Children's Safeguarding Policy
1. Purpose
Redemption Roasters is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children who engage with our organisation. This includes participants in our training programs, visitors, and anyone under the age of 18. This policy outlines our responsibilities to protect children from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, aligning with UK safeguarding laws and best practices, including the Children Act 1989 and 2004.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all Redemption Roasters employees, board members, contractors, interns, volunteers, and representatives. It provides clear guidance on recognising, responding to, and reporting concerns about the safety and well-being of children.
3. Legislative Context
This policy is informed by the following statutory and regulatory frameworks:
Children Act 1989 & 2004: Establishes the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018): Sets out responsibilities for organisations to work in partnership to protect children.
Education Act 2002: Stipulates safeguarding responsibilities for organisations engaging with children.
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Guides the handling of personal and sensitive information.
4. Key Principles of Safeguarding
Redemption Roasters is guided by the following principles:
Child-Centred Approach: Ensuring the safety and well-being of the child is paramount.
Prevention: Taking proactive measures to reduce risks and prevent harm.
Early Intervention: Acting quickly to address concerns and provide support.
Partnership: Collaborating with parents, carers, schools, and safeguarding agencies.
Accountability: Ensuring transparency and clarity in safeguarding roles and responsibilities.
These principles guide our response to safeguarding issues, ensuring a balanced and responsible approach that respects the dignity and rights of children and other participants.
5. Definitions and Types of Abuse
Abuse may take many forms. All staff should be trained to recognise the following:
Physical: Physical force or coercion causing harm or injury.
Sexual: Coercive or inappropriate sexual acts, including exposure to explicit material.
Emotional or Psychological: Persistent behaviours undermining an individual’s self-esteem, such as intimidation or humiliation.
Neglect and Acts of Omission: Failing to meet basic physical or emotional needs.
Financial or Material: Unauthorised or coerced use of a person’s funds or assets.
Discrimination: Unfair treatment, harassment, or exclusion of an individual based on their personal characteristics—such as race, gender, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation—often motivated by prejudice.
Organisational: Systemic neglect or poor care practices within institutional settings.
Modern Slavery: Exploitative practices including human trafficking and forced labour.
Self-Neglect: Inability or unwillingness to attend to personal needs, which can lead to harm.
Radicalisation: Influenced, groomed, or exploited into adopting extreme ideological beliefs that may lead them to support or carry out harmful or criminal acts.
6. Roles and Responsibilities
6.1 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
The Directors have appointed Victoria Molyneux as the DSL, with Estelle Woodhouse as Deputy Safeguarding Lead. A further escalation point is Thomas Clare, Head of Impact.
The DSL’s responsibilities include:
Providing training and guidance to staff.
Maintaining safeguarding records and overseeing the implementation and review of safeguarding processes.
Assessing safeguarding reports and following up with appropriate action, ensuring defensible decision-making throughout the process.
Liaising with external safeguarding agencies such as Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH).
Escalation: In situations where safeguarding procedures are deemed insufficient, staff may escalate concerns first to Victoria Molyneux, and if necessary, to Thomas Clare. N.B. If neither are deemed suitable or there is a conflict of interest, individuals can contact Head of Human Resources, Nick Gerken.
6.2 Responsibilities of the Head of Impact
Thomas Clare is the Head of Impact, and his responsibilities include:
Escalation route for safeguarding concerns.
Ensuring risk management processes are adhered to by the Impact Team, including thorough risk assessment of participants ahead of them entering employment.
6.3 Responsibilities of All Staff
Every member of Redemption Roasters is responsible for:
Understanding and adhering to the Safeguarding Policy.
Recognising signs of abuse and neglect, and reporting any safeguarding concerns promptly to the DSL or designated staff.
Completing safeguarding training appropriate to their role, to stay informed about indicators of abuse, neglect, and organisational procedures.
All staff should recognise that some participants, some of whom may be between the ages of 16 and 18, may require additional support and should facilitate connections to relevant resources when appropriate. Staff should treat caseworkers as key contacts for assistance and referrals.
6.4 Working in Partnership
When working in settings with children e.g. secure schools, Redemption Roasters will follow the institutions safeguarding guidelines and protocols. Redemption Roasters will work with a safeguarding lead in the school to ensure requirements are met and processes are understood.
If Redemption Roasters had concerns about the safeguarding processes of the school or institution, then we would escalate to the relevant local authority i.e. LADO or local safeguarding body.
7. Recognising and Reporting Abuse
7.1 Recognising Signs of Abuse
Signs of abuse may include unexplained injuries, behavioural changes, signs of neglect, or financial irregularities. Redemption Roasters staff are trained to recognise and respond to such indicators, following a structured approach to safeguarding concerns.
Signs may include:
Unexplained injuries or frequent absences.
Sudden changes in behaviour, such as withdrawal or aggression.
Poor hygiene, clothing, or nutritional standards.
7.2 Responding to a Disclosure
When a child discloses abuse:
Listen carefully without interrupting or making judgments.
Refrain from questioning and allow the individual to share their experience freely.
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing.
Explain the limits of confidentiality, indicating that the information may need to be shared to ensure their safety.
Document the disclosure immediately, noting time, date, location, and other relevant details.
7.3 Reporting Concerns
All safeguarding concerns should be reported to the DSL through the designated reporting link or directly by contacting:
DSL: Victoria Molyneux
Email: victoria.molyneux@redemptionroasters.com
Tel: 07425 359799
Deputy DSL (in absence): Estelle Woodhouse
Email: estelle.woodhouse@redemptionroasters.com
Tel: 07831358064
Head of Impact (escalation): Thomas Clare
Email: thomas.clare@redemptionroasters.com
Tel: 07826 946320
HR: Nick Gerken
Email: nick.gerken@redemptionroasters.com
Tel: 07866427710
In cases of immediate danger, call 999, then inform the DSL.
8. Information Sharing and Confidentiality
All information relating to safeguarding must be shared on a strictly “need-to-know” basis in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. Safeguarding concerns should be documented, and decisions must be defensible and justifiable.
9. Procedure for Managing Safeguarding Reports
9.1 Internal Process
Upon receiving a safeguarding report, the DSL will:
Assess the situation based on available information and determine if further investigation is warranted.
Collaborate with relevant staff to gain a thorough understanding of the situation, escalating to HR and the Directors if deemed necessary and proportionate.
Contact the relevant external support body (e.g. probation or social worker) or safeguarding organisation (e.g. MASH, LADO).
Throughout, maintain detailed and confidential records of all actions taken and the reasons for the decisions made.
Following the incident, the DSL, Deputy DSL and any other relevant staff will reflect upon whether there are any useful learnings to take forward.
9.2 Escalation
If staff believe safeguarding procedures are insufficient or a conflict of interest exists, they may escalate concerns to the Deputy DSL (Estelle Woodhouse), Head of Impact (Thomas Clare) or Head of Human Resources (Nick Gerken).
10. Training and Awareness
Due to the work undertaken by Redemption Roasters, different roles require different levels of safeguarding training.
All staff received information about safeguarding during their induction training.
Staff who regularly work with participants (e.g. shop managers), complete more in-depth safeguarding training, specific to their role. This training includes:
- Recognising signs of abuse and neglect.
- Reporting procedures and maintaining confidentiality.
- Defensible decision-making and escalation processes.
- Maintaining professional boundaries
Members of the Impact team who work one-to-one with participants, complete externally accredited safeguarding training and government prevent training. This training is repeated every two years.
11. Useful Contacts
Metropolitan Police: 0300 123 1212
Local Safeguarding Board: 0207 934 9714
Camden Children’s Safeguarding: 020 7974 3317 (9am-5pm) or 020 7974 4444 (outside these hours)
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Childline: 0800 1111
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Camden is Jacqueline Fearon. You can contact the LADO through the following methods:
Phone: 020 7974 4556
Email: LADO@camden.gov.uk
12. Policy Review
This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if legal or procedural updates are required.
Last Reviewed: April 2026
Next Review Date: April 2027