Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy Statement

At Parent and Carer Alliance CIC, the safety and wellbeing of children, young people, and vulnerable adults is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that “children, young people, and vulnerable adults should never experience harm of any kind” and we are committed to creating safe, supportive environments where families feel respected, listened to, and protected.

We work with families whose children have additional needs, providing advice, advocacy, short breaks, alternative education, and safe spaces to connect with others who understand their experiences. Everyone involved in delivering our services—staff, volunteers, directors, and sessional workers—shares responsibility for safeguarding.

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Our commitment to keeping people safe

We will:

• Put welfare first: The welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take.

• Follow the law and best practice: We work in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, the Children Act 2004, the Care Act 2014, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) guidance on adult safeguarding legislation.

• Apply the six principles of adult safeguarding: Our staff “understand and are aware of the six principles of Adult Safeguarding: Empowerment, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection, Partnership, Accountability” and these principles guide how we work with vulnerable adults and their carers.

• Promote online safety: We recognise risks such as misinformation, grooming, exploitation, and AI‑generated harms, and we promote safe online behaviour in all our activities.

• Train and support our team: Staff and volunteers receive safeguarding training and supervision so they can recognise and respond to concerns confidently.

• Use safer recruitment: We use safer recruitment practices, including DBS checks and safeguarding‑focused vetting, for staff, volunteers, and others working with us.

• Record and share information safely: We record, store, and share information securely and lawfully, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

• Respond to concerns and allegations: We have clear procedures for responding to disclosures and for managing concerns or allegations about staff, volunteers, children, young people, or other organisations.

• Encourage speaking up: We promote an open culture, supported by our Low‑Level Concerns and Whistleblowing frameworks, so that worries are raised early and acted on.

 

As our full policy states, we are committed to “building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, vulnerable adults, and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.”

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Who this applies to

This statement covers all our services, including:

• Advice and rights‑based support

• Short breaks and activities

• Alternative educational provision

• Webinars, events, and community groups

• Online and digital platforms

It applies to everyone working on behalf of Parent and Carer Alliance CIC.

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If you have a concern

If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) by emailing admin@parentandcareralliance.org.uk. We will listen, take your concerns seriously, and support you to access the right help.

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To view our full Safeguarding Policy click here