Issue: 4      Date: 26/11/2023 

 What is safeguarding?

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples' health, wellbeing, human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

Purpose of the Policy

HiVitality exists for all people who have been living with HIV infection, who are members or attendees of HiVitality retreats. 

All members are potentially vulnerable, at-risk adults and whilst not all members consider themselves vulnerable or at-risk, HiVitality considers all members attending retreats as such.

To promote good practice and to ensure all Trustees, Duty Managers and Facilitators make an informed, confident and effective response to specific vulnerable adult protection issues.

Policy Statements

 HiVitality will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by volunteers or associated personnel nor between retreat attendees.

HiVitality is committed to ensuring all members are kept safe whilst within the retreats and to safeguarding a member believed to be at risk in their home environment when leaving the retreat.

HiVitality is committed to ensuring all Trustees, Duty Managers and Facilitators are confident at identifying risk of self-harm and, to this extent, require all such officers to undergo Safeguarding training.

Scope

Safeguarding is the responsibility of the individual retreat Facilitators and Duty Manager who will:

1. Ensure that members of HiVitality are not subjected to any harm or abuse whilst attending an HiVitality weekend by either a volunteer, personnel associated with HiVitality or other retreat guests. 

2. Ensure that members of HiVitality are not subjected to any harm arising from the design or implementation of the retreat programmes and activities.

2. Report any instances where they believe that a member/attendee has or is being subjected to abuse in any other location or is intending to harm themselves.

3. Further investigate and where appropriate report information disclosed by a member/attendee which indicates that a member/attendee is being abused or intends to abuse/harm themselves. 

HiVitality commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work.

Prevention

HiVitality will: 

• Ensure all volunteers and associated personnel have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy. 
• Appoint a Safeguarding Lead and ensure all Trustees, Duty Managers and Facilitators are educated on how to identify safeguarding matters and the procedure to follow.
• Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their encountering HiVitality.  This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated. 
• Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing, and deploying volunteers and associated personnel. 
• Ensure volunteers and associated personnel receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organization. 
• Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process.

 If you have any concerns, or would like to speak to someone about this policy, please contact our Chair (Roland) on 0300 102 1628 or email chair@hivitality.org.uk