Safeguarding Policy

Statement of Purpose

1. The Nurture Nook (the Organisation, we, our or us) is committed to preventing and responding to risks of harm to and promoting the welfare of all children that we work with (i.e. as The Nurture Nook’s clients). These individuals are referred to as the ‘Beneficiaries’ of this Safeguarding Policy.
2. We recognise the importance of this commitment to safety and welfare and, further, are committed to safeguarding all Beneficiaries without discrimination due to an individual’s age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity leave status, marriage or civil partnership status, or sexual orientation.
3. This Safeguarding Policy is based on the safeguarding laws of England, Wales, and Scotland, including related guidance issued by the UK Government and relevant governmental departments, agencies, and public bodies. If this Policy is at any time inconsistent with this body of law, The Nurture Nook will act to meet the requirements of up-to-date safeguarding laws in priority to the requirements set out in this Policy.
4. The Nurture Nook has implemented this Safeguarding Policy in order to meet its obligations as an organisation working with children.
5. Any questions in relation to this Policy should be referred to Chelsea Ward in the first instance, by emailing hello@thenurturenook.co.uk.

Scope of this Safeguarding Policy

6. This Policy explains key aspects of how The Nurture Nook prevents harm in relation to its Beneficiaries via its practices and its Staff Members’ conduct.
7. This Safeguarding Policy covers the organisation and operation of all of The Nurture Nook’s activities involving children (i.e. our Relevant Activities). These primarily include:

Providing parent and Toddler classes for local families across different venues.

8. This Policy’s guidelines and obligations apply to all individuals working for or acting on behalf of The Nurture Nook in the UK at all levels, including senior managers, officers, employees, consultants, trainees, homeworkers, part-time and fixed-term workers, casual workers, agency workers, volunteers, and interns (collectively ‘Staff Members’).
9. This Policy does not form part of any contract of employment or similar and The Nurture Nook may amend it at any time at our absolute discretion.

Defining Safeguarding

10. ‘Safeguarding’ is an umbrella term that refers to work (e.g. practices and procedures) aimed at preventing or responding to harm or risks of harm posed to vulnerable individuals, and at promoting these individuals’ wider welfare. Safeguarding is particularly important for children and adults at risk. Most safeguarding legal obligations relate to the care of these groups. This Safeguarding Policy specifically deals with safeguarding children. For safeguarding purposes, children are individuals younger than 18 years old.
11. The commitments and practices contained in this Safeguarding Policy apply to the safeguarding of The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries from harm caused by either:

The activities and practices of The Nurture Nook and any conduct of its Staff Members, or
People and situations outside of The Nurture Nook’s and its Staff Members’ control, where The Nurture Nook’s Staff Members are aware of, ought to be aware of, or reasonably suspect the risks posed by a situation.

12. For the purposes of this Policy, a ‘Safeguarding Concern’ is any conduct or situation that is known or reasonably suspected by a Staff Member or another party that risks violating the safeguarding commitments set out above.

Key Measures that The Nurture Nook is Committed to Implementing and Maintaining to Safeguard its Beneficiaries

13. Ensuring that Staff Members are trained to, and encouraged to, report any Safeguarding Concerns that they identify. Staff Members will be encouraged to follow The Nurture Nook’s safeguarding reporting procedures as closely as possible when reporting concerns (set out below under the heading ‘Procedures: Reporting’).
14. Ensuring that all Staff Members listen to all safeguarding-related queries and concerns raised by other Staff Members, Beneficiaries, or relevant other parties, with respect and professionalism. Staff Members should be trained how to, and encouraged to, then assist with reporting any such concerns via The Nurture Nook’s regular reporting procedures.
15. Ensuring that all reported Safeguarding Concerns are dealt with by appropriate individuals and teams and in accordance with The Nurture Nook’s relevant procedures (set out below under the heading ‘Procedures: Investigation and Response’).
16. Implementing and maintaining comprehensive, accessible, fair, and efficient procedures for Staff Members to use when reporting and dealing with Safeguarding Concerns. These procedures will be made known and easily accessible to all Staff Members.

Procedures will be designed to ensure all safeguarding issues are dealt with fairly and objectively even when allegations are made against one of The Nurture Nook’s Staff Members. Any such allegations will be treated in a manner that takes into account the gravity of the accusations, but which does not vilify or presume the guilt of an accused individual without a fair investigation.
Any reports that qualify as protected disclosures under whistleblowing law will be treated securely and in a protected manner in line with whistleblowing law.

17. Appointing Chelsea Ward to hold responsibility for managing safeguarding policies and procedures within The Nurture Nook.
18. Following appropriate recruitment processes when recruiting new Staff Members, including volunteers. This includes:

Conducting all appropriate pre-employment checks (e.g. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record checks).
Ensuring new Staff Members take part in, and understand the content of, all necessary safeguarding training before having any contact with The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries.
Following The Nurture Nook’s policies and procedures on hiring and recruitment.

19. Providing appropriate safeguarding training for all relevant Staff Members. Every Staff Member should be provided with, and required to undertake, training that is appropriate to their role, responsibilities, and degree and type of contact with Beneficiaries. This should, where appropriate, include training on:

How to define and identify potential signs of different types of abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, neglect, and others.
How to listen to and respond to concerns or disclosures about safeguarding issues during an initial conversation (e.g. how to explain when information can and cannot be kept confidential).
How to use The Nurture Nook’s safeguarding reporting procedures and when doing so is appropriate.
Which additional resources (e.g. policies, other supporting documents, or external educational resources) are available to ensure Staff Members remain informed about safeguarding.

20. Ensuring that all information related to Safeguarding Concerns, including the content of reported concerns as well as the personal data of anybody involved, is handled safely and securely. This involves:

Following the requirements set out by the UK’s data protection laws, including The UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Following The Nurture Nook’s data protection policies and procedures, including our Data Protection and Data Security Policy.
Providing Staff Members with training on data protection and privacy, where appropriate.
Ensuring Staff Members always have an identifiable point of contact for questions or concerns about data protection and privacy. This is currently Chelsea Ward, who can be contacted by emailing data@thenurturenook.co.uk.
Only sharing information about a Safeguarding Concern internally as far as is necessary to manage the concern for the relevant Beneficiary’s benefit.

21. Ensuring transparency and awareness regarding safeguarding information and procedures. For example, by:

Providing information to Beneficiaries about our safeguarding procedures so that they are aware of how to raise any concerns.
Ensuring all Staff Members are aware of safeguarding laws, The Nurture Nook’s safeguarding commitments and procedures, and Staff Members’ responsibilities in relation to these.

22. Regularly reviewing all safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that they are up-to-date with safeguarding law and that they remain suitable for The Nurture Nook’s Relevant Activities and workforce, and meeting any review and evaluation requirements specific to The Nurture Nook’s industry and organisation type.

Staff Members’ Responsibilities

24. All Staff Members have a responsibility to promote the safety and wellbeing of all of The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries. This means that all of The Nurture Nook’s policies and procedures relevant to safeguarding and all UK laws relevant to safeguarding must be followed at all times. Specifically:
25. All Staff Members must contribute to upholding the key measures that The Nurture Nook has committed to taking to safeguard its Beneficiaries (set out above) to an extent that is appropriate for their role, responsibilities, and degree and type of contact with Beneficiaries. Specific ways that Staff Members should do this will be clarified during training. If a Staff Member is uncertain as to their responsibilities, it is their responsibility to raise this with Chelsea Ward.
26. Staff Members must actively participate in all safeguarding training they are assigned and, if they do not understand any aspects of their training, must raise this with Chelsea Ward.
27. Staff Members must never do anything to actively risk the safety or wellbeing of any of The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries. This includes, but is not limited to:

Subjecting them to or facilitating abuse of any sort.
Engaging in any sexual activity with children (i.e. anybody under the age of 18).
Participating in or facilitating any activities that may commercially exploit Beneficiaries. For example, failing to report suspected child labour or trafficking.

28. Staff Members must report all Safeguarding Concerns that they have regarding Beneficiaries, regardless of whether the concerns relate to potential wrongdoing of other Staff Members, other Beneficiaries, or external parties (e.g. parents, teachers, other organisations, or members of the public).

Procedures: Reporting

24. All Staff Members have a responsibility to promote the safety and wellbeing of all of The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries. This means that all of The Nurture Nook’s policies and procedures relevant to safeguarding and all UK laws relevant to safeguarding must be followed at all times. Specifically:
25. All Staff Members must contribute to upholding the key measures that The Nurture Nook has committed to taking to safeguard its Beneficiaries (set out above) to an extent that is appropriate for their role, responsibilities, and degree and type of contact with Beneficiaries. Specific ways that Staff Members should do this will be clarified during training. If a Staff Member is uncertain as to their responsibilities, it is their responsibility to raise this with Chelsea Ward.
26. Staff Members must actively participate in all safeguarding training they are assigned and, if they do not understand any aspects of their training, must raise this with Chelsea Ward.
27. Staff Members must never do anything to actively risk the safety or wellbeing of any of The Nurture Nook’s Beneficiaries. This includes, but is not limited to:

Subjecting them to or facilitating abuse of any sort.
Engaging in any sexual activity with children (i.e. anybody under the age of 18).
Participating in or facilitating any activities that may commercially exploit Beneficiaries. For example, failing to report suspected child labour or trafficking.

28. Staff Members must report all Safeguarding Concerns that they have regarding Beneficiaries, regardless of whether the concerns relate to potential wrongdoing of other Staff Members, other Beneficiaries, or external parties (e.g. parents, teachers, other organisations, or members of the public).

Procedures: Investigation and Response

32. Reported Safeguarding Concerns will be dealt with promptly by appropriate individuals within The Nurture Nook, in accordance with our safeguarding response procedures and safeguarding laws. Details of these procedures are available on request from Chelsea Ward.
33. Staff Members who report a Safeguarding Concern will be kept informed about the progression of the matter they reported to an appropriate degree. Note that, depending on the nature of the concern and consequent investigations, some information about matters may be kept confidential and not shared with the reporter.
34. If a Staff Member is found to be in breach of this Safeguarding Policy or safeguarding law in general, they will be treated fairly and will only be dismissed if appropriate in the circumstances and in accordance with employment law.
35. Referrals or notifications to external organisations (e.g. police services, local authorities, or regulatory bodies) will be made when, and only when, this is appropriate, and will always be made in accordance with the law (e.g. data protection law).

Supporting Documents and Other Protections

36. The Nurture Nook has various other documents in place that support this Safeguarding Policy. These include:

Safeguarding training materials for ongoing learning and reference.
Working together to safeguard children 2023.
A collection of policies and local protocols from the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership.

37. This Safeguarding Policy does not cover all of The Nurture Nook’s commitments relevant to protecting its Beneficiaries. We also have other policies in place that protect our Beneficiaries, Staff Members, and/or others. These include:

A Data Protection and Data Security Policy.

38. All of the policies, procedures, and other documents set out above are available on request from the person within the Organisation responsible for HR matters or via Staff Members’ line managers.

Changes to This Safeguarding Policy

39. The Nurture Nook reserves the right to change this Safeguarding Policy as we may deem necessary from time to time or as may be required by law. Any changes will be immediately posted on the Website and you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the Safeguarding Policy on your first use of the Website following the alterations. You may contact The Nurture Nook by email at hello@thenurturenook.co.uk.

This Safeguarding Policy was last updated on 18th August 2024.