Safeguarding Policy
At Look Good Feel Better we value everyone’s safety and wellbeing, whether you are a trustee, staff, volunteers, fundraisers or people interacting with us at events. Therefore we want to make sure everyone associated with the charity is happy and safe when carrying out our work.
POLICY STATEMENT
Look Good Feel Better believes that everyone it comes into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Look Good Feel Better will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by employees, volunteers or associated personnel.
This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: adult safeguarding and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
Look Good Feel Better commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.
PREVENTION
Look Good Feel Better responsibilities:
Look Good Feel Better will:
- Ensure all employees, volunteers and associated personnel have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy.
- Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with Look Good Feel Better. This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated.
- Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying employees, volunteers and associated personnel.
- Ensure employees, volunteers and associated personnel receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organisation.
- Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process.
Employees or volunteer’s responsibilities:
Adult safeguarding
Look Good Feel Better employees, volunteers and associated personnel must not:
- Sexually abuse or exploit at risk adults
- Subject an at-risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse
Look Good Feel Better employees, volunteers and associated personnel must not:
- Exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance
- Engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics
Additionally, Look Good Feel Better employees, volunteers and associated personnel are obliged to:
- Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy.
- Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by a Look Good Feel Better employee, volunteer, member or associated personnel to the appropriate manager.
FUNDRAISING PROMISE
Respecting our supporters is a key element of our Fundraising Promise. We must be able to identify and respond to those supporters who may be in vulnerable circumstances, in a way that is sensitive to their needs. All our supporter-facing staff have access to guidance and associated training. This is informed by the Fundraising Regulator Code and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s own guidance on ‘Acceptance, Refusal and Return of Donations’. We follow the Code of Fundraising Practice in relation to all fundraising which helps to ensure that vulnerable people can be easily identified and, critically, that they are responded to and protected in a non-discriminatory way.
Fundraisers may sometimes find themselves approaching donors who may be vulnerable or need additional support to make a decision. We have guidance in place and available for review on our website to ensure all our fundraisers are aware of the risks and know what to do if they are concerned about an individual and their circumstances.
We endeavour to ensure that our staff, volunteers and the general public are safe and protected while taking part in our fundraising activities. The charity has a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment or sexual harassment of any kind towards any of our staff or volunteers.
We encourage people of any age or background to fundraise for us, and we stipulate that those under the age of 16 must have the permission and be supervised by a responsible adult when fundraising.
In 2024 we will be training and appointing a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. This will be followed by training for all staff and volunteers, and a Safeguarding Policy will be developed and implemented. Currently any safeguarding concerns connected to our activities can arise from our staff or volunteers, or from members of the public, and reported to head office by following the process below.
ENABLING REPORTS
Look Good Feel Better will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to employees or volunteers and the communities it works with.
Any employees, volunteers or associated personnel reporting concerns or complaints will be protected.
Look Good Feel Better will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.
HOW TO REPORT A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN
Employees, volunteers or associated personnel who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to the Operations Manager via the Safeguarding at Risk – Reporting Form
RESPONSE
Look Good Feel Better will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and statutory obligations.
Look Good Feel Better will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to employees or volunteers found in breach of policy.
Look Good Feel Better will offer support to survivors of harm caused by employees, volunteers or associated personnel, regardless of whether a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation). Decisions regarding support will be led by the survivor.
CONFIDENTIALITY
It is essential that confidentiality in maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns. Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need to know basis only and should be kept secure at all times.