Safeguarding Policy

Introduction:

At Preston Dyslexia, we abide by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and are committed to safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practice requirements.

We recognise the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, 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
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

to protect children and young people who receive Preston Dyslexia’s services from harm
to provide staff, 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 Preston Dyslexia.

Safeguarding definitions

A ‘child’ is defined for the purpose of safeguarding as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. This includes the provisions in safeguarding legislation that refers to a young person.

A ‘vulnerable adult’ is 18 years or over and is, or maybe, unable to take care of himself/herself or unable to protect himself/herself against significant harm or exploitation. Government guidance identifies adults who are at risk due to:

sensory or physical disability or impairment
learning disability
physical illness
chronic or acute mental ill health (including dementia);
addiction to alcohol or drugs
failing faculties in old age
permanent or temporary reduction in physical, mental or emotional capacity through life events such as bereavement, abuse or trauma.

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. We refer to the following documents:

Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)
Prevent Duty Guidance (2015)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)
Equality Act (2010)
What to Do If You’re Worried a Child Is Being Abused – A Guide for Practitioners (2015)
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners (2018)
Children's Bill to Keep Children Safe from Exploitation (2025)

Supporting documents

This policy statement should be read alongside our privacy policy and terms and conditions, which include the complaints procedure.

What is child abuse?

Child abuse happens when a person harms a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can also involve neglect.

Children may be abused by:

family members
friends
people working or volunteering in organisational or community settings
people they know
strangers

General signs of abuse

Children experiencing abuse often experience more than one type of abuse over a period of time
Children who experience abuse may be afraid to tell anybody about the abuse. They may struggle with feelings of guilt, shame or confusion – particularly if the abuser is a parent, caregiver or other close family member or friend

Types of abuse

Physical Abuse
Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Domestic Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Exploitation
Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Child Trafficking
Female Genital Mutilation

Safeguarding is the promotion of activities to support the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. The primary concept in safeguarding is recognising, preventing and minimising the potential for significant harm of children and vulnerable adults.

Significant harm is any single or multiple maltreatment or impairment to the health and development of a child or vulnerable adult and is determined by careful assessment.

Abuse or mistreatment is a single or repeated act which violates an individual’s human and or civil rights. It can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm or exploitation.

Child protection is part of safeguarding and used for responding to concerns where it appears that a child may have been harmed.

At Preston Dyslexia we recognise that:

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
child abuse can be classified as physical, sexual, emotional or neglect, and can also be a combination of these
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 will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

valuing, listening to and respecting them
recording 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 for help if they have a concern
sharing concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately
ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people and staff, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
ensuring that we have read, understood and work within the safeguarding policy of schools we are visiting
keeping up to date with any new information about safeguarding and child protection, updating our policy accordingly to include any changes
recognising signs of abuse when working with children and young people and reporting any concerns
ensuring that parents and stakeholders are aware of our complaint’s procedure in our terms and conditions

Acting on concerns

Unless we believe that it would put the child at risk of further harm, we will discuss concerns with a child’s parent/carer if we notice:

significant changes in a child’s behaviour
deterioration in a child’s general well-being and/or appearance
unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect
children’s comments which give cause for concern
any reasons to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting, for example in the child’s home or while with a friend/family member

If a child tells us that they or another child is being abused, we will:

show that we have heard what they are saying and that we take their allegations seriously
encourage the child to talk, without prompting them or asking them leading questions, providing supporting communication aids where needed
reassure the child that they can tell me anything that is worrying them, but that we cannot promise not to tell anybody because some things have to be passed on in order to keep them safe
reassure the child that what has happened is not his/her fault and stress that it was the right thing to tell
not criticise the alleged perpetrator
explain what actions we must take, in a way that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child
record what we have been told as soon as we can, using exact words where possible
make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present during the disclosure
listen to what is being said without displaying shock or disbelief
when working in a school, pass the information to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), or Deputy DSL in their absence without delay. If a DSL or Deputy is not available, we would inform a senior member of staff if there is reason to believe that the child may be at risk of immediate harm. If no one is available, we will report to the relevant bodies (see below)
if we have any cause for concern and are not working in a school or education setting, or DSL/Deputy DSL is not available, we will report it to the relevant bodies, following the Local Safeguarding Partner procedures. We will record the concern and all contact with Children’s Services in a safeguarding log, which will be kept locked away securely for the legally required length of time

Record Keeping

In all instances of concern about a child, we will record:

the child’s full name and address
the date and time of the record
factual details of the concern, for example, bruising, what the child said, who was present
details of any previous concerns
any action taken, such as speaking to parents.
details of any explanations from the parents/carers (if I feel it is safe to discuss the matter with them). It is not the responsibility of Preston Dyslexia to attempt to investigate the situation

Training and Awareness:

At Preston Dyslexia we will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to everyone coming in contact with children.

For all employees who are working with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:

Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children
Recognise a child potentially in need of safeguarding and take action
Understand how to report a safeguarding alert
Understand dignity and respect when working with children
Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children Policy

Confidentiality and Information Sharing:

At Preston Dyslexia we expect everyone to maintain confidentiality. Information will only be shared in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection.

However, information should be shared with the Local Authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed.

Safer Recruitment:

At Preston Dyslexia everyone holds an enhanced DBS disclosure check.

Important Contacts:

Preston Dyslexia

Name: Rachel Spacey

Email address: info@prestondyslexia.co.uk

Telephone number: 07421521223

Lancashire County Council - Safeguarding

0300 123 6720 – Office Hours

0300 123 6722 – Out of Hours

Police

Emergency – 999

Non-emergency – 101

NSPCC Helpline

0808 800 5000

At Preston Dyslexia we are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 23rd April 2025

Written by Mrs Rachel Spacey - Business owner