Thrive Autism – Safeguarding Policy

Thrive Autism, Charity Registration Number: 1215310

1. Core Policy Statement

Thrive Autism abides by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults at risk. The organisation is committed to safeguarding practices that reflect statutory responsibilities, government guidance, and best practice requirements. We recognise that the welfare of the individual is paramount in all work performed and all decisions taken by the charity.

Core Principles:

• Universal Protection: All children and adults, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, ethnicity (race, colour, nationality), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage/civil partnership, or pregnancy/maternity status, have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
• Inclusive Safeguarding: Thrive Autism recognises that some individuals are additionally vulnerable due to the impact of previous experiences, level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues.
• Collective Responsibility: All personnel (staff, trustees, and volunteers) have a collective responsibility to create a culture where people feel safe and are able to speak up regarding any concerns.
• Partnership Working: Promoting welfare is essential and must be done in partnership with children, young people, adults at risk, their parents, carers, and other relevant agencies.
• Prevention of Harm: Nobody involved in the organisation’s work should ever experience abuse, harm, neglect, or exploitation.

2. Definitions

• Child: The Children Act 1989 defines a child as: “anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if they are living independently, are a member of the armed forces or is in hospital.”
• Adult at Risk: “An adult who has needs for care and support, is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.”
• Safeguarding Children: Defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:
  • Protecting children from maltreatment.
  • Preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
  • Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
  • Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

3. Types and Signs of Abuse

Thrive Autism seeks to prevent harm across four main categories: Physical, Emotional, Sexual, and Neglect. Personnel must remain vigilant regarding specific forms of harm, including Bullying and cyberbullying, Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Child trafficking, Domestic abuse, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Grooming, Historical abuse, and Online abuse.

Physical Abuse

• Physical Signs: Bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, and rope marks; broken bones; open wounds, cuts, punctures, or untreated injuries in various stages of healing; broken eyeglasses/frames; laboratory findings of either an overdose or under-dose of medications.
• Behavioural Signs: Individual’s report of being hit, slapped, kicked, or mistreated; a sudden change in behaviour; a caregiver’s refusal to allow visitors to see a vulnerable person alone.

Sexual Abuse

• Physical Signs: Bruises around the breasts or genital area; unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding; torn, stained, or bloody underclothing.
• Behavioural Signs: An individual’s report of being sexually assaulted or raped.

Mental Mistreatment / Emotional Abuse

• Behavioural Signs: Being emotionally upset or agitated; being extremely withdrawn, non-communicative, or non-responsive; nervousness around certain people; an individual’s report of being verbally or mentally mistreated.

Neglect

• Physical and Environmental Signs: Dehydration, malnutrition, untreated bed sores, and poor personal hygiene; unattended or untreated health problems; hazardous or unsafe living conditions (e.g., improper wiring, no heat or running water); unsanitary and unclean living conditions (e.g., dirt, fleas, lice on person, soiled bedding, faecal/urine smell, inadequate clothing); an individual’s report of being mistreated.

Self-Neglect

• Physical and Environmental Signs: Dehydration, malnutrition, untreated or improperly attended medical conditions; poor personal hygiene; unsanitary or unclean living quarters (e.g., animal/insect infestation, no functioning toilet, faecal or urine smell); inadequate medical care, such as not taking prescribed medications properly; grossly inadequate housing or homelessness.

Exploitation

• Financial and Physical Signs: Sudden changes in bank account or banking practice; unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money; adding additional names on bank signature cards; unauthorized withdrawal of funds using an ATM card; abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents; unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions; bills unpaid despite money being available; forging a signature on financial transactions; sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming rights to possessions; providing services that are not necessary (over-servicing); an individual’s report of exploitation.

4. Reporting Procedures

Thrive Autism maintains a three-tiered protocol for responding to safeguarding concerns to ensure rapid and effective action.

1. Immediate Danger If an individual is in immediate danger, a crime is in progress, or a crime has been committed:

• Call 999 for emergency services.
• Call 101 for non-emergency police matters.

2. Internal Reporting

• Beneficiaries and Public: Should make concerns known to any member of the Thrive Autism team, who will immediately alert a senior member of the charity.
• Staff and Volunteers: Must report concerns to their immediate supervisor. If the individual feels unable to do so, they must report the concern directly to the Chair or a Trustee.
• Written Records: A written record must be kept using the Safeguarding Report Form (see Appendix), including the nature of the concern, the persons involved, and actions taken. All records must be signed, dated, and stored securely in compliance with GDPR.

3. Regulatory Obligations The Board of Trustees is responsible for fulfilling reporting obligations to the Charity Commission in respect of “Serious Incidents.” The Board will adhere to all government guidance on handling safeguarding allegations and will report to the Local Authority where a person is deemed at risk of harm.

5. Governance and Responsibilities

Board of Trustees The Board holds ultimate accountability for safeguarding governance. Responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and approving the Safeguarding Policy annually.
• Complying with Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and “10 actions trustee boards need to take.”
• Ensuring safeguarding risk assessments are carried out as a core part of organizational risk management processes.
• Ensuring safeguarding requirements (e.g., DBS) and responsibilities are explicitly reflected in job descriptions, appraisal objectives, and personal development plans.

The Chair The Chair is responsible for leading the organisation in a way that promotes a culture of respect, ensuring all personnel feel safe and empowered to speak up.

Lead Trustee for Safeguarding The Lead Trustee (Colin Lang MBE) provides oversight of all safety aspects, including whistleblowing and Health & Safety. Duties include:

• Leading incident investigations and ensuring reporting to statutory authorities is carried out.
• Maintaining a central register to monitor and ensure that DBS clearances and safeguarding training are kept up-to-date.
• Providing regular reports to the Board to ensure policies are applied consistently.

6. Recruitment and Training

Safe Recruitment & Selection Thrive Autism is committed to recruitment practices that reduce the risk of harm to beneficiaries. This includes:

• Standardised recruitment procedures for all trustees, employees, and volunteers.
• Verification of references and necessary background checks.
• Ensuring appropriate levels of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance are obtained before any work or contact commences.

Training and Awareness Mandatory training ensures all personnel can:

• Understand the role of safeguarding and specifically the Thrive Autism Safeguarding Children Policy.
• Recognise individuals in need of protection and the signs of abuse.
• Understand how to report a safeguarding alert.
• Maintain dignity and respect in a service-delivery context.

7. Online Safety and Digital Technology

Digital Safeguarding Thrive Autism manages online risks by:

• Utilising high privacy settings and password-protected access for online meetings.
• Ensuring services provided are age-appropriate and password-protected.
• Managing personal data in strict accordance with data protection legislation.

Use of Mobile Phones and Imagery It is unlawful to photograph or film children and young people without explicit consent. Thrive Autism requires documented consent from a parent, guardian, or the individual before any imagery or video is captured, stored, or displayed on websites and social media.

8. Fundraising

Thrive Autism integrates safeguarding into all income-generation activities by:

• Complying with the Code of Fundraising Practice and Institute of Fundraising guidance.
• Adhering to NCVO guidance on vulnerable people and fundraising.
• Donor Capacity: The organisation will not solicit or accept donations from any individual known or believed to lack the competency to make their own decisions.
• Ensuring materials are clear, ethical, and do not place undue pressure on donors.

9. Confidentiality and Whistleblowing

Confidentiality Information sharing must comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). However, data protection must never be a barrier to safeguarding; information must be shared with the Local Authority or Police if a person is deemed to be at risk of harm.

Whistleblowing Whistleblowing occurs when a person raises a concern about dangerous, illegal, or wrongful activity within the organisation. Thrive Autism is committed to protecting whistleblowers and ensures they can report concerns about colleagues or leadership without fear of reprisal.

10. Important Contacts

• Emergency Services: 999
• Police (Non-emergency): 101
• NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000

11. Version Control and Approval

Approval Date:

Version History

Version control starts at 1.0 once the Policy & Procedure has been approved (please use 0 prior to approval)

Appendix: Safeguarding Report Form

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

Details of Person Reporting the Concern

Name: __________________________ Role/Position: __________________________

Contact Details (phone/email): __________________________

Date of Report: __________________________

Details of the Person at Risk

Name: __________________________

Date of Birth / Age (if known): __________________________

Gender: __________________________

Address (if known): __________________________

Any known disability, vulnerability, or additional needs: __________________________

Details of the Concern

Date and time of incident(s): __________________________

Location of incident(s): __________________________

What happened? (Describe the nature of the concern. Be factual, not opinion-based.):

——————————————————————————–

——————————————————————————–

Details of the Alleged Person Involved (if applicable)

Name: __________________________

Relationship to the person at risk: __________________________

Position/Role (if relevant): __________________________

Witnesses (if any)

Name(s): __________________________

Contact details (if known): __________________________

Action Taken

What action, if any, have you taken so far? —————————————————————————–

Additional Information

Any other relevant details or concerns? ——————————————————————————–

For Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Use Only

Date received by DSL: __________________________

Action taken: __________________________

Outcome: __________________________

Referral made (if applicable): [ ] Local Authority [ ] Police [ ] Other (please specify): __________________________

Signature: __________________________ Date: __________________________