Safeguarding Policy

Project Earth

Project Earth empowers young people to innovate, offering support and advice to bring their ideas to fruition, to amplify ideas and to showcase phenomenal creativity and imagination.

Accelerator initiatives like this focus on young people between 18-35. We focus on young people between 5-18 because we know they have huge potential and want agency in shaping their future. Young people want their voices heard for their future.

The purpose of this safeguarding policy statement is:

• to protect children and young people who receive Project Earth
  services from harm.
• to provide the Project Earth team and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Project Earth, including the board of trustees. Advisors do not have direct links with students. The interaction is through the Project Earth team.

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in the UK. A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that everyone under the age of 18 (the definition of a child), regardless of gender, origin, religion or possible disabilities, needs special care and protection because children are often the most vulnerable.

We at Project Earth believe that:

• children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind
• we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young
  people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

We at Project Earth recognise

• the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare
• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
• extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

We reference

• safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised
  ethnic communities https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/children-from-blackasian- minoritised-ethnic-communities
• safeguarding Deaf and disabled children and young people https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/deaf-and-disabled-children
• safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/lgbtq-children-young-people
• safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities
  (SEND) – https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection-schools/ safeguarding-children-with-special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send

We at Project Earth will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• valuing, listening to and respecting them.
• appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people, a deputy and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding.
• adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
• developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures.
• providing effective management for 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 staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
• recording and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance.
• making sure that children, young people and their families know where to go or help if they have a concern.
• using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately.
• using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately
• creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise.
• ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place.
• building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

As Project Earth develops we will extend the safeguarding policy.

One key aspect is digital safeguarding

Digital (online) safeguarding

When running online events, Project Earth staff must ensure that:

• Videos will only be streamed one way (ie will only be visible by children).
• Children will not be asked to turn on their videos or share screens unless they are calling into a session as an entire classroom or a mentoring session
• Children will never be left alone on a video call. Any mentoring sessions will always include teachers/parents and a DBS checked member Project Earth staff
• All comments on the chatroom are anonymous (children will not need to give their names to ask a question).
• We will ensure that all comments via any chatrooms/chat walls are moderated ‘live’ by a team of DBS-certified moderators before any comments become visible on the chat wall.
• We will ensure that all presenters/hosts adhere to our strict online safeguarding and presenter code of conduct.

Code of conduct

• Be appropriately dressed.
• Ensure that all other browser tabs are closed down before sharing a screen.
• Not use any abusive, insulting or inappropriate language.
• Not share any inappropriate images or have any inappropriate images or objects in view during the session.
• Not give out any personal contact information or social media handles/links.
• Not act in a way that can be perceived as threatening or intrusive.
• Not patronise or belittle children.
• Not make sarcastic, insensitive, derogatory or sexually suggestive comments or gestures to or in front of children.

Safeguarding procedures

All Project Earth team members have a full DBS check. They are all regularly updated on safeguarding through Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Designated person

The designated person is the member of the Project Earth who has specific responsibilities for ensuring effective safeguarding and protection procedures.

The role of the designated person is to:

• Receive and record information from staff, volunteers, children or parents/ carers who have protection concerns.
• Assess the information properly and carefully, clarifying or obtaining more information about the matter as appropriate and consulting with senior colleagues if necessary.
• Consult initially with relevant external agencies without delay.

Contact details

Nominated child protection lead – designated person

Name: Becky Parker becky@projectearth.global

We are committed to reviewing our policy and code of conduct every year.