Safeguarding & standards

The questions you'd ask us anyway.

This page exists so a commissioning team can complete most of its due diligence before picking up the phone. If something you need isn't here, ask and we'll send it.

Our standards

What we hold ourselves to

Safer recruitment and enhanced DBS for every member of staff, a designated safeguarding lead, a full safeguarding and policy framework, mandatory training across ten core areas, and practice aligned to Social Care Wales standards.

We are happy to share our policy framework with commissioning teams on request, before any referral is made — and we would rather you asked for it than took our word for any of the above.

Staff

Who we let through the door

  • Enhanced DBS with barred-list check for every member of staff before their first shift, renewed on the update service.
  • Safer recruitment throughout. Full employment history, references verified by phone, and gaps in employment accounted for in writing.
  • A designated safeguarding lead, with a deputy, and a stated route for raising a concern that does not depend on that one person being available.
  • Structured supervision every month and a full induction programme before anyone works alone.

Training

Mandatory across the team

Funded by us, completed in induction, and refreshed on a set cycle.

Core ten

  • Safeguarding
  • Child sexual exploitation
  • Trauma-informed practice
  • Lone working
  • First aid
  • Fire safety
  • Food hygiene
  • Conflict resolution
  • Prevent (WRAP)
  • Data protection and UK GDPR

Also required

  • Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
  • Child criminal exploitation

Support workers who join without a Level 3 have it funded in their first year. Training records are available for audit at any point in a placement — not only at commissioning.

Policy framework

Safeguarding is the hub document

Every other procedure cross-references it. Titles are listed here; the documents themselves go to commissioning teams on request, before any referral is made.

  • Safeguarding and child protection
  • Missing from home — reporting to police and the emergency duty team, with return interviews offered independently of us
  • Risk assessment and management, with a severity matrix and set review cycle
  • Complaints, aligned to the Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014
  • Safer recruitment, supervision and lone working
  • Data protection and UK GDPR, including records access for young people
  • Health and safety, fire safety and property standards
  • Behaviour, boundaries and house rules — the rules staff are held to as well

Complaints

Made easy on purpose

A provider that makes complaints difficult is a provider you will hear about late.

First The young person raises it with their key worker. Most things stop here.
If not fixed In writing — paper and a box in the hall, or email. A written answer within 5 working days, and it says why, not just no.
Escalation To the placing authority, and through the Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014. They do not need our permission, and we tell them so in the welcome pack.
Independent of us Every resident gets a wallet card with numbers that aren't ours: Meic on 0808 802 3456 or text 84001, 8am to midnight, and Childline on 0800 1111, 24 hours, which doesn't show on a phone bill.

Request the policy framework

Available to commissioning teams before any referral. Insurance certificates, DBS records and safer recruitment files too. Or visit a house unannounced and check for yourself — we'd rather you did.

referrals@the-emberproject.co.uk