This policy applies to anyone working for or on behalf of Create Curiosity CIC, including Directors, tutors, session support workers and volunteers.

The Directors are responsible for promoting safeguarding awareness and ensuring that appropriate processes, practices, and training are in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.

All staff and volunteers have responsibility for safeguarding and have been provided with a copy of this Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy as well as part one of “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (September 2025).  

All staff and volunteers are required to confirm that they have read and understood this Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy as well as part one of “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (September 2025).  
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​We believe that: 

· no one, particularly children and vulnerable adults, should experience abuse of any kind.
· we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children (A child is any person under 18 years of age.) and vulnerable adults, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

We have a duty:

· to protect children who receive Create Curiosity CIC’s services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services. 
· to protect vulnerable adults who receive Create Curiosity CIC’s services from harm.

We recognise that:

· the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take.
· all children and adults, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
· some children and adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
· abuse against individuals occurs in society and individuals from all communities are at risk of abuse either from a stranger or by those known to them.
· abuse can take many different forms and can happen in a family, institution, online or community setting by an adult or adults and/or by another child/children (peer on peer abuse).
· working in partnership with other agencies is essential in promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
 
We will seek to keep children and vulnerable adults safe by:
 
· ensuring they feel safe, secure, valued, listened to and respected.
· being alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow procedures to ensure that they receive effective support and protection.
· responding to and referring any concerns about children or other members of the community, in accordance with this policy, to relevant professionals such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and/or other agencies as appropriate as detailed below in the ‘What to do if you have a safeguarding concern’ section.
· building a safeguarding culture where all staff, volunteers, children and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.
· providing effective management of all staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently.
· recruiting and selecting all staff and volunteers safely - ensuring all necessary checks are made and all staff and volunteers hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate registered with the DBS Update Service.
· recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance according to Create Curiosity CIC’s Data Protection and GDPR Policy.
· ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for children and adults, including staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with Create Curiosity CIC’s Health & Safety Policy and as per risk assessments for each session and venue.
· ensuring all staff and volunteers have copies of Create Curiosity CIC’s policies and procedures as well as a copy of Keeping Children Safe in Education part 1 (September 2025). 
· ensuring all staff and volunteers receive annual Safeguarding and Child Protection training to keep up to date with any relevant developments.  
· ensuring all staff and volunteers receive Prevent training to equip individuals with the knowledge necessary to help prevent vulnerable people from being exploited and drawn into terrorism and having extremist views.
· using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately.
· ensuring that we have effective complaints measures in place.
 
Types of Abuse and Neglect
 All staff and volunteers should be aware of the definitions, signs, and symptoms of abuse. There are four categories of abuse:
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Neglect
 
Please see attached part one of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) for detailed information about the categories of abuse and risk indicators.
 
Keeping children safe in education 2025: part one information for all school and college staff
 
 
 How to deal with a disclosure of abuse made by a child or vulnerable adult
 
• Listen calmly to what is being said without displaying shock or disbelief.
• Only ask questions when necessary to clarify and do not ask leading questions.
• Accept what is being said.
• Allow them to talk freely – do not put words in their mouth or interrupt them.
• Reassure them that what has happened is not their fault.
• Stress that it was the right thing to tell.  
• Do not promise “not to tell anyone” – for their welfare you will need to refer the disclosure to the DSL or other relevant professional as outlined below.
• Explain what has to be done next and who has to be told.
• Write down the facts as soon as you can (within 24 hours). Include the date, time, place,
who was present and what was said – ideally using the person’s exact words. 
• Inform the DSL or relevant professional immediately.
 
Staff and volunteers must refer concerns or disclosures made to them to relevant professionals such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and/or other agencies as appropriate, whilst maintaining confidentiality outside of these designated professionals.  Referrals must be made as soon as possible – immediately if urgent action (risk of threat to life or of serious harm) is required; for all other concerns a referral should be made, if possible, before leaving the premises and at most within 24 hours.
 
The role of Create Curiosity CIC’s staff and volunteers in situations where there are child protection or vulnerable adult concerns is not to investigate but to recognise and immediately refer as outlined below.
 
What to do if you have a safeguarding concern while tutoring in the community.
 
Children: Staff or volunteers who have a concern about a child’s welfare, or have a disclosure made to them, should contact Single Point of Advice (SPoA) for East Sussex as soon as possible on 01323 464222.
 
If the incident has occurred outside of usual working hours or at the weekend or on a bank holiday, contact the out of hours Emergency Duty Service as soon as possible on 01273 335905 or 01273 335906. 
 
In an emergency where the child’s wellbeing is in immediate danger if action is not taken, the staff member or Associate should telephone (from a safe place as soon as possible) the police on 999, and contact the relevant SPOA as soon as practical on 01323 464222. 
 
Vulnerable adults: Staff or Associates who have a concern about a vulnerable adult’s welfare, or have a disclosure made to them, should contact East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board on 0345 60 80 191 (for out of hours support contact 01323 636399). 
 
In an emergency where a vulnerable adult’s wellbeing is in immediate danger if action is not taken, the staff member or Associate should telephone (from a safe place as soon as possible) the police on 999.
 
In all instances the Designated Safeguarding Lead of Create Curiosity CIC are to be informed that a safeguarding concern has been reported.  Details of the concern are not to be shared; only confirmation of the steps taken by the staff member or tutor are required. 
 
This policy should be read alongside additional Create Curiosity CIC’s policies, procedures, guidance and other related documents, including:
 
· Safer Recruitment Policy
· Prevent Policy
· Photography and Sharing Images Policy
· Health and Safety Policy
· General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Policy
· Complaints Policy
· Keeping Children Safe in Education (Department for Education September 2025)
· Induction, Training and Supervision Procedures
 
 Create Curiosity CIC are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
 
This policy statement & accompanying procedures were last reviewed on 7th September 2025
 
 Signed:  Rachael Gildersleeve (Director)
Date: 7th September 2025
 
Signed:  Sasha Hobday (Director)
Date: 7th September 2025