Children's Safeguarding Policy & Procedure

Principles

We adhere to the following principles:

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility: for services to be effective each individual and organisation should play their full part.
The welfare of the child is paramount.
A child centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children.

Aims of the policy & procedure

To Safeguard and promote the welfare of children
To enable staff and volunteers to have a clear understanding of what to do if they have concerns about a child or young person
To explain how allegations against staff and volunteers will be dealt with

Safeguarding_Children_Policy_-_Nov_19.pdf

Latest

It’s time you let yourself of the hook

Victim blaming is something we have all heard of, it’s something we know is unacceptable but what if we are doing this to ourselves? Getting your own mind to stop sabotaging itself is probably just as hard as breaking away from the abuser.
Emma Regan
National Stalking Awareness Week 2021

A Stalker is someone who spends a lot of time thinking about how to Stalk someone. We describe this behaviour using the acronym FOUR; Fixed, Obsessed, Unwanted, and Repeated. Stalking is not ok, it’s illegal. If you have chosen to end a relationship, you do not deserve unwanted contact, or threats, or to have your ex-partner turn up uninvited or harass others in your life.
National Stalking Awareness Week - Jenny's Story

We can provide vital support to help victims of stalking, here at Next Chapter we have trained staff members that will help you every step of the way. Click here to read Jenny's story of stalking and how we were able to help her to now live a life free from stalking and domestic abuse.

Children's Room Special Education Needs & Disability Policy

We provide an environment in which all children are supported to reach their full potential.
Child Friendly Privacy Notice

We are Next Chapter and we help you and your family while you are living in the Refuge. We want to give you the best service and to do this we must keep records about you and the services we have offered and provided to you.
Children's Room Privacy Notice

We are committed to ensuring that any personal data we hold about you and your child is protected in accordance with data protection laws and is used in line with your expectations. This privacy notice explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it and how we protect it.
Service Intake Policy

Service users can expect the same high quality service from Next Chapter regardless of the service they access or the length of time for which they access the service. Next Chapter is committed to delivering a service to victims of domestic abuse, which is needs-led and builds upon the individual strengths of the service users and promotes their independence.
Compliments and Complaints Policy

Next Chapter welcomes all feedback about our services, it helps us to change and improve on what we do. We welcome feedback from women and children who use our services and from other organisations with whom we work.
Adult Safeguarding Policy

This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of Next Chapter in working together with other professionals and agencies in promoting adults welfare and safeguarding them from abuse and neglect.
Children's Room Positive Behaviour Policy

We believe that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour.
Children's Room Admissions Policy

We aim to ensure access through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures and information and operate our admissions policy to ensure that the Children's Room is accessible to children and families from all sections of the Refuge community.
Children's Room Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality

We are committed to ensuring that our service is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children.
Children's Service Compliments and Complaints Policy

We want to hear as much feedback on our services as possible as it helps us understand what we are doing right as well as what we could do better, or issues we need to fix

What is it really like in refuge?

Our clients do understand what it’s like to be in this situation and often try to look after each other, Many of our clients become good friends and stay in touch after they leave.
How does domestic abuse differ in other cultures?

The actions of individuals are influenced by the norms, values, language, and other cultural factors that are like the dust in the air that surrounds everyone. These cultural factors are ingrained in us from the day we are born, and can play a role in either ending or perpetuating domestic abuse.
Our Services

We work with survivors of domestic abuse to help them make choices to reclaim their lives and begin their next chapter.
Ask for ANI scheme

This is a new scheme created by the government to try and help victims of domestic abuse in lockdown. ANI stands for 'Action Needed Immediately' and if asked to a member of staff in a pharmacy, help will be given.
Mission, Vision & Values

Find out what gets us up every morning and keeps us delivering the very best advice & support that we can, each & every time.
The Role of an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

So, imagine for a moment that you’ve summoned up the courage to finally leave, you’re feeling vulnerable and afraid and understandably really nervous about what the future might hold –you have to try and find your way through all that…. that's if you even knew half of it existed in the first place or where and how to start to getting in touch with them… So that's where we IDVA’S come in.
Fight, flight or freeze - what would a gingerbread man do...?

I know many of you will be familiar with the fight/flight, freeze response (sometimes just referred to as fight/flight) but in a nutshell this response is triggered when we perceive there is increased risk of threat or danger – the body activates the fight, flight or freeze response for survival. When this is triggered, it makes learning new information and concentrating on anything really difficult as you are consumed with just trying to stay safe. Read on to hear more about this response...
Professional referrals

Use this full referral form to access services
My abuser has given me…. Trauma Bonding

Jane struggled to understand why it happened to her, what was wrong with her and how to break the emotional ties to her abuser. Sharing a child with Toni made it even more difficult as he would often accuse her of preventing him from being a father as a further way to manipulate her and play on her emotions. Jane has found herself torn between being told not to go back for her safety and the safety of her child and feelings of love and the believe that she needs to help Toni.
Donating Items & Goods

We really appreciate the effort our supporters go to in order to donate the items and goods that we really need. If you would like to know what we need at the moment or how to donate to us then please do check here.