request that they are submitted in the following format:
In writing by email to hello@merrygorounduk.org with ‘complaint’ in the subject line.
It should include a full explanation of the problem, how it occurred, and the effect on you.
Describe what you think we should do to put things right.
Please provide your name and contact details - we are not able to respond to anonymous complaints.
We will deal with your complaint as follows:
We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receipt and provide you with the name and contact details of the person responsible for investigating the matter on your behalf.
The person responsible for the investigation will write to you with their findings and proposed resolution within twenty eight days from receipt of the complaint, unless the complaint is particularly complex or time-consuming, in which case you will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation and notified of the expected date of completion.
If you are not happy with our response, please let us know and your complaint will be reviewed by one of our trustees. Ultimately, you have recourse to the online complaint form at the Charity Commission www.charitycommission.gov.uk (however we are not yet a registered charity).
Data Privacy Statement
We collate and analyse data about complaints so that we can improve the services we provide. We will collect personal information including your name and contact details, including postal address, telephone number, email address and social media contact information, in order to be able to communicate with you about your complaint. We will also collect sufficient information about the situation that you are contacting us about to be able to understand what has happened. We may need to request further information depending on the nature of your complaint. We have a legitimate interest in holding this information in order to be able to monitor and improve our services. Information gathered is accessed by MerryGoRound employees and may be shared with advice agencies or professional services firms only if appropriate, for example if your complaint relates to safeguarding and we seek guidance as to next steps. Where a complaint involves a project in our network, we may need to share this information with that project in order to understand what has happened and determine a resolution. We keep this information for 2 years after your complaint has been closed, unless we have a requirement to keep it longer. After this time the data will be aggregated and anonymised.
Whistleblowing
Whistle blowing is where you have a concern about a danger or illegality that has a public interest aspect to it such as:
Modern Slavery.
A criminal offence that has, is being, or is likely to be committed.
Unauthorised or inappropriate disclosure, misuse or loss of confidential, personal and / or sensitive information.
A miscarriage of justice.
Risk or damage to the environment.
A danger to the health and safety of employees or others.
Attempts to suppress or hide information relating to wrongdoing.
The concern can be about an incident that happened in the past, is happening now or that you believe is likely in the future. As long as you hold a reasonable belief that the information is true then you will be covered by the protection set out regardless of whether you are mistaken or the matter cannot be proved.
Whistleblowing may be very difficult and can be reported to hello@merrygorounduk.org. We will take every step to ensure we protect and support whistleblowers internally.
However, we recognise that people may feel more comfortable seeking external support in this situation.
The independent charity Protect can also provide support. Their lawyers can give you free confidential advice at any stage about how to raise a concern and they will also provide advice on the circumstances in which it may be appropriate for you to contact an outside body. www.protect-advice.org.uk
Date of policy review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024
MerryGoRound Lone Working Policy
MerryGoRound takes the health, safety and welfare of all volunteers seriously. This policy is designed to raise awareness of the risks presented by lone working, to identify the responsibilities each person has in this situation, and to give guidance on how to manage such risks.
This policy applies to all volunteers who may find themselves working 1:1 whilst undertaking duties for MerryGoRound.
Before commencing any lone working, volunteers should ensure that they have read the following guidance and have assessed risks accordingly. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Health and Safety Policy.
Definition
Within this document, “lone working” refers to situations where volunteers in the course of their duties work alone (either in the storage unit or from home) or are physically isolated from colleagues and without access to immediate assistance. This last situation may also arise where there are other people in the building but the nature of the building itself may essentially create isolated areas.
General guidelines for lone working and reasonable precautions
Volunteers should take reasonable precautions to take care of their own safety when lone working.
These might include:
Ensuring that they have a charged phone with them
Ensuring someone knows where they are going and when they are expected home
Knowing what measures are in place where they are working; check out alarm systems and procedures, exits and entrances, and the location of the first aid supplies
If the fire alarm sounds, apart from the regular test, exit the building via the fire exits. If we are notified that there will be a fire alarm and it is known that a volunteer is scheduled to be the only person in the building they will be warned in advance.
Always trusting their instincts – if a volunteer does not feel comfortable about letting a person in the storage unit, then ask them to return at a time when they will not be alone.
Further to this, volunteers should:
Raise any concerns with the Health & Safety Officer
Report any accidents, incidents, injuries or “near misses” to the Health & Safety Officer
Report any safety practices that need to be improved or risks not otherwise identified
Date of policy review: March 2023
Date of next review: March 2024