Safeguarding Children Policy

Introduction
BUGANDA UK (the Charity) is a registered charity run for the following purpose:

• The advancement of African culture, heritage and science in UK and internationally.
• Work towards eradication of Child poverty.
• promote education in African youth.
• Undertake economic mentoring in the African community in UK.

The Charity is based at: 26 Streatham High Road, London SW16 1DB
Charity Number: NB12305868.

The Charity has adopted this Safeguarding Children Policy and expects every adult working or helping at Charity to support it and comply with it. Consequently, this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of Charity.

Purpose of the Policy
This policy is intended to protect children who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us. Under this policy, the term children shall mean any person who is under eighteen years of age.

The Charity believes that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and is committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

The Risks to Children
Children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse and harm. It is important to recognise that abuse and harm of children can cover a wide range of circumstances and behaviours. For example, children can be at risk of:
• Physical or emotional abuse.
• Neglect.
• Sexual abuse.
• Female genital mutilation (FGM).
• Grooming and exploitation.
• Trafficking and modern slavery.
• Exposure to or infliction of domestic abuse.
• Bullying or cyber bullying.
• Exposure to other inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or criminal behaviour.
• Self-harm.
• Physical harm when engaging with activities without adequate supervision.

The causal factors of any such harm and/or abuse can also be wide-ranging. For example, children can be placed at risk by family members or by members of the community.

Safeguarding Principles
Safeguarding children from harm and abuse is an essential responsibility for our Charity. We are committed to ensuring that any child who comes into contact with our services is properly safeguarded.

Every person under this policy must ensure that they play an active role in ensuring that children are properly safeguarded.

Every person under this policy holds responsibility for:
• Remaining alert and aware of possible safeguarding risks to children.
• Guarding children against harmful environments with appropriate actions (for
example, adequate supervision or ensuring safe environments).
• Taking positive steps to maintain the safety and wellbeing of children engaging with us as a Charity.
• Reporting concerns expeditiously and appropriately, in line with child protection
procedures.
• Understanding the duty to report specific concerns (and understanding how this
interplays with confidentiality).
• Challenging any inappropriate or harmful behaviour of any other adult and reporting
this accordingly.
• Acting appropriately in the presence of children.
• Not taking any inappropriate risks.
• Not smoking, drinking or taking any form of illicit substances in the presence of
children.

Safeguarding Officer
Any question, report or concern in relation to the safeguarding of children should be shared with our Safeguarding Officer:

Name: JANET N MUKIIBI
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: +44 7593 762476

Confidentiality and Data Protection
All personal information we may process relating to children, shall be processed and stored in accordance with our data protection privacy policy which can be located at: ON OUR WEBSITE.

Procedure
Responding to a Safeguarding Concern: Where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present should call 999. Thereafter,the Safeguarding Officer should be contacted as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Remember; it is not up to you to decide if abuse has taken place, but is your legal duty to report any concerns raised about the safety of the child even if those concerns do not involve our staff and volunteers or services.

Upon receipt of any safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Officer shall consult with any other relevant persons and will make any appropriate referrals to the relevant authorities, such as the applicable Local Authority Children's Services department.

Where any child makes a disclosure relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is important to:
• Listen calmly and carefully, showing that their views are taken seriously.
• Provide an appropriate and honest level of reassurance.
• Avoid interrogating children and asking probing, intrusive and/or leading questions.
• Avoid making false promises regarding secrets and confidentiality with the child
(because any concern of abuse/harm must be shared with the Safeguarding Officer and any subsequent safeguarding referral).
• Make a confidential written record of the discussion either during the discussion or immediately afterwards.

The record should include the key details of the disclosure together with any relevant times, dates, places and people concerned.

Audio and video recordings of children making disclosures should be avoided.
• Refer all relevant information to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable afterwards, and by no later than the end of the day.

Reporting concerns about other adults within the Charity
Where any person has a concern regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the Charity, which poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children such as:
• Harming a child either physically or emotionally.
• Exposing a child to behaviour which may cause physical or emotional harm
• Engaging in criminal activity concerning a child this must be raised in the first instance with the Safeguarding Officer (or where this is not appropriate, a different senior member of the organisation) so that the next appropriate steps may be agreed and actioned.

We recognise that there could be circumstances where a person may need to report a matter that has taken place in a setting outside of the person's engagement with the Charity.

Usually, any appropriate steps following a safeguarding referral in respect of an individual connected to the Charity will include either:
• Further initial enquiries.
• Escalation to the applicable Local Authority Children's Services department for assessment and/or the police for investigation.
• Instigation of any appropriate disciplinary, formal investigation processes and suspension of any person concerned within the Charity.
• A referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland or Access Northern Ireland, or any other relevant regulatory bodies.

Any person within the Charity who has allegations made against them shall be informed properly in a formal meeting of the particulars of the allegations and the relevant next steps which shall be taken. Such a meeting should ordinarily be held by the Safeguarding Officer.

On certain occasions, such a meeting may not be convened until this has been approved by any authorities involved (such as the police or the relevant Local Authority).

Any person from within the Charity who has allegations made against them shall be treated fairly.
All enquires, investigations and decisions taken shall be just and fair, with the safety of any child concerned at the heart of the process.
Any person from within the Charity who makes an allegation against another person from within the Charity shall be listened to, taken seriously and shall be treated fairly and justly throughout the process of enquiries, investigations and decision making.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Access Northern Ireland, Disclosure Scotland Checks
Checks under the appropriate legislation should be undertaken wherever required. The groups of people we will usually undertake checks with the DBS, Access Northern Ireland, and Disclosure Scotland (whichever is applicable) in relation to are:
• All service volunteers.
Wherever we deem it is necessary and appropriate to remove any individual from a position of work in a activity which is regulated under the relevant legislation, we shall also be obliged to make a referral to the DBS, Access Northern Ireland and Disclosure Scotland.

Safeguarding Children at the Charity
Responsibilities and planning
Although the Safeguarding Officer will hold ultimate responsibility for overseeing the safety of children present at the Charity, all individuals under this policy must also play an active role in ensuring the safety of children at all times. Particular reference is made to the Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Where a certain type of events, activity or trip is taking place, we may issue an additional code of conduct, policy, or some specific other requirements which is specific to that occasion. Any such additional documentation will be made available to all those concerned (staff members, parents, guardians etc.) in advance.

They should be read carefully and adhered to.
Appropriate background checking shall be undertaken wherever we are legally required to do so in respect of adults who are engaged by us (see the relevant section above).

Venues
The location for any events, activities and trips which are held by us shall always be risk assessed properly in reference to the suitability and safety for children.

Fire and safety procedures and precautions shall be made clear to all those involved.

First Aid

We have the following first aid procedure within the Charity:
• Any accident or injury concerning a child should be brought to the attention of the nearest first aider and should thereafter be formally reported to the Safeguarding Officer.
• Wherever a child attend our premises alongside their parent or guardian, parents and guardians should ensure that children are properly supervised.

Managing Behaviour of Children Generally
Whenever any adult engaged by us is faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child or with conflict between children, they must:
• Treat each child fairly and equally.
• Approach the situation in a calm and neutral manner.
• Only ever use physical restraint/intervention in order to protect the immediate safety of a person, for example to prevent an injury or harm either to the child or others.
• Wherever it is justified to physically restrain a child or to physically intervene, the amount of force used should be kept to the absolute minimum taking into account the risk posed.
• Make a written record of the incident and ensure this is reported appropriately to the Safeguarding Officer.

Managing Risks Posed by Other Children
It is important for all adults engaged by us to recognise that children can face harm from their peers. This can commonly take the form of bullying.

Bullying can be defined as any behaviour which is:
• Repeated; and has the intention of hurting somebody either physically or emotionally.
• Bulling can sometimes be motivated by prejudices based on certain groups, for Buganda UK Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedure-Ver 001 6 of 9 example gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Bullying can often include:
• Physical harm perpetrated against another child
• Name calling and threats
• Cyberbullying (threats and abusive comments made via technology) Any instance of bullying or concern relating to possible bullying between children at any event or activities arranged by us will usually be dealt with by us in the first instance as follows:
• All Children and any relevant staff shall be spoken to individually to acertain the facts. Where appropriate, children will receive a first warning and relevant support/education.

Where any behaviour amounting to bullying continues following this, the following steps will be taken:
• The Child or Children who are found to be responsible for persistent behaviour which amounts to bullying of another child shall be banned from attending the premises.
• All steps in relation to the prevention or management of bullying should be taken in consultation with the Safeguarding Officer.

Photography
On some occasions, we may take photographs featuring children. We recognise that photography of children carries risks, such as:
• The potential for images to be re-used, shared or adapted in a damaging or inappropriate manner.
• The general risk of sharing images and the impact this could have on child's public image as they grow older.

In view of these risks, we will:
• Always ask for written permission from a child and their parent/guardian before taking and sharing any image of them.
• Always ensure that a child and their parent/guardian are properly informed how an image will be used and shared.
• Always ensure that a child's identity is protected as far as is possible within any published material.
• Ask that parents, guardians, children and any other person connected to them who may wish to share any of our published images which features other children to refrain from doing so unless they have the permission of the other children and their parent/guardian.
• Always store photos in accordance with our data protection policy.

We ask that any members of the public attending our premises, events or activities do not take photographs.
If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice after an image of them has been shared online, they are directed to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online.

Other Policies We have referred within this document to the following other important policies which should be read in conjunction with this policy:
• Our data protection policy
• Our first aid policy

Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up in accordance with all relevant and applicable legislation and guidance available to the Charity in the jurisdictions it operates within.

These include:
• Department for Education (DfE) (2020) Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings: code of practice.
• Department for Education (DfE) (2015) What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused: advice for practitioners (PDF). London: HM Government.
• Department of Health (2017) Co-operating to safeguard children and young people in Northern Ireland.
• Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) (2021) Revised regional core child protection policies and procedures for Northern Ireland.
• Scottish Government (2021) National guidance for child protection in Scotland.
• Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board (2020) Wales Safeguarding Procedures.
• Welsh Government (2019) Working together to safeguard people: volume 5: handling individual cases to protect children at risk (PDF). Cardiff: Welsh Government
• Welsh Government (2021) Safeguarding guidance.
• Welsh Government (2022) Working together to safeguard people: code for safeguarding practice.