Safeguarding Policy

The Talent Fund operates several different charitable brands and restricted funds. While these do not directly work with children or vulnerable adults, The Talent Fund does provide funding to organisations who do.

While it is unlikely our trustees, consultants, donors and other third partners will have direct contact with children or at risk adults as part of their engagement with us, we are committed to ensuring that those who do come into contact with The Talent Fund are protected from all forms or harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Any safeguarding concerns should be emailed to the Safeguarding Lead, Rebecca Hanshaw at rebecca@thetalentfund.org

If the Safeguarding Lead is unavailable or if your concern relates to the Safeguarding Lead, please email the Designated Safeguarding Trustee at info@thetalentfund.org

1. What do we mean by Safeguarding and Protecting People?

‘Safeguarding’ means protecting people from harm and keeping people safe.

We use the term safeguarding to refer to the steps that we expect our partners to have in place to protect children or adults at risk from harm or abuse.

• When we talk about children in this policy, we mean anyone under the age of 18.
• When we talk about adults at risk we mean anyone aged 18 or over who has care and support needs and is experiencing (or is at risk of) abuse or neglect and, as a result, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of (or the experience of) abuse or neglect.
• Harm includes any form of bullying, harassment, exploitation, coercion and abuse

When we talk about protecting people, we are referring to The Talent Fund’s duty to protect anyone who comes into contact with us through our work. This is reflected in the Charity Commission’s guidance (opens new window) for charities and trustees on safeguarding and protecting people.

2. Responsibilities

Trustees and all parties linked to or engaged by The Talent Fund must:

• be familiar with this policy and apply it in their work for or on behalf of
• consider safeguarding when assessing potential grantees and projects for funding;
• report any safeguarding concerns using the procedure set out below; and
• co-operate with any safeguarding investigation.

2.1 Board of trustees

The Talent Fund’s board of trustees, advised by the Safeguarding Lead is ultimately responsible for safeguarding and for ensuring that all parties linked to or engaged by The Talent Fund are competent to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities. The trustees discuss safeguarding at board meetings and receive reports on any safeguarding issues. The trustees also decide whether a safeguarding issue needs to be reported to the Charity Commission.

The board of trustees review this policy annually or sooner if there are any material changes to relevant legislation or guidance.

2.2 Safeguarding Lead

The Talent Fund’s Safeguarding Lead is Rebecca Hanshaw who is the primary point of contact for any safeguarding questions, concerns or complaints.

The Safeguarding Lead will:

• ensure that concerns are investigated appropriately and in line with this policy;
• maintain a record of all safeguarding incidents, concerns, reports and referrals;

and

• liaise with grantees and/or other external bodies on safeguarding issues.

2.3 Grantee partners

The Talent Fund asks applicants for copies of their safeguarding policies as part of the application process.

Grant agreements require partners to have and maintain appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures, and to comply with relevant statutory and regulatory safeguarding obligations. Grantee partners must inform The Talent Fund of any safeguarding issues, or if they make a serious incident report to the Charity Commission, during the term of the grant funding.

If a safeguarding report is made directly to The Talent Fund about a grantee partner, we contact them and expect them to respond appropriately. The Talent Fund will require the grantee partner to provide information on the outcome of its safeguarding investigations (to the extent permitted under data protection laws). If we have reason to believe that an issue has not been dealt with appropriately by the grantee partner and/or if the investigation uncovers serious issues relating to the governance or management of the charity, The Talent Fund may cease grant funding to that organisation.

2.4 Restricted funds and charitable brands

All restricted funds and charitable brands affiliated to The Talent Fund adhere to this Safeguarding Policy. This is a contractual obligation and all principals of restricted funds are aware of their commitment.

3. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding reports may reach The Talent Fund through various routes, including telephone conversations, text messages, social media, face-to-face discussions, or rumours. All concerns will be taken seriously.

If you have any concerns that someone may be experiencing, has experienced, or is at risk of experiencing, abuse or exploitation you should make a report to the Safeguarding Lead (rebecca@thetalentfund.org)

You should report all safeguarding concerns, even if your concern relates to an incident that occurred some time ago.

When you make a report, it is helpful if you can provide details of your concern including: the name(s) of the people involved; a description of each incident; and the dates, times and location of each incident.

If you witness a safeguarding incident, or if an incident has just taken place, and you believe someone is at imminent risk of significant harm, you should call the emergency services (999), and then report the matter to the Safeguarding Lead.

To the extent that is practical, The Talent Fund will strive to maintain the confidentiality of affected individuals/organisations, subject to any investigation or reporting obligations.

4. Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

The Safeguarding Lead will inform the Designated Trustee for Safeguarding a report has been received and will make a decision about how to take the matter forward. This could include:

• seeking support from external advisers
• carrying out an investigation (or appointing a suitably qualified person to conduct an investigation)
• termination of contract roles
• termination of grant agreements
• termination of other relationships with third parties, including donors
• making a report to external agencies (see below)

In reaching this decision, the Safeguarding Lead will review the available information and, if necessary, discuss the matter further with the person who reported the concern.

If there is insufficient information to follow up the report and no way to obtain additional information (for example, if the person making the report did not leave their name or contact details), the Safeguarding Lead will keep a record of the report. Wherever possible, records will be anonymised and used for organisational learning and reporting purposes.

The board of trustees will decide whether any matter, relating to The Talent Fund, its charitable brands or restricted funds should be reported as a serious incident to the Charity Commission and/or to other external agencies (for example, children’s social care services, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or Local Safeguarding Adults Board, the DBS or equivalent barring authority) or The Talent Fund’s insurers.

The Talent Fund defines a serious incident in line with the Charity Commission, as ‘an adverse event, whether actual or alleged, which results in or risks significant:

• Harm to your charity’s beneficiaries, staff, volunteers, or other who come into contact with your charity through its work
• Loss of your charity’s money or assets
• Damage to your charity’s work or reputation’

5. Media and communications

As part of our duty of care to children and adults at risk, and aligned to our commitment to dignity and respect, The Talent Fund, its charitable brands and restricted funds recognise our responsibility to how people are portrayed in images and communications. We’re committed to ensuring that people supported by our grantee partners are represented with agency and not as passive victims.

Consent must be given by all contributors prior to the collection of images. Consent must be provided by the parent or guardian for children under the age of 18. For an adult who lacks the capacity to give informed consent, a family member must give consent on their behalf.

March 2023