From time to time ACS Group Cleaning Service works with clients who operate within a setting that brings our employees into contact with children, young people or vulnerable adults. These include schools, colleges, universities, and attractions.
The Company is committed to working with these clients to ensure our employees safeguard and promote the welfare of children or young and vulnerable adults in the workplace.
Everyone working within these settings has a responsibility for safeguarding children and young or vulnerable adults. Our staff members will be made aware that it is important to maintain an attitude of ‘It could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staffmembers should always act in the interests of the child.
The purpose of this policy is to make sure that the actions of any adult in our employ, whilst performing the works for which they are employed by us, are transparent and safeguard the children, young people, and vulnerable adults that they may come into contact with.
We will be guided by the client and in particular the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) within the client’s workplace.
It is generally accepted that there are four main forms of abuse. The following definitions are taken from “Working Together to Safeguard Children” a Department for Education publication.
This includes anything from a hand slap to death by suffocation. Injuries may be caused by blows, punches, kicks, shakes, bites, belts, scalds, burns, suffocation, drowning or poisoning. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms or deliberately causes ill health to a vulnerable adult or child they are looking after, Physical abuse, as well as being the result of a deliberate act, can also be caused through the omission or the failure to act and protect.
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in serious impairment to their health or development.
It may involve a carer failing to protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger, including cold or starvation, or extreme failure to carry out important aspects of care, resulting in significant impairment of the child’s health or development.
Forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what’s happening. This includes rape, incest and all forms of sexual activity involving children, including encouraging children to look at, or to be involved in the production of pornography material, prostitution or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
This is persistent emotional ill treatment which is likely to cause serious harm to the child’s emotional development. This may involve conveying to children that they are worthless, unloved, inadequate and cause children to feel frightened, in danger, be exploited or corrupted.
It is not the sole responsibility of ACS Group Services Ltd to decide whether or not abuse has taken place. This will be decided after a full investigation and the relevant Clients’ DSL has been informed. It is the responsibility of our employees to act if there is cause for concern, in order that the client and appropriate agencies can investigate and take the necessary action to protect a vulnerable adult or child. All concerns should be reported the same working day.
Regardless of the age of the individual person, if an allegation of abuse or inappropriate conduct is made against a ACS Group Services Ltd employee then it must be reported immediately to the client’s DSL and their respective supervisor/area manager.
Concerns about employees must be treated with the same rigour as other concerns.
If there are concerns that child abuse has taken place then this information will be passed to social services and/or the police for a full investigation by the client, supported by the relevant ACS Group Services Ltd Area Manager.
The welfare of the child, young person or vulnerable adult is paramount. Even when the presenting circumstances appear not very serious, they must be followed up, and they are examined objectively by someone independent of ACS Group Services Ltd.
ACS Group Services Ltd Area Manager will also need to refer to any disciplinary policy and procedure and decide whether the member of staff should be suspended pending a full investigation.
After an allegation or suspicion or concern has been investigated, there are likely to be strong feelings among the staff, service users, parents and maybe the wider community, which will need to be addressed. There are likely to be issues of rumour or fact, guilt and blame – if suspicions have been around for some time, impact on individuals, of the nature of what occurred and to whom. ACS Group Services Ltd Senior Management team will support the client and employee in considering the best way of managing this.
Our employees will undertake basic safeguarding training as required by our client organisation.
Enhanced checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) will be conducted on ACS Group Services Ltd staff on appointment, when they work within client settings that operate with children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
We will be guided by our client requirements with regards to the frequency of DBS checks.
This policy will be reviewed regularly and in line with our client’s requirements.
Luigi Sindaco
Managing Director ACS Group Cleaning Service
Westmead House, Ground Floor Suit, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 6LP.
Tel: 01252 364418
Email: info@aquacommercialcleaningservicesltd.com
The authority for this policy is vested in the Managing Director.