One page Policy  – Safeguarding Policy

The law requires any organisation involving young people and vulnerable adults to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the risk of harm to their welfare is minimised and, where there are concerns, to share them with other agencies, as appropriate.

Little Hereford Parish Hall (LHPH) recognises that it is not the role of our organisation to decide whether a child or vulnerable adult has been abused or not. This is the role of the Social Services department who have legal responsibility or the NSPCC who have powers to investigate child protection concerns under the Children Act.

For the purposes of this policy, anyone up to the age of 19 is a child and anyone over 18 years who is or may be unable to take care of themselves or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation is a vulnerable adult.

We recognise the need to safeguard any young and vulnerable members and the Committee has therefore adopted the following Safeguarding Policy.

• The LHPH committee has designated Alex Hayward as the named safeguarding person. Who will undertake appropriate training as required and will be identified to hall users on the noticeboard.

•  Any concern regarding a child, vulnerable adult, or any other adult using the hall should be reported to the named safeguarding persons. (or in his or her absence to the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Committee) who will take the lead on responding to information that may constitute a safeguarding concern.

This includes:

• receiving and recording the information from the person expressing the concern;
• assessing and clarifying the information;
• consulting with and informing the Chair of the Committee;

• making referrals to statutory organisations (e.g. the local authority child protection services/the Police, etc.) as appropriate;

• storing and retaining records according to legal requirements; and maintaining confidentiality, subject to the principle of the welfare of the child being paramount which means that information may have to be shared (but only with people who need to know about it).
• If in any doubt as to what to do, the named safeguarding persons. or other person acting shall seek advice from NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

19 February 2026

Our full policy can be downloaded below