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Day: 28 July 2021

Health & Safety

Posted on by POP

Health & Safety

 

All electrical equipment will be tested annually and passed as safe by a qualified electrician.

We will ensure that all office furniture and equipment complies to set standards, as well as other environmental and good practice concerns e.g. frequency of breaks, ventilation etc. 

 

PVCSE staff will ensure that, at the start of the session, someone – ourselves where appropriate – informs all present of the fire procedure for the building, any security arrangements, and any hazard to be aware of.

All electrical leads will be placed away from the thoroughfare.

Where it is unavoidable to have leads spanning the thoroughfare or in other exposed, vulnerable places, they should be taped to the floor, wall or furniture using tape with hazard warning design (eg. black and yellow stripes).

 

Wherever PVCSE is located and hiring desk space there will be at least one First Aid Box, provided by the landlord. Where/if this is not the case PVCSE will ensure that the First Aid Box, Health & Safety at Work Act poster, incident reporting book and accident book are all provided. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

To provide practical guidance on how to comply with the requirements of the Lone Worker Policy, to keep PVCSE workers healthy and safe.  

All Managers must have local procedures for ensuring personal safety of lone workers. This will be proportionate and relate to the type of activity that the worker is involved with, eg meeting POP ideas clients in work premises or public spaces; meeting BBO clients in work spaces or in public places, such as cafes, parks – again think about time of day. A worker working anywhere new should always familiarise his/herself with exit routes. 

  1. Guidelines for lone working visits or meetings in non-public places
  2. Guidelines for Staff that attend meetings alone
  3. A buddy system for staff who are lone working
  4. Guidance: action to be taken after an incident involving a personal ‘attack’​​​​​​​
  5. Procedures to follow if concerns are raised regarding a staff member who is Lone Working 
  6. Checklist: Standard Responsibilities for lone working staff 

It is essential for all staff to be risk aware within their working lives therefore it is an essential and fundamental part of any activity to undertake robust risk assessments in their usual course of work, and particularly when they are lone working. 

PVCSE Commitment to Staff 

No-one shall be required to work alone if to do so presents an unacceptable level of risk.  

No-one is ever expected to enter into or to remain in a situation in which s/he feels vulnerable, intimidated and/or in which s/he is threatened or verbally abused. 

PVCSE accepts its duties as an employer, however also expects that staff will contribute to the management of their own safety while at work 

All those who are expected to work alone as part of their duties shall be provided with appropriate means (e.g. safety equipment, communications, procedures, guidance and training) to reduce and manage identified risks. 

Reducing Staff Vulnerability 

Staff that work alone are sometimes at risk of accusations, including allegations of abuse. When lone working, PVCSE requires that staff seek to avoid putting themselves in situations where we may be vulnerable to such accusations. If you are concerned at any time please report any incidences to your line manager or the H&S rep. 

Risk Assessment and Risk Management 

PVCSE will produce and review every 2 years appropriate risk assessments for lone workers in different environments (office based and community based), and identify measures to reduce the identified risks.  

If there is ever an incident then this will result in an immediate review of policy and procedures, ensuring that PVCSE as an employer is acting within its ‘duty of care’ towards staff and to ensure that appropriate actions were taken at all stages. 

All incidents are to be reported and recorded in the Incident Book, which is kept in the office with the Accident Book. Monitoring incidents and potential incidents ensures effective management in reducing potential risks in the future. Monitoring incidents will be the joint and shared responsibility of the staff member and Trustee with an H&S lead/role.  

Staff are expected to stop and think, before entering a lone-working situation, and  identify risks. On the basis of this lone-working risk assessment they must identify adequate measures and necessary actions – a plan – to minimise these risks, consulting other colleagues as necessary. 

It may be the case that a risk assessment concludes that it is unsafe for a staff member to work alone in a particular context. In such cases, until the risk has been satisfactorily addressed, the staff member must not work alone. This will require alternative solutions such as joint working or attending meetings in public spaces and offices.  

Much of our work lone working  therefore contingency plans with appropriate back-up arrangements are then put in place. 

Risk Assessment Template PVCSE (2)

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Flexible Working

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Flexible Working

4.1 By law all employees have a legal right to request flexible working and employers must deal with the request in a reasonable manner. (Flexible Working Regulations 2014).

4.2 To be eligible an employee must have worked for the organisation for at least 26 weeks. However PVCSE has taken the view that very employee is entitled to submit a request for flexible working, regardless of their length of service.

4.3 An employee can submit one flexible working request in a 12 month period. However an employee can make additional requests if they relate to a statutory entitlement, such as reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

    1. The process is detailed below.
    1. All requests must be made in writing to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
    2. Requests must include:
  • the date of the application
  • the changes that the employee is seeking to their terms and conditions
  • the date from when the employee would like the proposed change to come into effect
  • what effect the employee thinks the requested change would have on the organisation
  • how, in their view, any such effect could be dealt with
  • whether this is a statutory or non-statutory request
  • whether a previous application for flexible working has been made
  • the dates of any previous applications.
    1. If an application does not contain all of the required information their line manager will explain to the employee what further information they need to provide and ask the employee to resubmit the request.

4.8 The employee must make it clear if their request is in relation to the Equality Act 2010, such as a request for reasonable adjustments relating to a disability.

​​​​​​​5.1 On receiving a request the line manager will arrange a meeting with the employee to discuss the request, the proposed working arrangements and how they could benefit both the organisation and the employee. This meeting will be held within 28 days of receipt of the request. This time limit can be extended by agreement with both parties of needed.

If the date is problematic then a further date can be proposed.

5.2 The employee will be given advance notice of the time, date and place for the meeting. With the current COID-19 situation, all such meetings will be virtual.

5.3 The employee can be accompanied by a workplace colleague or trade union representative if they wish.

5.4 If an employee fails to attend a meeting and then fails to attend a rearranged meeting without good reason, PVCSE will consider it withdrawn.

5.5 Where a request can be approved without the need for a meeting, PVCSE will confirm its agreement to the request in writing within 28 days of receiving the application.

5.6 In responding to a flexible working request PVCSE will consider the potential benefits and adverse effects of the proposed changes for the employee and the organisation.

5.7 Each request is considered on a case by case basis. No precedent is set or employee right created simply because one request may be similar to another.

5.8 The employee will be informed in writing no later than 14 days after the meeting has been held (where a meeting has been held).

5.9 PVCSE may grant the request in full, in part or refuse it. It may propose a modified version of the request e.g. the request may be granted on a temporary basis, or the employee may be asked to try the flexible working arrangement for a trial period.

5.10 If the request is agreed then the employee will be sent a confirmation letter which will include details of the new arrangements. The employee should contact their line manager within 14 days if they wish to discuss the new arrangements further or have any concerns.

​​​​​​​6.1 Where there is some uncertainty about whether the flexible working arrangement is practicable for an employee and/or the organisation a trial period may be agreed.

6.2 If a trial period is arranged the organisation will allow enough time for an employee and their manager to implement and become used to the new working practices before taking any decisions on the viability of a new arrangement.

 

​​​​​​​7.1 Where flexible working practices are agreed as a permanent change, a variation will need to be made to the employee’s contract of employment. A new contract of employment will be sent to the employee within 28 days of the change to the employee’s working pattern being agreed.

7.2 If the employee has any questions or concerns about the new contract of employment, they should contact to discuss the matter further with their line manager.

7.3 Where a trial period has been arranged PVCSE will provide the employee with a document that details their new working pattern and makes clear that it is only a temporary variation to the terms of the employee’s contract. This includes start and end dates, although these can be changed in agreement with the employee.

7.4 PVCSE reserves the right, at the end of the agreed trial period, to require the employee to revert to their previous working arrangement.

 

8.1 PVCSE supports an inclusive and diverse workplace and is strongly opposed to any form of victimisation of individuals who work, or request to work under flexible working arrangements.

8.2 If an employee feels that they have been treated unfairly or are dissatisfied with any stage of the flexible process, they should raise their concerns informally with their line manager

8.3 If informal discussions do not resolve the matter to an employee’s satisfaction, they should raise a grievance under the organisation’s grievance procedure.

8.4 An employee can appeal if their request is refused or only agreed in part.

8.5 An employee must lodge an appeal in writing within 14 days of notification of the decision about their application, stating the grounds for the appeal.

8.6 The appeal panel will be made up of the two trustees from the HR Sub Committee.

8.7 The appeal will be heard within 14 days and the employee notified of the outcome within 14 days of the appeal meeting. These time limits can be extended with the agreement of all parties. The panel’s decision is final.

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Complaints

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Complaints

First Steps 

The first thing to do is to let one of us know what your concern is. You can do this by phone on 01752 395131, by email to info@plymouthoctopus.org or in person to any of our staff. She or he will try to resolve your complaint as soon as possible and will contact you with the outcome. 

If Unresolved 

If you are still not satisfied or wish to make a formal complaint, this should be done in writing to info@plymouthoctopus.org or to Plymouth VCSE, Devonport Guildhall, Ker St, Plymouth, PL1 4EL. We will respond in writing, and as soon as is practicably possible, within 21 days of receiving the complaint. 

Your Right to Appeal 

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint you can appeal in writing to the Chair of Plymouth VCSE and your complaint will be heard by a panel of two Trustees of the CIO who have not been involved in the complaint, and one informed but independent person. The panel will be held within one month of the receipt of your appeal. 

The decision of the Appeals Panel will be final.

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Recruitment

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Recruitment

As a result of COVID-19 all interviews will be conducted using a virtual platform such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. This will evolve over time in line with government guidance and advice.

Procedure

Step

Detail

Resources

Answer the following questions.

Is there a need for this job role?

Can the work required be done by others in the organisation, or outsourced?

Have the job role’s purpose and duties changed?

 

If yes, then…  

  

The job role must be clearly defined.

Write an updated Job Description, to include the responsibilities and objectives of the role.

Template

Create a Person Specification that links directly to the job role. 

This states the necessary and desirable criteria for selection, which must be clear, demonstrable and avoid bias in wording.

Template

Collate an information package appropriate for the post.

Job description and person specification  

overview of PVCSE  

project details or funder’s requirements (if appropriate) 

terms and conditions of employment including salary, probationary period and annual leave entitlements 

 

Design the advert

ensure it contains clear and accurate information about the organisation and the role, including

The job description and person specification

The job location

The type of employment offered

The organisation’s core activities and values

The rewards and benefits package, including flexible working where available

Details of how to apply and the deadline.

Template

Attracting candidates Using multiple methods widens the talent pool

POP website

job boards

other professional networking sites such as LinkedIn

local networks

specific outlets to groups not normally recruited e.g. disability magazines, armed forces organisations etc

internal talent pool.

Standard contacts

Applications. Applications are via application form. All applications must be treated in the strictest confidence.  

Increased use of technology offers great alternatives for potential candidates to apply for a role e.g. a pre-recorded video submission and these should be encouraged.

Only application forms or other agreed submissions received by the closing date and time will be accepted for consideration. 

Application form

   

The Selection Process 

  

Appropriate selection procedures

Interview

Presentation

assessment tests

Standard/sample questions

sample presentation topics

Data

All papers must be collated and kept on file. 

All related paperwork should be marked “private & confidential” and filed in an appropriate  place in line with GDPR requirements.

 

Shortlisting.

Minimum two people. A chair or convenor will be selected. 

Applicants must be chosen against the Person Specification.  

Those candidates selected will be invited for interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be informed that they have not been shortlisted. 

 

Interviewing.  

Minimum three people

It is the responsibility of the chair/convenor to record (in writing) the reasons why an applicant is not shortlisted.  

 

Interview pack.

At least one week prior to the interview

  • copies of application forms / CVs (where this has been decided as the best selection method i.e. for short term or specialist tasks – PVCSE Associates)  
  • blank interview report and scoring forms;  
  • a copy of the job advertisement;  
  • a copy of the job description and person specification.
 

Structured interview questions.

must be prepared in advance, so that interview can be conducted systematically and minimise the risk of unconscious bias.

 

Adjustments.

ask candidate to let them know if they need any adjustments or have specific access requirements to attend an interview  or undertake a test.

 

At the interview.

the Chair/convenor will make introductions and explain the process, including notetaking and scoring, and will ensure that the final decisions and scores are collated and summarised, to explain decisions made. It is the responsibility of all those on the panel to ensure that Equal Opportunities legislation is strictly adhered to, with no discrimination shown on any grounds. 

 

Conditional offer

The panel will decide who informs candidates of decisions. 

The successful candidate should be notified verbally as soon as possible, to agree a start date and clarify the starting salary.

The offer must be conditional on any pre-employment check being completed.

 

Unsuccessful candidates

The panel will then decide who and how to inform unsuccessful candidates with the outcome of their interview within two working days. Feedback must be made available on request.

 

Pre-employment checks.

Before an offer of employment is made, POP must check that the candidate has the right to live and work in the UK and that they have the appropriate qualifications and credentials.

The line manager then requests references from two previous employers. 

Where a DBS check is needed, the online system is used.

 

Letter of appointment

A letter of appointment should be sent to the successful candidate, once the verbal offer has been accepted, within one week. 

 

Admin set up

The line manager will then create a personnel file for the new member of staff.

 

Induction

The line manager, in conjunction with other staff, and where appropriate PVCSE trustees will create an individual programme of induction for the new start which will be arranged and agreed at least one week before the appointee commences. 

 

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Data Protection

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Data Protection

Scope

PVCSE is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information.

This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information about you during and after your time as a member or supporter of our organisation, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It applies to all “members”  and supporters (data subjects) of our organisation.

Responsibilities

PVCSE is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. We are required under data protection legislation to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice.

This notice applies to future, current and former data subjects who wish to be involved in our organisation.

This notice does not form part of any contract to provide ours services.

We may update this notice at any time. It is important that you read this notice, together with any other privacy notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal information about you, so that you are aware of how and why we are using such information.

Privacy Notice

Our GDPR Owner and data protection representatives can be contacted directly here:

PVCSE Trustee, 01752 395131

PVCSE, Devonport, Guildhall, Ker Street, Plymouth, PL1 4EL

Data protection principles

We will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about you must be:

  1. Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way.
  2. Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to you and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes.
  3. Relevant to the purposes we have told you about and limited only to those purposes.
  4. Accurate and kept up to date.
  5. Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told you about.
  6. Kept securely.

Your Personal Data

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you:

  • Personal contact details such as name, title, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
  • Start and end dates of any relationship or engagement with our activities or organisation
  • Documentation created and related to any activities you undertake, support or are involved with.
  • Emergency contact details
  • Records of any formal complaints
  • Photographs

Special Categories

There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection. We may on very limited occasions (risk assessments to support any reasonable adjustments required by members) also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:

  • Information about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and political opinions,
  • Information about your health, including any medical condition.
  • Information about criminal convictions and offences.

Collection of data

We collect personal information about data subjects to provide the services, support and advice we offer or from members and supporters who are interested in or who support and engage with our activities.

We will also use the personal details to personalise the communication and improve the experience of all data subjects involved.

We may collect additional personal information throughout the period of your time with our organisation.

Communication (Marketing)

We will also use your personal data to enable us to keep in touch about things that may be of interest to you or about up and coming events. Members and our other supporters (Data subjects) whom we contact will on every occasion be allowed to withdraw consent or update or change their details.

How we will use information about you

We will only use your personal information when the law allows us to or where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances:

  1. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.
  2. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms do not override those interests.
  3. Where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity.

We may also use your personal information in the following situations, which are likely to be rare:

  • Where we need to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests).
  • Where it is needed in the public interest.

Use of your personal information

We need all the categories of information in the list above to pursue legitimate interests (1) of our own or those of third parties, primarily to allow us to enter into contracts with companies, to take steps to enter into contracts or potential contracts and to administer the contracts entered into. We will also use the personal details to personalise the communication and improve the experience of all data subjects involved.

We may also need all the categories of information in the list above to enable us to comply with legal obligations [2]. The situations in which we will process your personal information are listed below. We have indicated by [number] the purpose or purposes for which we are processing or will process your personal information, as well as indicating which categories of data are involved.

  • For registration, enrolment and to administer the membership or supporter relationship during and after a member or supporters time with the organisation. (1)(2)(3)
  • To personalised communication during your time with the organisation (1)(2)
  • To communicate about our activities and events you might be interested to get involved with. (1)(2)
  • For general management and planning, including accounting and auditing. (1)(2)(3)

Some of the above grounds for processing will overlap and there may be several grounds which justify our use of your personal information.

If you fail to provide personal information

If you fail to provide certain information, we may not be able to pursue our legitimate interests, enter into relationships with you as a member or supporter or take the steps to enter into that relationship or we may be prevented from complying with our legal obligations.

Change of purpose

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis or legitimate interest which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law or our legitimate interests and where your interests and fundamental rights or freedoms do not override those interests.

Data sharing

We may have to share your data with third parties, including third-party service providers. We require third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law.

If we do, you can expect a similar degree of protection in respect of your personal information.

Sharing personal data with third parties

We will share your personal information with third parties where required by law, where it is necessary to administer the relationship with you or where we have another legitimate interest in doing so.

Which third-party service providers process my personal information?

“Third parties” includes third-party service providers (including contractors and designated agents) and other entities within our group.

All categories of third-party recipients and service providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

What about other third parties?

We may share your personal information with other third parties, for example in the context of the possible sale, transfer or restructuring of the organisation. We may also need to share your personal information with a regulator or to otherwise comply with the law.

Transferring information outside the EU

We will only transfer the personal information we collect about you between the UK and a non-EU country for limited reasons, including if it is stored on a cloud based data storage system or in order to pursue our legitimate interests where your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms are not overridden.

Non EU countries may not have adequacy decisions by the European Commission in respect to the protection of personal data. This means that some of the countries to which we transfer your data are not deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for your personal information.

Data security

We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information. Details of these measures are available upon request from the PVCSE Trustee with GDPR compliance responsibility.

Third parties will only process your personal information on our instructions and where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure.

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed.

In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors, members and supporters and any other third parties who have a genuine need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.

Data retention

How long will you use my information for?

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Details of retention periods for different aspects of your personal information are available from the PVCSE Trustee. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

In some circumstances, we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you. Once you are no longer a member of our organisation we will retain and securely destroy your personal information in accordance with our data retention periods or applicable laws and regulations.

Rights of access, correction, erasure, and restriction

Your duty to inform us of changes

It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your relationship with us.

Your rights in connection with personal information

Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
  • Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected.
  • Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below).
  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
  • Request the restriction of processing of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.
  • Request the transfer of your personal information to another party.

If you want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact the PVCSE Trustee in writing.

No fee usually required

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances.

What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

Right to withdraw consent

In the limited circumstances where you may have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your personal information for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent for that specific processing at any time. To withdraw your consent, please contact the PVCSE Trustee. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your information for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law.

Where your personal data is used for communication (direct marketing) you will on every occasion be allowed to withdraw consent or update or change your details.

Concerns

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact the PVCSE Trustee. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.

Changes to this privacy notice

We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time, and we will provide you with a new privacy notice when we make any substantial updates. We may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the processing of your personal information.

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact the PVCSE Trustee.

PVCSE Trustee, 01752 395131

PVCSE, Devonport, Guildhall, Ker Street, Plymouth, PL1 4EL

This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information about you during and after your working, voluntary or contract for service relationship with us, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It applies to all employees, workers and contractors. 

Responsibilities 

PVCSE Ltd is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. We are required under data protection legislation to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice. 

This notice applies to current and former employees, workers, volunteers and contractors. This notice does not form part of any contract of employment or other contract to provide services. We may update this notice at any time. 

It is important that you read this notice, together with any other privacy notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal information about you, so that you are aware of how and why we are using such information. 

Privacy notice 

Our GDPR Owner and data protection representatives can be contacted directly here: 

PVCSE Trustee, 01752 395131 

PVCSE, Devonport, Guildhall, Ker Street, Plymouth, PL1 4EL 

Data protection principles 

We will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about you must be: 

  1. Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way. 
  2. Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to you and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes. 
  3. Relevant to the purposes we have told you about and limited only to those purposes. 
  4. Accurate and kept up to date. 
  5. Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told you about. 
  6. Kept securely. 

Your Personal Data 

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data). 

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you: 

  • Personal contact details such as name, title, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal email and IP addresses. 
  • Any personal and employment information included in a CV or cover letter or as part of the application process. 
  • Historic employment records (including job titles, work history, working hours, training records and professional memberships). 
  • Historic employment details (including salary and compensation history from previous employers.) 
  • Pre-employment checks applicable to the position including Right to Work documentation, References, Education and Qualification records, Credit checks, Disclosure and Barring checks, DVLA records, and any other performance, training information you provide from previous employers or clients. 
  • Interview and selection material (including but not limited to interview notes, assessment material, psychometric reports, assessment tests) 
  • Contract for Service agreements or an Recruitment decision letters and emails 
  • Procurement Information 
  • Contracts and Service level Agreements 
  • Date of birth. 
  • Gender. 
  • Next of kin and emergency contact information. 
  • National Insurance number, Bank account details, payroll records and tax status information. 
  • Salary, annual leave, pension and benefits information. 
  • Start date, Location of employment or workplace. 
  • Copy of driving licence and/or passport. 
  • Employment records (including job titles, work history, working hours, training records and professional memberships). 
  • Compensation history. 
  • Performance information. 
  • Disciplinary and grievance information. 
  • CCTV footage and other information obtained through electronic means such as swipecard records. 
  • Information about your use of our information and communications systems. 
  • Photographs. 

Special Categories 

There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection. We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information: 

  • Information about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and political opinions, trade union membership. 
  • Information about your health, including any medical condition, health and sickness records. 
  • Information about criminal convictions and offences. 

Collection of data 

We collect personal information about employees and volunteers through the application and selection process directly from candidates and volunteers. We may sometimes collect additional information from third parties including former employers, the DVLA, credit reference agencies or other background check agencies, employment agencies and third-party providers of psychometric evaluation for selection purposes.  We may collect personal information about associates (contractors) from third parties to facilitate and maintain the contract for service. 

We will collect additional personal information about you in the course of job, volunteering period or during the contract for service related activities throughout the period of you engaged for us.  

How we will use information about you 

We will only use your personal information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances: 

  1. Where we need to fulfil the contract that we have entered into with you. 
  2. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation to perform such processing 
  3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.  
  4. Where it is necessary to carry out our obligations under employment law. 
  5. Where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity. 

We may also use your personal information in the following situations, which are likely to be rare: 

  1. Where we need to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests). 
  2. Where it is needed in the public interest or for official purposes. 

Use of your personal information 

We need all the categories of information in the list above primarily to allow us to perform our contract [1] with you and to enable us to comply with legal obligations [2]. In some cases we may use your personal information to pursue legitimate interests [3] of our own or those of third parties, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. The situations in which we will process your personal information are listed below. We have indicated by [number] the purpose or purposes for which we are processing or will process your personal information, as well as indicating which categories of data are involved.  

  • Making a decision about your recruitment or appointment as a volunteer, employee  or service provider. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Determining the terms on which you work for us. (1)(2)(4) 
  • Checking you are legally entitled to work in the UK. (2)(4) 
  • Paying you and, if you are an employee, deducting tax and National Insurance contributions. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Provide benefits to you and to support work related social events.  (3) 
  • Liaising with your pension provider NEST. (2)(3)(4) 
  • Administering the contract we have entered into with you. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Business management and planning, including accounting and auditing. (3)(5) 
  • Conducting performance reviews, managing performance and determining performance requirements. (2)(3)(5) 
  • Making decisions about salary reviews and compensation. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Assessing qualifications for a particular job or task, including decisions about promotions. (1)(2)(3)(5) 
  • Gathering evidence for possible grievance or disciplinary hearings. (2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Making decisions about your continued employment or engagement as a service provider. (1)(2)(3) 
  • Making arrangements for the termination of our working relationship. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Education, training and development requirements. (2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Dealing with legal disputes involving you, or other employees, workers and contractors, including accidents at work. (2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Ascertaining your fitness to work. Managing sickness absence. (2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • Complying with health and safety obligations. (2)(3)(4)(5) 
  • To prevent fraud. (2)(3)(5) 
  • To monitor your use of our information and communication systems to ensure compliance with our IT policies. (3)(5) 
  • To ensure network and information security, including preventing unauthorised access to our computer and electronic communications systems and preventing malicious software distribution. (3)(5) 
  • To conduct data analytics studies to review and better understand employee retention and attrition rates. (3) 
  • Equal opportunities monitoring. (3) 

Some of the above grounds for processing will overlap and there may be several grounds which justify our use of your personal information.  

If you fail to provide personal information 

If you fail to provide certain information when requested, we may not be able to enter into a contract or perform the contract we have entered into with you (such as paying you or providing a benefit), or we may be prevented from complying with our legal obligations (such as to ensure the health and safety of our workers). We may be prevented from allowing you to volunteer or work for us in whatever capacity. 

Change of purpose 

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.  

Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law. 

Sensitive personal information  

“Special categories” of particularly sensitive personal information require higher levels of protection. We need to have further justification for collecting, storing and using this type of personal information. We may process special categories of personal information in the following circumstances: 

  • In limited circumstances, with your explicit written consent. 
  • Where we need to carry out our legal obligations and in line with our data protection policy. 
  • Where it is needed in the public interest, such as for equal opportunities monitoring or in relation to our occupational pension scheme, and in line with our data protection policy. 
  • Where it is needed to assess your working capacity on health grounds, subject to appropriate confidentiality safeguards. 
  • Less commonly, we may process this type of information where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public.  
  • We may also process such information about employee / workers / volunteers / contractors or former employees/workers/volunteers/contractors in the course of legitimate business activities with the appropriate safeguards. 

Our obligations 

We will use your particularly sensitive personal information in the following ways: 

  • We will use information relating to leaves of absence, which may include sickness absence or family related leaves, to comply with employment and other laws. 
  • We will use information about your physical or mental health, or disability status, to ensure your health and safety in the workplace and to assess your fitness to work, to provide appropriate workplace adjustments, to monitor and manage sickness absence and to administer benefits. 
  • We will use information about your race or national or ethnic origin, religious, philosophical or moral beliefs, or your sexual identity, to ensure meaningful equal opportunity monitoring and reporting.  
  • We will use trade union membership information to pay trade union premiums, register the status of a protected employee and to comply with employment law obligations. 

Consent 

We do not need your consent if we use special categories of your personal information in accordance with our written policy to carry out our legal obligations or exercise specific rights in the field of employment law.  

In limited circumstances, we may approach you for your written consent to allow us to process certain particularly sensitive data.  

If we do so, we will provide you with full details of the information that we would like and the reason we need it, so that you can carefully consider whether you wish to consent. You should be aware that it is not a condition of your contract with us that you agree to any request for consent from us. 

Information about criminal convictions 

We may only use information relating to criminal convictions where the law allows us to do so. This will usually be where such processing is necessary to carry out our obligations and provided we do so in line with our General Data Protection Policy  

Less commonly, we may use information relating to criminal convictions where it is necessary in relation to legal claims, where it is necessary to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public.  

We may also process such information about members or former members in the course of legitimate business activities with the appropriate safeguards. 

We envisage that we will hold information about criminal convictions. We will only collect information about criminal convictions if it is appropriate given the nature of the role and where we are legally able to do so or where it is necessary for the legitimate interests pursued by data controller (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.  

Where appropriate, we will collect information about criminal convictions as part of the recruitment process, as part of any changes to responsibilities and positions during employment or we may be notified of such information directly by you in the course of you working for us. We will use information about criminal convictions and offences in the following ways: 

  • Making a decision about your recruitment or appointment as a service provider or volunteer. 
  • Checking you are legally entitled to work in the UK. 
  • Making decisions about your continued employment or engagement as a service provider or volunteer. 
  • Making arrangements for the termination of our working, volunteering or contractual relationship. 
  • Complying with any Safer Recruitment obligations 
  • Complying with health and safety obligations. 
  • Where the position is exempt from the Rehabilitations of Offenders Act 
  • To prevent fraud. 

We are allowed to use your personal information in this way to carry out our obligations where posts involve a far greater degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults or groups such as the elderly or those experiencing mental illness or where there is significant financial responsibility as part of the employee’s responsibilities. 

Automated decision-making 

Automated decision-making takes place when an electronic system uses personal information to make a decision without human intervention. We are allowed to use automated decision-making in the following circumstances: 

  • Where we have notified you of the decision and given you 21 days to request a reconsideration. 
  • Where it is necessary to perform the contract with you and appropriate measures are in place to safeguard your rights. 
  • In limited circumstances, with your explicit written consent and where appropriate measures are in place to safeguard your rights. 
  • If we make an automated decision on the basis of any particularly sensitive personal information, we must have either your explicit written consent or it must be justified in the public interest, and we must also put in place appropriate measures to safeguard your rights. 

We do not envisage that you will not be subject to decisions that will have a significant impact on you based solely on automated decision-making, unless we have a lawful basis for doing so and we have notified you, however we will notify you in writing if this position changes. 

Data sharing 

We may have to share your data with third parties, including third-party service providers and other entities in the group. We require third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We may transfer your personal information outside the EU. 

If we do, you can expect a similar degree of protection in respect of your personal information. 

Sharing personal data with third parties 

We will share your personal information with third parties where required by law, where it is necessary to administer the working relationship with you or where we have another legitimate interest in doing so.  

Which third-party service providers process my personal information? 

“Third parties” includes third-party service providers (including contractors and designated agents) and other entities within our group. The following third-party service providers process personal information about you for the following purposes:  

Names of Providers 

Activities carried out 

St Luke’s HR Team 

HR Consultancy support 

Nest 

Pension Provider 

HMRC 

Tax and National Insurance purposes 

Chas Shaw 

Payroll purposes 

Charities Commission 

Registration of Organisation and those on Governing Body 

All our third-party service providers and other entities in the group are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. 

We will share your personal information with other entities in our group as part of our regular reporting activities on company performance, in the context of a business reorganisation or group restructuring exercise, for system maintenance support and hosting of data. 

What about other third parties? 

We may share your personal information with other third parties, for example in the context of the possible sale or restructuring of the business. We may also need to share your personal information with a regulator or to otherwise comply with the law. 

Transferring information outside the EU 

On a limited, infrequent non-repetitive basis we will transfer personal information we collect about you to countries outside the EU if your role involves supporting our customers with commission of equipment and machinery, training, maintenance or breakdown support. There may not be adequacy decisions by the European Commission in respect of some of the countries. This means that some of the countries to which we transfer your data too are not deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for your personal information.  

Therefore, we will only transfer your personal details with your explicit consent after having been made aware of risks. 

We will only transfer the minimum amount of personal data required to enable your safe travel, stay and to enable you to undertake your work related to the contract at the customers premises whilst in the third-party country, or should the situation arise to, protect your vital interests whilst working in the third-party county.  

This will; include your name, passport details, mobile phone number, email details, training and qualification records. No personal bank details or financial information will be transferred.  

In addition, the transfer of personal data to a third country or an international organisation will only take place only if the transfer is not repetitive, concerns only a limited number of data subjects, is necessary for the purposes of a compelling legitimate interests pursued by the controller which does not override the interests or rights and freedoms of the employee.  

Data security 

We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information. Details of these measures are available upon request from the PVCSE Trustee. 

Third parties will only process your personal information on our instructions and where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure. 

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know.  

They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.  

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so. 

Data retention 

How long will you use my information for? 

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.  

Details of retention periods for different aspects of your personal information are available by contacting the PVCSE Trustee. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.  

In some circumstances, we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you. Once you are no longer an employee, worker or contractor of the company we will retain and securely destroy your personal information in accordance with our data retention policy or applicable laws and regulations. 

Rights of access, correction, erasure, and restriction  

Your duty to inform us of changes 

It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your working relationship with us.  

Your rights in connection with personal information 

Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to: 

  • Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it. 
  • Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected. 
  • Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below). 
  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes. 
  • Request the restriction of processing of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it. 
  • Request the transfer of your personal information to another party.  

If you want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact the PVCSE Trustee in writing.  

No fee usually required 

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances. 

What we may need from you 

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. 

Right to withdraw consent 

In the limited circumstances where you may have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your personal information for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent for that specific processing at any time. To withdraw your consent, please contact the PVCSE Trustee. 

Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your information for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law. 

Data protection officer 

We have not appointed a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee compliance with this privacy statement. 

Concerns 

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact the PVCSE Trustee. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. 

Changes to this privacy notice 

We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time, and we will provide you with a new privacy notice when we make any substantial updates. We may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the processing of your personal information.  

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact  

PVCSE Trustee, 01752 395131 

PVCSE, Devonport, Guildhall, Ker Street, Plymouth, PL1 4EL 

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Safeguarding

Posted on by POP

Safeguarding

Whilst we recognise that PVCSE as an ‘infrastructure organisation, supporting the voluntary and community sector, has very little direct contact with children and young people, there:

  • May be times where we do have direct contact;
  • As sector ‘leaders’ we need to ensure we understand the basics of what other organisations should be doing.

Key information

PVCSE Safeguarding Lead

Matt Bell  (07714 242549)

Plymouth & Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership

https://www.ptscp.co.uk/

Plymouth Gateway Service

01752 668000 (select option 1)

gateway@plymouth.gov.uk

If emergency medical attention is required, this can be secured by calling an ambulance (dial 999) or taking a child to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department OR if a child is in immediate danger the police should be contacted (dial 999).

  1. What is child abuse?

There are many different types of child abuse and many ways in which abuse can occur. The main forms of abuse are:

  • Physical abuse – where a child is physically hurt, injured or killed.  This can involve hitting, shaking, squeezing, burning and biting.  It also includes giving a child poisonous substances, inappropriate drugs and alcohol, and attempting suffocation or drowning.  In some cases, excessive force may be used when feeding or changing a child’s nappy.
  • Sexual abuse – where children (girls and boys) are sexually abused by adults or other children who use them to meet their own sexual needs.  This might be sexual intercourse, and also includes fondling, masturbation, oral sex, anal intercourse and exposing children to pornographic material – including videos.
  • Neglect – where parents or carers fail to meet the basic and essential needs of their children to have food, clothes, warmth and medical care.  Leaving children alone and unsupervised is also an example of neglect.  Parents not giving love and affection to their children is an example of emotional neglect.
  • Emotional abuse – where constant lack of love and affection, or threats, verbal attacks, taunting and shouting can lead to a loss of confidence and self-esteem, making a child nervous and withdrawn, or conversely, displaying challenging behaviour e.g. displays of bullying behaviour similar to that they are victim of.​​​​​​​

What might make you worry?

  • Is the child doing something that is unusual for the child?
  • Is the child over-friendly with strangers?
  • Do you recognise any or some of the following behaviours in the child?
    • Frequent mood changes.
    • Unusual eating patterns e.g. always hungry.
    • Change in appearance.
    • Quiet and withdrawn, a loner, under confident.
    • Angry, short attention span, attention seeking, under confident.
    • Never wants to go home.
    • Tired looking.
    • Seductive behaviour.
    • Frequent bruises (particularly on fleshy parts).
    • Gives the impression of being unloved and unhappy.

Who might be abusing the child?

Abuse can happen inside and outside the family.  It might be a parent or carer but it could be a member of the wider family, a family friend, a neighbour, a youth worker, church worker, teacher, play-worker or a volunteer working with children or young people.  It could be another child.  It could be a member of staff or a volunteer in this organisation.

Do’s and don’ts

Remember that children are vulnerable individuals who do not always communicate their anxieties or concerns in ‘usual’ ways.  This is particularly important if a child has special needs or disabilities.

If you suspect child abuse:

Do tell your line manager.

Don’t examine the child.

Do realise that your concerns could be significant and should be passed on.

Don’t ask leading questions – allow the child to tell their own story.

If the child tells you something has happened:

Do allow the child to do the talking.

Don’t postpone or delay the opportunity to listen.

Do listen – take the child seriously.

Don’t ask leading questions.

Do remain calm and caring.

Don’t allow your own feelings (such as anger, pity or shock) to surface.

Do allow the child to finish.

Don’t make false promises (e.g. that you will keep ‘the secret’).

Do record the conversation as soon as possible afterwards using the child’s own words.

Don’t interpret what you have been told; just record it.

Do refer to your line manager and the Safeguarding Lead.

  

Do share your concerns – you are not expected to handle it alone.

  

Do tell the child what you are going to do.  Communicate with the child in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding, language preference and abilities.

  

Is the information offered confidential?

No. All information should be recorded. The information will be passed to children’s services if a referral is made. If a referral is not made, concerns should still be shared with the family. There are times that when you should NOT discuss your concerns with the family:

  • Where sexual abuse or sexual exploitation is suspected
  • Where organised or multiple abuse is suspected.
  • Where Fabricated or Induced Illness (previously known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) is suspected
  • Where Female Genital Mutilation is the concern
  • In cases of suspected Forced Marriage
  • Where contacting or discussing the referral would place a child, yourself, or others at immediate risk.

Professionals working with the family also need to be aware of previous concerns. A strategy to manage the sharing of information should be formed with the Safeguarding Lead.

How do I know whether it is definitely child abuse?

Naming the concern as ‘child abuse’ is less important that assessing the level of risk posed to the child. You may feel unsure in your judgement, the Safeguarding Lead and / or the Plymouth Gateway will be able to advise on whether there needs to be a referral made to Children’s Services. You can have an anonymous discussion about your concerns without disclosing the identity of the family at this stage.

You may have this discussion with either of the following:

PVCSE Safeguarding Lead is currently Matt Bell. The role of the nominated officer is to:

  • To provide a single point of contact between PVCSE and the statutory child protection agencies- children’s social care and the police.
  • To offer consultation and advice about safeguarding and child protection concerns pertaining to the activity of PVCSE.

At this stage do not discuss your concerns further with a potential abuser, even if they are the parents or carers. Doing this could put the child at greater risk of harm.

Making a referral.

If the discussion with the Safeguarding Lead / Plymouth Gateway concludes that there is a risk to the child; at this point you will be required to share your personal details and those of the child and family you are referring. Give all the information you have no matter how insignificant it might seem. When referring a child to Children’s Services consider and include any information you have on the child, their developmental needs and their parents’/carers’ ability to respond to these needs within the context of their wider family and environment. To refer to the Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS) contact the Plymouth Gateway on 01752 668000 (select option 1) and use the referral form here:

http://www.plymouthscb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MASH-New-Referral-Form-2.docx

If a referral is accepted by CYPS an investigation into the child’s situation takes place at once. In exceptional circumstances, the evidence of an individual may be required in a Court of Law.

Whether the conclusion is that the child is or is not at risk, every effort should be made to handle information discreetly for the benefit of the child and their family by working openly and in partnership with parents or carers and other professionals. This helps identify lower level needs and appropriate action can still be taken. It encourages the spirit of cooperation that makes it easier to share information, which is important when child abuse is suspected. The Safeguarding Lead will be able to offer you practice supervision to manage information sharing appropriately.

Recording

It is vitally important that any disclosure made in confidence is recorded factually as soon as possible. An accurate account should be made of:

  • All known personal details of the child, for example: Name of Child, Date of Birth, Addresses of child, parent / carers and other relevant family members.
  • Date and time of what has occurred and the time the disclosure was made
  • Provide full and accurate details of the issues and concerns. To include details of any persons believed to pose a risk to the child, in the event of a disclosure: the exact words used by the child. Be as observational as possible with no judgements.
  • Record of discussion with Safeguarding Lead and Plymouth Gateway.
  • Immediate action to be taken, and by whom.
  • What is Children’s Services involvement with this child: open / closed, any history?
  • Agreed strategy to monitor the situation and protect the child

​​​​​​​If you have information which suggest an adult who works with children or young people (in a paid or unpaid capacity) has:

  • Behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child
  • Possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to a child

You should speak immediately with the Safeguarding Lead.  They will consult with / make a referral to the LADO for the relevant area. The Local Authority Delegated Officer is Marie Partridge who can be contacted in Children’s Social Care on Plymouth 01752 306340 or email LADO@plymouth.gov.uk.

LADO enquiries and/or concerns can also be managed by colleagues in the Safeguarding & Quality Assurance Team within Children’s Social Care (01752 306340). For advice and guidance ‘out of normal office hours’ (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) please contact the Plymouth Out of Hours Service on 01752 346984.

  • Raise concern with manager
  • Online referral
  • Advice line
That all Trustees, any staff employed by PVCSE and all Associates undertaking specific pieces of work directly with children and young people will be recruited using safe recruitment practices, including the taking up of references and a DBS check, to ensure that they are suitable individuals to take on each role.

The detail of this process is within the Recruitment Policy.

PVCSE Trustees and staff will be provided with training and induction to assist them to fulfil their duties.

POP ideas is PVCSE’s capacity building service. It provides funding advice and project/business advice to VCSE groups and organisations via 1:1 client support or group support from training workshops.

Through the 1:1 group/organisational support the POP ideas team is to take appropriate action to ensure groups/organisations are supported to promote the welfare of children and young people.  They will ensure this is achieved by:​​​​​​​

  • All POP ideas staff providing 1:1 support will ask the group/organisation that they are supporting, if they have a safeguarding policy in place.
  • If this safeguarding policy needs updating or drafting from scratch then POP ideas staff will provide this organisational support as part of the capacity building service.
  • The POP ideas team will discuss this action note and support to be provided at a team meeting in order to assist them to fulfil their duties. 
Purpose: This document covers the role and responsibilities that POP has with regards to the support given to citizens that form Street-to-Scale ‘banks’ and the activities they carry out in direct relationship to potential impacts on vulnerable people.

Street-to-Scale

Street-to-Scale is an experimental method for building connection, trust and social connection in communities. Citizens come together to spend small amounts of money to improve their home neighbourhoods. Street-to-Scale provides the banking and communication infrastructure, and measures impact on social networks and trust.

The innovation is the brainchild of a group of young people working with social entrepreneur Charlie Howard and Ratio, a centre for design and learning. POP is one of several organisations around the U.K. testing of Street-to-Scale in different contexts.

Background to document

This document has been informed through open conversations with both internal and external stakeholders, including Michael Little at Ratio author of:

  • [The Blue Book] Child protection – Messages from research, by R. Bullock, M. Little, S. Millham & K. Mount, UK: HMSO 1995, ISBN 0 11 3217811

Safeguarding in this context

Currently the response to safeguarding, rightly, comes from a state and organisational perspective. It focuses on the risk of people being harmed in that context. By definition only visible harm is seen. Research shows that a significant amount of harm is never seen by these state interventions

  • Hobbs, T., Tobin, K., Ellis, D., Axford, N., Morpeth, L., & Little, M. Three Circles: the overlap of needs and service provision. Dartington Social Research Unit. February 2019.

This is the diagram for 9-16 year olds​​​​​​​

And some key messages come out of this research:

“First, as anticipated, the extent of children’s need in communities exceeds the capacity of services available to meet that need. For the older children, there is sufficient provision only to meet half of the identified need.

Second, some services designed for children with highend needs appear to be used by children with lower level needs. This is a challenging statement and one that might reasonably upset hard-pressed practitioners. Along with the other findings they require validation, but we think the results will hold up.

Third, there are many with high-end needs that receive no high-end services. Despite what may be similar profiles of high-need, some children receive services, whereas others do not.”

Within the context of Street-to-Scale, we also must acknowledge that alongside the visible and hidden harm we also experience significant levels of visible and hidden good.

Context Rules

  • Examination of how harm (visible and hidden) through bullying or more harmful behaviours shows that context matters significantly. The negative side of this is seen in the famous Milgram experiment and institutional racism where good people can perform bad things. The opposite is also true shown through studies of bullying where peers having a sense of collective responsibility or eliminate bullying behaviour as well as studies of how communities respond to crime and gang culture.
  • Additionally the famous Dunedin study (amongst many others) that show despite harm being experienced, children with protective factors (largely relationship based) lead healthier lives.

The primary ‘safeguarding’ factor is the context Street-to-Scale creates through its design. We are minimising the chances and opportunities for poor behaviour to develop by giving the bank the responsibility, the trust and the constraints to build the right environment for positive behaviour and action. This builds trust and the protective factors (relationships) that our communities and our children need.

Design elements:

Whilst still experimental, after 100 tests, certain design principles are falling out as critical:

  • Funding is present – this drives engagement and action. Through action people are able to deepen trust.
  • Transparent communications – through the use of WhatsApp all communication is visible to everyone in the bank and to Street-to-Scale.
  • The following 3 principles act together to create mutual accountability, spread power and increase reach. These factors strongly act against 1 person taking control maliciously or unintentionally and create a collective sense of purpose which we know further acts against unethical behaviour.
    • Separation of duties – bank members are responsible for convening the group and card holders for spending the money. This separation is important to ensure accountability is spread across the group and to encourage widening out of membership.
    • ​​​​​​​Minimum 3 bank members + cardholders – This widens the reach of the banks and spreads trust even wider.

Only young people and vulnerable adults over the age of 16 can use WhatsApp:

  • guide them to seek parental consent to participate in Street to Scale. We do not require a consent form, we trust the young person to do the right thing.
  • work in teams of three using a single card, thus strengthening the trust relationship within each bank.
  • suggest a parent/carer/worker to be a silent member of the WhatsApp group.

The tensions:

In addition to the issue of safeguarding experience, lessons and knowledge in Plymouth (and beyond) that would benefit anyone engaging with Street-to-Scale. To not make an offer to help them would appear ‘uncaring’. But offering help can sometimes removes agency. We must therefore primarily rely on offering support and for people to ask for it rather than make it an expectation.

Therefore the question guiding this piece of work is:

“How do we maximise agency in citizen action, whilst maximising the transparency and openness of relationships, whilst reducing the opportunity for harm?”

By raising this tension and bringing it into view, POP hopes the conversations that develop allow us to balance this tension and keep the Street-to-Scale environment as safe as possible whilst still achieving the aims of the scheme and maximising the benefit for everyone.

Making an offer, without negatively impacting on agency:

In addition to the design elements above, POP will further enhance the safety through:

  • Using language and communication at the very start of the process that acts as a deterrent to anyone thinking about using the opportunity to seek contact with vulnerable members of the community. This will start by being about achieving good for the community and communications will highlight the design principles above.  
  • All groups are invited to read an online resource that includes information about diversity, safeguarding, health & safety etc alongside inspiring ideas about what they could do together.
  • After the 8 weeks of activity, for those citizens that want to do more, it would be a great opportunity to engage them in more in depth conversations about how inappropriate/ uncomfortable behaviour can be identified, managed, addressed and reported. 
    • Debrief and celebration events and ongoing contact with the banks.
    • An open offer around safeguarding training, awareness of the PANTS campaign etc would be made.

What else did we consider?

Within the natural constraint of Street-to-Scale i.e. Street-to-Scale ‘banks’ are not constituted organisations we considered the following actions, but decided these would place a disproportionate degree of restriction. Given the nature of funding, most restrictions can only be enforced prior to funding being received. Once received it can only be expectations that are set.

  • Requiring groups to have carried out training prior to receiving funding
    • This has been judged to significantly reduce agency, delay action, reduce momentum and would prevent many people from taking part.
  • Where children & young people are involved, setting a high level of expectation is set that the group understand how to keep themselves and others safe by engaging in training.
    • The measures in place are judged to be sufficient and this measure again would reduce agency, delay action, reduce momentum and would prevent many people from taking part.
  • Requiring groups to invite POP to meet everyone prior to receiving funding.
    • This has been judged to significantly reduce agency, delay action, reduce momentum and would prevent many people from taking part.
  • Remove funding for any group working with vulnerable members of the community. 
    • This has been judged to be unfair at this stage as the most vulnerable members of the community are likely to be those who will benefit the most.
  • During the process to an open offer around safeguarding training, awareness of the PANTS campaign etc would be made.
  • Questions are ‘dropped-in’ to the WhatsApp chats about ethics and helpful prompts.
    • These two measures have been judged to reduce agency by issuing undue expectation. This however will be kept in review.
  • Require a m​inimum of 3 cardholders –  This may further widen accountability and eliminates money i.e. power residing in one or two people. However, in practice this can ‘get in the way’ of the group forming and operating. 

However, we will be keeping the situation under review

Risk log representing the risks of harm directly or indirectly as a result of Street-to-Scale:​​​​​​​

Situation

Risks

Mitigation through Street-to-Scale design

Additional actions

An individual joins the ‘bank’ seeking a position to abuse vulnerable members of the community
  • The individual gains status in the wider community
  • The individual builds relationships within the group (higher risk if group meets face-to-face)
  • (if cardholder) funds could be used for direct purposes to build relationships with vulnerable members of the community
  • WhatsApp is used for communications making discussion transparent.
  • Irregular and non-intensive interaction only lasts 8 weeks.
  • All personal details are known of all people in the ‘bank’.
  • Communications clearly highlight the transparency and openness expected of ‘bank’ participants.
  • Using language and communication at the very start of the process that acts as a deterrent to anyone thinking about using the opportunity to seek contact with vulnerable members of the community

An individual joins the ‘bank’ and has a history of perpetrating abuse and knowledge becomes widespread
  • The individual is ostracised and their journey back to living a productive life is harmed.
  • Other people in the group have previous trauma ‘triggered’.
  • It is not targeting vulnerable groups. It is a universal offer.
  • Include a section in the Street-to-Scale inspiration pack about caring for your community (to include safeguarding & rehabilitation of offenders).

An individual joins the ‘bank’ and has a history of being abused and shares it with the group
  • Vicarious trauma
  • Irregular and non-intensive interaction only lasts 8 weeks – sometimes people never meet face-to-face.
  • Questions to Street-to-Scale can be posted at anytime through WhatsApp.
  • Make a clear offer of support during and post Street-to-Scale.
  • Be ready to offer training if required.

Participants within the group are vulnerable (frail, young, learning disability)
  • The rest of the group do not know how to support vulnerable people
  • Irregular and non-intensive interaction only lasts 8 weeks.
  • When citizens are aged 15 years or under it is required they:
    • seek parental consent to participate in Street to Scale, including use of WhatsApp.
    • work in teams of three using a single card, thus strengthening the trust relationship within each bank.
  • WhatsApp used to monitor conversations and groups at risk are flagged for additional attention.
  • Individuals and groups are met with to understand their learning & journey. Issues will be picked up and worked through.
  • Make a clear offer of support during and post Street-to-Scale.
  • Be ready to offer training if required.

The group carries out activities with children, young people or vulnerable groups
  • The group carry out an activity that places vulnerable people at risk
  • 8 weeks and £1000 will minimise engagement.
  • Include a section in the Street-to-Scale inspiration pack about running events for children, young people or vulnerable groups.
  • Make a clear offer of support during and post Street-to-Scale.
  • Be ready to offer training if required.

Having a credit card and easy access to funds
  • May make participants a person of interest e.g. to drug dealers working on the street.
  • Funds could be used to buy something harmful, a weapon, drugs etc.
  • Financial transactions are transparent.
  • Only card transactions are allowed.
  

A participant does something wrong/the group disagree with
  • A participant is ostracised because of who they are or what they do.
  • WhatsApp used to monitor conversations and monitored to pick up on conflict within the groups.
  • Individuals and groups are met with to understand their learning & journey. Issues will be picked up and worked through.
  

A community event is run and vulnerable members of the community attend.
  • Groups don’t know the best way to manage community events.
  

Hints and tips given through Street-to-Scale inspiration pack.
DO:
  • Do treat any allegations extremely seriously and act at all times towards the vulnerable adult/child as if you believe what they are saying.
  • Do tell the vulnerable adult/child they are right to tell you.
  • Do reassure them that they are not to blame and did the right thing by telling you. 
  • Do be honest about your own position, who you have to tell and why.
  • Do tell the vulnerable adult/child what you are doing and when, and keep them up to date with what is happening.
  • Do take further action – you may be the only person in a position to prevent future abuse – tell your nominated person immediately.
  • Do write down everything said and what was done.
  • Remain calm and in control but don’t delay acting.
  • If any allegation is related to the conduct of a PVCSE Designated Officer, notification must be made to the Board of Trustees of PVCSE. If it involves a Trustee then notification must be made to the relevant Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)  

DON’T:

  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
  • Don’t interrogate the vulnerable adult/child – it is not your job to carry out an investigation – this will be up to the police and social care, who have experience in this.
  • Don’t cast doubt on what the vulnerable adult/child has told you, don’t interrupt or change the subject.
  • Don’t say anything that makes the vulnerable adult/child feel responsible for the abuse.
  • Don’t do nothing – make sure you tell your nominated Safeguarding person immediately – they will know how to follow this up and where to go for further advise.

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COVID-19 Response

Posted on by POP

COVID-19 Response

Given the fluid and changing nature of the situation we have assigned roles and a clear decision making process. For the purposes of this process the responsibilities are as follows:

    1. Scrutiny: lead trustee: check in and ensure good decisions are being made
    2. Oversight: Matt: ensure that this policy is compliant with current employment legislation, updated advice and guidance is provided for all staff, trustees are updated regularly and that a current risk assessment is in place
    3. Implementation: Imogen, Deborah, Rowan, Chris and Charlotte:
      1. Action is implemented in line with risk assessments and team agreements
      2. Any changes are taken back to the team for discussion.
      3. Inform their line manager if they are displaying COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with others displaying symptoms
      4. Observe all social distancing, hygiene and infection controls in the workplace, and ensure that hazards and incidents are correctly reported.

Within the workplace POP is further reducing the risk by:

  • Restricting office working
  • Using back to back or side on working layouts
  • Ensuring that each person has their own equipment
  • Initiating a clean surfaces policy to help keep the risk of infection low.

Our main aim is to ensure that staff, volunteers and trustees under this policy are met and that they are treated fairly.

Decisions will be made on the basis of:

  • Government guidance
  • HSE guidance
  • Plymouth City Council Public Health advice and guidance
  • Individual staff circumstance
  • Effective fulfilment of POP+s mission and purpose
  • Funders requirements
  • Availability of safeguarding measures.

How decisions will be made:

  • Any new proposal will be taken to monthly team meetings
  • If there is disagreement/difficult judgement, it will be taken to the trustees for input
  • A plan will be put in place and implemented
  • It will be regularly reviewed in line with the roles and responsibilities set out in point 2.

The following are measures we can take in line with government guidance and in agreement with staff and trustees. They are grouped as follows:

  1. Home working
  2. Social distancing and hygiene in the workplace
  3. Shared premises
  4. Wellbeing and support
  5. Information and guidance
  6. Accident and incident reporting.

Homeworking (temporary)

There are measures to keep everyone safe, well and achieving at home.

  1. Regular opportunities to keep in touch with weekly calls and a weekly social drop in
  2. Availability for basic adjustments and equipment to be bought or replaced as required.
  3. Self assessment for safe working at home (link to HSE guide here)
  4. Check in during staff one to one meetings for work, but also health and wellbeing.
  5. Ensure that good data protection practices are in place, as required by GDPR.
  6. A WhatsApp group for out of hours communication.

Social distancing and hygiene in the workplace

These are measures to keep everyone safe, well and achieving in the workplace. Staff and volunteers must observe these at all times.

  1. There will be a shift system for office working set up in agreement with staff, specifying who will be working there between what hours on what days.
  2. Start and finish times and breaks will be staggered.
  3. There will be markers on the floor to help staff observe social distancing correctly at all times.
  4. Visitors will not be allowed to the offices until further notice and so virtual platforms will be used to hold meetings with trustees, volunteers, members, associates etc.
  5. Hand sanitiser and paper towels will be provided to support hygiene and to keep work areas clean.
  6. There will be regular reminders to staff for wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water and the importance of proper drying of hands,
  7. Where possible remote working will replace face to face working until further notice.
  8. Workstations will be moved if possible, to implement back to back or side on working.
  9. Screens will be installed to prevent the spread of infection.
  10. Staff will be provided with separate equipment to enable them to work safely
  11. Sanitising equipment will be provided to be used with a ‘clean as you use’ process in place.
  12. Staff will wear PPE issued to them when using public transport.
  13. There will be disposable face masks available in the office in the event that first aid needs to be administered.
  14. A ‘clear surface’ policy will be implemented to keep surfaces free of objects, which will make them easier to keep clean. Staff will be required to wipe down their desk area and equipment with antibacterial wipes provided ag the end of the working day.
  15. Staff using the office will bring their own utensils and food/drink items with them and take them home again at the end of office working.
  16. Shared equipment will be cleaned using a ‘clean as you use’ process and sanitising equipment will be provided. This includes such items as printers, shredders, kettle and coffee makers etc.
  17. Taking receipt of goods delivered ; have specific drop off points at the main door. Nominated individuals to collect the packages. Additional manual handling training. Minimise contact with delivery person in line with guidance.
  18. Ensure that clear signage is in place to help people know what is expected of them.

Shared Premises

These are measures to ensure staff feel safe and are able to work well and achieve in the workplace.

  1. Prior to staff returning to the workplace POP organise a deep clean and undertaken a site specific risk assessment. This will involve common areas of work, such as door handles, handrails and keypads, together with shared work equipment.
  2. Ensure that staff know how to make use of other facilities, such as toilets, particularly in a shared premises.
  3. Arrange for a deep clean of the office once a week and for bins and waste paper baskets to be emptied twice a day.
  4. Where possible, doors (excluding fire doors) to be left open to reduce the numbers of people touching door knobs etc.
  5. Taking receipt of goods delivered: have specific drop off points at the main door. Nominated individuals to collect the packages. Additional manual handling training. Minimise contact with delivery person in line with guidance.
  6. Ensure that clear signage is in place to help people know what is expected of them.

Information and guidance

These are measures to ensure that you get the information and guidance you need to remain safe, well and achieve whilst at work.

  1. Any changes to agreed office working rotas, when and where breaks happen, arrival and departure times from work, when staff need to clean parts of their work area and hygiene procedures will need to be communicated using Microsoft Teams and discussed at team meetings.
  2. Guidance on these measures will be updated in line with newest government advice.
  3. Trustees will be updated at monthly board meetings, even when there is no change, so that they can exercise their due diligence and governance roles effectively.
  4. The COVID-19 risk will also be updated at every board meeting, including new mitigating measures to be put into place and any revised likelihood or impact ratings. A copy of the specific risk and measures taken will be included with this guidance.

Wellbeing and support

This is an unprecedented time which can leave individuals feeling uncertain and seeking additional reassurance. These are measures to ensure appropriate levels of support for each individual staff member.

  1. A regular one to one meeting is held with all staff members once a week to talk through any concerns they may have about their current working set up or returning to an office environment. This meeting can also be used to update them on what has been done, so that they perceive they are being listened to and their concerns alleviated.
  2. Where an individual has specific requirements for homeworking an individual risk assessment will be completed for that individual and measures taken to meet those needs. This may relate to software or hardware, for example.
  3. Remote working can be isolating, particularly for those unused to it or where it is for a protracted period of time. As well as regular one to one meetings, POP will also provide links and access to online resources to support people with their mental wellbeing and homeworking. all on Teams.
  4. If a staff member is shielded or clinically vulnerable, or is living with someone in those categories, then arrangements will be made to see how work from home can continue in a socially distanced way.
  5. POP will agree with staff members what work can be done from home and ensure that the technological support is in place to facilitate homeworking. This includes the issue of equipment to enable people to work remotely.
  6. POP will make optimum use of the existing meeting structure to ensure that team meetings, one to one meetings, informal catch ups etc. take place as scheduled. Where a staff member is in need of additional COVID-19 related support, this will be put in place.
  7. Remind all staff about keeping themselves up to date with government guidance on social distancing etc.
  8. POP must ensure that each staff member has a contingency plan so that key work can continue to be undertaken if an individual falls ill or has to self isolate.
  9. If a staff member needs to self isolate, they must inform their manager by phone as soon as possible, stay at home and follow NHS guidance. Likewise any staff member who is contacted by the NHS testing and tracing service must stay at home. The manager will immediately inform the rest of the team and any other member of the team in the office will be sent home and advised to follow control measures.
  10. Before any staff member returns to the office, they will be issued with an up to date copy of guidance for working in the office and have the opportunity to ask any questions of
  11. In the event that a person develops symptoms while at work they need to go home, if they are well enough to do so, or call 999 if they need to be taken to hospital. If the staff member is not well enough to make their way home independently then a taxi or NHS responder will be called.

Accident and incident reporting

POP is committed to the safety of its staff. In order to safeguard those working in the office, POP will undertake the following.

  1. Ensure that staff are adequately trained in first aid, safety and fire emergency procedures in the event of an incident at work while operating at reduced occupancy.
  2. Ensure that the reporting of incidents and accidents that are work related continue to happen where people are working from home.

Like any risk, the threat from coronavirus in the workplace needs to be assessed on a regular basis. To undertake this, it is important to consider what may cause harm in the workplace (identified as a hazard). This includes consideration of:

  • How people work and what equipment they use
  • What chemicals and substances are used
  • What safe and unsafe working practices exist
  • The general state of your premises.

The accident reporting log can help identify less obvious hazards, as can employee ill health records. Account also needs to be taken of non routine operations, such as office cleaning. This may occur more frequently given the ingoing risks posed by the COVID-19 environment.

When identifying hazards to health, such as handling equipment, working in the same office and social distancing, think of how staff members and others may be harmed by the hazard.

Then assess the risk:

  • Who might be harmed and how
  • What is already in place to control the risk
  • What further action is needed to control the risk
  • Who needs to carry this action out
  • When the action is needed by.

To control the risk:

  • Assess if it is possible to eliminate the hazard altogether
  • If not, explore how the risks can be further reduced by things such as
    • Job redesign
    • Organising work to reduce exposure to coronavirus infection
    • Identify and implement practical measures needed to work safely
    • Provide PPE and ensure it is worn
    • Put the controls in place.

Record your findings.

As POP employs 5 people, it has a duty under law to have a written policy in place, a robust risk assessment procedure and it must also record any significant findings. These include the specific hazard, who might be harmed and the controls in place to reduce the risks.

​​​​​​​Review the controls

POP will need to review the controls to assess their effectiveness and assess how changes in the office affect existing controls. This could be a new starter, a ne process or new equipment, for example. Finally the risk assessment record ad register must be updated with any changes that are made.

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