Safeguarding

A child or young person shall be defined as: ‘anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday’.

Abuse shall be defined as: ‘a violation of an individual’s human or civil rights by any other person or persons and, for the purposes of safeguarding children, shall include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying and hazing.’

Harm shall be defined as: ‘Ill treatment and forms of ill treatment (including sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical) and also the impairment of or an avoidable deterioration in physical or mental health and the impairment of physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.’  ‘Harm’ may be caused by acts of commission and acts of omission.

Spring Harvest has a vast team of employed staff, workers and volunteers that facilitate the running of events. Those roles which are most likely to be involved in a safeguarding matter include:

Event Coordinator

Employee and Senior Manager of Essential Christian, assigned to give oversight to a particular Spring Harvest event location (Skegness or Minehead)

Event Safeguarding Officer

Employee of Essential Christian, responsible for the oversight and coordination of safeguarding matters across the event. Primary point of liaison for serious safeguarding issues where referral required to outside agencies.

Event Safeguarding Advisor

A member of the Event Leadership Team with experience in safeguarding, youth and children’s work, designated to work with the Event Safeguarding Officer as the first point of contact for safeguarding matters that arise at the event.

Event Leadership Team

Experienced Christian leaders with oversight of specific programme areas of the Spring Harvest Event. The Event Leadership Team are normally volunteers.

Programme Leaders

Each children’s / youth programme has a leader with considerable experience gained through working with children of that age group, either from other Christian events, within other Christian organisations, or in the education sector.

Area Leader

A core team of Area Leaders assist Programme Leaders by taking responsibility for specific age-groups within a particular kids programme (Kids 0-4, 5-7 or 8-11).

Venue Manager

A volunteer appointed to liaise with Spring Harvest and Butlin’s management teams to ensure security and safety of venues.

Pastoral Team

Qualified, accredited counsellors offering prayer and signposting help to guests

Disability Consultant

Consultant experienced in working with those who have disabilities.

Team Members

Volunteers who assist in the running of the programme.

Employees of Essential Christian (Spring Harvest), including the Event Safeguarding Officers are subject to a formal application process when joining the organisation.  A job description is made available and a panel-interview is conducted.  Background checks are taken-up and all employees are provided with a copy of our Safeguarding Policy and given awareness and signposting training, appropriate to their role.  Our Event Safeguarding Officers undertake in-depth training for safeguarding leads with Thirtyone:eight and are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Spring Harvest systematically background check all volunteer Programme Leaders for the event, Area Leaders, Pastoral Team, Disability Consultants, and other team members to ensure that they are suitable to work with children, young people and adults with care and support needs. 

When considering people to fulfil these roles, Spring Harvest looks for qualifications, as well as skills and experience relevant to the age group that the individual will be serving. In addition, as a Christian organisation we also consider Christian faith, wider experience and maturity for the role and a sympathy with the aims and objectives of Spring Harvest.

• There is a written role outline for volunteer team roles
• Volunteers complete an on-line registration form which includes a self-declaration
• A disclosure and barring check is completed where eligible (we will comply with Code of Practice requirements concerning the fair treatment of applicants and the handling of information).
• Satisfactory written references are obtained

Young people aged between 16-18yrs are sometimes involved at Spring Harvest on the Children’s programme teams. They must be supervised at all times and are not included in adult: child ratios. They must go through the same application and vetting procedures as all other team members.

Under-18 team members must complete a consent form, signed by their parent/legal guardian and this must specify a responsible adult who will be present with them, and accommodated with them at the event.

Each year Spring Harvest receives a few volunteer applications from people from overseas. If they have been resident in the UK for less than 6 months Spring Harvest will ask them to obtain a Criminal Records Check or Certificate of Good Conduct from their home country. In such cases, the volunteer will not be allowed unsupervised access to children. Spring Harvest will also check the visas of all overseas applicants, as applicable, to ensure their conditions of entry into the UK allow them to serve at Spring Harvest. Serving at Spring Harvest cannot be the reason an applicant uses to apply for a visa, they must be coming to or be in the UK for another purpose, such as to study, to do missionary or other voluntary work

Spring Harvest is committed to providing appropriate safeguarding training for all workers and volunteers that are involved at events. It is important to create a culture of awareness of safeguarding, ensuring workers and volunteers know where to seek advice and share concerns.  All workers will receive our Quick Guide to Safeguarding with a link to our full Safeguarding Policy, as well as an awareness and signposting briefing, appropriate for their role.  An online training video is provided to all team members explaining the basics of safeguarding and the process for referring any safeguarding concerns whilst at Spring Harvest.

The Leadership will also ensure that children and adults with care and support needs are signposted to information on where to get help and advice in relation to abuse, discrimination, bullying or any other matter where they have a concern.

• Children’s teams are required to attend a training day in advance of the event
• Those working with children and young people are required to participate in a team briefing at the start of each event which includes safeguarding awareness training and signposting.   They will also be required to watch Spring Harvest’s Safeguarding Training video.

As a Leadership we are committed to supporting all workers and ensuring they receive support and supervision. Our team are issued with a code of conduct and the Event Leadership Team are available to discuss any matters of concern that arise during the event. Our Event Safeguarding Officers and Advisors are also available to support those working with children, young people and adults with care and support needs.  Our Safeguarding Policy provides the framework for handling the escalation of any safeguarding matter.     

Where a member of Team is removed from duties due to their behaviour, a report will be compiled by the Programme Leader and given to the Event Safeguarding Officer who will retain it for future reference.

The decision to remove someone from a children’s or youth team must be made jointly by the Event Leadership Team member responsible for the children’s or youth programme, the Event Safeguarding Officer and the Event Coordinator.

Where conduct brings into question suitability to work with children or adults with care and support needs, the Event Safeguarding Officer will obtain advice from Thirtyone:eight, as a referral may need to be made to the DBS to consider whether the individual should be barred. If the matter has been referred to a statutory agency, the Event Safeguarding Officer must be informed.

Any manager designated by Butlin’s who may need to be informed of alleged incidents that have taken place at the Resorts will be kept informed.

The diversity of organisations and settings means there can be great variation in practice when it comes to safeguarding children, young people and adults. This can be due to cultural tradition, belief and religious practice or understanding, for example, over what constitutes abuse.

We therefore have clear guidelines in regard to our expectations of those with whom we work in partnership, whether in the UK or not. All representatives of partner organisations, including exhibitors and contractors will be provided with a copy of our Quick Guide to Safeguarding and full Safeguarding Policy.

We believe good communication is essential in promoting safeguarding.

Anyone who is on licence, or subject to a covenant of care or a safeguarding agreement with their church, is required to make contact with our Event Safeguarding Officer before applying for a place on the Team. The Event Safeguarding Officer can be contacted at safeguarding@springharvest.org.

Due to the nature and context of the event, Spring Harvest reserves the right to decline entry to anyone who is deemed to pose a potential safeguarding risk. Those who have been or remain on the Sex Offenders Register will not be permitted onto the Butlin’s resort and will therefore be precluded from being on the Spring Harvest team. 

Where an individual with criminal convictions is not deemed to pose a safeguarding risk to others, a full risk-assessment will be conducted by the Event Safeguarding Officer before a recruitment decision is made.   This will consider all necessary communication with the police, church and other relevant authorities and there will be a clear reason recorded for any decision not to liaise with any of these agencies or organisations.   All such information will be treated as confidential and will only be shared with agencies as required.

Where an application is declined on safeguarding grounds, the reasons will be explained to the applicant (and backed up in writing) by the Spring Harvest Event Safeguarding Officer.  Spring Harvest will retain a record of any decision made for future reference in accordance with the record retention policy.

Those who have been or remain on the Sex Offenders Register, or persons considered a potential risk to others will not be permitted on the Butlin’s resort.  If a Sex offender is identified at the event, then the Event Safeguarding Officer should be notified immediately.

Allegations of physical injury, neglect or emotional abuse.

If a child has a physical injury, a symptom of neglect or where there are concerns about emotional abuse, the Event Safeguarding Officer in liaison with the Event Safeguarding Advisor will:

• Contact Children’s Social Services (or Thirtyone:eight) for advice in cases of deliberate injury, if concerned about a child's safety or if a child is afraid to return home. 
• Not tell the parents or carers unless advised to do so, having first contacted Children’s Social Services. 
• Seek medical help if needed urgently, informing the doctor of any suspicions. 
• For lesser concerns, (e.g., poor parenting), encourage parent/carer to seek help, but not if this places the child at risk of significant harm.
• Where the parent/carer is unwilling to seek help, offer to accompany them.  In cases of real concern, if they still fail to act, contact Children’s Social Services direct for advice.
• Seek and follow advice given by Thirtyone:eight (who will confirm their advice in writing) if unsure whether to refer a case to Children’s Social Services.

 Allegations of sexual abuse

In the event of allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse, the Event Safeguarding Officer will:

• Contact the Children’s Social Services Department Duty Social Worker for children and families or the Police direct. They will NOT speak to the parent/carer or anyone else.

Seek and follow the advice given by Thirtyone:eight if for any reason they are unsure whether or not to contact Children’s Social Services/Police. Thirtyone:eight will confirm its advice in writing for future reference.

Suspicions or allegations of abuse or harm including physical, sexual, organisational, financial, discriminatory, neglect, self-neglect, forced marriage, modern slavery, domestic abuse.

 If there is concern about any of the above the Event Safeguarding Officer will:

• Contact the Adult Social Care Team who have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to investigate allegations of abuse. Alternatively Thirtyone:eight can be contacted for advice.
• If the adult is in immediate danger or has sustained a serious injury contact the Emergency Services, informing them of any suspicions.

If there is a concern regarding perceived abuse arising from the ministry of the Spring Harvest event, the Event Safeguarding Officer will:

• Identify support services for the victim i.e. counselling or other pastoral support
• Contact Thirtyone:eight and in discussion with them will consider appropriate action with regards to the scale of the concern.

If an accusation is made against a worker (whether a volunteer or paid member of staff) whilst following the procedure outlined above, the Event Safeguarding Officer, in accordance with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures will:

• Liaise with Children’s Social Services in regards to the suspension of the worker
• Make a referral to a designated officer formerly called a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) whose function is to handle all allegations against adults who work with children and young people whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.
• Make a referral to Disclosure and Barring Service for consideration of the person being placed on the barred list for working with children or adults with additional care and support needs. This decision should be informed by the LADO if they are involved.

The Event Safeguarding Officer will:

• Liaise with Adult Social Services in regards the suspension of the worker
• Make a referral to the DBS following the advice of Adult Social Services

The Care Act places the duty upon Adult Services to investigate situations of harm to adults with care and support needs. This may result in a range of options including action against the person or organisation causing the harm, increasing the support for the carers or no further action if the ‘victim’ chooses for no further action and they have the capacity to communicate their decision. However, this is a decision for Adult Services to decide, not Spring Harvest.