Safeguarding Policy | Natural Space Counse

Safeguarding Policy & Statement (incorporating Child Protection)

What is Safeguarding?

In Scotland, safeguarding is action taken to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults to protect them from harm including physical, emotional, sexual and financial harm and neglect. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. This policy sets out Nova Pinfold trading as Natural Space Counselling’s responsibilities to ensure children, young people, and adults at risk, are kept safe from harm. I have an overarching commitment to keep children, young people, and at-risk adults safe whilst in my care and supervision.

This includes harm arising from:

The conduct of Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling.
The design and implementation of Natural Space Counselling’s work.
Any people contracted by or associated with Natural Space Counselling.
Safeguarding concerns which may arise during the process of counselling, and therapy groups.

(Further definitions relating to safeguarding are provided in the glossary below)

The Policy

The policy lays out my commitments and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. It states the principles and procedures I must follow if I have a concern for the safety or welfare of children, young people, or adults at risk of harm, who are known to Natural Space Counselling either directly or indirectly.

Policy Statement

I, Nova Pinfold, am the sole owner/counsellor at Natural Space Counselling. I believe that every client I come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. I have a responsibility to promote the welfare of my clients, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them and their interests. Nova Pinfold trading as Natural Space Counselling commits to addressing safeguarding throughout their work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.

Prevention

Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling will:

Ensure I have access to, am familiar with, and know my responsibilities within this policy.
Design and undertake counselling work in a way which protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling. This includes the way in which information about clients is gathered, communicated and stored.
Implement stringent safeguarding procedures.
Maintain PVG Scheme Membership in respect of regulated work with children and adults.
Ensure I maintain training and CPD on safeguarding at regular intervals or whenever widespread changes to legislation are made.
Ensure I work within my competencies.
Remain alert at all times to the possibility of abuse or neglect.
Maintain counsellor membership of COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland).
Ensure regular and effective Clinical Supervision is undertaken in accordance with the COSCA requirements for supervision of counselling practice.
Practice in accordance with COSCA’s Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice: https://www.cosca.org.uk/guidance-policies/ethics.
Understand how diversity, beliefs, experiences, and values of clients may influence the identification, prevention and response to safeguarding concerns.
Ensure I am familiar with ‘The Child Wellbeing Pathway’ and principles of Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), and with local and National Inter-Agency Child and Adult Protection Guidance.
Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process, maintaining accurate records.

Counsellor Responsibilities

I must never:

Subject a person to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect

Additionally, Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling are obliged to:

Ensure the welfare of clients and consider their wishes and feelings when developing and carrying out counselling.
Create and maintain an environment which prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy.
Report concerns regarding safeguarding violations using the appropriate channels.

Reporting

Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling will report safeguarding concerns in accordance with local and National child and adult protection guidance and procedures.

Response

Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to legal and statutory obligations.

Confidentiality

It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns. Safeguarding information will be stored and handled in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management will be shared on a need-to-know basis only and will be kept secure at all times.

Contact Details

In the first instance, please contact NaturalSpaceCounselling@protonmail.com for any further information relating to this policy statement. Nova Pinfold and Natural Space Counselling provides clients access to a complaint procedure: If you need to make a complaint, you can contact my professional body, COSCA here: https://www.cosca.org.uk/guidance policies/complaints/complaints-general-informationDates

This Policy Statement comes into effect from 1st February 2025 and will be reviewed annually, with the next review taking place on or by 1st February 2026.

Glossary of Terms

Child - A person below the age of 16.

Young Person - in Scotland considered to be a person between 18 and 24 years of age (26 if care experienced).

At risk adult - The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 defines adults (16 and over) as being at risk

of harm if they are:

unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property, rights or other interests.
who are at risk of harm; and
more vulnerable to being harmed because of a disability, mental health condition, illness or physical or mental infirmity.

Harm - Psychological, physical and any other infringement of an individual’s rights.

Psychological harm - Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bullying/controlling, constant criticism, belittling, shaming, bad name calling, isolation and solitary confinement.

Abuse of children - Serious allegations may include but are not limited to:

⁃ Aggressive or violent physical behaviour

⁃ Throwing or breaking objects

⁃ Personal injury

⁃ Pushing, smacking, hitting on the head or with an implement, spitting, scratching, kicking

⁃ Emotional intimidation

⁃ Witnessing Domestic Abuse

⁃ Threatening, frightening or terrorising verbally, written or by body language

⁃ Use of alcohol or illegal drugs

⁃ Physical neglect

⁃ Sexual maltreatment

⁃ Inappropriate touching, kissing or tickling

Abuse of adults - Adults can be at risk of one or more of the following categories of abuse. This list is not

exhaustive.

⁃ Physical

⁃ Emotional / Psychological / Social

⁃ Financial

Deprivation of:

⁃ Food

⁃ Warmth

⁃ Clothing

⁃ Medical attention

Neglect of:⁃ Physical needs

⁃ Emotional needs

Sexual Abuse

Domestic Abuse

Safeguarding - taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur.

Sexual abuse - The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Sexual exploitation - The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. This definition includes human trafficking and modern slavery.

Further Information

Fife Inter-agency Adult Support and Protection Guidance

https://www.fife.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/378852/ASPC-Interagency-Guidance-COMPLETED-MASTER-

COPY.pdf

Fife Child Protection Guidance

https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/health-and-social-care2/help-for-young-people/child-protection

The Child Wellbeing Pathway

https://girfec.fife.scot/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/187683/c64_CWP01WellbeingPathway.pdf

Fife Adult Protection Phone Line: 01383 602200 or in an emergency call 999.

Fife Child Protection: Social Work Contact Centre on 03451 55 15 03, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Out with these hours, please call them on 03451 55 00 99.

Dundee Inter-agency Adult Support and Protection Guidance