PCFTRA - Child & Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

DRAFT Child And Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

1. Introduction

The policy forms part of the constitution and applies to all activities of the Federation where children and vulnerable adults are present and to all work in such activities, whether as a Management Committee member, volunteer or otherwise.

2. Objective

The objective of this policy is to contribute to the personal safety of any children or vulnerable adults who participate in activities, either directly or indirectly, organised by the Federation or are in contact with anyone representing the Federation.

3. Implementation

3.1 The Management Committee shall appoint one of their number as Responsible Officer (RO) for all aspects of child and vulnerable adult protection awareness and implementation of this policy.

3.2 The Responsible Officer will be responsible to the Management Committee for:

a. Ensuring that this policy is implemented;

b. Ensuring all necessary child and vulnerable adult protection related enquiries, procedures and investigations are carried out;

c. Reporting results of screening enquiries and for preserving a "need to know" level of confidentiality and access to secure records;

d. Ensuring secure and confidential records relating to child/vulnerable adult protection;

e. The reporting to meetings of the Management on the implementation of the policy;

f. The reporting of allegations and suspicion of abuse to the appropriate authorities;

g. Ensuring that training is provided so that anyone representing the Federation is aware of their responsibilities in relation to child and vulnerable adult protection.

3.3 The Management Committee shall ensure active compliance with this policy by everyone working on behalf of the Federation, including maintaining confidentiality of information at all times.

4. Personnel Checks

4.1 The Federation's aim is to ensure that, as far as is possible, anyone who has access to children or vulnerable adults whilst representing the Federation is as safe to do so in child and vulnerable adult terms as can be guaranteed.

4.2 Therefore the Responsible Officer will ensure that the following checks, etc. are carried out on all volunteers, whose work may create a situation of substantial access to children/vulnerable adults, and all new Management Committee members:

a. Criminal records at an enhanced level (via the approved agency route), prior to active involvement

b. References for any volunteer, not connected to a member tenants and residents association, from an employer or a personal referee, nominated by the applicant - a person who is not related to the applicant and who preferably knows of the applicant's character, trustworthiness, any previous experience of voluntary work with/looking after children/vulnerable adults.

c. Management Committee members or volunteers should not engage in any Federation related activity, other than attending Federation meetings, until the above checks have been completed.

d. The Responsible Officer shall be responsible for sending the enquiries to their destinations, under a strictly confidential heading in all cases, and shall ensure security of records.

e. All Management Committee members and volunteers should be re-checked after three years service. The Responsible Officer in consultation with the Chair should undertake this.

f. At all times the onus is on the Management Member/volunteer to reveal any conviction, caution, bind- over or pending prosecution, whether imposed prior to or within the period of the applicants work on Federation related activities.

g. The Responsible Officer shall not accept any previous reference, police check, social services endorsement, etc. provided by the applicant in submission for the above enquiry process. At all times the initiative must lie with the Federation to make its own, completely independent enquiries.

5. Reporting of Enquiry Results

5.1 The Responsible Officer will indicate to the Chair whether a Management Committee member or volunteer is suitable to work on Federation activities, as revealed by the results of the checks at 4.2 above.

5.2 Where a Schedule One offence is indicated by the above process, the Responsible Officer must rule that Management Committee member/volunteer unsuitable. The Responsible Officer will recommend at the next meeting on the acceptance or otherwise of a Management member/volunteer. No details other than a Management Committee member/volunteer was accepted or otherwise shall be given or recorded.

5.3 On receipt of replies to enquiries which indicated unsuitability then, the proviso in 7.2 (b) below notwithstanding, the applicant will be invited to an interview with the Responsible Officer and the Chair. The Responsible Officer will show the applicant all replies received.

5.4 Where the Management Committee member/volunteer declines to attend such an interview as at 5.3 the Responsible Officer will write to the applicant to inform him/her that their application has not been successful.

6. Personnel Records

6.1 The Responsible Officer shall maintain a confidential file on each management committee member/volunteer in which shall be kept copies of all forms, consents and replies as in paragraph 4.2 above.

6.2 The file of an unsuccessful applicant shall be kept for six months and then be safely destroyed by the Responsible Officer. The files of anyone resigning from the Management Committee will be kept until the next Annual General Meeting.

7. Allegations against a Management Committee member or volunteer

7.1 The Management Committee has a duty to ensure that any allegation relating to a child/vulnerable adult is taken seriously and acted upon immediately.

7.2 If an allegation against any Management Committee member/volunteer is made, the following procedure will come into force - incident reports will be made at all stages as appropriate:

a. The person receiving the complaint will contact the Chair or Vice-Chair at once. The Chair or Vice-Chair will then contact the Responsible Officer. On receipt of the complaint, the Responsible Officer will contact Social Services to appraise them of the situation. Normally this will be by informal channels but if there is a criminal allegation, the contact will be formal to the duty social worker and also to the police.

b. The Chair should inform the person against whom the allegation has been made as soon as possible unless there appears to be a case that this might prejudice a criminal investigation. This will require consultation with the police to ascertain

c. The proviso in 7.2(b) notwithstanding, the Management Committee member/volunteer against whom such allegations are made should have the opportunity to give an explanation or answer to any allegation at an interview conducted by the Responsible Officer and the course of such an interview should be minuted.

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