Policy reviewed: November 2025. Wording updated: 15 October 2026.
If somebody is in immediate danger, call 999 and report the concern to the police.
To report a safeguarding concern to The Haven, telephone 01342 716791 or email mail@cdhavencentre.co.uk and ask for the Chair or Secretary. Please mark written correspondence Confidential safeguarding concern.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the practices and procedures for paid staff and volunteers working for Crawley Down Community Centre CIO and CDCCA Trading Limited to contribute to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk. It raises awareness and provides a clear framework for action when abuse is suspected.
It is intended to protect the person at risk, volunteers and members of staff.
For the purposes of this policy, references to CDCCA include Crawley Down Community Centre CIO and CDCCA Trading Limited.
Definitions
Children and young people are people aged under 18. This policy applies to all staff and volunteers and supports their work.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
- protecting children from maltreatment;
- preventing impairment of children’s health and development;
- ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
For this policy, an adult at risk means somebody aged 18 or over who meets the criteria in paragraph 14.2 of the Care and support statutory guidance issued under the Care Act 2014:
- has care and support needs;
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect; and
- as a result of their care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Somebody may still be an adult at risk if they have care and support needs but are not currently receiving care or support from a health or care service.
This policy concerns:
- all trustees, volunteers and staff;
- everybody attending an activity or service delivered from the Community Centre; and
- all visitors and contractors.
What do we mean by abuse?
Abuse is a violation of human and civil rights by another person or people. It may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may be planned or unplanned and may result from deliberate intent, negligence or ignorance. It may happen when a child or adult is persuaded to enter into a transaction to which they are unable to consent or have not consented.
Abuse can take many forms, including:
- physical abuse;
- sexual abuse;
- psychological abuse;
- discriminatory abuse;
- emotional abuse; and
- neglect.
Abuse can take place in any public or private setting and can be perpetrated by anybody.
Our duty of care
CDCCA has a duty of care for its users, volunteers and staff and acts on safeguarding concerns in accordance with applicable law. To exercise this duty of care, we operate within the following framework:
- Our procedures ensure that the safety, needs and interests of people at risk are respected and given priority.
- We believe people should be empowered and supported to make their own choices while being protected from harm.
- We regularly update our policies, procedures and guidance to reflect UK safeguarding legislation and good practice.
- We expect staff and volunteers to understand their duty to report concerns.
- We check criminal disclosures where appropriate and where legally entitled to do so, in accordance with our recruitment policies.
- All hirers must sign a hiring agreement. Hirers using our facilities for activities involving children or adults at risk, other than private parties for invited friends and family, must provide their safeguarding policy and evidence of relevant Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
- All committee members sign the Trustee Statement of Eligibility, which includes a declaration that they have no convictions relating to abuse.
- A member of the Management Committee is identified to oversee safeguarding policy and procedure and to make decisions about referrals to safeguarding authorities.
Statutory safeguarding agencies, principally the police, local authorities and health services, expect:
- staff and volunteers in every service or setting to know about safeguarding policies and procedures and how to access current information and guidance; and
- concerns or suspicions that a person at risk is being abused, neglected or exploited to be assessed and referred to safeguarding authorities where appropriate.
If a person at risk is believed to be in immediate danger, we will involve the emergency services to protect the individual, staff and volunteers.
Reporting a safeguarding concern
A concern may arise because somebody experiencing abuse or neglect confides in you, or because you notice concerning behaviour or changes in the state of mind of a person at risk.
Immediate danger
- Call 999 and report the concern to the police.
- Tell the police as much as you can about the situation.
- Record your decision and the outcome at every stage in the safeguarding log kept in the Centre Manager’s Office.
Concern about an adult who is not in immediate danger
- Where appropriate and safe, ask the adult at risk for their views on sharing their information and explain the proposed next steps. Do not delay necessary safeguarding action while seeking consent.
- Contact the Chair or Secretary immediately and explain the situation, sharing only the information necessary and lawful for them to assess the concern. Together, decide whether a referral or other support is appropriate. A refusal of consent does not prevent a lawful safeguarding disclosure; follow the Consent and capacity section below.
- If a referral is needed, contact the West Sussex Adults’ Safeguarding Board on 01243 642121 or use the online form for raising a concern about an adult.
- If the person does not consent and no safeguarding disclosure without consent is necessary and lawful, offer the number for Samaritans, whose confidential advisers can explain where to find further help. Call 116 123 free of charge.
- If the person then asks for a referral, or a safeguarding referral without consent is necessary and lawful, contact West Sussex Adults’ Safeguarding Board as described above.
- Record the decision and outcome at every stage in the safeguarding log kept in the Centre Manager’s Office.
Concern about a child who is not in immediate danger
- Contact the Chair or Secretary immediately and explain the situation.
- They will contact Childline on 0800 1111.
- If the concern remains, contact West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership at wsscp@westsussex.gov.uk or 01403 229900. The postal address is Floor 1, County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1XH.
- Record the decision and outcome at every stage in the safeguarding log kept in the Centre Manager’s Office.
Consent and capacity
Where appropriate and safe, we seek the individual’s views and explain how and why their information may be shared. We respect their wishes as far as possible while considering our duty of care and the safety of everyone involved.
Where the law permits or requires safeguarding information to be shared without consent, we may do so. A refusal of consent does not prevent a necessary and lawful safeguarding disclosure. Information is shared only with those who need it and only to the extent necessary for the safeguarding purpose. We record the decision, the reasons and lawful basis for sharing or not sharing, and any consent or refusal.
Mental capacity refers to an individual’s ability to make decisions for themselves. We will assume that an individual has the capacity to make their own decisions unless it is known otherwise. Staff and volunteers are not expected to assess capacity.
If an individual is in immediate danger, their safety and wellbeing is the first concern and the emergency services should be contacted where necessary. If there are concerns about their ability to make a particular decision, seek appropriate safeguarding advice. We explain any information sharing to the individual wherever appropriate and safe, without delaying necessary safeguarding action.