Safeguarding Policy

Thrive Leicester Safeguarding Policy

(Last reviewed and updated in January 2026 – next review due in January 2027)

Introduction

Thrive Leicester is committed to the prevention of harm and the promotion of the welfare of all adults and children that we interact with. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility – and we are diligent in ensuring that all our volunteers and representatives comply with good safeguarding practice, and that all users of our groups and services are aware of our safeguarding procedures.

Thrive Leicester supports women seeking asylum and with refugee status. Kathryn (Kat) Gibson (Thrive activities coordinator) is the primary point of contact – Designated Thrive Safeguarding Lead – in all matters of concern. We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all who attend our groups and use our services, free from discrimination based on age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other protected characteristic.

This Safeguarding policy adheres to the latest safeguarding laws of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, including relevant Government guidance. We have implemented this safeguarding policy in fulfilment of our obligations as an organisation working with adults at risk.

Safeguarding policy scope

This policy applies to everyone representing Thrive Leicester in the UK, regardless of position or affiliation. This policy is separate from volunteer agreement contracts. To ensure its effectiveness, Thrive Leicester may revise this policy at any time, and will communicate any changes transparently. This policy applies to the operation of all Thrive Leicester activities that involve adults at risk – primarily our group sessions with asylum seekers and refugees. We expect all Thrive Leicester volunteers and representatives to adhere to everything within this policy at all times.

Safeguarding Definition

The term ‘Safeguarding’ refers to practices and procedures designed to protect vulnerable individuals from harm or potential harm. It also promotes their overall wellbeing. Safeguarding is particularly crucial for children and adults at risk, with most legal obligations related to their care. We also recognise that everyone may be vulnerable or at risk at some time in their lives, so our approach to safeguarding is inclusive of all those who attend our groups and use our services as well as all our volunteers. This policy, as per the legal requirement, primarily refers to adults at risk – defining this as per the UK Government definition as individuals 18 years old or over (in England where we function) who require care and support, and due to this, are unable to protect themselves from harm (e.g. illness, disability); this can be temporary or permanent.

This policy outlines Thrive Leicester’s commitment to protecting all who attend our groups (or use our services) from harm, including:

Potential harm arising from the conduct of our volunteers or representatives, or
Potential harm arising from people and situations beyond our (Thrive Leicester’s) control. This includes instances where our volunteers or representatives are aware of, ought to be aware of, or reasonably suspect a situation that poses a safeguarding risk.

This policy defines a ‘safeguarding concern’ as any conduct, behaviour or situation that a Thrive Leicester volunteer, representative or someone else suspects might violate the safeguarding commitments above.

Key Safeguarding Measures

Thrive Leicester prioritises the safeguarding and wellbeing of all who attend our groups or use our services by applying leadership and guidance provided by local and national Safeguarding Adults Boards.

Thrive Leicester follows appropriate and thorough ‘Safe Recruitment’ processes and rigorous selection procedures for all new volunteers and representatives. This includes, for new volunteers and representatives, conducting pre-employment checks following relevant regulations. What this looks like for Thrive Leicester in practice is:

After an initial expression of interest / enquiry conversation, all who hope to become a volunteer or representative are to complete a rigorous application form, sign a confidential declaration form, and sign a volunteer agreement form which includes our code of conduct and core values that we expect every volunteer and representative to abide by while undertaking all activities in connection to Thrive Leicester.
References are taken, with a thorough questionnaire for referees to complete, detailing the applicants’ suitability for the role and for volunteering with vulnerable people.
It is essential for all volunteers working with vulnerable people to have an active DBS.
Interviews take place towards the end of the recruitment process for every volunteer if they are deemed suitable and appropriate for the volunteer roles.
Volunteers have an initial probationary period of three months, after which point we review together their suitability and whether we feel it would be suitable and appropriate for them to continue volunteering with Thrive.

All Thrive Leicester volunteers and representatives receive training relating to working with vulnerable people, and identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns. All new volunteers and representatives must take part in, and understand the content of, all necessary safeguarding training before having any contact with those who attend our groups or use our services. This equips them with the knowledge and skills to keep everyone safe. They must also agree to follow our procedures and abide by our policies prior to beginning their volunteering with Thrive Leicester.

All Thrive Leicester volunteers and representatives are provided with and required to undertake training that is appropriate to their role, responsibilities and type of contact with those who attend our groups and use our services. This includes training on:

How to identify and respond to abuse by recognising signs of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Learning active listening skills and how to navigate disclosure of safeguarding concerns, including confidentiality.
How to follow our reporting procedures, understanding when and how to report concerns using Thrive Leicester’s established procedures.
How to stay informed on up-to-date safeguarding best practices.

Thrive Leicester encourages all volunteers and representatives to report any safeguarding concerns they identify – set out below under the heading ‘Procedures: reporting’. We treat all safeguarding information with the utmost confidentiality and security. This involves:

Complying with UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Following Thrive Leicester’s data protection policies and procedures.
Providing volunteers and representatives with training on data protection and privacy where appropriate and relevant.
Making easy access to the Designated Thrive Safeguarding Lead for volunteers and representatives as an identifiable point of contact for questions or concerns about safeguarding, data protection, confidentiality and privacy.
Sharing safeguarding information internally ONLY on a strict need-to-know basis to ensure the best possible care for all involved.

Thrive Leicester endeavours to build a safe environment by creating a culture of transparency and awareness to prevent harm. For example, we:

Encourage open communication by informing all who attend our groups and use our services about Thrive Leicester’s safeguarding procedures and how to report any concerns they may have at any time.
Ensure all our volunteers and representatives acknowledge and commit to abide by our safeguarding commitments, policies and procedures, and are aware of their responsibilities concerning these.
Regularly reviewing our safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that they are up to date with UK safeguarding law and best practice, and that they remain suitable and appropriate for all of Thrive Leicester’s activities.

We create a safe, accessible, fair and efficient space for all our volunteers and representatives to raise safeguarding concerns. We expect all volunteers and representatives to listen attentively and professionally. Training will equip all volunteers and representatives to support those raising concerns and guide them through Thrive Leicester’s established reporting procedures. All reported concerns will be handled and logged by designated individuals following Thrive Leicester’s relevant procedures – these are detailed below under ‘Procedures: Investigation and Response’.

Thrive Leicester has fair and objective procedures to address all safeguarding concerns, even when they involve volunteers or representatives. Allegations are taken seriously, with the severity of the claims considered throughout the process. We are committed to protecting all parties involved. This means we will only presume guilt or publicly criticise once a thorough investigation is completed – but will meanwhile put appropriate safety measures in place from the moment of disclosure until the completion of the investigation.

Reports that qualify as protected disclosures under whistleblowing law will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and following all relevant whistleblowing policies law.

Kathryn (Kat) Gibson is the designated lead for safeguarding policies and procedures within Thrive Leicester.

We take safety very seriously – safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone who becomes aware of a safeguarding risk or of actual abuse must contact Kathryn Gibson as soon as they become aware of the risk or abuse.

Thrive volunteers’ and representatives’ responsibilities

All Thrive Leicester volunteers and representatives are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of all who attend our groups and use our services, by following all of Thrive Leicester’s policies and procedures relevant to safeguarding and all UK laws relevant to safeguarding.

All our volunteers and representatives play a role in keeping all who attend our groups safe, and every role will be covered in detail during training. In case of doubt, all volunteers and representatives are to contact Kathryn Gibson to clarify any aspect of roles and responsibilities. All our volunteers and representatives are encouraged to actively participate and ask questions if anything is unclear.

We do not risk the safety and wellbeing of those who attend our groups or use our services, by:

Subjugating them to or facilitating abuse of any sort.Engaging in any sexual activity with children (anybody under the age of 18).
Participating in or facilitating any activities that may commercially exploit anyone who attends our groups or uses our services. For example, failing to report suspected child labour or trafficking.
All our volunteers and representatives must report all safeguarding concerns they have regarding the safety of anyone who attends our groups or uses our services, regardless of whether the concerns relate to potential wrongdoing of other volunteers or representatives, other attendees of our groups or users of our services, or external parties such as associated local organisations, community groups, charities or members of the public.

Procedures: Reporting

To ensure the safety of all who attend Thrive Leicester groups or use our services, all volunteers and representatives will be trained to recognise potential safeguarding concerns like abuse, neglect, and threats to wellbeing.

All our volunteers and representatives who identify a safeguarding concern should report it byspeaking to the Designated Thrive Safeguarding Lead: Kathryn (Kat) Gibson.

Volunteers ore representatives unable to follow the standard reporting steps should still report the concern in another alternative way, by contacting the Thrive Leicester Oversight Group, or contacting emergency services where appropriate and relevant. This may be the case if, for example:

Contacting someone potentially involved in the concern, or someone the volunteer or representative feels uncomfortable approaching, or
In emergencies involving a risk of serious harm, contact emergency services (e.g. police, ambulance, mental health crisis line) directly, or, if appropriate, report the concern to a senior member of the Thrive Leicester Oversight Group.

Procedures: Investigation and Response

All reported safeguarding concerns at Thrive Leicester are treated seriously and addressed promptly by trained personnel following the established procedures and relevant laws. For more details about these procedures, please contact Kathryn Gibson using the details above.

We aim to keep volunteers and representatives who report a safeguarding concern informed about its progress as much as possible, depending on the nature of the concern and the confidentiality of the investigations.

In case of breach of this safeguarding policy or safeguarding law in general by a volunteer or representative of Thrive Leicester, they will always be treated fairly, and may be dismissed if appropriate in the circumstances.

External referrals or notifications (e.g. to police services, local authorities or regulatory bodies) will only be made when deemed necessary and strictly following applicable laws, including data protection regulations, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all who attend our groups and use our services.

Thrive Values

Our key values are dignity, collaboration, flexibility, wholistic support, compassion, humility, courage, andprayer. We expect all our volunteers and representatives to abide by these values at all times, and especially when engaging in any Thrive activities.

Dignity – Every person we engage with is worthy of dignity and respect. Asylum seekers and refugees are often denied this, but in all we do we seek to honour their inherent worth and humanity.

Collaboration – We work with local charities, organisations, and churches to ensure people can access the support they need. We both receive and make referrals, partner with local churches in a variety of ways, and share resources to avoid duplication and strengthen support.

Flexibility – We recognise that people’s lives do not fit into neat boxes. We work sensitively and flexibly, adapting our processes to support people appropriately, including creating opportunities for people to grow in their gifts and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Wholistic Support – We believe God wants people to experience life in all its fullness (John 10:10). We support wellbeing across mental, physical, relational, social, and spiritual areas, offering both practical and pastoral care, and making space for connection, joy, and fun.

Compassion – We seek to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus in all our interactions. Many people we support live with deep trauma, and we respond with patience, understanding and care, while remaining mindful of our own wellbeing too.

Humility – We recognise that we cannot fix or rescue people, and that we do not have all the answers. We aim to serve with gentleness and grace, learning from those we support and avoiding a saviour mindset. This humility also shapes our approach to conversations about faith.

Courage – Our work often requires courage: to communicate across language barriers, navigate cultural and worldview differences, offer intensive one-to-one support, enter challenging spaces, accompany people to difficult appointments, and challenge injustice. We rely on God for courage in each situation.

Prayer – Prayer underpins everything we do. We pray for those we support, for our decisions and partnerships, and for one another. Volunteers and leaders pray regularly, and we offer prayer to those we support, often leading to curiosity and meaningful conversations about faith.

We expect all of our volunteers and representatives to abide by all of the above at all times.

Authorised by Thrive Coordinator, Kat Gibson

Date of last review: January 2026

Next review due: January 2027

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