Safeguarding Policy of MAP Counselling Cym
Date drafted 22/07/2026
Date for Review 22/07/2027
Mission statement
In our work with children / young people / adults who may be at risk due to age, illness or disability,MAP Counselling Cym will endeavour at all times to provide services and activities which are as safe as they can be. We aim to protect our service users from harm or maltreatment, prevent the impairment of health or development, ensure the provision of safe and effective care, promote people’s life chances and ensure children enter adulthood successfully.
Who
The Safeguarding Officer is Marilyn Power from 22/07/2026 who will be available to service users to speak to when they have any concerns, issues or complaints regarding the safety, well-being and conduct of service users, volunteers and staff. The safeguarding officer and deputy will have access to appropriate training to support them in these roles.
What
Awareness of harm; harm is caused by accidents, deliberate abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), neglect (deliberate or not) or factors such as bullying, prejudicial attitudes or a failure to enable a person to participate in activities that are open to most of their peers. MAP Counselling Cym is aware that all these abuses are harmful to our service users and will take steps to reduce risks and improve our service.
Communication
We will communicate the message of this policy to all service users and their families / carers, using appropriate methods, formats and language to get the essence across.
We support and encourage all service users, volunteers and staff to speak up where they have
• a concern (a worry, issue or doubt about practice or treatment of a service user or colleague, or their circumstances),
• a disclosure (information about a person at risk of or suffering from significant harm) or an
• allegation (the possibility that a volunteer or staff member could cause harm to a person in their care) ... through the named Safeguarding Officer or deputy.
We would also encourage whistle-blowing (disclosure in the public interest). Staff or volunteers can report things that aren’t right, are illegal or if anyone at work is neglecting their duties, putting someone’s health and safety in danger or covering up wrongdoing.
NB: Though we would prefer our members and personnel to use internal processes whenever possible to make a report as above, this does not prevent them from making a report or referral to e.g. Social Services, in their own right as a private individual.
Significant harm
Where there is risk of significant harm to our service users, volunteers or staff, the Safeguarding Officer and deputy are empowered to act accordingly.
• To log all conversations regarding the issue
• To sign and request signatures on reports and statements
• Confidentially seek advice from expert sources
• Share concerns (with consent where required and appropriate)
• Share concerns and make referrals to external agencies such as Social Services, the Police or NSPCC as appropriate to the circumstances
• Make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service regarding staff or volunteers in regulated activity whose conduct is harmful to service users and where they are removed from regulated activity
Confidentiality
All reports and logs (including personnel records) will be kept securely and confidential according to our data protection policy and confidentiality statement, until or unless it is necessary to share this material with the agencies named above.
We will hold opportunities for discussions about issues and concerns, policy and procedures to reflect, review and to continue to learn and improve in our safeguarding
responsibilities.
References:-
Safeguarding children: working together under the Children Act 2004 (PDF) which was
issued by the Welsh Government in 2006.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
All Wales Child Protection Procedures 2008
http://www.awcpp.org.uk/areasofwork/safeguardingchildren/awcpprg/index.html
http://www.awcpp.org.uk/areasofwork/safeguardingchildren/awcpprg/index.html?diablo.lang=cym
Wales Interim Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Abuse
(November 2010, updated January 2013)
http://www.ssiacymru.org.uk/home.php?page_id=8297
http://www.ssiacymru.org.uk/home.php?page_id=8297&langSwitch=cym
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-freedoms-bill