Safeguarding Policy

MammalWeb Safeguarding Policy

Purpose

At MammalWeb we embrace our duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and adults at risk who we engage with, including our own trustees and volunteers. We are committed to ensuring our safeguarding practices reflect our statutory responsibilities, government guidance and the latest best practice. This policy also aims to ensure that everyone can have a positive, safe and enjoyable experience engaging with MammalWeb.

This policy applies to all individuals working on behalf of MammalWeb which includes trustees, students and volunteers. The ways in which MammalWeb may engage with children or vulnerable adults may include but are not limited to:

• Children and vulnerable adults registering and using the MammalWeb platform
• Research projects which involve engaging with children or vulnerable adults, including collecting data from these groups
• Public engagement events in different settings
• Being contracted by partner organisations to run training sessions or workshops with different community groups or in schools

We seek to safeguard children and vulnerable adults by:

• Valuing, listening to and respecting them
• Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with those who engage with us, including our volunteers
• Sharing information about concerns with appropriate agencies who need to know, and involving carers, parents and children appropriately
• Responding swiftly and appropriately to all complaints and concerns about poor practice or suspected or actual abuse
• Keeping confidential, detailed, and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns in a professional and secure manner, in line with all relevant data protection legislation and best- practice guidance
• Ensuring any data we collect for research purposes is also in accordance with policies from the associated university, including having ethical approval where necessary
• Ensuring those who work directly with children or vulnerable adults hold a Disclosure and Barring Service check
• Having an appropriate and clear governance structure in place, which includes both a Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy
• Regularly reviewing and updating each of our policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance and best practice

Digital Engagement

MammalWeb recognises that with the majority of our engagement being online via our platform, there are specific risks that need to be considered and mitigated against. Therefore, we have included in this policy specific guidance to provide all who engage with MammalWeb virtually with the overarching principles of our approach to online safety. 

In addition to the points stated above, we will seek to keep people online safe by:

• Regularly reviewing our online guidance and ensure the guidelines are followed by all those involved in the organisation
• Supporting and encouraging those who engage with MammalWeb to use the platform in a way that keeps them safe
• Reviewing our policies and procedures when new platform functionality is added. For example, our platform currently has no infrastructure for participants to communicate with each other. If this changes, we will ensure our policies and procedures are updated
• Ensuring that projects on MammalWeb specifically engaging with children or vulnerable adults have their own procedures and policies in place to safeguard individuals

• Following clear and robust guidelines to enable trustees and volunteers to respond appropriately to any incidents of inappropriate online behavior, whether by an adult or a child/young person.

• Reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly

• Ensuring that personal information about the children, young people and adults who we engage with is held securely and managed according to the UK GDPR Regulation
• Having clear procedures for dealing with inappropriate images which may be uploaded to the platform which includes having a ‘report’ button for participants to report inappropriate photos which will then be automatically removed from the system
• Ensuring that images and film of children, young people and adults are used only after a consent form has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given.

How to Raise a Concern or Report an Incident

Whether engaging with MammalWeb physically (e.g., at a workshop or event) or digitally (via our platform), if you are worried about a child, young person or adult at risk, there are three different ways to raise your concerns and obtain advice and support:

1. If you believe a child, young person or adult at risk is in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress, please call the police on 999 straight away. Alternatively;
2. You can contact your Local Safeguarding Arrangement for Children or Adults, which will be made up of representatives from your local authority, health service and police force. Contact details can usually be found on your local authorities website.
3. You can speak to the MammalWeb Designated Safeguarding Lead (or Deputy if unavailable). You can choose to make your report anonymously if you wish.

MammalWeb Designated Safeguarding Leads 

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is a named person who is responsible for dealing with any concerns about the safeguarding. 

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Name: Steven Bradley

Phone: 07891752459

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deputy Safeguarding Lead

Name: Sammy Mason

Phone: 07807205651

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Should these named people be unavailable, or if your concern relates to the designated safeguarding lead, then you should contact the relevant Local Safeguarding Arrangement for Children or Adults directly. If possible, check the area in which the at-risk person is from, to ensure the correct authority is contacted.

The roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Leads:

• Ensure the MammalWeb Safeguarding Policy is followed and act as a source of advice on safeguarding matters.
• Ensure that everyone representing MammalWeb (including trustees, students and volunteers) are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they have concerns that a child, young person or adult at risk may be experiencing, or has experienced abuse or neglect.
• Ensure that concerns are acted on, recorded in writing and referred to the appropriate body immediately.
• Follow up any safeguarding vulnerable people’s referrals and ensure the issues have been addressed. 
• Reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that staff and volunteers are adhering to good practice with regard to confidentiality and security.
• Follow up any referrals or allegations, ensure verbal and telephone referrals are made in writing, and ensure the issues have been addressed. 
• Ensure that any records are kept safely, securely and in line with data protection requirements
• Take part in any safeguarding training agreed by the board to be necessary for fulfilling the roles of Designated Safeguarding Leads.

What happens if a safeguarding concern is raised?

Where necessary, we will make a referral to a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within one working day of the date of the disclosure and we will conclude any urgent internal reviews within three working days. Any information we receive will be treated with the strictest confidence and only shared as and when absolutely necessary. Your report will be securely filed in strict accordance with our Data Protection and Privacy Policies to assist any subsequent investigations by the police or social care services, and to enable us to monitor and evaluate our performance, establish any patterns or long-term issues, and identify any training or development needs.