Safeguarding Policy - Jeff Dawson Coaching

19 Oct 2026 · @Jeff Dawson

Safeguarding Policy – Jeff Dawson Coaching

Last updated: 19 October 2026

I am committed to keeping safe every child, young person and adult I work with. This policy sets out how I recognise, respond to and report concerns about abuse, neglect or serious harm.

1. Scope

This policy covers everyone I work with, and the children and adults at risk in their lives. As a sole practitioner I am the designated safeguarding lead for my practice.

Who it covers:

• young people aged 12 to 17
• adults, including dads, and their children
• adults at risk: anyone over 18 with care and support needs who cannot protect themselves from abuse or neglect (Care Act 2014)
• trauma-informed practitioners I supervise for their TISCUK qualification, and the people they work with

Services it covers:

• 1:1 coaching in person (Tavistock and Saltash) and outdoors (walk and talk)
• 1:1 coaching online
• group work, including the dads' support group and Lift & Shift
• TISCUK supervision, in the UK and overseas

The welfare of the child or adult at risk always comes first. Everyone has an equal right to protection, whatever their age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or background.

2. My responsibilities, checks and training

• DBS: Enhanced DBS with children's and adults' barred lists, kept current through the DBS Update Service.
• Training: safeguarding children and safeguarding adults training within the last 3 years, refreshed at least every 3 years.
• Prevent: Home Office Prevent awareness training completed by 31 December 2026, then refreshed every 3 years.
• Supervision: I discuss any safeguarding concern with my clinical supervisor as soon as time allows.
• Professional standards: I follow the BACP Ethical Framework 2026, sections 2.4 and 3.3.
• Insurance: I keep professional indemnity cover for all the work in this policy.
• Review: I review this policy every April, and after any safeguarding incident or change in law.

I will not try to change or suppress anyone's sexual orientation or gender identity, or how they express it (BACP 2.4d).

3. Working with young people aged 12 to 17

Consent:

• Under 16: a parent or carer with parental responsibility gives written consent before we start. A young person under 16 may consent for themselves if I assess them as competent to understand what is involved (Gillick competence). I record that assessment.
• 16 and 17: the young person consents for themselves. With their agreement, I may involve a parent or carer.

Arrangements:

• In person: sessions take place at my practice room. A parent or carer stays on site or nearby throughout.
• Online: a parent or carer is at home during the session. I confirm the young person is in a private space and know their address in case of emergency.
• I do not meet young people alone outdoors, give lifts, or arrange contact outside agreed sessions.
• I communicate about arrangements with the parent or carer. Any direct messaging with a young person is agreed with their parent or carer first and kept to arrangements only.
• I do not connect with young people on personal social media.

Confidentiality: at the start, I explain to the young person and their parent or carer, in words they understand, what stays private and when I would need to share information. Parents and carers do not receive session content without the young person's agreement, unless there is a safeguarding concern.

4. Recognising abuse and risk

I stay alert to these forms of harm, in the people I work with and in the children and adults around them:

• Physical abuse: hitting, shaking, burning, inappropriate restraint.
• Emotional abuse: threats, humiliation, controlling behaviour, exposure to domestic abuse.
• Sexual abuse: any sexual activity without consent, or any involving a child, including online.
• Neglect: failure to meet basic needs for food, safety, health or supervision.
• Domestic abuse: controlling, coercive, threatening or violent behaviour between partners or family members (Domestic Abuse Act 2021). Men can be victims as well as perpetrators.
• Exploitation: criminal or sexual exploitation, county lines, modern slavery, trafficking.
• Radicalisation: being drawn into extremist views or terrorism (Prevent duty).
• Self-neglect and self-harm: risk to self, including suicidal thoughts or intent.
• Financial abuse: theft, fraud or pressure over money or property.
• Discriminatory abuse: harassment or harm because of a protected characteristic.
• Online harm: grooming, sextortion, cyberbullying, sharing of intimate images.

Signs are often indirect: changes in mood or behaviour, unexplained injuries, fear of going home, secrecy, or a parent describing a child in ways that worry me. I don't need proof to raise a concern.

5. Responding to a disclosure or concern

If someone tells me about harm, I will:

• stay calm, listen, and take what they say seriously
• not promise to keep it secret
• ask only open questions ("Tell me more..."), never leading ones, and not investigate
• explain what I need to do next and who I may need to tell
• write down what was said, in their words, as soon as possible

Then I follow these steps:

1. Is anyone in immediate danger? Call 999. Then tell the local authority the same day.
2. Consult. Where time allows, I discuss the concern with my clinical supervisor or the local authority advice line. I share only what's needed and, where I can, without names at this stage.
3. Involve the person. Where it's safe, I tell the client what I'm worried about and what I plan to do, and listen to their view. I don't tell a parent or carer first if that could put a child at greater risk, or if the concern is about them.
4. Decide and refer. If I believe a child or adult at risk is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, I refer to children's or adults' social care in the area where they live (section 6). I follow up a phone referral in writing within 24 hours if asked to.
5. Record. I record the concern, my reasoning, who I consulted, what I decided and why, in the client's record in Zanda (section 8).
6. Follow up. I check that the referral was received and agree with the client how we continue our work.
7. Reflect. I take the case to supervision, and look after my own wellbeing afterwards.

For an adult without care and support needs, I respect their right to make their own decisions. I share information without their consent only if their life is at serious risk, there is a risk to others, a child is involved, or a serious crime is involved.

6. Who to contact

In an emergency, always call 999. For non-urgent police matters, call 101. Referrals go to the area where the child or adult lives, not where I work.

Devon:

• Children (MASH): 0345 155 1071, mashsecure@devon.gov.uk
• Adults at risk (Care Direct): 0345 155 1007
• Out of hours: 0345 600 0388

Cornwall:

• Children (MARU): 0300 123 1116
• Adults at risk (Adult Social Care): 0300 1234 131
• Out of hours: 01208 251300

Plymouth:

• Children (Multi-Agency Hub): 01752 668000, mash@plymouth.gov.uk
• Adults at risk: 01752 668000
• Out of hours: 01752 346984

Elsewhere in the UK: children's or adult social care at the council where the person lives, or that council's emergency duty team out of hours.

Advice and specialist lines:

• NSPCC helpline (adults worried about a child): 0808 800 5000
• Childline (for young people): 0800 1111
• Devon Domestic Abuse Service: 0345 155 1074
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
• Men's Advice Line (male victims of domestic abuse): 0808 801 0327
• Respect Phoneline (people worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 4040
• Samaritans: 116 123
• Modern Slavery Helpline: 08000 121 700
• Prevent concerns: police on 101, or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321
• Online child sexual abuse: CEOP at ceop.police.uk
• Cornwall LADO (concerns about someone working with children): 01872 326536

I check these numbers each April when I review this policy.

7. Different settings

Online sessions:

• At the start of each session I confirm where the client is, in case I need to send help.
• I check they are in a private space, and that no one else is present without their agreement.
• Sessions run through Zanda's Zoom telehealth and are never recorded.

Outdoors (walk and talk, adults only):

• We agree the route in advance and keep to public places.
• I carry a charged phone and tell a trusted person my route and expected return, without naming the client.
• We agree beforehand what we'll do if we meet someone the client knows.

Groups (dads' support group, Lift & Shift):

• Each group agrees ground rules on confidentiality and respect at the start, including its limits.
• If someone discloses harm in a group, I acknowledge it calmly, then speak to them privately as soon as possible and follow section 5.
• Children do not take part in adult groups. If a dad has to bring a child, the child stays in his care throughout.

TISCUK supervision:

• Supervisees remain responsible for safeguarding in their own work and follow their own organisation's policy.
• When a concern comes up in supervision, I help the supervisee think it through and act, and check later that they did.
• If I believe a supervisee has not acted on a serious risk, I tell them I will raise it, then contact the relevant local authority and TISCUK.

Supervisees and clients overseas:

• Supervisees outside the UK follow the safeguarding law and reporting routes of the country where they work, and their organisation's policy. We identify these at the start of supervision and note them in their record.
• If a UK child or adult is at risk, I refer to the relevant UK local authority.
• I check that my insurance covers this work (BACP 4.2).

8. Confidentiality, information sharing and records

I explain the limits to confidentiality to every client before we start, in my client agreement and privacy notice. Data protection law does not stop me sharing information to keep someone safe (Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, paragraph 18).

When I share information, I make sure it is:

• necessary and proportionate, with only what the recipient needs
• shared with the right person, securely (by phone or secure email, not WhatsApp or text)
• shared with consent where it is safe to ask. If I share without consent, I record why

What I record in Zanda:

• the date, time and what was said or seen, in the person's words where possible
• facts kept separate from my opinion
• who I consulted, what I decided and why, using the BACP decision-making questions
• any referral: who I spoke to, their role, and any reference number
• outcomes and follow-up

Safeguarding records are kept with the client record for 7 years after our last session. If the concern involves a child, I keep the record until they turn 25, or for 7 years, whichever is longer.

9. Concerns about me or another professional

Anyone worried about my conduct can contact:

• the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) where the child lives, if it concerns a child: Devon via MASH (0345 155 1071), Cornwall LADO (01872 326536), Plymouth via the Multi-Agency Hub (01752 668000)
• BACP's Get help with counselling concerns service: 01455 883300 or gethelp@bacp.co.uk
• the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency

I will co-operate fully with any enquiry and tell my insurer and supervisor.

If I'm concerned that someone who works with children or adults at risk has harmed someone, or may pose a risk, I contact the LADO or adult social care in the relevant area, and their professional body.

Legislation and guidance

• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
• Care Act 2014
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (Prevent)
• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
• BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2026
• South West Child Protection Procedures (swcpp.org.uk)

Review

Version 1.0, adopted 19 October 2026. Next review: April 2027. Signed: Jeff Dawson.