October 2025
- Purpose
The purpose of this policy and procedure is to define how Cirencester Civic Society operates to safeguard children and adults at risk in order to;
- protect them from harm
- provide volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.
We recognise we have a duty of care and we are committed to the protection and safety of everyone who comes in to contact with our organisation; including children and adults involved as participants in all of our activities. We also have a duty to safeguard and support our volunteers.
This policy is a core part of our governance responsibilities and priorities. Trustees responsibilities include ensuring that the organisation provides a safe environment and protects volunteers, and anyone who comes into contact with it from abuse or maltreatment of any kind.
We are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects our legal responsibilities and government guidance. We will fulfil our duty to report Serious Incidents, including safeguarding, as part of our governance and reporting responsibilities to the Charity Commission.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. For our safeguarding policy to be effective every volunteer who supports us whatever their role, will play their part in keeping people safe.
- Definitions
- Children are defined as those persons aged under 18 years old
- Adult aged 18 years old or over.
3. Persons affected
This policy applies to everyone volunteering on behalf of Cirencester Civic Society including the board of trustees and volunteers.
- Our Policy
- We believe everyone has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and adults and to keep them safe.
- We recognise that while it is the responsibility of the relevant statutory agencies to determine whether or not abuse has taken place it is everyone’s responsibility to report any concerns and all volunteers and trustees will know how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns.
- We have a zero tolerance approach to abuse. We recognise that all children and adults at risk whatever their age, ability, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity have equal rights to protection from abuse.
We will keep children and adults at risk of harm safe by;
- valuing, listening to and respecting them
- acting in an appropriate professional behaviour as set out in our Code of Conduct statement
- ensuring all necessary checks are made, including on when to obtain a DBS check
- recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
- having a culture that enables issues about safeguarding to be addressed, and for volunteers and trustees to feel able to raise concerns and feel supported
- Review
This policy and related guidance will be monitored by the Board of Trustees on a regular basis for compliance and will be reviewed at least annually.