Safeguarding Policy.

At Rowntree Equine Therapy CIC, we are committed to creating safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for everyone who engages with our organisation. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults across all of our activities, programmes, and services.

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Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, and any behaviour that places individuals at risk of harm.

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Our Commitment

We are committed to:

• Protecting children, young people, and vulnerable adults from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

• Promoting the welfare, wellbeing, and rights of all participants.

• Creating safe and positive environments where individuals feel respected and valued.

• Ensuring staff, volunteers, and partners understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

• Responding promptly and appropriately to any safeguarding concerns.

• Working with relevant agencies where necessary to protect those at risk.

Safeguarding Children

A child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

We are committed to protecting children from all forms of abuse, including:

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse and exploitation

• Emotional or psychological abuse

• Neglect

• Domestic abuse

• Online abuse and grooming

• Child trafficking

• Radicalisation and extremism

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

All children have the right to participate in activities safely, regardless of their background, race, gender, disability, religion, or personal circumstances.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

We are equally committed to protecting vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

A vulnerable adult may be someone who, due to age, illness, disability, mental health needs, or personal circumstances, is unable to protect themselves from harm.

Abuse may include:

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Emotional or psychological abuse

• Neglect

• Financial abuse

• Discriminatory abuse

• Domestic abuse

• Modern slavery

• Organisational abuse

• Self-neglect

Recruitment, Training and Professional Standards

We are committed to maintaining high safeguarding standards throughout our organisation.

Where appropriate, staff and volunteers will undergo safer recruitment processes, including reference checks and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

All staff and volunteers receive safeguarding guidance and training relevant to their role and are expected to:

• Act professionally at all times.

• Maintain appropriate boundaries with participants.

• Report concerns immediately.

• Promote a culture of safety, respect, and inclusion.

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

Any safeguarding concern, allegation, disclosure, or suspicion of harm must be reported immediately to the organisation's Designated Safeguarding Lead.

All concerns will be treated seriously, handled sensitively, and managed in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.

Where there is an immediate risk of harm, emergency services should be contacted by calling 999.

We encourage anyone with a concern to speak up. Reports will be handled confidentially wherever possible, and individuals raising genuine concerns will be protected from retaliation.

Responding to Disclosures

If a child, young person, or vulnerable adult discloses abuse or harm, staff and volunteers should:

• Listen carefully and remain calm.

• Take the concern seriously.

• Reassure the individual that they have done the right thing by speaking up.

• Avoid making promises of confidentiality.

• Record the information accurately.

• Report the concern immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Staff should never investigate concerns themselves or confront the alleged perpetrator.

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Confidentiality and Data Protection

Information relating to safeguarding concerns will only be shared on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with data protection legislation.

Records will be stored securely and accessed only by authorised individuals.

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Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective, up to date, and compliant with relevant legislation and best practice guidance.

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If you have any questions regarding this policy or wish to report a safeguarding concern, please contact Rowntree Equine Therapy CIC directly at info@rowntreecic.org