SAFEGUARDING

Spark UK is a youth-led mental health charity that creates resources, programmes and campaigns to spark conversations about mental health with and for children and young people. We take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously and are committed to ensuring that everyone who comes into contact with our work is safe and protected from harm.

Download Safeguarding policy

Our safeguarding commitment

  • We believe all children and young people, regardless of background or identity, have the right to be safe, heard and protected from abuse or neglect.

  • We recognise that some children are more vulnerable to harm than others and may need extra support.

  • We work in partnership with schools, colleges and other organisations, who usually hold primary safeguarding responsibility for the children in their care.

  • We follow UK law and national guidance on safeguarding, including the Children Act 1989, Working Together to Safeguard Children, Keeping Children Safe in Education and Charity Commission guidance for trustees.gov

Spark UK does not usually work with children and young people on an unsupervised basis. Any direct work with young people (for example, workshops or events) happens only when they are accompanied and supervised by staff from their school or host organisation.

Who is responsible?

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Deputy Safeguarding Lead

Trustee with lead responsibility for Safeguarding

These leads oversee safeguarding for SPARK UK as a charity, including policies, training and responding to concerns.

If you’re worried about a child

If anyone representing Spark UK (trustee, volunteer, advisor, staff or partner) is worried that a child or young person is at risk of harm, they will:

  1. Take the concern seriously and record what they have seen, heard or been told.

  2. Contact the Spark UK Safeguarding Lead (or Deputy) as soon as possible.

  3. Work with the relevant school/organisation and, where necessary, with local authority children’s services or the police.

If there is an immediate risk of serious harm, we will contact the police or children’s services straight away.

We do not routinely keep personal information about children, but where we receive safeguarding information, it is stored securely and only for as long as necessary in line with data protection law.

Whistleblowing and concerns about adults

Everyone connected with Spark UK is encouraged and supported to raise concerns about any adult behaviour that may put children or young people at risk, whether in a school, partner organisation or within Spark UK itself.actionforme+1

  • Concerns about staff in schools or partner organisations will be referred to the appropriate safeguarding lead and, if needed, to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and/or the police.

  • Concerns about anyone representing Spark UK will be reported to the Safeguarding Lead or Safeguarding Trustee and handled in line with our full Safeguarding and Whistleblowing procedures.

We will not tolerate victimisation of anyone who raises concerns in good faith.

Training and safe practice

  • All trustees, volunteers, advisors and any staff receive safeguarding induction and regular updates.

  • We make sure our work, resources and campaigns are designed and reviewed with safeguarding in mind, including input from experienced advisors.

  • Our full Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is reviewed at least annually and is available on request.

If you would like to see the full policy or discuss safeguarding in relation to a specific project or partnership, please contact conor@sparkuk.co.uk.