Safeguarding Policy

Lanarkshire Deaf Hub (operating name for Lanarkshire Deaf Club SCIO) (SC048560)


For the purpose of this policy Lanarkshire Deaf Hub (operating name for Lanarkshire Deaf Club SCIO) will be referred to as the Charity.

Applicability of This Policy 
 

This policy applies to all trustees, other volunteers, employees, contractors, and third-party representatives working on our behalf or using our services. Its requirements should be reflected in other policies and procedures, agreements and contracts, as necessary. 

 

Purpose
 

The purpose of the policy is to protect children and service users from harm and to provide all employees, workers and volunteers with information about the safeguarding policy adopted by the Charity.

 

The policy is particularly important in the regulated work that the Charity does with children, members and service users.

The Charity has a responsibility to promote the welfare of children members, and service users and to keep them safe.

 

The Charity complies with all the legal obligations placed upon it by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (Scotland).

 

The policy covers the arrangements for safeguarding during the recruitment and selection process and safeguarding issues that arise during employment in circumstances where children or service users are placed at risk, or where they could have been placed at risk.

 

The policy also sets out the reporting obligations for all employees and the procedure that should be followed to report abuse if this occurs to one of the Charity’s service users.

There are different processes and procedures regarding the safety of children and young people, and the safety of vulnerable adults.
For specific information on each, please view:

• Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy and Procedure

• Children and Young People Protection Policy and Procedure

 

Safeguarding Officers and Contacts
 

Safeguarding Officer (First Point of Contact)

Nicola Boyle, Project Officer / Team Lead, projects@lanarkshiredeaf.org

In Absentia
Derek Todd, Manager, manager@lanarkshiredeaf.org

Board of Trustees - Safeguarding Contact
Natalie Greenall, Member of the Board of Trustees, chair@lanarkshiredeaf.org

 

Recruitment process
 

Advertisements for job roles at the Charity will specify clearly whether the work involves regulated work as well as the basis of that work.

 

Offers of employment will be made conditional on the receipt of a satisfactory disclosure checks. These will be conducted by Disclosure Scotland.

The check will confirm that the applicant is suitable to carry out the role and has not been barred from performing this work.

If the background check reveals that an applicant is not suitable, the offer of employment will be withdrawn by the Charity and the applicant will not be employed.

 

Existing employees
 

Existing employees may be required to provide pr update a satisfactory disclosure check where their work becomes a regulated work. Existing employees cannot conduct any regulated work until they have undertaken a satisfactory disclosure check.

If existing employees become added to the children and adults barred lists by Disclosure Scotland, the Charity will terminate employment. All employees who are added to the barred lists are required to inform their manager of their inclusion on the list at the earliest opportunity. A failure to do so may be deemed a disciplinary matter to be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

 

The Charity may be unable to continue to employ the employee in any capacity if the continued association with the employee cannot be maintained, causes reputational damage to the employer or other reasons that harm its position.

 

What is abuse?
 

Given the risk of abuse to children and service users, all employees are required to be alert at all times to the possibility of abuse towards children or service users.

 

Abuse may be a single incident or something that occurs over a long period of time. It can take many forms including, but not limited to:

 

• financial or material abuse

• physical abuse

• mental abuse

• neglect and failures to act

• sexual abuse

• threats of abuse or harm

• controlling or intimidating conduct

• domestic abuse

• poor practices within an organisation providing care

• modern slavery.

 

The abuse may come from employees, personal assistants, service users, relatives, neighbours, social workers, providers of support services etc.

 

Reporting and investigating abuse
 

The Charity will treat all complaints, allegations or suspicions of abuse with the utmost seriousness. Training will be provided, as appropriate, to ensure that staff are aware of the warning signs of abuse and the correct reporting procedure to follow if they suspect abuse is, or has, taken place.

 

Employees that suspect abuse is occurring should refer the matter to their manager immediately, with as much detail as possible. The manager will need to be informed of the names of the people involved (if known), what type of abuse is or may be occurring, and the dates and times this occurred (if known). An official written report of the alleged act may be requested at this stage as part of the evidence gathering procedure.

 

Employees may be asked to refrain from discussing alleged abuse with fellow colleagues, other than those specified by the manager, to avoid the spread of potentially harmful misinformation and to protect the validity of any investigation. 

 

The allegations will be investigated fully and all such reports are taken seriously. The investigation will be conducted in a discrete and timely manner and will involve the collation of evidence typically taken from witness statements and surveillance footage where possible.

If it is suspected that a criminal act may have been committed, the Charity will report the situation to the police.   

 

Employees suspected of abuse will be suspended on full pay pending a full investigation of the complaints. It should be noted that this suspension is not an indication of the employee’s guilt, but rather a necessity given the circumstances. The Charity appreciates the impact prolonged suspension can have on an employee’s reputation, even when allegations are later found to be incorrect, and does not take the decision to suspend lightly.

 

The Charity may be under a duty to disclose allegations of abuse to Disclosure Scotland as appropriate. The Charity may also consider it necessary to inform the police of allegations under investigation.

 

Maintaining records
 

The Charity will ensure that all details associated with allegation of abuse are recorded clearly and accurately. The records will be maintained securely in line with the Organisation’s confidential record keeping procedure. 

 

Disciplinary action
 

If the investigation reveals that abuse has happened, or is happening, the Charity will set up a disciplinary hearing for the employee concerned. Abuse of service users is regarded by the Charity as an act of gross misconduct and the allegation could result in summary dismissal, in line with the Charity’s disciplinary procedure.

 

Employees will have the chance to appeal any disciplinary action that is taken against them.

 

Duty of disclosure
 

The Charity is legally required to send information to Disclosure Scotland if a decision is taken to dismiss an employee or remove them from working in regulated work.

The Charity may also be required to inform Disclosure Scotland if the Charity suspends an employee, or an employee resigns in suspicious circumstances, as the referral duty criteria may already be met at that stage.

 

 

Additional support and guidance
 

Employees who wish for further information on safeguarding are encouraged to contact the manager or relevant HR representative. The Charity will endeavour to provide up to date support and guidance to all staff when it comes to safeguarding and their duty to protect service users from harm. Relevant supporting material is also readily available online and the Charity will look to furnish employees with this where requested.

 

For more information or to request our other policies such as the Children and Young People Protection Policy & Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy, please email admin@lanarkshiredeaf.org.

This policy and supporting policies are to be reviewed annually. 

Version 1 reviewed: September 2025

Version 2 reviewed: September 2026

Next review due: September 2027