1. Purpose

Definitions

Child: anyone under the age of 18.
Vulnerable adults: a person over the age of 18 who is unable to protect themselves from abuse, harm or exploitation, which may be due to long-term illness, either mental or physical, age or disability.
Abuse: a selfish act of oppression and Injustice, exploitation and manipulation of power by those in a position of authority, which could be in the form of neglect, bullying, financial, sexual, physical, psychological, discrimination or institutional.

NFF recognises that:

• all vulnerable adults and children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse.
• some vulnerable adults and children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
• working in partnership with vulnerable adults, children, their families and guardians parent, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting welfare.

Scope

This policy covers anyone who has contact with the NFF. It applies to all Trustees and all Colleagues including volunteers.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• ensure that no harm is done to anyone who has contact with the NFF;
• protect vulnerable adults and children with whom NFF communicates and to whom NFF may engage with. This includes the children of any adults who approach NFF; and
• provide Trustees and colleagues with the overarching principles that guide the approach to safeguarding and adult at risk and child protection.

This policy should be read alongside other NFF policies and procedures. The Confidentiality Policy and Privacy Policy specifically sets out exceptional circumstances which affect how NFF treats confidential information.

2. Principles

NFF will seek to ensure that no harm is done to anyone who has contact with the NFF and keep vulnerable adults and children safe by:

• valuing them, listening to, and respecting them
• adopting safeguarding practices including vulnerable adults and children protection through procedures for colleagues
• providing effective management for colleagues through supervision, support and training
• recording and storing information professionally and securely
• promoting the safeguarding policies to Naval Service families and colleagues
• sharing concerns and relevant information with external agencies who need to know, and involving families and carers appropriately, if relevant authorities are known to be involved. Careful consideration will be given to any additional interventions by NFF.
• managing any allegations against colleagues appropriately providing effective complaints and whistleblowing measures. The Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure is available in Teams ensuring all colleagues complete safeguarding training within the first three months of work and update as required. Where colleagues are in contact with a vulnerable group, additional guidance must be sought.
• undertaking DBS checks for all staff as part of the onboarding process.
• designating Safeguarding responsibility to the Families Advocate & Finance Administrator role; Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO).
• ensuring that all partner organisations have an appropriate safeguarding policy in place and that a process is in place to report any safeguarding concerns to the DSO.

3. Personnel Responsible for Implementing Policy

Trustees have the overall responsibility for governance of safeguarding. The Safeguarding Lead, Professor Jan Walker, can delegate routine governance to the Senior Lead, which will be the Chief Executive Officer.

The Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) will be the Families Advocate & Finance Administrator.

All colleagues and volunteers are responsible for adhering to this policy and the reporting procedure outlined within it.

4. Reporting Procedure

In the event of a safeguarding incident, NFF’s reporting procedure is as below. If there is any doubt as to whether an incident is a safeguarding incident staff must speak with the DSO (or their line manager in the absence of the DSO).

When information is reported either by disclosure by a third-party including the adult at risk or child to staff, through staff observation, via the complaints or whistleblowing process or by the reporting from another source, staff should:

• ensure that information about the incident is gathered in an appropriate setting.
• limit questioning to establishing the facts and use open questions.
• ensure that the adult at risk or child is supported and listened to.
• ensure that the adult at risk or child is aware that the DSO or Senior Lead must be informed.
• not make guarantees that the information can be kept confidential.
• record the basic facts as accurately as possible in the adult at risk or child’s own words, dated and signed on the same day.
• refer to the DSO immediately and record, date and sign when this has been done and a response received.
• not share this information with any person other than the DSO, or Senior Lead (or further appointed persons, e.g. Police, as part of the reporting procedure) and saved in an appropriate restricted-access folder.

If appropriate, the DSO (or Senior Lead for safeguarding) should review the report and refer to the local vulnerable adults and children specialists (as outlined below) at the earliest opportunity. If the safeguarding incident does not involve a vulnerable adult or child, consideration must be given as to whether any other statutory authority or the police should be notified. The DSO should:

• treat the information confidentially, recognising that disclosure to some agency contacts is necessary.
• not attempt to investigate the matter further (this will be done as required by the Police or other agency).
• in the UK, the local vulnerable adults and children’s specialists are the Department of Community Child Health/the local Children and Families Team in the Social Work Department or the Family Safeguarding Unit in the Police.
• if a referral is made to an external statutory agency, maintain a secure log of individuals contacted, information discussed, and dates responded.
• ensure that support is provided to the staff member or volunteer who received the disclosure and that their wellbeing is considered.
• inform the Trustee Safeguarding Lead that a safeguarding issue has been reported without disclosing confidential information.
• consider whether a serious incident report needs to be made to the Charity Commission.
• fully co-operate with the resulting external investigation.
• review NFF’s own Safeguarding Policy and Procedure, considering how it applied in the reported instance and whether improvements can be made.

The DSO must maintain a register of safeguarding reports. They must report annually to the Trustees on any safeguarding concerns and the status of any policies and procedures.

5. Training & Development

All colleagues and Trustees complete training on Safeguarding as part of the onboarding process with the NFF. Yearly updates are required to ensure that colleagues are kept up to date with Safeguarding best practice.

6. Breaches of Policy

Breaches of this policy by colleagues will be treated seriously and will be treated as a potential cause for disciplinary action or termination of the relationship by other means. Breaches by Trustees may result in the termination of their trusteeship.

7. Annual Review

The Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed annually. The latest version of the policy will be published on the NFF website.

8. Changes to this Policy

NFF reserves the right to review, amend or replace the contents from time to time in accordance with the law and best practice.

Policy Dated: January 2025
Review Date: January 2026
Policy Owner: Chief Executive Officer