Safeguarding Policy

 

1. Policy Statement

LevelUP Sport & Fitness is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children aged 5 and above who attend our programmes. We believe that:

• The welfare of the child is paramount

• All children have the right to feel safe, protected, and valued

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

This policy sets out how we prevent harm, identify concerns, and respond appropriately in line with:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)

• Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership guidance

• The Children Act 1989 & 2004

• The Education Act 2002

• The Prevent Duty (2015, updated 2023)

 

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Name: Chris Saville

Responsible for:

• Managing safeguarding concerns

• Liaising with Surrey Children’s Services, LADO, Police, and external agencies

• Maintaining safeguarding records

• Ensuring staff training

• Overseeing safer recruitment

• Ensuring policy compliance

Deputy DSL

Name: Louis Lynch

Acts when the DSL is unavailable.

All Staff and Volunteers

Must:

• Know how to recognise signs of abuse

• Report concerns immediately

• Record concerns accurately

• Maintain professional boundaries

• Complete safeguarding training

• Follow safer working practices

 

3. Types of Abuse

We recognise the following forms of abuse:

Physical Abuse

Hitting, shaking, burning, poisoning, fabricated illness, or any physical harm.

Emotional Abuse

Persistent emotional maltreatment causing long-term harm.

Sexual Abuse

Contact and non-contact abuse, grooming, exploitation, online sexual harm.

Neglect

Failure to meet basic physical or emotional needs.

Domestic Abuse

Children witnessing domestic abuse is recognised as child abuse.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Manipulation or coercion into sexual activity for exchange or gain.

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

County lines involvement, forced criminal activity, coercion.

Online Abuse

Sexting, harmful sexual behaviour online, grooming, cyberbullying.

Child-on-Child Abuse

Bullying, sexual harassment, harmful sexual behaviour, coercion, violence.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Illegal and abusive practice causing lifelong harm.

Radicalisation & Extremism

Risk of being drawn into extremist ideologies or terrorism.

Mental Health as a Safeguarding Factor

Emotional distress, withdrawal, self-neglect, or significant behavioural changes.

 

4. Recognising Signs of Abuse

Signs may include:

• Unexplained injuries

• Significant behavioural changes

• Withdrawal, anxiety, or aggression

• Sexualised behaviour inappropriate for age

• Poor hygiene, hunger, or tiredness

• Comments or disclosures that raise concern

• Online behaviour that suggests risk

• Signs of coercion, control, or exploitation

• Exposure to domestic abuse

Staff must never assume children will disclose directly.

 

5. Responding to Concerns or Disclosures

If a child discloses abuse

Staff must:

• Listen without interruption

• Reassure the child they have done the right thing

• Not promise confidentiality

• Not ask leading questions

• Record the disclosure using the child’s own words

• Report immediately to the DSL

If staff suspect abuse

They must:

• Record concerns on the Logging a Concern Form

• Report to the DSL without delay

If staff disagree with DSL decisions

They must follow the Surrey Escalation Policy.

 

6. Recording and Information Sharing

All concerns must be recorded including:

• Date/time

• Child’s details

• Factual account

• Witnesses

• Actions taken

Records are stored securely and retained in line with statutory requirements.

Safeguarding concerns override GDPR — information can be shared without consent when a child is at risk.

 

7. Reporting to External Agencies

Surrey Children’s Services (C-SPA)

Phone: 0300 470 9100

Out of hours: 01483 517898

Email: cspa@surreycc.gov.uk

Surrey LADO (Allegations Against Adults)

Phone: 0300 123 1650

Email: lado@surreycc.gov.uk

Concerns meeting the LADO threshold must be reported within 1 working day.

Police

Non-emergency: 101

Emergency: 999

Prevent / Radicalisation

Anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321

Police Prevent Team: 101

 

8. Allegations Against Staff

If an allegation is made:

• Record on an Incident Form

• Report to the DSL immediately

• DSL contacts the LADO within 1 working day

• Follow LADO advice (may include suspension)

• Inform Ofsted if required

• Consider referral to DBS

Staff will be supported throughout the process.

 

9. Low-Level Concerns

Low-level concerns are behaviours that do not meet the LADO threshold but are inconsistent with professional boundaries, such as:

• Over-familiarity

• Inappropriate jokes

• Favouritism

• Boundary-blurring

• Rule-bending

All low-level concerns must be reported to the DSL and recorded.

 

10. Safer Recruitment

We follow safer recruitment practices including:

• Enhanced DBS checks

• Identity verification

• Employment history checks

• Risk assessments for unchecked staff

• Supervision of new staff

• Ongoing suitability checks

11. Staff Training

All staff receive:

• Safeguarding training at induction

• Annual safeguarding updates

• Prevent Duty awareness

• Online safety training

• Child-on-child abuse training

• DSL receives advanced training every year

12. Online Safety

We ensure:

• No staff–child contact via personal devices or social media

• No photos taken on personal devices

• Safe use of digital platforms

• Awareness of online grooming, sexting, and harmful sexual behaviour

• Clear boundaries for communication with parents

13. Use of Mobile Phones and Cameras

• Only the club camera may be used

• No personal phones or smart watches may be used to photograph children

• Photos only taken with parental consent

• Images stored securely and deleted appropriately

14. Whistleblowing

Staff can raise concerns about unsafe practice or misconduct without fear of retaliation.

See the Whistleblowing Policy for full details.

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