Policy for Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, Abingdon OX14 1NS
1. Purpose
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults at risk from abuse or neglect.
This policy defines how Northcourt Centre operates to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk of abuse or neglect.
We have a duty of care and are committed to the protection and safety of everyone who enters our premises including children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk involved as visitors and/or as participants in all activities and events. We also have a duty to safeguard and support our trustees, volunteers, and staff.
2. Definitions
Children and young people are defined as those persons aged under 18 years old. This policy will apply to all staff, contractors and volunteers and will be used to support their work.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
§ protecting children from maltreatment
§ preventing impairment of children’s health and development
§ ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
§ taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Adult at risk of abuse or neglect
For the purposes of this policy, adult at risk refers to someone over 18 years old who, according to paragraph 14.2 of the Care Act 2015:
· has care and support needs
· is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
· as a result of their care and support needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
If someone has care and support needs but is not currently receiving care or support from a health or care service, they may still be an adult at risk.
3. Persons affected
§ All trustees, volunteers, and staff
§ All those attending any activity or service that is being delivered from the village hall charity property
§ All visitors and contractors
4. Policy principles
There can be no excuses for not taking all reasonable action to protect adults at risk of abuse, exploitation, radicalisation, and mistreatment. All citizens of the United Kingdom have their rights enshrined within the Human Rights Act 1998. People who are eligible to receive health and community care services may be additionally vulnerable to the violation of these rights by reason of disability, impairment, age, or illness.
Northcourt Centre Committee has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.
Northcourt Centre Committee recognises that under the Care Act 2014, it has a duty for the care and protection of adults who are at risk of abuse. It also recognises its responsibilities for the safety and care of children under the Children Act 1989 and 2004.
Northcourt Centre Committee is committed to promoting wellbeing, harm prevention and to responding effectively if concerns are raised.
Northcourt Centre Committee is aware of the work of their local safeguarding Board/Partnership and other support organisations on the development and implementation of procedures for the protection of adults vulnerable from abuse. The policy is about stopping abuse where it is happening and preventing abuse where there is a risk that it may occur.
Northcourt Centre Committee is committed to the following principles:
· The welfare of the child, young person or adult at risk is paramount
· All children, young people and adults at risk have the right to protection from abuse
· Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part; and
· All suspicions and allegations of abuse must be properly reported to the relevant internal and external authorities and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
5. Procedures
a. All Trustees of the Committee will have signed the Trustee Statement of Eligibility form* for trustees which includes a declaration that they have no convictions in relation to abuse. The Trustees will not require a DBS check if they do not have contact with any of the above-mentioned groups.
b. All contracted staff, group leaders and volunteers who regularly attend the Northcourt Centre will be subject to DBS checks. All Trustees of Northcourt Centre are also required to have DBS checks carried out if they are to have contact with children, young persons or adults at risk. If conditions change for these or any future paid staff or volunteers their role will be assessed and any necessary checks carried out accordingly.
c. All members of the Committee will familiarise themselves with Safeguarding Responsibilities, undertake training on safeguarding issues including whistleblowing where it is available and offered by their local safeguarding board/partnership or other local support organisation and ensure that they understand the principles set out in this policy at 3 above.
d. All members of the Committee will work together to promote a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting welfare to be addressed.
e. All members of the Committee, helpers or other volunteers will NOT have unsupervised access to children or adults at risk unless appropriately vetted.
f. The Centre Management Committee will follow safe recruitment practices.
g. A member of the Committee will be appointed to be responsible for child and adult at risk Safeguarding matters. This person will have responsibility for reporting concerns that arise, as a matter of urgency, to the relevant safeguarding agency.
The appointed person is: The Centre Secretary, Sumi Patel,
The Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, Abingdon OX14 1NS
sumi.patel54@icloud.com
until 31st December 2021
h. All suspicions or allegations of abuse against a child or adult at risk will be taken seriously and dealt with speedily and appropriately. The appointed person will know who to contact and where to go for support and advice in relation to an allegation a concern about the quality of care or practice or a complaint. An allegation may relate to a person who works with children or adult at risk who has:
· behaved in a way that has harmed a child or adult at risk or may have harmed a child or adult at risk.
· possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child or adult at risk; or
· behaved towards a child or children or adult at risk in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children.
i. The Centre Management Committee will ensure that all hirers of the hall have signed a hiring agreement. This will require all hirers who wish to use the hall for activities which include children and adults at risk, other than for hire for private parties arranged for invited friends and family, to produce a copy of their Safeguarding Policy and evidence that they have carried out relevant checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
j. The Centre Management Committee will carry out an annual review of this policy.
6. Further advice and support:
At any stage you may wish to seek further advice or support from the following sources:
Child Protection: NSPCC – www.nspcc.org.uk or 0116 234 7223
NSPCC Child Protection Helpline – 0808 800 5000
Criminal Records Bureau – www.disclosure.gov.uk
Save the Children – www.scfuk.org.uk Early Years Partnerships – based in County Council Social
Services depts.
Vulnerable Adults Protection: Action on Elder Abuse – helpline 0808 808 814
Review Date Dec 2021
Northcourt Centre
Charity Number 300185
Fire Evacuation Policy
This policy has been adopted by Northcourt Centre Management Committee who remain responsible for its review on a regular basis.
(Chair of management committee)
Name: Laura Buckingham
Date: March 2026
Review Date : March 2028
EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN
To be activated in the event of Fire, Bomb Threat or Utility Failure.
The Hirer is deemed to be the responsible person to activate this plan and shall be on the premises for the duration of the hire period.
The post code address of these premises is:
OX14 1NS
The Hirer must consider how to contact the emergency services when carrying out the event risk assessment prior to commencement of the hire period. The emergency services should be contacted on a personal mobile (if there is sufficient signal) or by speaking to a homeowner in the immediate vicinity.
This plan contains:
1. Responsibility of Hirer if an emergency is declared
2. How to warn event attendees of the emergency
3. Persons responsible for summoning the emergency services
4. Evacuation procedure
5. Identification of vulnerable persons and those especially at risk and their evacuation arrangements
6. Identify organisers with special duties such as Fire Marshals
7. Identify the Fire Assembly Point
8. Liaising with the emergency response co-ordinator on arrival and notifying of significant risks
9. The shutdown of equipment or power supplies that require isolation
10. Training that may be required by event organiser’s and their helpers`
1 Responsibility of Hirer if an emergency is declared
In the event of an emergency as specified on the front cover of this document the hirer, who is designated as the ‘Responsible Person’ shall implement the Emergency Action Plan, using any additional control measures identified on their event risk assessment.
They must ensure:
That in the event of a Fire, shout “fire” to alert any other people in the building
· Ensure, previously designated, fire marshals direct all occupants to the safe exits and inform them to congregate adjacent to the Marshalling Point at the front of the Car Park. Sign on Fence
· Nominate an individual to contact the required emergency service and liaise with the Officer in charge when they arrive.
· Fight any fire if trained and it is safe to do so.
· Conduct a role call of persons attending the event.
· Ensure key helpers have a clear understanding of their role and provide instruction if required.
· Identify Fire Exits
2 How to warn event attendees of an emergency
The method for warning event attendees of an emergency situation should be promulgated to attendees at the commencement of the event by a person nominated by the responsible person. In the event of Fire all occupants are to evacuate the building without delay and the nominated fire marshals will assist this process.
Report all incidents to the booking clerk.
3 Persons responsible for summoning the emergency services
The person nominated, by the responsible person, to contact the required emergency service should provide the following details once contact is made:
· The name of the building – Northcourt Centre
· The postal address – Northcourt Road, Abingdon, OX14 1NS
· Give the telephone number of the phone by which you have contacted the service.
· Brief circumstances i.e. approx. location of fire or description of threat.
· Describe the Community Centre car park entrance and note landmarks i.e. Spread Eagle pub
4 Evacuation procedure
Make your way to the nearest fire exit and out of the building to the assembly point at the Front of the Car Park – sign on fence - in a calm and orderly manner. Return to the building is prohibited until you have been told it is safe to do so by the Officer controlling the incident. The silencing of the fire alarm must never be an indication that it is safe to re-enter the building.
5 Identification of vulnerable persons and those especially at risk and their evacuationarrangements
Consideration must be given to mobility, or hearing, or sight impaired persons so that they are not put at a disadvantage in an emergency situation. This should also include purpose groups and the elderly. Any vulnerable persons may require assisted evacuation from the building.
6 Identify organisers with special duties such as Fire Marshals
At the event planning stage the risk assessment will identify the number of the public expected.
A maximum of 150 persons are permitted within the building at any one time and two fire marshals or stewards should be nominated for every one hundred persons expected.
7 Identify the Fire Assembly Point outside of the building
The designated assembly point for persons evacuating the building is at the front of the Car Park. All attendees should make their way to that area and report to the event organiser for a role call. At this time notify the person conducting the role call of any known individual, who attended the event, which you have not seen or perceive to be missing.
Such information shall be passed to the Senior Officer of the Emergency Service in attendance.
8 Liaising with the emergency response co-ordinator on arrival and notifying of significant risks
The individual nominated to contact the required emergency service should provide details of the incident as instructed by the responsible person and itemised in paragraph 3 above. Upon arrival of the emergency service the nominated person is to make themselves known to the
senior officer attending and provide local knowledge of the incident as requested.
9 The shutdown of equipment or power supplies that require isolation
The emergency service attending an incident may be in possession of a site map however it will be necessary to provide directions to the power cabinet situated above the radiator opposite the Gents Toilets in the Foyer.
10 Training that may be required by event organiser’s and their helpers`
During the risk assessment phase of planning an event at Northcourt Centre the responsible person/event organiser/hirer will assess if they or attendees with special duties require additional training and ensure that any necessary training is completed.