Safeguarding Policy

 

This policy should be ready together with our parent body’s safeguarding policy: https://assets.prod.unioncloud-internal.com/document/documents/108347/1c3ebab729ad1f5917ff2781c931f509/Safeguarding_Policy_July_2023_-_Final__.pdf.

In the event of any conflict, the parent body’s safeguarding policy takes precedence and must always be followed.

 

Safeguarding Lead

The Safeguarding Lead for Nightline is:

Chris Cottam, Head of Advocacy and Governance (Student’s Union)

They can be contacted on:

c.cottam1@lancaster.ac.uk

+441524594327

Definitions

Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing, and rights. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. While it is important to safeguard everyone, there are particular responsibilities regarding children and adults at risk, due to the fact that they are more vulnerable to abuse.

A child is anyone under the age of 18.^[1]

An adult at risk^[2] is anyone over the age of 18 who:

• has needs for care and support,
• is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
• as a result of those needs is unable to protect themself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

 

Abuse

Forms of Abuse

• Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts
• It may occur as a result of a failure to undertake action or appropriate care tasks
• It may be an act of neglect or an omission to act, or it may occur where a person at risk is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which they have not, or cannot, consent
• It may be deliberate or unintentional or result from a lack of knowledge
• It may cause harm temporarily or over a period of time
• Abuse can be perpetrated by anyone, carried out by individuals or as part of a group or an organisation
• Abuse can constitute a crime
• Abuse can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the individual
• Abuse can be self-inflicted (such as deliberate self-harm)

 

Categories of Abuse

There are four main categories of abuse which are:

Physical abuse

Causing any physical impact or injury, such as:

• Hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, hair-pulling, biting, pushing
• Rough handling
• Scalding and burning
• Physical punishments
• Inappropriate use of restraint
• Physical harm caused by a parent/carer inducing or fabricating the symptoms of an illness 

Emotional abuse

Persistent mistreatment of someone. Some level of emotional abuse will be present in all types of abuse, although it may also appear alone. Examples include:

• Overprotection – preventing someone from accessing educational and social opportunities, and seeing friends
• Intimidation, coercion, harassment, use of threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing, or verbal abuse
• Conveying feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, or that someone is unloved
• Threats of harm or abandonment
• Placing inappropriate expectations on someone
• Witnessing or hearing the abuse or ill-treatment of others

Sexual abuse

Forcing or coercing a person to take part in sexual activities such as:

• Penetrative sex, including oral and anal sex
• Non-penetrative acts including kissing, masturbation, rubbing, or inappropriate touching
• Forced viewing or creation of sexual photography / pornography
• Forced witnessing of sexual acts
• Grooming in preparation for abuse
• Any sexual act between an adult and a child under 16
• Any sexual act between an adult in a position of trust / responsibility and a child under 18 / adult at risk

In the context of adults, it should be recognised that some consensual sexual activities may include some level of agreed violence, restraint, or other actions that would otherwise be viewed as abuse (BDSM – Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Submission, Sadism, Masochism). These activities will be fully consensual, with agreed-upon “safe words” or ways of ending the activity by any party at any time. BDSM requires full ongoing and informed consent from all parties. If this is not present then the activity is abuse.

Neglect

A persistent failure to meet the basic needs (physical or emotional) of a child or adult at risk in a person’s care. This includes:

• Failing to provide adequate shelter, clothing, or food
• Failing to protect someone from harm or danger
• Failing to ensure adequate supervision for someone
• Failing to access medical care or treatment for someone where needed

However, it is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories such as:

Financial abuse

Theft, fraud, scams, or controlling/coercive behaviour in relation to a person’s financial arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance, or financial transactions.

Self-neglect and self-harm

Neglecting to care for one’s own needs and/or inflicting deliberate harm upon oneself

Domestic abuse

Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional, or other abuse perpetrated by someone within a person’s family.

“Mate crime” is a similar situation but where the abuser is a “friend” rather than a family member.

Discrimination

Abuse that centres on a difference or perceived difference, particularly with respect to a protected characteristic (age, gender reassignment, marital/civil partnership status, pregnancy/maternity, disability, race/nationality/ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation).^[3]

Online abuse

Cyber-bullying, online harassment, or other abuse perpetrated over the internet.

Radicalisation

Attempts to embed extreme views, inspire recruits, and persuade individuals of the legitimacy of an extremist cause.

 

Purpose of this Policy

 

In line with current law and guidance, Nightline will act to protect children and adults at risk from abuse.

Nightline is committed to a safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance, and complies with best practice recommendations.

 This policy applies to everyone involved in Nightline.

Nightline ensures an appropriate induction and level of training are available and failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be immediately addressed and could ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from Nightline.

This policy, and associated procedures, will make clear how to:

• Protect people from harm and recognise that our responsibilities cover both children and adults at risk
• Provide the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection
• Make sure people can raise safeguarding concerns with clear practice pathways in place
• Handle and manage allegations or incidents
• Report to the relevant authorities depending on presentation of risk

 

Scope

This policy applies to everyone in Nightline, no matter their role.

 

Policy statement

Nightline is committed to ensure that we safeguard children and adults at risk, including both those using our service, and those providing our service.

This policy statement should be read alongside the following policies and procedures:

• Safer Recruitment Policy
• Volunteer Agreement & Code of Conduct
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Suicide Policy & Procedures

Nightline is not an independent organisation, but is a service run by the parent body. The following matters are dealt with by the parent body, and their policies & procedures should be followed:

• Allegations against staff and volunteers
• Complaints & Grievances
• Data Protection Policy & Procedures
• Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy

 

Roles and Responsibilities

All those involved with Nightline in any capacity are responsible for implementing this policy, and promoting the welfare and safety of children and adults at risk.

The parent body is responsible for:

• Approving this policy
• Overseeing and quality assuring this policy’s implementation
• Satisfying itself that all those involved in Nightline have received adequate safeguarding training for their roles
• Liaising with local authorities, the police, and other partners to safeguarding children and adults at risk
• 󠁢Reporting serious incidents to the Office for Students.

The Coordinators are responsible for:

• Ensuring that adequate safeguarding training is delivered to those involved in Nightline
• Regularly reminding all those involved in Nightline of their safeguarding responsibilities
• Reporting safeguarding incidents to the Nightline Association

All volunteers are responsible for:

• Ensuring that they are familiar with Nightline’s safeguarding policies and procedures
• Taking action to promote and protect the welfare of children and adults at risk

 

Training

Training for listening volunteers

All of our listening volunteers receive detailed safeguarding training as part of their initial volunteer training. Volunteers are not able to take a shift until they have completed this training and demonstrated that they understand it.

The safeguarding training covers:

• What safeguarding is
• The definitions of children and adults at risk
• Identifying when an adult may be an adult of risk
• Responsibilities under the Safeguarding Policy
• Recognising types and signs of abuse
• How and when to report concerns relating to service users and other volunteers
• How to react to a direct disclosure
• Handling calls containing details of abuse
• When and how to whistleblow to the Nightline Association, parent body, or authorities
• How to deal with suicide calls

All active listening volunteers are required to undertake a safeguarding training refresher every year.

Training for non-listening volunteers

Volunteers that are not involved in answering calls will receive a more basic safeguarding induction which covers:

• What safeguarding is
• The definitions of children and adults at risk
• Identifying when an adult may be an adult of risk
• Responsibilities under the Safeguarding Policy
• How and when to report concerns relating to service users and other volunteers
• How to react to a direct disclosure
• When and how to whistleblow to the Nightline Association, parent body, or authorities

Training for Committee members

Members of the Committee receive additional training to help them ensure that safeguarding arrangements within Nightline are being implemented properly, and so that they can respond to any queries from volunteers.

This training covers:

• All content required for listening volunteers (see above)
• The role of the Safeguarding Lead
• Which safeguarding incidents/concerns to report to the Nightline Association, and how
• Protecting volunteers who may be adults at risk
• Implementing Safer Recruitment practices
• Handling allegations or issues involving volunteers

This training is delivered by the Nightline Association and should be completed as soon as possible after appointment. Committee members renew this training annually.

Lancaster University Student’s Union provides safeguarding and data protection training for all committee members every June.

 

Safeguarding our Service Users

Children

See the Child Protection Policy for the procedure for handling calls from children.

The Nightline service is not designed for callers under the age of 18. There are other services which are better able to support and meet the needs of children, such as Childline. Our publicity will make clear that our service is only intended for over 18s.

Childline is a service run by the NSPCC that offers a similar service to Nightline but aimed at children. Childline can be contacted 24/7 by:

• Calling 0800 1111 or 116 111
• Using the online 1-2-1 chat (requires anonymous login)
• Sending an email message (requires anonymous login)

For more information, see www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline

Where a child uses the Nightline service, we will do our best to support them as we would any other service user, but we will signpost them to Childline at regular intervals.

If a child discloses that they are being abused or are at risk of abuse, we will report this to the Safeguarding Lead. If they are in imminent danger, we will contact the emergency services.

Adults with concerns about a child can report this to the NSPCC.

Adults at Risk

Where it appears that a service user may be an adult at risk, and they disclose that they are being abused, or are at risk of abuse, we will report this to the Safeguarding Lead. If they are in imminent danger, we will contact the emergency services.

We do not operate a policy of assuming that all callers are adults at risk. However, we will err on the side of caution in the event of any ambiguity.

 

Safeguarding our Volunteers

Children

Nightline does not recruit volunteers under the age of 18 due to the nature of the work involved.

Adults at Risk

Being a Nightline volunteer naturally means handling difficult situations, including distressing and abusive calls. We also recognise that many people wish to volunteer with Nightline because they have current or previous experience of mental health challenges.

We always put our volunteers first, and ensure that their welfare is protected.

Steps we take include:

• Providing details of support made available by the Nightline Association for all UK Nightline volunteers.
• Implementing Safer Recruitment practices to ensure that all volunteers are suitable for their roles, and that volunteering will not put them at risk of harm.
• Having robust volunteer welfare structures in place to support volunteers.
• Making sure that all of our volunteers are properly trained to carry out their roles.
• Promoting a culture where volunteers feel empowered and able to say no if they are not physically or mentally well enough to be on shift, including taking breaks during shifts.
• Ensuring that volunteers do not carry out consecutive shifts or exceed 12 hours of call-taking per week.
• Allowing volunteers to pause contacts during a shift following a difficult call (with a requirement to pause following particularly difficult calls such as those relating to suicide or abusive calls).
• Having clear policies and procedures for handling abuses of the services, including a zero-tolerance policy for abuse towards our volunteers.

 

Safeguarding Others

Sometimes, we may become aware of a risk of harm to a child or adult at risk that is not a service user or volunteer. For example, they may be a relative or friend of a service user or volunteer.

In these cases, we will report the details that we know so that the child or adult at risk can be protected from harm.

 

Reviews and amendments

This policy is reviewed at least annually in line with best practice guidance from the Nightline Association.

All changes are approved by Nightline’s parent body.

 

Legal Framework

This policy is based on the legal framework which underpins safeguarding in England. This includes, but is not limited to:

General

• Human Rights Act 1998
• Equality Act 2010

Child Safeguarding

• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (statutory guidance)

Adult Safeguarding

• Care Act 2014 and associated statutory guidance
• Care and support statutory guidance

Mental Capacity

• Mental Capacity Act 2005

Sexual Offences

• Sexual Offences Act 2003

Data Protection

• UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Data Protection Act 2018

 

Handling Caller Safeguarding Disclosures Procedure

This procedure sets out how to handle disclosures of abuse made by callers.

Types of disclosure

A disclosure can be:

• a direct disclosure – where a caller tells you about abuse
• an indirect disclosure – where a caller tells you something that makes you think abuse may be happening, but it is not the main thing they are talking about, and they may not realise that this is abuse

The disclosure could also be:

• a first-party disclosure – where the caller is the one being abused
• a third-party disclosure – where the abuse is happening to someone other than the caller

 

Handling disclosures

If any form of disclosure is made, you should:

• Remain calm
• Continue to use active listening techniques, including:
  • Listening carefully, allowing them to continue at their own pace
  • Keeping questions to a minimum
• Reassure the person that they have done the right thing
• Record in writing what they have said, using their own words as much as possible
• Ask what they would like to happen next
• Explain that you would like to inform the Safeguarding Lead so that they can help

You must not:

• Panic or show shock/distaste
• Make negative comments about the alleged perpetrator
• Make assumptions, speculate, or come to your own conclusions
• Probe for more information than is offered (except asking for details – see below)
• Try to investigate yourself
• Promise to keep the information secret or confidential
• Make promises that you cannot keep (e.g. promising that things will get better)
• Tell anyone other than the Service Directors or Safeguarding Lead, except where necessary

 

Establish the age of the person being abused

Whether a person is over 18 or under 18 will affect how you proceed. When to ask this question will depend on the nature of the call. However, if possible, you should establish this as early as reasonably possible.

You can ask the question directly such as “Can I ask how old you are?” or “Can I ask how old they are?”.

Be clear that there is no requirement to tell you, and you will keep listening either way, but that it will make it easier for you to help them.

For example, if they ask, you could say:

“You do not have to tell me if you don’t want to. However, if you do choose to tell me, it will make it easier for me to support and help you.”

If the caller is under 18, then finish the safeguarding procedures first, before any attempt to use the Child Callers Procedure.

 

Callers asking for help

Some callers, particularly those making direct disclosures, may have called Nightline specifically to try to get help for themselves, or a person they care about.

These callers may directly ask for help, or may be more indirect, such as saying things like “I wish there was something I could do”. In these situations, it is appropriate to offer to help, and doing so is not a breach of the non-directiveness principle.

You can signpost them to appropriate help, e.g.: “If you would like, I can give you the details of someone who will be able to help?”

And/or you can offer to make a report for them, e.g.: “If you would like to give me some more details about what’s happening, I can pass it on to someone who will be able to help?”

If you offer to take details, see “Asking for details” below.

 

Signposting to help

If you signpost to help, and the caller asks for details, you can provide any or all of the following, depending on who is at risk of abuse / being abused:

• For students: Contact details for the Safeguarding Lead or Student Support Services – https://portal.lancaster.ac.uk/ask/report/

• For children: Contact details for Childline –

Calling 0800 1111 or 116 111

Using the online 1-2-1 chat (requires anonymous login)

Sending an email message (requires anonymous login)

See www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline

• For adults with concerns about children: Contact details for the NSPCC

Phone: 0808 800 5000 (not 24/7)

Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Online form: nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/report/report-abuse-online

• For children: Contact details for the Local Authority’s Children’s Social Care

If there are immediate safeguarding concerns to the child call 0300 123 6720 or out of hours 0300 123 6722.

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/keeping-children-safe/tell-us-if-you-are-worried-about-a-child/

• For adults: Contact details for the Local Authority’s Adult Social Care

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/

 

Establish if the person is able to safeguard themselves

If the person being abused / at risk of abuse is under 18, go straight to “Asking for details”. All safeguarding concerns regarding children must be reported. This includes situations such as where the child may be witnessing domestic abuse, as this is a form of emotional abuse.

Nightline’s policy is to initially assume that adults are able to safeguard themselves, but to err on the side of caution if there is any ambiguity.

There are many reasons why a person might not be able to safeguard themself. For example:

• They could be dependent on their abuser either financially or for support/care.
• They might have a disability or mental health condition which makes them unable to look after themself or to make decisions.

You may already have an idea of whether the adult can safeguard themself from the conversation so far. If not, you should continue to use active listening techniques to explore the situation. For example, you could ask questions such as:

• “It sounds like a very difficult situation to be in. Have you thought about if there’s anything you can do?”
• “That must be really hard for you. Is there anything that you feel might help in this situation?”
• “You said you’re worried about your brother. Do you want to tell me more about him?”

It is important that you use appropriate language and tone to avoid making the caller feel like you are judging them for not having done something.

If you are at all unsure, assume that the person is an adult at risk, and proceed to “asking for details”.

 

Asking for details

In order to make a safeguarding report, you need sufficient information for the Safeguarding Lead to be able to act. As a minimum, you will need a name and an address, or a way of finding these (e.g. student ID number).

When asking for details, you should aim to collect the following information:

• Name of the person
• Address including postcode
• Phone number (and whether/when it is safe to call them on it)
• Name of the person being abused / at risk of abuse (if different)
• Whether the person being abused / at risk of abuse is over or under 18 years old
• Name of the abuser (if known)
• Student ID number and/or college

When making a request, it is important to explain why you are asking, and what you intend to do with the information. For example:

“From what you’ve said, it sounds like you/[person] is being abused. I’d like to report this to my Safeguarding Lead so that they can take action to keep you/[person] safe.”

Callers refusing to give details

You obviously cannot force a caller to provide details. If a caller refuses to give you details, you should still report what you do know to the Safeguarding Lead, as it may be useful in the event of a future call from the same person.

 

Records

You must not put any identifying information in the call log. You should only enter the usual details about the call, and ensure that it is classified as “Safeguarding” on the Logbook on Portal.

Any notes you have taken during the call that relate to the safeguarding issue must not be destroyed – you should sign & date the notes and pass them to the Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible.

Once the report has been made to the Safeguarding Lead, Nightline will delete/destroy any identifying information.

 

Caller Safeguarding Disclosures Flowchart

 

Child Callers Procedure

If a child has disclosed abuse, follow the Safeguarding Procedures first before any attempt to use this procedure.

This procedure should be used when a caller states that they are under the age of 18, or if the listening volunteer believes that the caller might be under the age of 18.

Nightline is not designed for child callers, and so Nightline policy is to signpost to Childline in these cases.

 

If the caller has stated that they are under 18: “I notice you have said that you are under 18. I am happy to keep talking, but Nightline is only intended for adult callers. If you like, I can give you the details of a different service that might be better for you?”

If the caller has not stated that they are under 18, but the listening volunteer has reason to believe that they are: “From what you’ve said, it sounds like you are under 18. Can I ask if that’s the case?”

If they answer yes: “I am happy to keep talking, but Nightline is only intended for adult callers. If you like, I can give you the details of a different service that might be better for you?”

Signpost to Childline

If the caller does not ask for details, you should treat the call the same as any other, but continue to offer Childline’s details at appropriate intervals during the call.

If the caller does ask for details, provide the details for Childline. You should start by providing the details for the same method of contact that they are currently using to contact Nightline:

Phone	0800 1111 (or 116 111)
Instant Messaging	https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/
Email	https://www.childline.org.uk/locker/new-email/

Note that IM and Email services require the user to create an account, but this does not require them to enter any personal information.

The most up-to-date contact details for Childline will always be available on the Childline website.

 

Reporting to Parent Body Procedure

This procedure sets out how safeguarding issues can be reported to the parent body.

If any person is at immediate risk of harm, you must call 999 immediately. Only follow this procedure once any imminent risk of harm has been resolved.

The role of the parent body

Nightline is not an independent organisation, but is a service run by the parent body. The parent body remains responsible for safeguarding within Nightline.

Nightline does not handle safeguarding issues itself, but all those involved in Nightline are responsible for ensuring that safeguarding issues are promptly reported to the parent body’s safeguarding lead.

Data Protection

As Nightline is part of the parent body, there are no data protection issues with passing information internally to the Safeguarding Lead.

However, information should be shared on a “need to know” basis and so safeguarding issues must not be discussed more widely (e.g. with other volunteers), only reported to the Safeguarding Lead. This is both to ensure that the issue is dealt with correctly, and to maintain the person’s dignity and confidentiality as far as possible.

 

Who should report

Reports to the parent body can be made by anyone involved in Nightline. Everyone aware of a safeguarding issue should make a report, even if they believe someone else has already made a report.

Reports should not be routinely made to the Coordinators, Committee members, or other volunteers. Reports should be made directly to the Safeguarding Lead, to maintain confidentiality as much as possible.

How to report

Reports should be made by…

[details of your parent body’s reporting process. This should be in your parent body’s safeguarding policy, but you can contact us if you can’t find it.]

When to report

Reports should be made as soon as possible. If not all of the facts are known when the original report is made, or there are developments after the original report is made, an update can be made.

What to report

Reports are not limited to receiving a disclosure from a caller. Disclosures can also be received from volunteers, and even where there is not a full disclosure, volunteers may have concerns or worries about callers or other volunteers.

Reports to the parent body must be made where:

• A child or adult at risk appears to be being abused, or at risk of abuse; and
• You have sufficient information to allow the child or adult at risk to be identified

This includes any allegations of abuse, however unlikely, made regarding anyone involved in Nightline.

Be aware that even a limited amount of information may be enough to identify someone. This could include:

• A phone number
• The course someone is studying
• Names or details of someone’s lecturers, tutors, etc.

Remember that the Safeguarding Lead may have information from other sources and/or previous reports, and so it is always better to make the report if you have any uncertainty at all.

 

Terrorism & Criminal Activity Policy & Procedures

Terrorism

There is a legal duty under section 38B of the Terrorism Act 2000 to report information that might be of material assistance:

• in preventing the commission of an act of terrorism; or
• in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of a person for a terrorism offence.

Terrorism is defined in section 1 of the Act as meeting all three of the following requirements:

• The use or threat of one of the following:
  • serious violence against a person
  • serious damage to property
  • endangering another person’s life
  • creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public
  • attempting to seriously interfere with or seriously disrupt an electronic system
• Where at least one of the following is true:
  • the action or threat is taken in order to influence the government (or an international governmental organisation)
  • the action or threat is taken in order to intimidate the public or a section of the public
  • the action or threat involves the use of firearms or explosives
• Where the action or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial, or ideological cause.

If a Nightline volunteer receives information regarding terrorist activity, they must inform the caller that they must report this to the Police (unless they believe that informing the caller may cause a risk of harm).

If the information suggests that there may be immediate danger of a terrorist act, the volunteer should immediately call the police on 999. Otherwise, they should wait until the end of the call and then call the Anti-Terrorism Hotline on 0800 789 321.

Any report made regarding terrorism must be reported to the Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible after the report is made.

 

Reporting to the Nightline Association Policy & Procedure

This policy & procedure sets out when and how safeguarding issues should be reported to the Nightline Association.

The role of the Nightline Association

The Nightline Association is not the legal parent body of Nightline, and is not responsible for resolving safeguarding issues. The Nightline Association is an umbrella body for all Nightlines in the UK, and is responsible for issuing and accrediting best practice, including ensuring that appropriate safeguarding measures are in place in all Nightlines.

Reports are made to the Nightline Association so that it can:

• Provide support to Nightlines and/or parent bodies with managing the safeguarding issue (if required)
• Compile accurate statistics regarding the types and prevalence of safeguarding issues across UK Nightlines
• Identify any gaps, weaknesses, or areas for improvement in Nightline Association guidance on safeguarding
• Improve guidance and support with future safeguarding issues

Data Protection

Reports to the Nightline Association must not contain any personal information concerning the safeguarding issue. All individuals involved in the issue should be anonymised before any report is made to the Nightline Association.

The only exception to this is if you have the person’s explicit written consent to share information with the Nightline Association, and there is a reason why the Association might need that information. This is unlikely to be the case for most reports.

 

Who should report

Reports to the Nightline Association can be made by anyone involved in Nightline. However, the Nightline Association expects that most reports will be made by the Coordinator(s) or the parent body.

How to report

Reports should be made by emailing safeguarding@nightline.ac.uk

When to report

Reports should be made as soon as possible. If not all of the facts are known when the original report is made, or there are developments after the original report is made, an update should be made by emailing safeguarding@nightline.ac.uk.

What to report

The following table gives examples of what should be reported to the Nightline Association. The list is not exhaustive, and the Nightline Association encourages everyone to err on the side of caution and to make a report if they are at all unsure of whether an issue needs to be reported.

Reminder: You must not include personal identifying information in any report made to the Association unless you have the person’s express written consent.

Category	What you should report to the Association	What does not need to be reported to the Association
Service user safeguarding	●       Allegations made by service users against Nightline or any Nightline volunteers ●       Any suspected or known incident of a service user dying by suicide during, or immediately following, a contact with Nightline	●       Safeguarding incidents involving service users and third parties ●       Suicidal thoughts or ideation
Volunteer safeguarding	●       Volunteers self-harming, attempting suicide, or suffering other mental health issues where this occurs: ○       During a shift ○       Immediately before or after a shift ○       In another situation that has some connection with the Nightline (e.g. training, socials, etc.) ●       Significant numbers of volunteers quitting, needing time off, or otherwise being impacted by their volunteering	●       General/minor volunteer welfare issues ●       Individual volunteers quitting or taking time off
Volunteer discipline	●       Allegations made against a Committee member ●       Serious allegations against volunteers involved with delivering the listening service (e.g. allegations of abuse or sexual abuse) ●       Dismissal of Committee members or volunteers involved with delivering the listening service (except for minor misconduct)	●       Dismissal for minor misconduct (e.g. inactivity, failure to complete training) ●       Allegations against, or dismissal of, volunteers not involved with delivering the listening service
Whistleblowing	●       The Nightline makes, or considers making, a referral to the regulator regarding the parent body ●       The parent body begins a formal investigation or action involving the Nightline	●       General/minor complaints or concerns that are resolved quickly and without external intervention

Make reports in writing to safeguarding@nightline.ac.uk

 

Safer Recruitment Policy

Introduction

As part of our commitment to Safeguarding, we carry out a range of checks to ensure that all of our volunteers are suitable for their roles.

Some people may not be suitable due to conduct and/or values that are not in line with what we expect of Nightline staff and volunteers. We also have a responsibility to ensure that a volunteer does not pose a risk to service users, other volunteers, or themselves.

This policy explains the checks which we carry out, and how decisions are made.

Responsibility

Responsibility for vetting & suitability decisions lies with the Safeguarding Lead.

If there are any potential causes for concern, the decision on whether to admit a potential volunteer must be referred to the Safeguarding Lead.

Confidentiality & Data Protection

The vetting & suitability checks are carried out separately from the main recruitment process so as not to influence the decision-making of that process. Any concerns raised during the checking process are not shared any further than necessary to make a decision.

The only records stored for volunteers after they have been appointed will be a list of the checks carried out, and the date of each check. The results of the checks will not be stored for any longer than one month after they are carried out.

We keep these records to evidence that this policy was followed in making the appointment.

 

Vetting & Suitability Checks

With all checks, if there is anything to suggest an applicant is unsuitable, the information will be referred to the Safeguarding Lead, who will then investigate if necessary, and decide whether or not the person is suitable to be appointed.

Application Questions

As part of the application process, we ask potential volunteers about their motivations for volunteering, to ensure that they are volunteering for the right reasons. If we have any concerns arising from the answers we receive, we refer the matter to the Safeguarding Lead.

References

We ask for one reference from all potential volunteers before they are formally accepted. The referees must not be family members or close friends of the applicant.

We typically ask that one reference is from the applicant’s current university tutor, while the other should be from someone that knows them well, such as an employer, or (particularly for first-year students) a former teacher.

We ask referees if there is any reason why the applicant is not suitable for the position. We do not ask for details of the reason at that stage however.

If a referee indicates that there is a reason that the applicant would not be suitable, this will be referred to the Safeguarding Lead, who will contact the referee to discuss this.

 

Criminal Convictions

We ask all applicants if they have any unspent convictions, conditional cautions, and any ongoing criminal investigations as part of the application process. We do not ask for any details of the conviction/caution/investigation at that stage however. 

If the applicant declares any unspent convictions/cautions, or declares that they are subject to an ongoing criminal investigation, we will refer the matter to the Safeguarding Lead, who will contact the applicant for more details.

Volunteering with Nightline is not regulated activity under section 5 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and so a standard or enhanced DBS check is not required. The Safeguarding Lead may require a basic DBS check to be carried out at their discretion.

 

Mental Health

Based on advice from the Helplines Partnership, we suggest additional consideration is given to any potential volunteer who has experienced serious or acute mental health difficulty in the past 6 months (e.g. trauma, bereavement). 

However, every application will be treated on a case-by-case basis.

We ask all applicants for listening volunteer roles whether, in the last 6 months, they have experienced serious or acute mental health difficulties in the past 6 months. We do not ask for any details at that stage however.

If the applicant indicates that they have had serious or acute mental health difficulties in the past 6 months, we will refer the matter to the Safeguarding Lead, who will contact the applicant for more details.

If the Safeguarding Lead determines that the applicant is not able to safely volunteer as a listening volunteer, then there are a number of non-listening roles within Nightline such as being a member of the publicity team.

 

Parent Body records

We will provide a list of all new volunteers to the parent body before they are formally accepted. This is so that the parent body can check if they are aware of any reason why a particular volunteer is unsuitable for volunteering with Nightline.

 

Whistleblowing Policy

It is important to us that our staff and volunteers feel able to raise serious concerns about the actions of Nightline. This could include evidence of criminal activities, serious mismanagement, misuse of funds, etc.

This policy sets out how serious concerns can be raised and reported.

Any person involved in Nightline can raise a concern through this policy.

Who to contact

In the first instance, most concerns can be raised with the Coordinator(s) or another member of the Committee. They will usually be able to resolve the issue.

If you have a serious concern, do not feel able to raise your concern with us directly, or are not satisfied with the response, you should contact the parent body.

The parent body’s complaints & grievances process is available here: https://portal.lancaster.ac.uk/ask/complaints-appeals/

Whistleblowing to the Nightline Association

If you have a serious concern, you can contact the Nightline Association for support. The Association will not be able to solve any problems for you, but can help discuss issues with the parent body, or advise on reporting to the public authorities if necessary.

The Association will not pass on any information to the parent body unless it is necessary for safeguarding or legal reasons.

Whistleblowing to public authorities

If you are not satisfied with the parent body’s response, or do not feel able to report to them, you can contact the regulator.

The primary regulator is the Office for Students.

You may also wish to contact:

• The Police regarding criminal activities, suspected terrorist activity or if you are worried about someone’s safety
• HMRC regarding money laundering or tax fraud
• Action Fraud regarding cyber crime and fraud

The full list of “prescribed persons” you can report to is available here.