Welfare & Safeguarding of Young People & Vulnerable People in the Workplace Policy

1 Introduction

Wren Kitchens Limited (‘Wren’, ‘us’, ‘we’, ‘our’) are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all Young People, Vulnerable Adults, Apprentices and those Children who undertake work experience placements with us.

1. The purpose of this policy statement is to ensure all employees, particularly Young People, Vulnerable Adults, Apprentices, and those who work closely with them are aware of our what safeguarding procedures are and where concerns about safeguarding issues can be reported.

2 Key Terminology

1. Adult Worker means a worker who has attained the age of 18.

2. Apprentice means staff undertaking any of our apprenticeship programmes. All our Apprentices above School Leaving Age, the age of 16 or over and are involved across each area of the business in all its departments. 

3. Children/Child means 

   1. England and Wales: a person who is not over Compulsory School Age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996) 

   2. Scotland: a person who is not (for the purposes of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980) over School Leaving Age 

4. Compulsory School Age means 

   1. England and Wales: a person is over 'compulsory school age' on the last Friday in June in the school year in which they have their 16th birthday 

   2. Scotland: a person is of school age if they have attained the age of 5 years and have not attained the age of 16 years (but note people are deemed not to have attained 16 until the designated ‘school leaving date’ 

5. School Leaving Age means 

   1. England and Wales: the last Friday in June in the school year in which the person has their 16th birthday 

   2. Scotland: those who have their 16th birthday between 1 March and 30 September can leave school after 31 May of that year. Those who have their 16th birthday between 1 October and the end of February can leave at the start of the school Christmas holidays in that year

6. Vulnerable Adult means any adult aged 18 years or over who, owing to disability, mental or physical impairment, function, age or illness or other circumstances, is less able to take care or protect themselves and their interests in the same way their non-vulnerable Adult Worker peers may be able to.

7. Young People means those under the age of 18.

3 Safeguarding

1. What is Safeguarding? Safeguarding children is defined in Working together to safeguard children as:

   1. protecting children from maltreatment

   2. preventing impairment of children’s health or development

   3. ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

   4. taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

   Safeguarding vulnerable adults is defined in the Care and support statutory guidance issued under the Care Act 2014 as:

   1. protecting the rights of adults to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect

   2. people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect

   3. people and organisations making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, taking fully into account their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action

   4. recognising that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and may be ambivalent, unclear or unrealistic about their personal circumstances and therefore potential risks to their safety or well-being

2. What could amount to a safeguarding concern?

   The following is non exhaustive list of the kind of issues which could amount to a safeguarding concern.

   1. Abuse – (including physical/sexual/psychological/financial/domestic violence) 

   2. Discrimination 

   3. Bullying (including bullying online) 

   4. Mental health issues;

   5. Neglect

   6. Self Harm

   7. Forced marriage; and 

   8. Radicalisation and extremism. 

3. How do I identify signs of welfare issues or safeguarding concerns?

It may often be the case that individuals may not seek help when faced with a safeguarding issue which affects them. Signs that things might be wrong include:

1. A change in appearance and presentation

2. Increased levels of absence of lateness

3. Shifts in behaviour or character

4. Withdrawal or remoteness

5. Signs of physical injury or self-harm and

6. Decline in mental or emotional health

These signs are not an exhaustive list and some of the above are not signs that something is definitively wrong.

4 Our Commitment

Wren Kitchens will:

1. Recognise and apply the Keeping children safe in education 2022, statutory guidance for schools and colleges in its role as an education provider for apprenticeships.

2. Take a preventive approach to protecting young people and vulnerable adults from potential harm or damage.

3. Take all appropriate actions to address concerns about the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults.

4. Work to agreed local policies and procedures in full partnership with other local agencies.

5. Plan, implement, monitor and review policies and procedures to ensure that the maximum is done to provide a safe environment for young people and vulnerable adults.

6. Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it.

7. Take action to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.

8. Take all reasonable measures to ensure that a risk of harm to young people and vulnerable adult’s welfare is minimised by appropriate:

   1. Risk assessment and management

   2. Health and Safety procedures

   3. Staff selection, recruitment, induction supervision and training

   4. Creation and promotion of an open work culture "Whistle blowing"

   5. Use of web filtering and monitoring systems

   6. Reacting to and reporting abuse

1. Wren acknowledges that for many Apprentices and Young People in the business, their engagement with Wren is likely to be their first exposure to the world of work.

2. In acknowledging such inexperience, Wren is committed to providing substantive inductions, training and on-going mentoring. Part of all inductions includes familiarisation with Wren’s IT acceptable use polices and provisions, Health and Safety, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Safeguarding, Prevent and British Values.

3. Wren is committed to promoting this policy to all staff ensuring it is able to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all Apprentices and all Young People we work with. To meet the needs of our Apprentices and Young People, Wren will work closely with training and course providers.

4. Apprentices and Young People within the business are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have with their Line Manger, or should they feel unable to do so, to speak to Emma Whitwood, Apprenticeships Coordinator, HR or with the Safeguarding Leads listed in Annex A.

5 Prevent

1. The Prevent strategy forms part of the Government’s overall counter-terrorism strategy. The stated aim of the Prevent strategy is to challenge extremism and “to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.” Wrens Prevent Policy details how employees and Apprentices will be supported to develop an understanding of the Prevent Strategy and how they can utilise their existing knowledge and skills to recognise someone who may have been or is being radicalised.

6 Work Experience

1. Typically work experience placements will be offered to 14–16-year-olds in the last two years of compulsory schooling, arranged in conjunction with their school or local authority. Wren may from time to time offer work experience to those over the age of 16. 

2. Work experience placements must be approved and authorised in advance by the People and Performance Director. Unauthorised work experience placements are prohibited. Staff supervising work experience placements must ensure that the tasks carried out by the work experience candidate are suitable, have been discussed and approved with the Apprenticeship Team in advance and that the work experience candidate is not placed at risk due to their lack of experience, being unaware of existing or potential risks or a lack of maturity. 

3. Work experience placements are only permitted in the following area: 6.3.1. Head Office 

4. Should staff have any safeguarding concerns relating to Children undertaking work experience, these should be reported without delay as set out in Section 8.

7 Vulnerable Adults

1. In addition to safeguarding Young People and Children, Wren acknowledges the need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Vulnerable Adults within the business. 

2. Vulnerable Adults may be more likely to be more exposed to abuse and exploitation (including financial exploitation). Employees should report any concerns as outlined in section 8 below.

8 Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

1. All employees should, without delay, report any safeguarding concerns to safegudarding@wrenkitchens.com or to one of the Safeguarding Leads listed in the Annex to this policy.

2. If a Child on work experience, a Young Person, an Apprentice or a Vulnerable Adult confides in any member of staff that they are at risk of a safeguarding issue, this should be reported to safegudarding@wrenkitchens.com or to one of the Safeguarding Leads listed in the Annex to this policy.

3. We are committed to ensuring that any reported safeguarding concerns will be treated with sensitivity and will be actioned and investigated without delay.

9 Confidentiality

1. Wren recognises that safeguarding matters must be treated with the utmost sensitivity. We are committed to ensuring that all safeguarding issues and concerns are delt with in a confidential manner. Such information will only be provided to those individuals who need to be made aware in order for the us to take appropriate action to meet our responsibilities and discharge our duty of care.

2. All employees of Wren should be confident that they will be supported in coming forward with a safeguarding concern. 

3. In order to meet our responsibilities and duties of care, the involvement of appropriate third-party bodies or authorities may be required subject to the nature of the safeguarding issue at hand.

4. All records of safeguarding concerns will be held securely and will be kept separate from general HR files and personnel records and will only be accessible by those who strictly need access to such information, as outlined above.

5. Use of the internet by Wren staff is permitted and encouraged where such use supports the goals and objectives of the company. Use of Wren IT systems is monitored for security and / network management reasons. Users may also be subject to limitations on their use of such resources. Use of any IT Wren resources must comply with the Wren GDPR Policy, Wren Code of Conduct Policy and the Internet and IT Communication Tools Policy.

1 Emma Whitwood

Tel: 07890 050 513

Email: emma.whitwood@wrenkitchens.com

2 Grant Kenworthy

07890 385 210 

Email: grantkenworthy@wrenkitchens.com