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Safeguarding

In every activity we undertake at YMCA Humber, we are committed to ensuring that every person we meet and work with can participate in a safe environment and with their human rights fully respected. We want to use our training and experience to both prevent and support safeguarding issues for children, young people and adults at risk.
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We are committed to:

Getting the right people involved at YMCA Humber through our safer recruitment process and policies.

Creating a safe and trusted, safeguarding-positive environment for everyone we work with.

Promoting equality by treating everyone with respect and dignity and expecting this of everyone we work with.

Encouraging anyone we work with who has a concern or worry to speak to a member of staff and share this concern.

Taking seriously anyone who expresses a concern and dealing with it sensitively, with clear explanation of process and outcome.

 

How we approach safeguarding:

YMCA Humber Safeguarding Policy, which outlines our approach to safeguarding and the procedures we follow in all activities conducted by YMCA Humber, has been developed in accordance with national legislation and guidance.

YMCA Humber recognises that our work with people in a variety of settings will bring us into contact with both adults at risk, young people and children. As such, we are in a position of trust and our responsibilities to them and the organisation must be taken seriously. It is important to recognise how our own attitudes and behaviour can impact on our participants.

We recognise the duty to protect the rights of children, young people and adults at risk and to comply with the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), the Children Act (1989) and other relevant legislation. We acknowledge that the circumstances within which we are operating can be complex, volatile and changeable, and our approach to safeguarding is designed to be flexible and responsive.

More recently, we also recognise the challenges that have arisen and will continue to arise following the COVID-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis and acknowledge our responsibility to ensure the health and safety of those we are brought into contact with, in particular vulnerable persons and communities.

 

OUR SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

YMCA Humber will safeguard the rights of children, young people and adults at risk by:

  • Ensuring children, young people and adults at risk are treated with respect.
  • Ensuring the entire organisation is aware of and trained in safeguarding and reporting procedures and promoting a positive culture around these.
  • Providing a code of good practice for all staff working, or coming into direct contact with children, young people and adults at risk.
  • Ensuring all senior leadership team and all staff having contact with children, young people and adults at risk have current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates.
  • Acknowledging that we are not experts or trained to manage trauma and therefore will seek advice and guidance from other charities and statutory agencies who can advise on best procedures to follow.

ANY QUESTIONS?

YMCA Humber Designated Safeguarding Officer is Sam England, if you have any safeguarding concerns, you can contact her directly  - Samantha.England@ymca-humber.com

If you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child or vulnerable adult at DIS you can contact us via telephone or email. A member of our Safeguarding Team will review the information you have provided within 24 hours and decide what action needs to be taken.

We have a duty to share information that you give us with other agencies if we think that a child or vulnerable adult could be at risk of harm.  

What we need from you:

Please say as much as you can about the situation – it will help us take the right action. Tell us the facts that you know, as well as any concerns you have about the individual.             

Can I remain anonymous?

You can contact us anonymously if you do not want to tell us who you are. However, it's helpful to have your name and contact details, as we may need to contact you for more information to protect the child or vulnerable adult that you are concerned about.

 

WHISTLEBLOWING

Whistleblowing in a safeguarding context means revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation, or within an independent structure associated with it.

Whistleblowing can be used as an early-warning system or when it is recognised that appropriate actions have not been taken. This approach or policy is adopted in many different walks of life. Whistleblowing is covered in our Whistleblowing policy.