Safeguarding | Severn Rivers Trust

Introduction

The Severn Rivers Trust (SRT) is an independent charity established in 2008 to protect and enhance the river Severn, its tributaries and streams. Our vision is: A healthy, resilient river Severn for everyone. We work with children and adults at risk in a number of different contexts including site tours, farm visits, conservation tasks, work experience placements, public events and schools workshops. We deliver hands-on and practical activities that help our participants learn about rivers and have positive connections with their environments.

We believe that children and adults should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and adults at risk and to keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects them.

We take the view that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Learning over the past two decades has shown that harm experienced by young people can be reduced with collaborative working and taking an integrated approach to safeguarding and child protection.

The purpose of this policy is to:

Protect children and adults at risk who take part in activities with Severn Rivers Trust; and
Provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection to help them feel confident and safe when working in
communities.

The Safeguarding Policy applies to all staff, including senior managers and the Board of Trustees, paid staff, volunteers, students, contractors or anyone who may be working on behalf of Severn Rivers Trust.

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of guidance that seeks to protect children and adults at risk, namely:

The Children Act 1989
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1991
Human Rights Act 1998
Sexual Offences Act 2003
Children Act 2004
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
Equality Act 2010
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
Children and Families Act 2014
Care Act 2014
Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard
and promote the welfare of children; HM Government 2018
Modern Slavery Act 2015
Data Protection Act 2018 (relating to EU General Data Protection Regulations)

We recognise that:

The welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989
Everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religious belief, sexual orientation or
identity has a right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse
Some children and adults are additionally vulnerable because of their previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs and other issues
Working in partnership with children, young people, adult participants, families, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting welfare and wellbeing.

We will seek to keep children and adults at risk safe by:

Valuing them, listening to and respecting them
Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer and Trustee for Safeguarding
Adopting ‘child and adults at risk’ protection and safeguarding practices through clear
procedure, training and guidance for staff and volunteers
Carefully recruiting and selecting all adults whether paid or voluntary
Checking all staff who regularly work with children and/or adults at risk and their managers through the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) system
Responding to concerns and allegations appropriately
Planning and delivering all activities to make sure they are as safe and inclusive as possible, in line with our Health and Safety and Safeguarding policy and procedure

When is safeguarding relevant to us?

Any time that we are working with or meeting the public.

For example:

Delivering workshops in/for schools or community groups
Running volunteer days
SRT stands and activities at fairs and events
Visiting farmers or landowners
Delivering or managing works on publicly accessible land

Putting this policy into action

This policy and associated ‘Toolkit’ guidance will be circulated to staff and trustees. It will also be clearly signposted and freely available on the Severn Rivers Trust website. A Welsh language version of the main policy document will be available online. High quality training will ensure our responsibilities are clear and the policy and procedure are understood by all.

The Severn Rivers Trust’s Designated Safeguarding Officer is Alice Fallon.

The Severn Rivers Trust’s Trustee for Safeguarding is Penny Cameron Watt.

These safeguarding leads will meet quarterly to review issues and practice across the Trust and make updates and changes to our procedure as necessary. Trustees will review and sign off this Safeguarding Policy and toolkit at least annually, including considering how it links to other policies and practice (e.g. Health & Safety, Data Protection, Recruitment).

Polisi Diogelu

Mae Severn Rivers Trust yn elusen amgylcheddol annibynnol a sefydlwyd i sicrhau bod afonydd, nentydd, sianeli ac ardaloedd dŵr yn nalgylch Hafren yn cael eu cadw, eu hamddiffyn, eu datblygu a’u gwella, ac i hyrwyddo addysg y cyhoedd wrth reoli dŵr a’r amgylchedd ehangach. Mae Severn Rivers Trust yn gweithio gyda phlant ac oedolion sydd mewn perygl mewn nifer o wahanol gyd-destunau gan gynnwys teithiau safle, ymweliadau fferm, tasgau cadwraeth, lleoliadau profiad gwaith, digwyddiadau cyhoeddus a gweithdai i ysgolion. Rydym yn cyflwyno gweithgareddau ymarferol sy’n helpu ein cyfranogwyr i ddysgu am afonydd a chael cysylltiadau cadarnhaol â’u hamgylcheddau.

Credwn na ddylai plant ac oedolion byth brofi camdriniaeth o unrhyw fath. Mae gennym gyfrifoldeb i hyrwyddo lles pob plentyn ac oedolyn sydd mewn perygl a’u cadw’n ddiogel. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i ymarfer mewn ffordd sy’n eu hamddiffyn.

Rydym o’r farn bod diogelu yn gyfrifoldeb i bawb. Mae dysgu dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf wedi dangos y gellir lleihau’r niwed a brofir gan bobl ifanc trwy weithio ar y cyd a chymryd agwedd integredig tuag at ddiogelu ac amddiffyn plant.

Diben y polisi hwn yw:

Diogelu plant ac oedolion sydd mewn perygl sy’n cymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau gyda Severn Rivers Trust; a
Rhoi’r egwyddorion trosfwaol i staff a gwirfoddolwyr sy’n cyfeirio ein dull o ddiogelu ac amddiffyn plant i’w helpu i deimlo’n hyderus ac yn ddiogel wrth weithio mewn cymunedau.

Mae’r Polisi Diogelu yn berthnasol i’r holl staff, gan gynnwys uwch reolwyr a Bwrdd yr Ymddiriedolwyr, staff taledig, gwirfoddolwyr, myfyrwyr, contractwyr neu unrhyw un sy’n gweithio ar ran Severn Rivers Trust.

Y Fframwaith Cyfreithiol

Lluniwyd y polisi hwn ar sail canllawiau sy’n ceisio amddiffyn plant ac oedolion sydd mewn perygl, sef:

Deddf Plant 1989
Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau’r Plentyn 1991
Deddf Hawliau Dynol 1998
Deddf Troseddau Rhywiol 2003
Deddf Plant 2004
Deddf Diogelu Grwpiau Hyglwyf 2006
Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010
Deddf Diogelu Rhyddidau 2012
Deddf Plant a Theuluoedd 2014
Deddf Gofal 2014
Gweithio gyda’n gilydd i ddiogelu plant: canllaw i weithio’n rhyngasiantaethol er mwyn
diogelu a hyrwyddo lles plant; Llywodraeth EM 2015
Deddf Caethwasiaeth Modern 2015
Deddf Diogelu Data 2018 mewn perthynas â Rheoliad Cyffredinol ar Ddiogelu Data yr UE

Rydym yn cydnabod bod:

Lles plant o’r pwys mwyaf, fel yr ymgorfforir yn Neddf Plant 1989
Mae gan bawb, waeth beth fo’u hoedran, anabledd, rhyw, hil, cred grefyddol, cyfeiriadedd rhywiol neu hunaniaeth hawl i amddiffyniad cyfartal rhag pob math o niwed a chamdriniaeth
Mae rhai plant ac oedolion hefyd yn agored i niwed oherwydd eu profiadau blaenorol, lefel eu dibyniaeth, eu hanghenion cyfathrebu a materion eraill
Mae gweithio mewn partneriaeth â phlant, pobl ifanc, oedolion sy’n cymryd rhan, teuluoedd, gofalwyr ac asiantaethau eraill yn hanfodol wrth hyrwyddo lles a budd.

Byddwn yn ceisio cadw plant ac oedolion sydd mewn perygl yn ddiogel trwy:

Eu gwerthfawrogi nhw, gwrando arnynt a’u parchu nhw
Penodi Swyddog Diogelu Penodedig ac Aelod o’r Bwrdd i fod yn gyfrifol am ddiogelu
Mabwysiadu arferion amddiffyn a diogelu ‘plant ac oedolion sydd mewn perygl’ trwy weithdrefn, hyfforddiant ac arweiniad clir ar gyfer staff a gwirfoddolwyr
Recriwtio a dethol oedolion yn ofalus pa un a ydynt yn gyflogedig neu’n wirfoddol
Gwirio’r holl staff sy’n gweithio’n rheolaidd gyda phlant a/neu oedolion sydd mewn perygl a’u rheolwyr trwy’r system DBS (y Gwasanaeth Datgelu a Gwahardd)
Ymateb i bryderon a chyhuddiadau yn briodol
Cynllunio a darparu pob gweithgaredd i sicrhau eu bod mor ddiogel a chynhwysol â phosibl, yn unol â’n polisi a’n gweithdrefn Iechyd a Diogelwch a Diogelu

Pryd mae diogelu yn berthnasol i ni?

Unrhyw adeg yr ydym yn gweithio gyda’r cyhoedd neu’n cwrdd â nhw. Er enghraifft:

Cyflwyno gweithdai mewn/ar gyfer ysgolion neu grwpiau cymunedol
Cynnal diwrnodau i wirfoddolwyr
Stondinau Severn Rivers Trust a gweithgareddau mewn ffeiriau a digwyddiadau
Ymweld â ffermwyr neu dirfeddianwyr
Cyflawni neu reoli gwaith ar dir sy’n hygyrch i’r cyhoedd

Rhoi’r polisi hwn ar waith

Bydd y polisi hwn a’r canllawiau ‘pecyn cymorth’ cysylltiedig yn cael eu hanfon at y staff a’r ymddiriedolwyr. Bydd y polisi hefyd yn cael ei arddangos yn amlwg ac ar gael yn hawdd ar wefan Severn Rivers Trust. Bydd fersiwn Gymraeg o’r brif ddogfen bolisi ar gael ar-lein. Bydd hyfforddiant o ansawdd uchel yn sicrhau bod ein cyfrifoldebau yn glir a bod y polisi a’r weithdrefn yn ddealladwy gan bawb.

Alice Fallon yw Swyddog Diogelu Penodedig Severn Rivers Trust.

Penny Cameron Watt yw Ymddiriedolwr Severn Rivers Trust sy’n gyfrifol am Ddiogelu.

Bydd yr arweinwyr diogelu hyn yn cwrdd bob chwarter i adolygu materion ac arferion ar draws yr Ymddiriedolaeth ac i wneud diweddariadau a newidiadau i’n gweithdrefn yn ôl yr angen. Bydd ymddiriedolwyr yn adolygu ac yn cymeradwyo’r Polisi Diogelu a’r pecyn.