Meet the Safeguarding Team!

Our Safeguarding Policy

C.I Foundation is committed to protecting the health, well-being, and human rights of all children and young adults who interact with our services. Because our work focuses directly on young people aged 3 to 18, we recognise our fundamental responsibility to provide a secure, nurturing, and safe environment. We believe that no child or young person should ever experience abuse of any kind.

The purpose of this policy is to outline the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection and to ensure that all staff, volunteers, and representatives clearly understand their safeguarding obligations.

This policy applies to all full-time and part-time staff members, contractors, volunteers, board members, and anyone working on behalf of the C.I Foundation.

• Child/Young Person: For the purposes of this policy, and in line with UK law, a child or young person is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

• Abuse: Encompasses physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect.

• Contextual Safeguarding: We recognise that young people (particularly teenagers) may face risks outside the home or organisation, including peer-on-peer abuse, online grooming, or criminal exploitation.

We enforce a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and are dedicated to proactive prevention. All representatives of C.I Foundation must prioritise the safety of our young participants above all else.

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Chase Jaye Craig (Company Director) is the appointed DSL, responsible for overseeing all safeguarding concerns, maintaining secure records, and acting as the primary point of contact for external child protection authorities (e.g., local authority children’s services or the LADO).

• Safe Recruitment: All personnel working directly with children and young adults must undergo rigorous background checks. This includes mandatory Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, a thorough review of employment history, and verified professional references before beginning work.

• Training and Awareness: Staff and volunteers will receive mandatory, age-appropriate child protection training during onboarding. This is updated annually so our team can confidently identify signs of abuse, grooming, or neglect, and understand the exact procedures for reporting.

• Code of Conduct: All staff and volunteers must maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times. Unsupervised one-on-one contact with a child is strictly minimised and must be pre-approved and risk-assessed.

Given the age range of our participants, managing digital interactions and media is a critical component of our safeguarding approach.

• Photography and Media: No images or videos of children or young adults may be taken, published, or shared on social media without explicit, written consent from a parent or legal guardian.

• Digital Communication: Staff and volunteers must never communicate with participants under 18 via personal social media accounts or personal mobile numbers. All digital communication must go through official C.I Foundation channels and, where appropriate, include parents or guardians.

If anyone suspects that a child or young person is at risk of harm, or if a young person discloses abuse, immediate action must be taken following the "Listen, Reassure, Record, Report" framework.

• Emergency Situations: If a child is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress, staff must contact emergency services (999) directly before notifying the DSL.

• Managing Disclosures: If a child discloses abuse, staff must listen carefully and reassure them that they did the right thing by speaking up. Staff must never promise to keep a secret, as the information must be passed on to keep the child safe.

• Internal Reporting: All non-emergency concerns, behavioral observations, or disclosures must be documented in writing on a standardised Incident Report Form and handed to the DDSL within 24 hours.

• External Referral: The DSL will assess the report and refer the case to the relevant local child protection services (such as MASH - Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) or law enforcement without delay.

• Whistleblowing: We fully support any staff member or volunteer who raises legitimate concerns in good faith about poor safeguarding practices within C.I Foundation, ensuring they are protected from any form of retaliation.

If you have a safeguarding concern, please email safeguarding@cifoundation.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.