Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

1. Statement of intent

Pets on the Green Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child and young person who takes part in our services. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and the welfare of the child is the paramount consideration.

This policy applies to:

• all directors, employees, volunteers, contractors and students on placement;
• all visitors;
• all children, however referred (by parent/carer, school, local authority or therapist); and
• all activities — on-site, in-school, alternative provision, therapeutic placements, parent-and-child sessions and training events.

2. Statutory framework

This policy is written to comply with:

• Children Act 1989;
• Children Act 2004 (s.11);
• Education Act 2002 s.175 (schools rely on us for equivalent duties);
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (DBS);
• Children and Social Work Act 2017;
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE/DHSC, current edition);
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 (in force 1 September 2025 — we apply its principles);
• SEND Code of Practice 2015;
• Equality Act 2010;
• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

3. Definitions

3.1 Safeguarding and promoting welfare

Following Working Together to Safeguard Children, this means: providing help early; protecting children from maltreatment, including online; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring children grow up with safe and effective care; promoting upbringing within their family network where this is in the child’s best interests; and taking action to enable the best outcomes.

3.2 Child protection

Child protection is part of safeguarding. It means protecting children who have suffered, or are at risk of suffering, significant harm.

3.3 Who is a child

A child is anyone under 18. Our services may extend to young people up to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and to vulnerable adults within scope.

3.4 Categories of abuse

• Physical abuse — causing physical harm to a child, for example hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning or suffocating, or fabricating/inducing illness.
• Emotional abuse — persistent emotional maltreatment that causes severe and lasting adverse effects on a child’s emotional development, including conveying that they are worthless, unloved or inadequate.
• Sexual abuse — forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening, including contact and non-contact and online abuse.
• Neglect — the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of health or development.

3.5 Specific safeguarding issues staff are alert to

• Child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE);
• county lines and serious youth violence;
• female genital mutilation (FGM);
• forced marriage and so-called honour-based abuse;
• domestic abuse;
• radicalisation (Prevent duty);
• child-on-child abuse;
• online safety, including misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories, online sexual harassment, nudes and semi-nudes, and harmful content;
• mental health and self-harm;
• modern slavery and trafficking;
• substance misuse;
• bullying.

4. Roles and responsibilities

4.1 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL is Ciera O’Rourke, Director, who holds overall responsibility for safeguarding. The DSL’s duties are to:

• act as the central contact point for all safeguarding matters;
• receive and assess concerns;
• make referrals to statutory agencies;
• liaise with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO);
• maintain safeguarding records securely;
• ensure induction and training are in place;
• carry out an annual review of this policy;
• support staff dealing with concerns;
• maintain current safeguarding knowledge; and
• complete accredited DSL training, refreshed at least every two years.

Given the size of the organisation there is a single DSL. A Deputy DSL will be appointed as the staff team grows.

4.2 All staff and volunteers must

• read, understand and acknowledge this policy in writing before any unsupervised contact with children;
• complete safeguarding induction;
• complete accredited training, refreshed annually;
• recognise and report concerns to the DSL without delay;
• model the Code of Conduct; and
• attend refresher training.

4.3 Single-director organisation

As a single-director micro-organisation, the Director is also the DSL. Any allegation against the DSL is reported directly to Surrey LADO and the placing school/local authority, and is not investigated internally.

5. Recognising abuse and risk

5.1 Physical signs

• unexplained or inadequately explained injuries;
• injuries in unusual locations;
• injuries that follow an implement pattern;
• recurring or multiple injuries;
• persistent hunger, a dirty appearance or inadequate clothing;
• untreated medical or dental needs.

5.2 Behavioural signs

• sudden changes in behaviour;
• sexualised behaviour or knowledge inappropriate for the child’s age;
• self-harm or suicidal ideation;
• fear of going home, of an adult or of a place;
• eating disorders;
• running away;
• unexplained gifts or money;
• secrecy or distress about online activity.

5.3 Disclosures

If a child discloses, staff will: listen; not interrupt or lead; not promise confidentiality; not show shock; reassure the child that it was right to tell; make a clear, contemporaneous note in the child’s own words, with the time, date, location and the staff member’s name and no opinion recorded as fact; and pass the information to the DSL the same day.

6. Responding to a concern

Staff follow four steps:

1. RESPOND — listen and observe, call 999 if there is immediate danger, and end the interaction safely.
2. RECORD — in the same session and before leaving, using the Concern/Disclosure Log, in the child’s own words, factual, dated and signed.
3. REPORT — to the DSL the same working day (verbally, then in writing). DSL Ciera O’Rourke orourkeciera@gmail.com. If the DSL is unavailable and the matter is urgent, contact Surrey C-SPA 0300 470 9100 (out of hours 01483 517898).
4. REFER — the DSL decides on the threshold and refers as appropriate: Surrey C-SPA 0300 470 9100 / cspa@surreycc.gov.uk for welfare concerns; Surrey LADO 0300 123 1650 (option 3) / LADO@surreycc.gov.uk for allegations; the placing school/local authority; and the Police on 101 or 999.

If the DSL decides not to refer, the reasoning is recorded. Staff can challenge that decision and may refer directly to statutory services themselves.

7. Confidentiality and information sharing

Information is shared on a need-to-know basis. We apply the seven golden rules of information sharing from Working Together to Safeguard Children:

1. data protection law is not a barrier to sharing information appropriately;
2. be open and honest about how and why information will be shared;
3. seek advice from others if in any doubt;
4. share with informed consent where appropriate, but be mindful that consent is not always needed;
5. consider safety and wellbeing when deciding whether to share;
6. share information that is necessary, proportionate, relevant, adequate, accurate, timely and secure; and
7. keep a record of the decision and the reasons for it.

A request for confidentiality cannot override the duty to safeguard, and staff never promise secrecy.

8. Record-keeping

Safeguarding records are contemporaneous and factual, keeping fact separate from interpretation. They are held separately from general records, in a locked cabinet or an access-controlled, encrypted folder visible only to the DSL. Records are retained until the child reaches age 25 (26 if a care leaver) and are subject to Subject Access Requests, with appropriate exemptions applied.

9. Safer recruitment (headlines)

• enhanced DBS check plus barred-list check before any unsupervised contact;
• two written references;
• identity, right-to-work and qualification checks;
• self-declaration;
• probation and induction; and
• a Single Central Record.

10. Allegations against staff or volunteers (headlines)

• any allegation meeting the LADO threshold is reported to LADO within one working day;
• the DSL does not investigate;
• an allegation against the DSL is reported by others directly to LADO and Surrey C-SPA;
• confidentiality is maintained; and
• records are retained.

11. Code of Conduct & behaviour

We operate a no-physical-intervention model. Our response to distress or challenging behaviour is de-escalation, environmental adjustment, ending the session safely, and contacting the parent or placing authority.

12. Lone working

Lone working includes a pre-session briefing, recording the start and end of the session, and having a contactable supervisor. We never deliver in private spaces except where this is pre-authorised and with the parent or placing authority’s knowledge.

13. Whistleblowing

Staff and volunteers can and should raise concerns. Routes include the DSL, Surrey LADO, the NSPCC adult helpline on 0808 800 5000, and the relevant regulator.

14. Online safety

There is no personal-channel contact with children or families. Photos and video are only taken with written consent. Staff are trained to recognise online risks, and online concerns are treated like any other safeguarding concern.

15. Visitors

Visitors are signed in, escorted, and never left alone with a child.

16. Photography, video & social media

No image is taken without explicit written consent. Images are not used in marketing or on social media unless the consent explicitly extends to that use. Personal devices are not used.

17. Working with children with SEND

Children with special educational needs and disabilities can face additional safeguarding risk through communication barriers, behaviour being misattributed to their SEND, personal-care governance, and increased vulnerability. We apply extra vigilance:

• adapted communication and AAC;
• behavioural changes considered in the round;
• personal care only by written agreement; and
• sessions designed so the child can communicate and is never alone with a single adult.

18. Equality and inclusion

Every child receives the same safeguarding regardless of protected characteristics. The Public Sector Equality Duty is reflected in our practice.

19. Training

• induction before any unsupervised contact;
• annual accredited training (Level 1 minimum);
• DSL training at Level 3, refreshed every two years;
• topic refreshers; and
• training records held in the Single Central Record.

20. Multi-agency working

We work with Surrey Children’s Services, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership, placing schools and local authority SEND services, CAMHS and health, and Surrey Police.

21. Complaints

Complaints go to the DSL first; if the complaint is about the DSL, to Surrey LADO; to Surrey C-SPA for welfare matters; to the placing school/local authority; and to the NSPCC adult helpline on 0808 800 5000.

22. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the DSL, or earlier on any material change. The next review is due April 2027.

23. Emergency contacts