Safeguarding Policy

1. Policy Statement

Delta Force Group Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. Our personnel work across education, healthcare, social housing, public sector, retail and commercial environments where they may come into contact with people who are vulnerable.

We recognise that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All concerns will be taken seriously, acted upon promptly and referred to the appropriate statutory authority where required.

2. Purpose

• Set out our commitment to the protection of children, young people and adults at risk
• Ensure all personnel understand how to recognise, record, report and refer a safeguarding concern
• Define clear roles, responsibilities and escalation routes
• Support clients in meeting their own statutory safeguarding duties
• Ensure safeguarding information is handled lawfully and confidentially

3. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, directors, agency workers, contractors, sub-contractors, consultants, temporary workers and apprentices engaged by Delta Force Group Ltd, on any client site or while representing the company.

4. Definitions

• Child: any person under the age of 18.
• Adult at risk: a person aged 18 or over who has needs for care and support and who may be unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
• Safeguarding: protecting a person's right to live in safety, free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Abuse: including physical, emotional, sexual, financial, domestic and discriminatory abuse, neglect, self-neglect, modern slavery, exploitation and radicalisation.

5. Recognising a Concern

Personnel may encounter safeguarding indicators including:

• Unexplained injuries, distress or fear of a particular individual
• Neglect of personal care, poor living conditions or unmet care needs
• Signs of exploitation, coercion, trafficking or forced labour
• Children or young people at risk on or around a site, including unaccompanied or missing persons
• Individuals in mental health crisis or at risk of self-harm
• Inappropriate behaviour by a colleague, contractor or member of the public
• Disclosures made directly to a member of our team

6. Reporting Procedure

• Step 1 – Make safe: if there is an immediate risk to life or safety, contact the emergency services on 999 without delay.
• Step 2 – Report: inform your supervisor or manager and the client's designated safeguarding lead where one is in place, at the earliest opportunity and normally within the same shift.
• Step 3 – Record: record factual, objective information — what was seen, heard or disclosed, with dates, times, locations and people present. Do not investigate or interview.
• Step 4 – Escalate: the concern is escalated internally to the safeguarding lead for review and, where appropriate, referral to the relevant local authority adult or children's safeguarding team, or the police.
• Step 5 – Review: outcomes, actions and any learning are reviewed as part of our compliance and continuous improvement activity.

Concerns may also be raised through our incident reporting form or under our Whistleblowing Policy.

7. Safer Recruitment and Vetting

• Identity and right-to-work verification for all personnel
• Employment referencing and screening in line with industry requirements, including BS 7858 where applicable
• SIA licence verification for licensable roles
• DBS checks where a role is eligible and required by the client or by law
• Role-appropriate safeguarding awareness and site-specific induction

8. Training and Awareness

Personnel receive safeguarding awareness appropriate to their role and the environments in which they work, covering recognition of abuse and neglect, recording and reporting routes, professional boundaries, confidentiality and lone working. Site-specific safeguarding arrangements are covered at induction.

9. Responsibilities

• All personnel must recognise, record and report concerns promptly, maintain professional boundaries and never attempt to investigate a concern themselves.
• Managers and supervisors must act on reports without delay, support the reporting individual, protect confidentiality and ensure escalation to the safeguarding lead.
• The safeguarding lead is responsible for reviewing concerns, liaising with clients and statutory agencies and making referrals where appropriate.
• Directors are responsible for governance of safeguarding arrangements, resourcing, training provision and policy review.

10. Allegations Against Our Personnel

Any allegation against a member of our team will be treated seriously and impartially. Appropriate protective measures will be taken while the matter is reviewed, and referrals will be made to the police, the local authority, the Security Industry Authority or the Disclosure and Barring Service where required. Our disciplinary procedure will be applied in parallel with, and without prejudice to, any statutory process.

11. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Safeguarding information will only be shared on a need-to-know basis or where there is a lawful basis or statutory duty to do so. All records are handled in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and our Privacy Policy. Concerns for a person's safety will never be withheld on the grounds of confidentiality.

12. Raising a Safeguarding Concern With Us

If a person is in immediate danger, always call 999 first.

13. Related Policies

• Whistleblowing Policy
• Modern Slavery Statement
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
• Health & Safety Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Data Protection Policy

14. Monitoring and Review

Safeguarding concerns, outcomes and training completion are monitored as part of our compliance and governance activity. This policy is reviewed annually, or sooner where legislation, statutory guidance or client requirements change, or following a significant incident or audit recommendation.