Safety First

Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

The Wartime Vessels Association CIC (WVA) is committed to creating safe, respectful environments for children, young people, at-risk adults, volunteers, and visitors. This policy sets mandatory standards for conduct, supervision, recruitment, reporting, and decision-making across every WVA activity, whether delivered in person or online.

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WVA (Wartime Vessels Association) is a trading name of The Wartime Maritime Memorial Association C.I.C.

Policy register → Safeguarding & Welfare Policy

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Scope

This policy applies to all individuals acting on behalf of WVA, including directors, officers, employees, volunteers, contractors, consultants, instructors, mentors, partner organisations, visiting groups, and any other persons representing WVA. It applies to all WVA activities, whether delivered in person, online, or through partner delivery.

For the purposes of this policy, a child is any person under the age of 18.

Policy statement

WVA has a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. We are committed to safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance, and recognised best practice in England and Wales.

We recognise that the welfare of children is paramount.
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have an equal right to protection from harm or abuse.
Some children may be more vulnerable due to previous experiences, additional needs, or circumstances.
Effective safeguarding requires partnership working with children, parents or carers, partner organisations, and statutory agencies.

Safeguarding means preventing harm and ensuring our people, activities, systems and digital platforms do no harm and do not expose children to risk. Child protection refers to action to protect an individual child who is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.

Legal and regulatory framework

This policy is informed by, and operates in accordance with, relevant legislation and guidance including:

Children Act 1989
Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Data Protection Act 2018
UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

WVA safeguarding principles

Ensure all staff and volunteers understand this policy and their safeguarding responsibilities.
Design activities and educational content with safeguarding as a core consideration.
Implement safer recruitment practices appropriate to the role and level of contact.
Provide safeguarding training proportionate to responsibility.
Respond promptly and appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
Work only with partners who demonstrate equivalent safeguarding standards.
Respect confidentiality while prioritising child safety.
Review and improve our safeguarding arrangements regularly.

Responsibilities and conduct

Everyone acting on behalf of WVA must read, understand, and comply with this policy and the WVA Code of Conduct.

Expected behaviour

Treat all children and young people with dignity and respect.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.
Place the safety and welfare of children above all other considerations.
Report concerns immediately and follow the procedures below.
Ensure transparency in any one-to-one contact, including appropriate supervision and visibility.
Identify whether activities and content are suitable for children and apply safeguarding controls as part of design and delivery.

Unacceptable behaviour

Any form of abuse, harassment, or exploitation.
Discriminatory, intimidating, humiliating, or degrading behaviour.
Inappropriate relationships with children or young people.
Sexually provocative behaviour, violence, or threats.
Agreeing to keep secrets which relate to a child’s safety.

Reporting and responding to concerns

All safeguarding concerns, suspicions, disclosures, allegations, and incidents must be reported without delay to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). If this is not appropriate or possible, concerns must be escalated to a WVA Director.

If a child is in immediate danger

Call emergency services immediately. Once it is safe to do so, notify the DSL (or escalation contact).

WVA will respond promptly and appropriately, including making referrals to statutory agencies where required and ensuring concerns are handled sensitively, confidentially, and in line with UK GDPR and safeguarding law.

Allegations against adults (including LADO referrals)

Any concern or allegation that an adult working on behalf of WVA 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
behaved towards a child in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm

must be reported immediately to the DSL.

WVA will follow local safeguarding procedures and, where required, refer allegations to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) in line with statutory guidance. WVA will not commence an internal investigation until advice has been sought from the LADO or relevant authority.

Any adult subject to an allegation will be treated fairly and confidentially, with the safeguarding of children remaining the paramount concern.

Online safety and digital delivery

WVA delivers some activities and educational content online. When doing so, WVA will:

ensure online sessions are appropriately supervised
set clear expectations for conduct and professional boundaries
prohibit private or unsupervised one-to-one messaging with children
use organisational platforms where possible
obtain appropriate consent for recordings and the use of images
apply recognised best practice for online safeguarding

This policy should be read alongside the WVA Online Safety Policy.

Recording and information sharing

All safeguarding concerns must be recorded accurately, signed and dated, and stored securely. Information is shared only on a need-to-know basis. Where a child is at risk of harm, information may be shared with statutory agencies in accordance with UK GDPR and safeguarding legislation.

Training and safer recruitment

WVA provides safeguarding training proportionate to role and ensures safeguarding responsibilities are reflected in role descriptions and volunteer expectations.

Safeguarding awareness training is required for those supporting youth-facing activity.
Enhanced DBS checks are required where a role involves direct or regular contact with children, or where a person may be in a position of trust with unsupervised access.
Where DBS is not required, appropriate supervision and risk controls will be applied.

Key safeguarding contacts

Named Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Clare Luther (Volunteer Safeguarding Lead)

Telephone: +44 7568 434041

Escalation route

Gary Fletcher (Director)

Telephone: +44 7946 325 160

If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services first.

Review

This policy will be reviewed at least every three years, or sooner if legislation, guidance, or WVA activities change.