Safeguarding Policy | Babyloss Support Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland

Introduction

Babyloss Support Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland, “The Charity” is committed to working collaboratively with multi-agencies and in line with national legislation to protect from harm any person who comes into contact with the charity. This includes:

Our people (trustees, peer supporters and volunteers)
Our beneficiaries, including BLS United team members
The children of the people who use our service
Others who may come into contact with our charity through our work.

We work with bereaved parents and family members, through referrals either from other professional agencies or self-referrals. Our services to these families include direct contact and occasionally may include 1-1 support sessions virtually or in another locally agreed setting.

Babyloss Support Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland believes that no person should ever experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all our people to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects everyone.

We are committed to creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm to adults and vulnerable people which necessitates: the recognition of those who may be at risk and the circumstances which may increase risk; knowing how abuse, exploitation or neglect manifests itself; and being willing to report safeguarding concerns.

This extends to recognising and reporting harm experienced anywhere, including within our activities, within other organised community or voluntary activities, in the community, in the person’s own home and in any care setting.

Principles

We believe that:

Nobody who is involved in our work should ever experience abuse, harm, neglect or exploitation.
We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all of our beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, to keep them safe and to work in a way that protects them.
We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which our people not only feel safe, but also able to speak up, if they have any concerns.
We recognise that health, wellbeing, ability, disability and need for care and support can affect a person’s resilience. We recognise that some people experience barriers, for example, to communication in raising concerns or seeking help. We recognise that these factors can vary at different points in people’s lives.

We also recognise that there is a legal framework within which associated organisations need to work to safeguard vulnerable people who have needs for care and support and for protecting those who are unable to take action to protect themselves and will act in accordance with the relevant safeguarding legislation and with local statutory safeguarding procedures.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate the commitment of Babyloss Support Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland to safeguarding adults and vulnerable people and to ensure that everyone involved in The Charity is aware of and has access to:

The legislation, policy and procedures for safeguarding adults and vulnerable people.
Their role and responsibility for safeguarding adults and vulnerable people.
The appropriate safeguarding training specific to their role.
What to do or who to speak to if they have a concern relating to the welfare or wellbeing of an adult or vulnerable person within the organisation.

Scope

This safeguarding policy and associated procedures apply to all individuals involved in The Charity including trustees, peer supporters, volunteers, BLS United officials and its members whilst taking part in our organisation, its activities and in the wider community.

We expect our partner organisations, including for example, affiliated clubs, suppliers and sponsors to adopt and demonstrate their commitment to the principles and practice as set out in this Safeguarding Policy and associated procedures.

Types of Abuse

Abuse can take many forms, such as physical, psychological or emotional, financial, sexual or institutional abuse, including neglect and exploitation. Signs that may indicate the different types of abuse are at Appendix 1.

Reporting Concerns

If a crime is in progress, or an individual is in immediate danger, call the police, as you would in any other circumstances.

If you are a beneficiary, or member of the public, report your concerns to a member of our team, who will alert a senior member of the charity, or email safeguarding@babylosssupport.org.uk.

For members of the charity, make your concerns known to your supervisor. If you feel unable to do so, speak to a trustee or email safeguarding@babylosssupport.org.uk.

The trustees are mindful of their reporting obligations to the Charity Commission in respect of Serious Incident Reporting and, if applicable, other regulators. They are aware of the Government guidance on handling safeguarding allegations.

Responsibilities

In order to implement this policy, The Charity will ensure that:

Trustees

This safeguarding policy will be reviewed and approved by the Board annually or earlier to ensure it remains valid, effective and compliant with relevant legislative and regulatory conditions.

Trustees are aware of and will comply with the Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and protecting people and also the 10 actions trustee boards need to take to ensure good safeguarding governance. (Appendix 2)

Trustees support the safeguarding lead in the delivery of:

Creating a culture of respect, in which everyone feels safe and able to speak up.
An annual review of safety, with recommendations to the Board.
Receiving regular reports, to ensure this and related policies are being applied consistently.
Maintaining a register of incident reporting including actions and follow up.
Providing oversight of any lapses in safeguarding.
Ensuring that any issues are properly investigated and dealt with quickly, fairly and sensitively, and any reporting to the Police/statutory authorities is carried out.
Leading the organisation in way that makes everyone feels safe and able to speak up.
Ensuring safeguarding risk assessments are carried out and appropriate action taken to minimise these risks, as part of our risk management processes.
Ensuring that all relevant checks are carried out in recruiting staff and volunteers.
Planning programmes/activities to take into account potential safeguarding risks, to ensure these are adequately mitigated.
Ensuring that all appointments that require DBS clearance and safeguarding training are identified, including the level of DBS and any training required.
Ensuring that a central register is maintained and subject to regular monitoring to ensure that DBS clearances and training are kept up-to-date.
Ensuring that safeguarding requirements (e.g. DBS) and responsibilities are reflected in role descriptions, as appropriate.
Responding to any concerns sensitively and acting quickly to address these.
Ensuring that personal data is stored and managed in a safe way that is compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protections Regulations (GDPR), including valid consent to use any imagery or video.
Making volunteers and others aware of:
Our safeguarding procedures and their specific safeguarding responsibilities on induction, with regular updates/reminders, as necessary.
The signs of potential abuse and how to report these.

Everyone

To be aware of our procedures, undertake any necessary training, be aware of the risks and signs of potential abuse and, if you have concerns, to report these immediately.

Fundraising

We will ensure that:

We comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Volunteers are made aware of the Institute of Fundraising guidance on keeping fundraising safe and the NCVO Guidance on vulnerable people and fundraising.
Our fundraising material is accessible, clear and ethical, including not placing any undue pressure on individuals to donate.
We endeavour to not solicit nor accept donations from anyone whom we know or think may not be competent to make their own decisions.
We are sensitive to any particular need that a donor may have.

Online Safety

We will identify and manage online risks by ensuring:

The online services we provide are suitable for our users. For example, use age restrictions and offer password protection to help keep people safe.
The services we use and/or provide are safe and in line with our code of conduct.
We protect people’s personal data and follow data protection legislation. (https://babylosssupport.org.uk/privacy-policy)
We have permission to display any images on our website or social media accounts, including consent from an individual, parent, etc.
We clearly explain how users can report online concerns. Concerns may be reported using this policy, or direct to a social media provider using their reporting process. If you are unsure, you can contact one of these organisations, who will help you.
We have adopted and comply with Charity AI Ethics & Governance Framework.

Working With Other Organisations

In working with other organisations, including any grant making, we will comply with Charity Commission guidance by carrying out relevant due diligence and having a written agreement that sets out:

Our relationship
The role of each organisation
Monitoring and reporting arrangements.

This policy will be reviewed as part of any safeguarding incident investigation, to test that it has been complied with and to see if any improvements might realistically be made to it.

Version Control – Approval and Review

Version No	Approved By	Approval Date	Main Changes	Review Period
1.0	Board	Feb 23	Initial draft approved	Annually
2.0	Board	October 2025	Updated in format /length and in line with Charity Excellence Proforma www.charityexcellence.co.uk	Annually

Appendix 1 – Signs of Abuse

Physical Abuse

bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, and rope marks
broken bones
open wounds, cuts, punctures, untreated injuries in various stages of healing
broken eyeglasses/frames, or any physical signs of being punished or restrained
laboratory findings of either an overdose or under dose medications
individual’s report being hit, slapped, kicked, or mistreated
vulnerable person’s sudden change in behaviour
the caregiver’s refusal to allow visitors to see a vulnerable adult alone

Sexual Abuse

bruises around the breasts or genital area
unexplained venereal disease or genital infections
unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding
torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
an individual’s report of being sexually assaulted or raped

Mental Mistreatment/Emotional Abuse

being emotionally upset or agitated
being extremely withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive
nervousness around certain people
an individual’s report of being verbally or mentally mistreated

Neglect

dehydration, malnutrition, untreated bed sores and poor personal hygiene
unattended or untreated health problems
hazardous or unsafe living condition (e.g., improper wiring, no heat or running water)
unsanitary and unclean living conditions (e.g., dirt, fleas, lice on person, soiled bedding, faecal/urine smell, inadequate clothing)
an individual’s report of being mistreated

Self-Neglect

dehydration, malnutrition, untreated or improperly attended medical conditions, and poor personal hygiene.
hazardous or unsafe living conditions
unsanitary or unclean living quarters (e.g., animal/insect infestation, no functioning toilet, faecal or urine smell)
inappropriate and/or inadequate clothing, lack of the necessary medical aids
grossly inadequate housing or homelessness
inadequate medical care, not taking prescribed medications properly

Exploitation

sudden changes in bank account or banking practice, including an unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money
adding additional names on bank signature cards
unauthorized withdrawal of funds using an ATM card
abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents
unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions
bills unpaid despite the money being available to pay them
forging a signature on financial transactions or for the titles of possessions
sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming rights to a vulnerable adult’s possessions
unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
providing services that are not necessary
individual’s report of exploitation