Safeguarding Children Policy

New Era North West is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals and communities with whom we engage. Safeguarding is an essential thread running through every element of our work, including nursery provision, emotional health and wellbeing support for children and young people, alternative education facilities, and providing direct family work.

New Era seeks to protect all children and young people who receive our services from harm, including the children of adults using our services, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. All children and young people have a right to equal protection from harm.

Who is this policy for?

This policy provides staff (including paid staff, directors, members, and volunteers), as well as children, young people, and their families, with the principles that guide our approach to safeguarding. It sets out New Era’s procedures to ensure that all children and young people are protected.

Through the application of this policy, we will provide and continue to develop a positive and proactive welfare system to enable all children and young people to participate in a protective, safe, and enjoyable way. This system applies equally to the safety of those working with and responsible for our activity with children and young people.

What legal framework will you follow?

This policy is based on legislation, policy, and guidance that seeks to protect children in England, including but not limited to:

  • The Children Act 1989 and 2004
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989

New Era recognises that working in partnership with children, young people, their parents and carers, and other agencies such as the police, social care, and the local safeguarding partnership is essential to ensure children and young people are protected from abuse or harm.

What is safeguarding?

Every child or young person, defined as any person under the age of 18, has the right to be safe. This applies to all environments, from home to school, and includes their involvement with New Era North West. All adults who spend time with young people have a responsibility to make sure that their well-being is prioritised by listening to them, ensuring they are safe, and acting when required.

Who is responsible for safeguarding?

Everyone. All staff at New Era are trained to respond to safeguarding issues concerning the children and young people they work with. We also have a specialist safeguarding team responsible for managing issues relating to children’s safety and well-being, ensuring staff are equipped and confident in their safeguarding roles.

  • Designated Safeguarding Lead – Wendy Woodfine
  • Deputy Safeguarding Lead – Karen Crawshaw
  • Nursery Safeguarding Lead – Christina Lawrence
  • Nursery Deputy Safeguarding Lead – Sarah Thomas

This team is overseen at a board and membership level by: Board Safeguarding Lead – Dave Woodfine.

What is abuse?

Abuse describes any action that causes harm to a child or young person. Abuse can occur in any setting and be carried out by adults or children and young people. Whether experienced over a long period of time or an isolated incident, abuse can have a significant impact on children and young people’s health and well-being.

Physical Signs Behavioural Signs
PHYSICAL ABUSE Physical signs such as unexplained injuries
Unusual bruising
Scalds		 Behavioural signs such as fear of contact or going to a certain place
Aggression and bullying or abuse of others
Feelings of depression, withdrawal
NEGLECT Constant hunger or significant weight change
Ill-fitting or inappropriate clothes
Untreated conditions and failure to attend health appointments
Lack of access to hearing aids, glasses, inhalers
Always being tired		 Persistent absences, lateness and lack of kit or belongings
Regularly left without parental supervision at an inappropriate age
SEXUAL ABUSE Any physical symptoms such as genital discomfort, pain, or infections
Bed wetting or incontinence		 Apparent fear of someone, reluctance to be alone
Running away
Age-inappropriate sexually explicit knowledge or behaviour
BULLYING Weight change
Unexplained injuries and bruising
Stomach and headaches
Bed-wetting
Disturbed sleep		 Difficulty making friends
Low mood and withdrawal from others
Reluctance to attend school or social events
Anxiety over social media or receiving texts
EMOTIONAL ABUSE Lack of growth or development
Eating disorders
Self-harm		 Being unable to play or interact with other children
Fear of mistakes
Low mood or withdrawal from others

NB. The above chart contains known characteristics of abuse however is not an exhaustive list

What is New Era’s approach to safeguarding?

New Era is committed to the safety of children and young people. We employ staff/volunteers with characteristics and values that make them safe and suitable to work with children and young people. At recruitment, we ensure that every person working with children/young people is safe by:

  • Ensuring all prospective staff are subject to a criminal records check (Disclosure and Barring Service).
  • Completing application forms and verifying qualifications and experience.
  • Interviewing applicants and recording recruitment decisions.
  • Taking up references.
  • Providing staff with an induction to their role, including safeguarding training.
  • Ongoing supervision and support sessions.

How do we create a safe environment?

  • Implementing robust safeguarding policies, including equality, whistleblowing, online safety, and complaints procedures.
  • Training staff on safeguarding practices annually.
  • Providing accessible guidance on the appropriate use of social media.
  • Creating an environment where children, young people, and staff feel comfortable reporting concerns.
  • Proactively addressing the needs of vulnerable children, including those with disabilities or from minority groups.

What are our responding and reporting procedures?

New Era ensures that all concerns are recorded and acted on appropriately. Staff and board members are trained to spot signs of abuse and take action to protect a child or young person. Concerns are reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will follow the organisational procedures and take necessary action.

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