Purpose

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The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, at risk adults and beneficiaries of assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with a club member or friend of Rotary.

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Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone working or volunteering, anyone coming into contact with Rotary should expect to feel safe and respected.

 

This includes harm arising from:

• The conduct of a member, friend or personnel associated with the club

• The design and implementation of activities organised by a members of the club

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The policy lays out the commitments made by and informs members and associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.

 

We are a fully inclusive club.

 

What is safeguarding?

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In the UK, safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

 

Definition of abuse

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It is recognised that abuse takes many forms such as:

• Emotional

• Discriminatory

• Physical abuse

• Financial or material abuse

• Inhuman or degrading

• Psychological abuse

• Inappropriate or excessive restraint

• Neglect

• Sexual

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Policy Statement

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Woodbridge Rotary Club believes that everyone we come 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.

 

This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding, child safeguarding, adult safeguarding, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.

 

Woodbridge Rotary Club commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.

 

This policy sets out the central aim of Rotary GB&I safeguarding policy and is to inform members of Woodbridge Rotary Club and the public of:

•Our approach to safeguarding

•How the club and district will do this

•The steps we take to prevent abuse taking place

•The actions that will be taken to deal with abuse if it occurs

 

Prevention

 

Woodbridge Rotary Club will:

•Ensure all members and friends are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy

•Design and undertake all its activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with the public, this includes the way in which information about individuals is gathered and communicated

•Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when managing and deploying members and associated personnel such as friends

•Ensure members 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

 

Member responsibilities

 

Child safeguarding

 

Members and associated personnel must not:

•Engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18

•Sexually abuse or exploit children

•Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect

•Engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labour or trafficking

 

Adult safeguarding

 

Members 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

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Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse

 

Members 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

 

Members 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 another member or friend or associated personnel to the safeguarding lead

 

Enabling reports

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Woodbridge Rotary Club will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to members and the communities we work with.

 

Any members reporting concerns or complaints through formal whistleblowing channels (or if they request it) will be protected.

 

Woodbridge Rotary Club will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.

 

How to report a safeguarding concern

 

Members who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to the safeguarding lead. If the member does not feel comfortable reporting to the safeguarding lead (for example if they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern) they may report to any other appropriate member of the club. For example, this could be the President or other officer or Trustee of the club.

 

The club in turn will report serious concerns relating to abuse to appropriate agencies including the police, social services, local authority designated officers, district safeguarding officer, as well as the Rotary GB&I Compliance Officer.

 

The club is committed to ensuring that Rotarians, friends and other personnel who may be supporting Rotary activities that include working with adults at risk of harm and children, have been selected and have adopted safe practices, have been appropriately trained and where required, have enhanced DBS checks.

 

Response

 

Woodbridge Rotary Club will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and statutory obligations.

 

We will be obliged to work with Rotary GB&I and other statutory authorities in investigating any concerns or complaints.

 

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.

 

Glossary of Terms

 

Child

A person below the age of 18

Harm

Psychological, physical and any other infringement of an individual’s rights

Psychological harm

Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bad name calling, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming, solitary confinement, and isolation.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

The term is used by the humanitarian and development community to refer to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of affected populations by members or associated personnel.

Safeguarding

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples' health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect

Safeguarding means taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm, particularly sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur.

This definition draws from our values and principles and shapes our culture. It pays specific attention to preventing and responding to harm from any potential, actual, or attempted abuse of power, trust, or vulnerability, especially for sexual purposes.

Safeguarding applies consistently and without exception across our members, friends, and other personnel. It requires proactively identifying, preventing, and guarding against all risks of harm, exploitation and abuse and having mature, accountable, and transparent systems for response, reporting, and learning when risks materialise. Those systems must be survivor-centered and protect those accused until proven guilty.

Safeguarding puts beneficiaries and affected people at the center of all we do.

Sexual abuse

The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Sexual exploitation

The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

This definition incudes human trafficking and modern slavery.

Survivor

The person who has been abused or exploited. The term ‘survivor’ is often used in preference to ‘victim’ as it implies strength, resilience and the capacity to survive, however it is the individual’s choice how they wish to identify themselves.

At risk adult

Sometimes also referred to as vulnerable adults. A person who is or may be in need of care by reason of mental or other disability, age, or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

 

The Safeguarding lead for Woodbridge Rotary Club is the clubs President.

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Adopted by Woodbridge Rotary Club.

Dated 22.4.26

Review 21.4.28