Waltham Forest is fortunate to have many voluntary agencies and faith groups that provide facilities for parents and children. The LSCB is committed to encouraging such groups to provide services in a safe and vigilant manner. The community is enriched by the activities of such groups and in the main their work is done in an unproblematic and valuable way.

However, harm can happen to children in a variety of ways and it is important that areas of risk are identified and as much as is possible is done to minimise them. Waltham Forest LSCB encourages voluntary agencies to adopt a whole agency ‘safeguarding’ approach whereby safe practices are built into the structure of the organisation.

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 says that every organisation working with children and parents that receives grant funding must show that they are run safely.

Harm can happen to children in a variety of ways. For example,

  • Through an accident
  • Through bullying by other users
  • Through misguided actions by staff
  • Very rarely, through the deliberate actions of staff, volunteers or young people who are using the group to make contact with young people in order to abuse them

By adopting a ‘safe organisation’ approach it is possible for an organisation to demonstrate that it has considered the provision of safe services carefully and to minimise the possibility of harm coming to children when services are provided.

Waltham Forest LSCB advises that:

  • Organisations have a child protection policy and procedure that clearly describes what individuals have to do in order to keep children safe. You can download a sample policy and procedure for your organisation from the link at the bottom of this page
  • Every organisation should have a designated person for safeguarding. They should be an individual whose responsibility is essentially to make sure that things written in the child protection procedure really happen
  • Selection and vetting of volunteers and staff should be rigorous and properly conducted. As a minimum this should include the rigorous checking of CVs and references and making appropriate Criminal Records Bureau checks
  • Each organisation should have a training and information plan whereby staff can be helped to be aware of child protection issues and to recognise when something is wrong
  • Each organisation should have a Code of Conduct for staff and volunteers
  • Each organisation should have a complaints procedure

In addition, you might consider developing:

  • ‘Whistle blowing’ policy to cover staff reporting issues with the behaviour of colleagues
  • Procedures for handling allegations against a member of staff or volunteer

Supporting voluntary agencies

Waltham Forest LSCB is aware that many small organisations run with a minimum of funding and that it can seem daunting to incorporate safeguarding practices into the activities of the group.

Support is available from within the LSCB through Waltham Forest’s Child Protection and Reviewing Service. Within this service there is a designated Child Protection Community Liaison Officer who is available to offer advice and training in setting up safeguarding systems within voluntary organisations in the Borough.

The Waltham Forest Local Safeguarding Children Board can offer training to voluntary groups and this can be tailored to individual requirements. A Safeguarding Children Pack is also available and can be sent out on application.

Information and support is also available from a variety of other organisations, including the NSPCC.

Locally, support and free training is available through the PVI Children Providers' Network.

For more information, download our Community Safeguarding Children Pack (695KB Word file).

You may also find it helpful to download a copy of 'What to do if You’re Worried that a Child is Being Abused' from the DfES website at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/safeguarding/

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