Version 5 — Last updated September 2026
The primary purpose of a safeguarding policy is to ensure that all individuals within the organisation and those associated with it are protected from harm, abuse, and neglect. It aims to foster a culture of safety and respect, promoting the well-being and security of everyone involved.
This policy applies to all Trustees, employees, contractors, and Volunteers and visitors to its premises and vulnerable adults and children who come into contact with Gloucestershire Bundles [Hereafter referred to as The Charity]. It covers all environments, including offices and remote locations.
The charity follows the Charity Commissions's definition of Safeguarding as:
As a team, we want to restore dignity and revive hope to people from all walks of life. We are concerned with individuals and their circumstances and actively encourage an inclusive environment throughout all our projects.
We seek to ensure that all our team members are aware of what is required from them under the vulnerable adult and child safeguarding policy and make sure that it is practised at all times.
It is the responsibility of each one of us to play our part in preventing the physical, sexual, spiritual, financial or emotional abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults and children.
We commit ourselves to cooperate fully with the appropriate statutory services when they are conducting official investigation into the abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, children or young people (by an adult or young person).
Abuse of vulnerable adults and children is most easily concealed where there is confusion among adults about roles and responsibilities. Therefore all job descriptions, both for employees and supervising volunteers, will include a statement laying down the behaviour and values expected from all who work as part of this team.
This statement is to be brought to the attention of all staff and volunteers when they join, as part of their induction programme. Any amendments will be brought to the attention of all team members. The statement will be displayed at all locations in which The Charity operates and all team members will be asked to sign to say they have read it.
The Trustees will be available for vulnerable adults and children, as well as staff and volunteers, to speak with should they feel the need to talk with someone about an incident which has happened either within or outside of The Charity, particularly if they feel that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused or neglected by an adult or another young person. The Trustees will treat all concerns with the utmost importance.
Where staff or volunteers have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child or vulnerable adult and the Trustees are unavailable or acting inappropriately they should contact the Police or Social Services.
Although the number of people who actively seek to abuse vulnerable adults and children is very small, The Charity can reduce opportunities for abuse in various ways.
The Trustees will make notes and keep confidential records of any disclosure or concerns they or another team member has and seek advice from the relevant Social Services Department or the Police if appropriate.
Staff and volunteers must ensure that their recording of disclosures, incidents, assessments, referrals and case discussions are all sufficient, accurate, concise, up-to-date, legible, dated, and factual. When recording details it is important not to jump to conclusions or judge the situation and to remember that the role of the safeguarding officer is to refer to appropriate agencies, not to undertake an investigation. Suspicions should be noted carefully and backed up with factual evidence. Opinions should be kept to a minimum and backed up by factual evidence. These records must be stored in an individual file and held securely in a manner that safeguards the individual’s right to privacy and security. These records are available to authorised individuals on request (not third party information) and may be used as evidence in disciplinary proceedings or in civil or criminal prosecutions.
Note: Once staff and volunteers have passed on their records, they have no right to know what happens next. They will only receive more information about the case if they are required to be part of civil or criminal proceedings e.g. as a witness. Staff and volunteers must refrain from talking to other team members or outside persons about the safeguarding concern (with the exception of the trustees, the Police or Social Services).
It is important that everyone in The Charity is aware that the person who first encounters a case of alleged or suspected abuse is not responsible for deciding whether or not abuse has occurred. That is a task for the professional vulnerable adult and child protection agencies following a referral to them of concern about someone.
If a vulnerable adult or child begins making a disclosure of abuse to a team member who feels unable to cope with what they are hearing, they should gently halt the conversation and contact a trustee immediately.
The wellbeing of staff and volunteers is of great importance. If a disclosure has been made which has caused upset to the person hearing it, The Charity will endeavour to offer or facilitate counselling or support if requested.
Where a member of The Charity receives a disclosure of abuse from a child or vulnerable adult they must:
The Trustee will ensure that the remaining Trustees are informed of any incident, concern or allegation of abuse. The Trustees must also notify the Charity Commission, following the Commission’s ‘Serious Incident’ guidelines in the event of an incident, or suspected incident, during or resulting from an activity of the Charity.
Where a child or vulnerable adult makes a disclosure of abuse to a member of the team they must never:
It is possible to be lulled into a false sense of security, believing that those who work alongside vulnerable adults and children in The Charity will never be guilty of abuse because they are part of a charitable organisation. It is not safe to assume that anyone is automatically safe to be with vulnerable adults or children.
For this reason all procedures set in place to protect vulnerable adults and children apply to all those in contact with them. This is not the same as treating each person who relates to vulnerable adults and children as being under suspicion, but a matter of taking sensible measures to protect vulnerable adults and children, which are then observed by everyone. This will involve thought and planning within each group to minimise the risk.
Staff and volunteers are encouraged to take action when suspicious that abuse is occurring, no matter what the setting, who the perpetrator is or who the victim is. The Charity will respect and not penalise those who stand up for anyone who is suspected of being abused. Staff have a responsibility to report any occurrences or suspicions of abuse. Staff who report abuse are protected by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
Where clients of the Charity report an incident of domestic violence which has taken place whilst a child or vulnerable adult is in the home, this must be treated as a disclosure of abuse and should be passed on to a Trustee with immediate effect. Where an incident of domestic violence is reported and there is no child or vulnerable adult present, The charity should signpost the client to an appropriate agency but must not attempt to coerce them to contact the police unless the client feels ready to do so. Where a member of the charity witnesses an act of domestic violence, they must contact the police immediately.
The charity recognises that protecting and upholding the rights of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance and this includes on the internet and other promotional materials. The charity endeavours to present children and vulnerable adults in a positive, empowering and dignified manner. Furthermore, images will only be used where the child or vulnerable adult and their parents/guardians give their informed consent. The following principles will be adhered to:
Note: External media, television crews and journalists are usually responsible for obtaining their own informed consent from clients.
In all recruitment decisions concerning volunteers:
All team members must complete a volunteer application form before commencing work at The charity. Details of any criminal convictions (except those ‘spent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) must be provided so an adequate risk assessment can be undertaken. (The Charity reserves the right to dismiss a volunteer and/or ban them from the property should they feel it is necessary.)
This policy will be monitored periodically to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance to changes in the law. Effective record keeping and monitoring, and acting on information gathered, are essential in order to measure effectiveness and plan progress. The Board of Trustees and Chair will review this policy annually.