Safeguarding Policy 2026-2027
Reviewed: April 2026
Next Review: September 2027
Registered in England & Wales
Charity Number: 1196441
Ephsol Childrens Fund – Safeguarding Policy
This document sets out the policy of Ephsol Childrens Fund ("ECF") regarding the safeguarding of children and adults at risk ("vulnerable individuals").
The activities of ECF include raising funds to help vulnerable children in need in the UK, Africa and the Caribbean. Support is offered in the form of clothing items, educational materials, medical supplies and other basic household needs. ECF also raises funds and awareness about our work through events and other activities.
Tolerance, respect, understanding and the welfare of those with whom we engage are key to our ethos and our approach to everything we do. This policy sets out our commitment to the welfare and safeguarding of all vulnerable individuals with whom we engage and to providing a working environment for our staff, volunteers and stakeholders which promotes and protects these values.
Furthermore, it provides practical guidance to ensure that everyone working for ECF, whether paid or volunteering, is similarly protected and compliant with their own and ECF's legal responsibilities for the welfare and safeguarding of vulnerable individuals.
In line with our commitment to safeguarding, we expect any organisations with which we work, partner or support, whether in the UK or overseas, to have similarly robust policies in place (or adopt our policies adjusted for local agencies), and we reserve the right to request and retain copies of such policies.
This policy consists of the following sections:
- The Purpose of this Policy
- Our Safeguarding Policy
- What Constitutes Abusive Behaviour?
- What We Expect from Our Staff and Volunteers
- What to Do if You Are Concerned About a Child or Adult at Risk
1. The Purpose of this Policy
This Safeguarding Policy explains the procedures and systems we have implemented to protect vulnerable individuals, whether children or adults at risk, with whom we may come into contact.
Its purpose is to ensure that no individual is subjected to abusive behaviour by anyone associated with ECF and to ensure that any concerns about an individual's welfare, regardless of source, are listened to, dealt with sensitively and effectively, and recorded and reported in line with best practice and legal requirements.
The policy is founded on the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.
Our staff and volunteers are committed to taking all reasonable steps to safeguard vulnerable individuals through their own actions and by providing a means for reporting abuse. We expect them to be familiar with this policy and committed to behaving in accordance with it.
This policy should be read alongside other ECF policies, including but not limited to:
- Anti-Bullying Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
- Equality and Diversity Policy
- Privacy Policy
Further guidance is available from: Safeguarding Duties for Charity Trustees
2. Our Safeguarding Policy
Through this policy we commit to the following principles and actions:
- Every individual should be treated with respect and dignity.
- The welfare of a child or adult at risk is paramount.
- No person should be treated less favourably when accessing support services.
- This policy applies to all staff, volunteers and representatives of ECF.
- Partner organisations are expected to maintain equivalent safeguarding standards.
- This policy will be made available on request.
- All concerns and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately.
- Safe recruitment practices including selection, vetting, induction and training will be followed.
- All safeguarding activity will be guided by relevant legislation and best practice.
This policy is reviewed, approved and endorsed annually by the Trustees of ECF, or sooner where legislation or guidance changes.
3. What Constitutes Abusive Behaviour?
Abuse can take many forms and may be carried out by any person against anyone else, including one child against another, or an adult against a child or another adult. This can include a parent, relative, carer, work colleague, teacher, police officer, or another person in a position of authority.
Children are those under the age of 18 years.
Adults at risk are persons aged 18 years and over who are or may need community care services because of mental health issues, learning or physical disability, sensory impairment, age, or illness, and who may be unable to care for or protect themselves from significant harm or exploitation.
Since mental health challenges can affect anyone and may not always be apparent, no assumptions should be made concerning an individual's mental health or emotional resilience.
Actions may constitute abuse whether or not they are directed at vulnerable persons and may result in a range of responses or sanctions.
Abuse may include, but is not limited to:
- Sexual abuse or inappropriate touching or comments of any kind, whether or not consent was given or perceived to have been given.
- Bullying, threatening, abusive, disparaging or mocking behaviour, including acts of actual or threatened violence causing emotional, physical or psychological harm.
- Using undue influence or coercion that causes an individual to act against their will or beyond their legal, mental or emotional capacity to consent.
- Acts or omissions that result in neglect or a lack of care.
- Sending material by any means that results in abuse or exploitation, whether through words, images, videos, or other content.
4. What We Expect from Our Staff and Volunteers
Our Code of Conduct
The safety and welfare of those with whom we come into contact is paramount. We take great care to ensure that people working directly for or on behalf of ECF are properly recruited and vetted, fully aware of their responsibilities, and committed to this Code of Conduct.
Staff and volunteers must:
- Treat all individuals equally and with respect and dignity.
- Always put the welfare, safety, and wellbeing of a child or adult at risk first.
- Design and implement activities in ways that promote and protect the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
- Take all reasonable steps to avoid being alone with a child or adult at risk unless appropriate permissions and clearances have been obtained.
- Work in open and observable environments wherever possible.
- Never form inappropriate emotional or physical relationships with a child or adult at risk.
- Never engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games.
- Never allow or participate in inappropriate touching.
- Never arrange meetings or communications with a child or adult at risk outside of ECF activities.
- Never contact, friend, follow, like or engage with vulnerable individuals through personal social media accounts.
- Never make sexually suggestive remarks, even in jest.
- Never do things for individuals that they can reasonably do for themselves.
- Take all concerns and allegations seriously and ensure they are recorded and acted upon.
- Report immediately any suspicion or concern that an individual may be experiencing harm or abuse.
- Fully cooperate with investigations relating to actual or suspected abuse.
- Keep informed about current safeguarding legislation, guidance, training and reporting procedures.
Breaches of this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, termination of engagement with ECF, and referral to relevant authorities where appropriate.
Recruitment and Training
Anyone working for ECF, whether paid or unpaid, who may come into unsupervised contact with a child or adult at risk, will be subject to a thorough recruitment and vetting process.
Where appropriate, this will include:
- At least one face-to-face interview with a minimum of two interviewers.
- At least two written references covering character, suitability and any concerns regarding work with vulnerable individuals.
- A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required by the role.
- Induction training and ongoing safeguarding training as deemed appropriate by ECF.
Important:
The DBS determines who is unsuitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. It is illegal for a barred person to apply for such work or for ECF to knowingly employ or engage a barred individual in a regulated role.
Employers must refer an individual to the DBS if:
- They are dismissed because they harmed a child or adult.
- They are dismissed because they may have harmed a child or adult.
- They would have been dismissed for either reason but resigned before dismissal.
5. What to Do if You Are Concerned About a Child or Adult at Risk
ECF has appointed the following safeguarding officers:
- Principal Safeguarding Officers:
Diane George and Mary Kunadu
Tel: 07443 413152 - Deputy Safeguarding Officer:
Margaret Gordon
Tel: 07957 435679
If you are concerned about an individual because of something you have observed, heard, or been told, you must:
- If working alongside another organisation such as a school, church or charity, immediately report concerns to their designated safeguarding lead where appropriate.
- Immediately report concerns to ECF's Principal or Deputy Safeguarding Officer.
- Make an immediate, accurate and factual written record of the circumstances.
- Complete an ECF safeguarding incident report form as soon as practicable.
- Never promise to keep allegations or disclosures confidential.
- Share information only on a legitimate need-to-know basis and in accordance with data protection and privacy requirements.
The ECF Safeguarding Officer will determine whether concerns should be referred to:
- Local Authority Adult Social Care Services
- Children's Services Designated Officer (formerly LADO)
- Children's Social Care
- The Police
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP)
All safeguarding records will be securely retained in accordance with applicable safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection requirements.
No individual should feel discouraged from raising genuine concerns. ECF supports those who report concerns in good faith and operates a separate Whistleblowing Policy.
This policy has been endorsed by the Trustees and Senior Management of ECF and was reviewed and updated in April 2026.
Appendix A: Legislation and Guidance
Children Act 1989
The Children Act 1989 provides the legislative framework for child protection in England. Key principles include:
- The paramount importance of the child's welfare.
- The responsibilities associated with duties of care to children.
Children Act 2004
The Children Act 2004 strengthens safeguarding arrangements by:
- Requiring local authorities to appoint children's services members with accountability.
- Creating duties for agencies to cooperate in safeguarding and promoting children's wellbeing.
Children and Social Work Act 2017
Key provisions include:
- Creation of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
- Replacement of Local Safeguarding Children's Boards with safeguarding partnerships.
- Introduction of child death review arrangements.
- Personal advisers for care leavers up to age 25.
- Creation of Social Work England.
- Relationship education requirements in schools.
Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 provides the legislative framework for safeguarding adults at risk. It defines adults at risk as individuals aged 18 or over who may require community care services and may be unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
This can include persons experiencing mental health challenges, substance misuse, depression, physical disabilities, illness or other vulnerabilities.
Additional guidance and resources are available from the Ann Craft Trust .
Policy and Guidance
- Charity Commission guidance for charities working with children and adults at risk.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children (Department for Education, 2018).
- What to Do If You're Worried a Child Is Being Abused (Department for Education, 2015).