Safeguarding

2. Key Principals

The aims of this policy are:
To prevent abuse and neglect where possible
To ensure that robust procedures are in place for dealing with incidents of abuse to members and their families.
To raise awareness of adult safeguarding issues by fostering a culture of good practice through training and support through to service provision, 

Six key principles underpin The football clubs adult safeguarding work:

• Empowerment and inclusion : People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions through informed consent and to be involved and contribute positively
• Prevention: Taking action before harm occurs;
• Proportionality: The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented;
• Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need;
• Partnership: Local solutions through services working with their communities;
• Accountability: Accountability and transparency when managing safeguarding risks.

3. Values

The following values from the Care Act 2014 and underpin our approach: 

• Privacy: The right of individuals to be left alone or undisturbed and free from intrusion or public attention into their affairs;
• Dignity: Recognition of the intrinsic value of people, regardless of circumstances, by respecting their uniqueness and their personal needs;
• Independence: Opportunities to act and think without reference to another person, including a willingness to incur a degree of calculated risk;
• Choice: We will respect the right of individuals to make their own informed decisions regarding their present and future circumstances. This includes remaining in situations perceived by professionals or others to be risky or dangerous, subject to the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. In such cases the adult at risk should be given information about the options available to them that could protect them from abuse;
• Rights: The maintenance of all entitlements associated with the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998
•  Fulfilment: The realisation of personal aspirations and abilities in all aspects of daily life;
• Zero-Tolerance: Zero-Tolerance of abuse and neglect within the organisation;
• Valuing Diversity: Respect for individuals with a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010

4. Anti-Oppressive Statement

Crosby United is committed to planning, promoting, providing and delivering services in a non-stigmatising, respectful and anti-discriminatory way. All delivery will be in line with The Football Associations (THE FA) direction and CROSBY UNITED Equality and inclusion Policy.

5. Equal ACCESS

Crosby United ensures: 

• That safeguarding procedures are accessible to all adults covered by the policy;
• Volunteers consider people’s needs and preferences and to assess the impact of any intervention in relation to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation;
• value of community and neighbourhood networks in preventing abuse and protecting those who are at risk. Crosby United will proactively publicise and promote our approach and will ensure that:
• Information is produced using a wide range of accessible and user-friendly styles for the specified communities of interest, service users and carers;
•  Information clearly outlines what abuse is and how to express a concern, who to contact/who to speak to

6. Responsibility

All volunteers, 

• To have in place and work within Safeguarding Adults at Risk policy and procedures;
• To ensure that all staff, volunteers and Peer Mentors have received appropriate Safeguarding training as directed by the Football Association (FA)
• To take all reports of suspected abuse seriously;
• To be person centred
• To take direction from internal Safeguarding lead and ensure all training is up to date within committee and throughout volunteer base

7. Definitions

Adult at Risk: 

The statutory framework introduced under the Care Act applies to any person aged 18 or above whom:

• Has needs for care and support (regardless of the level of need and whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs);
• Is experiencing, or is at risk of abuse or neglect and, as a result of those needs, is unable to protect themselves against the abuse, neglect or the risk of it;
•  Is elderly and frail due to ill health, physical disability or cognitive impairment. 
• Has a learning disability;
•  Has a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment;
•  Has mental health needs including dementia or a personality disorder;
•  Has a long-term illness/condition;
•  Misuses substances or alcohol;
•  Is a carer such as a family member/friend who provides personal assistance and care to adults and is
• subject to abuse;
•  Is unable to demonstrate the capacity to make a decision and is in need of care and support.

8. Quality Assurance & Lines of Accountability

Crosby United recognises our duty of care and aim to provide a safe environment for service users, and volunteers. We do this by ensuring that everyone working or volunteering for the organisation:

• Has undergone an enhanced Criminal Record check from Disclosure and Barring Service;
•  Receive adequate training and supervised appropriately
•  Completes a volunteer induction;
• Reads and follows safeguarding policies.
• Attends committee meetings and contributes towards safeguarding items upon the agenda. This will be based on current legislative, policy and research as directed by the Football Association. 
• All volunteers are competent to report abuse and neglect and know when to appropriately refer.

9. Sharing Information

Caldicott Guidance applies to all information sharing with regard to safeguarding and is adhered to by Crosby United committee and volunteers. 

Anyone collecting information from service users have the primary responsibility for ensuring that it is securely stored and only disclosed in accordance with our agreed policies and procedures on Data Protection and information sharing.

Autonomy, capacity and the ability to consent are key components in working with adults at risk. All adults have a fundamental human right to choose how and with whom they live. This can only be overridden when other people are at risk or where there are questions about mental capacity issues.

The adult at risk and/or their representative should always be involved in the safeguarding process from the outset to the completion. In line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), an assumption of capacity should be made unless there is reason to suspect this is not the case.

THEFA.COM/FOOTBALLSAFE – LET’S MAKE FOOTBALL SAFE – NOT SORRY