In the round Pen | Way of the Horse Coaching facilitated by horses like equine therapy

Safeguarding Policy

Way of the Horse Coaching provides young people and adults, with a wide range of needs, the opportunity to participate in Coaching with horses both inside and outside. We are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all participants, especially bearing in mind that vulnerable young people and adults have a right to be safe and protected from harm.

There has been increasing awareness over the last few years that some individuals who want to harm and abuse vulnerable young people and adults will use centres that provide services for them, as a vehicle to gain access to these groups.

Safeguarding and Child Protection underpins the following principles:

1. A duty of care to safeguard all young people and vulnerable adults from harm. All young people have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled young people and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account. (Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017)
2.All organisations that provide for young people and vulnerable adults should be able to demonstrate the existence, implementation and effectiveness of safeguarding and child protection policies.

SAFEGUARDING and CHILD PROTECTION POLICY STATEMENT

We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all young people and vulnerable adults by protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional harm, and from neglect and bullying. We are committed to meeting this obligation by affording the highest level of care for young people and vulnerable adults through our safeguarding and child protection procedures.

This policy and its procedures apply to all at Way of the Horse Coaching whether they are in a paid or voluntary capacity, here as part of a supporting group, or other designated staff. We will ensure that all those who have direct contact with young people and vulnerable adults complete an appropriate application process and undertake enhanced policy clearance prior to having contact with young people and vulnerable adults.

OBJECTIVES

We have a responsibility to ensure that our activities are free from abuse and that we have put into place adequate measures to report concerns to the appropriate statutory body.

This Policy sets out the following objectives:
1. To ensure that all those who participate in any way whatsoever are aware of the Safeguarding and Child protection procedures set out in this policy.
2. To ensure that there is a dedicated Safeguarding/Child Protection Officer who fully understands the relevant policy and procedures.
3. That all staff and volunteers are conversant with the safeguarding and child protection procedures and ensure they are implemented.
4. The nominated Safeguarding/Child Protection Officer, Joanna Turner will be responsible for the decision to make a referral to the required statutory body.
5. That all paid staff, volunteers and support groups associated with Way of the Horse Coaching are aware of their duty to report any safeguarding incident or alleged child abuse. This may relate directly to an incident onsite or to an alleged incident which has occurred elsewhere.

CODES OF PRACTICE FOR STAFF, TRAINERS, THERAPISTS & VOLUNTEERS

Adherence to best Equine Coaching Interventions practice, as well as open communication with parents, young people and vulnerable adults, should ensure that a safe and enjoyable environment is established and sustained. The duty of care starts from when the young person or vulnerable adult arrives, until they are collected by a parent/guardian/carer. The duty of care is non transferable.

RECOMMENDED GOOD PRACTICE

Always be publicly open when working with young people and vulnerable adults.
Avoid prolonged 1-1 working, unless this is within a designated coaching session.
Care should be taken at all times when working with and particularly when manually supporting young people and vulnerable adults. Ensure you ask and gain
consent if touch/manual support is required for any reason.
Care should be taken when aiding/assisting a disabled person from a wheelchair.
Treat all participants equally with respect and dignity.
Always place the safety/welfare of participants as the highest priority.
Behave in an exemplary manner - role model excellent behaviour.
Motivate participants through positive, constructive feedback.
Create a safe and enjoyable environment.
Obtain written consent from parents if young people need to be transported.
Maintain a written report of any incident or injury together with any subsequent
treatment and immediately complete an accident report form.

PRACTICE TO BE AVOIDED

Spending long periods of time alone with young people away from others.
Taking young people to your home where they will be alone with you.
The above should be avoided except in emergencies. Where a situation is unavoidable, consent should be gained from the young person’s parents, e.g. a young person sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick up a young person at the end of a session.

PRACTICE WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE CONDONED

You should never:

engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games;
share a room with a young person;
allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching;
make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person – even in fun;
allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged;
allow allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged/unrecorded/not acted upon;
do things of a personal nature for a young person if they can do it for themselves, unless you have been requested to do so by the parents or carers (then do so with the utmost discretion);
leave the premises until the young people have safely departed;
abuse your privileged position of power or trust with young people;
cause a participant to lose self esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or
undermining them;
have favourites.

Indicators of Abuse and Bullying - Indications that a young person may be being abused include the following:

Unexplained/suspicious injuries such as bruising/cuts/burns, particularly if situated on a part of the body not normally prone to such injuries.
An injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent.
The young person describes what appears to be an abusive act involving themselves.
Someone else expresses concern about the welfare of a young person.
Unexplained changes in behaviour (becoming very quiet, withdrawn or displaying sudden outbursts of temper).
Inappropriate sexual awareness.
Engaging in sexually explicit behaviour.
Distrust of adults, particularly those with whom a close relationship would normally be expected.
Difficulty making friends.
Being prevented from socialising with other children.
Displaying variations in eating patterns including overeating or loss of appetite.
Losing weight for no apparent reason.
Becoming increasingly dirty or unkempt.
It should be recognised that this list is not exhaustive and the presence of one or more of the indicators is not proof that abuse is actually taking place.
It is NOT the responsibility of those working at Equanimity to decide that child abuse is occurring but it is their responsibility to act on any concerns and inform the designated Safeguarding/Child Protection Officer.
SAFE PRACTICE IN UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES
If any of the following incidents occur you should immediately report them to a colleague and make a written, signed and dated, account of the event. Parents and/or carers should also be informed of the incident:
if you accidentally hurt a young person;
if a young person misinterprets something you have done;
if you have to restrain a young person (minimum force only to be used).
It is impossible to establish guidelines for every situation which may arise but common sense should be used at all times.

The designated Safeguarding/Child Protection Officer is Joanna Turner who will be happy to discuss any queries or issues of concern. Tel. 0434201106 email: jo@wayofthehorsecoaching.com

FURTHER ADVICE AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE FROM:

Adelaide Safeguarding Unit - Abuse prevention line 1800 372 310

CAMHS 1300 222 647

CARL 131 478