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Safeguarding Policy

Sticklepath Parish Council

Sticklepath Parish Council Safeguarding Policy 2026

PDF of Sticklepath Parish Council Safeguarding Policy 2026

Safeguarding is about protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults from abuse or neglect. We are all responsible for the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Definitions

  • The term children or young person is used to refer to anyone under the age of 18 years.
  • The term vulnerable adult is used to refer to anyone aged 18 or over who, due to mental or bodily disability, cannot take care of themselves without help from others.
  • The term parent is used as a generic term to represent anyone with legal parental responsibility.
  • The terms elected members, and volunteers is used to refer to councillors, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of and/or representing the Council, including temporary and agency staff and contractors.

Sticklepath Parish Council is committed to ensure that children, young people and vulnerable adults have the right:

  1. To have fun and be safe in the services provided for them and the activities they choose to participate in and to ensure that all children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected and kept safe from harm whilst engaging in services organised and provided by the Council.
  2. To live their lives to the fullest potential, to be protected, to have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy any activity and to be treated with dignity and respect and to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults who use the Council’s services or who attend activities within its venues, by protecting them from abuse.
  3. To express themselves irrespective of their age, class, religion, culture, disability, gender, ethnicity or sexual preference.
  4. Sticklepath Parish Council recognises its responsibilities under the terms of the Children Act 2004, earlier Children’s Acts, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (SVGA) 2006 and other relevant legislation to make arrangements for ensuring that its functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  5. Sticklepath Parish Council accepts its moral and legal responsibility to implement procedures, provide a duty of care for children, young people and vulnerable adults, safeguard their wellbeing and protect them when they are engaged in services organised and provided by the Council or when they come into contact with councillors and volunteers.

Sticklepath Parish Council will support all elected members, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of and/or representing the council by agreeing:

  1. To ensure that they all comply with this Safeguarding policy and all that is expected in it.
  2. To raise awareness throughout the Council and beyond of the statutory “duty of care” relating to children, young people and vulnerable adults and actively encourage good practice amongst all elected members, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of/and or representing the council; this includes any contractor or subcontractor who are likely to come into contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults who will either be expected to have their own Safeguarding policy or to comply with this one.
  3. To create a safe and healthy environment within all its services, avoiding situations where abuse or allegations of abuse may occur.
  4. To respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Listening to children, young people and vulnerable adults, minimising dangers and working closely with other agencies.
  5. To ensure that all new employees, councillors and volunteers, whether paid or unpaid will be provided with the Sticklepath Parish Council Safeguarding Policy and be required to sign to confirm that abide by it.
  6. To ensure that anyone who is not required to work alone with children, young people or vulnerable adults should not put themselves in a position where they are at risk.
  7. To request that anyone who works alone with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to the appropriate level The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
  8. To actively engage in a robust procedure to respond to and report any Safeguarding concerns to the relevant accountable authority.

Responding to Concerns and Allegations

It is the duty of any elected member, volunteer or person working on behalf of and/or representing the council to respond to any concerns if they are made aware of any concerns about a child being subject to abuse, receive a disclosure or are aware of anyone behaving in an inappropriate manner.

You may be required to respond and report confidentially on a young person disclosing abuse, allegations or concerns about an elected member or volunteer or to allegations or concerns about another person (i.e. parent, carer or service user). You are required  to raise concerns regardless of the outcome.

In the event of being made aware of any concerns you are expected to contact the Devon County Council Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub immediately on 0345 155 1071 or the Police on 101 or 999 without delay and follow their guidance.

If the case is an emergency where a child is in immediate danger then phone 999 immediately.

Rules of Photography and Social Media

All elected members, volunteers or anyone working on behalf of and/or representing the council are required to ensure that they are compliant with all laws pertaining to Online and Media usage for children and adults.

By signing this Safeguarding Policy you agree:

  • To be vigilant at all times regarding people using cameras or videos within Sticklepath Parish Council services and at events or activities which involve children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • To ensure that consent is sought when cameras and other image recorders are used to picture children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • To not share any images or recordings without prior consent.

This Policy was agreed at the Sticklepath Parish Council Meeting on 2nd March 2026, and signed by Cllr Sales, Chair.

Next Review March 2029