ADULT AND CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY OF HIVE STORYTELLERS

  1. POLICY PURPOSE
    • Hive Storytellers believes in protecting an adult’s and child’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of Hive Storytellers in working together in promoting the adult’s and child’s welfare and safeguarding them from abuse and neglect. The management committee and members should be made aware of how this policy can be accessed and evidence should be kept to show that they should have read and understood this document as part of their induction/ training.
  2. SAFEGUARDING PRINCIPLES
    • Based on The Care Act 2014 six core principles, Empowerment, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection, Partnership and Accountability We believe that:
      • Nobody who is involved in our work should ever experience abuse, harm, neglect or exploitation.
      • We all each have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all of our members, to keep them safe and to work in a way that protects them.
      • We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which our people not only feel safe, but also feel able to speak up, if they have any concerns.
  3. SAFEGUARDING POLICY APPLICABILITY
    • This safeguarding policy applies to anyone working on our behalf, including our management committee and other members.
    • Partner organisations will be required to have their own safeguarding procedures that must, as a minimum, meet the standards outlined below, and include any additional legal or regulatory requirements specific to their work.
  4. TYPES OF ABUSE
    • Abuse can take many forms, such as physical, psychological or emotional, financial, sexual, discriminatory, organisational or institutional abuse, including neglect and exploitation.
  5. REPORTING SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS
    • If a crime is in progress, or an individual in immediate danger, call the police, as you would in any other circumstances.
    • If you are a beneficiary, or member of the public, make your concerns known to a member of our management team who are aware of the Government guidance on handling safeguarding allegations.
  6. REVIEW AND RESPONSIBILITY
    • This safeguarding policy will be reviewed and approved by the management team annually.
    • The management team have the responsibility for the oversight of all aspects of safety including:
      • a. Creating a culture of respect, in which everyone feels safe and able to speak up.
      • b. An annual review of safety.
      • c. Receiving regular reports, to ensure this and related policies are being applied consistently.
      • d. Providing oversight of any lapses in safeguarding.
      • e. And ensuring that any issues are properly investigated and dealt with quickly, fairly and sensitively, and any reporting to the Police/statutory authorities is carried out.
      • f. Leading the organisation in way that makes everyone feels safe and able to speak up. To this end we should avoid statements which may cause disagreement with others, for example statements of political or religious bias.
      • g. Ensuring safeguarding risk assessments are carried out and appropriate action taken to minimise these risks, as part of our risk management processes.
      • h. Ensuring that all relevant checks are carried out in recruiting members.
      • i. Planning programmes/activities to take into account potential safeguarding risks, to ensure these are adequately mitigated.
      • j. Ensuring that all appointments that require DBS clearance and safeguarding training are identified, including the level of DBS and any training required.
      • k. Listening and engaging, members and others and involving them as appropriate.
      • l. Responding to any concerns sensitively and acting quickly to address these.
      • m. Ensuring that personal data is stored and managed in a safe way that is compliant with data protection regulations, including valid consent to use any imagery or video.
      • n. Making all members and others aware of:
      • o. Our safeguarding procedures and their specific safeguarding responsibilities on induction, with regular updates/reminders, as necessary.
      • p. The signs of potential abuse and how to report these.
      • q. Everyone. To be aware of our procedures, undertake any necessary training, be aware of the risks and signs of potential abuse and, if you have concerns, to report these immediately (see above).
  7. ONLINE SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES
    • We will identify and manage online risks by ensuring:
      • Members understand how to keep themselves safe online. By using high privacy settings and password access to meetings to support this.
      • The online services we provide are suitable for users. For example, use age restrictions and offer password protection to help keep people safe.
        Passwords will be changed as necessary.
      • The services we use and/or provide are safe and in line with our code of conduct.
      • We protect people’s personal data and follow GDPR legislation.
      • We have permission to display any images on our website or social media accounts, including consent from an individual, parent, etc.
      • We clearly explain how users can report online concerns. Concerns may be reported to the members of the management committee, or direct to a social media provider using their reporting process. If you are unsure, speak to a member of the committee.

Version 3 – 23rd June 2026 – Approved by David Bye
Next Review Date: November 2026 Annual General Meeting