Safeguarding Policy
Last updated: 13 July 2026
Review date: July 2027
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy sets out how Braythorpe Ltd ("Braythorpe") safeguards and promotes the welfare of children and young people who come into contact with our services. It applies to Dave Church, Director, as the sole person delivering Braythorpe's services, and to any future employee, associate, or subcontractor working on Braythorpe's behalf.
It covers all three strands of Braythorpe's work: consultations and coaching support for families, the Alongside children's coaching programme delivered at Black Park, and CPD or consultancy work delivered in schools.
Our position: Braythorpe is not a diagnostic, therapeutic, or statutory safeguarding service. We navigate and translate, we do not replace the statutory role of schools, local authorities, or children's social care. This policy exists so that when a concern arises, it is recognised, recorded, and passed to the right people quickly.
2. POLICY STATEMENT
Braythorpe believes that every child and young person we work with, directly or indirectly, has the right to be protected from harm. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and this responsibility is not diminished by the fact that Braythorpe operates as a small, independent consultancy rather than a school or statutory body.
Braythorpe will always refer to the most current version of Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children when determining the appropriate course of action.
3. DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Braythorpe Ltd is:
Dave Church, Director
hello@braythorpe.co.ukbraythorpe.co.uk
Dave Church holds an enhanced DBS certificate with children's barred list check. This is reviewed and renewed in line with current guidance. Safeguarding training is completed and renewed every three years in line with NSPCC and UK Coaching recommendations.
4. HOW BRAYTHORPE'S SERVICES OPERATE
4.1 Parent Consultations and School Meeting Toolkit
These strands involve working with parents, carers, and school staff rather than direct, unsupervised contact with a child. Where a child's circumstances are discussed, information is treated confidentially and shared only in line with Section 8 below.
4.2 Alongside children's coaching (Black Park)
— Parents are given this policy, or a plain-language summary of it, before the first session.
— Sessions take place in a public, outdoor location (Black Park) with clear visibility, never in an enclosed private space.
— A basic risk assessment covering the physical environment, weather, and lone-working is completed and reviewed termly.
Dave works alone with children during Alongside sessions. Because of this, the lone-working safeguards below apply in full, and any disclosure, concern, or incident is recorded and escalated the same day.
4.3 School-facing CPD and consultancy
When delivering CPD or consultancy on a school site, Braythorpe follows that school's own safeguarding policy and reporting lines for the duration of the visit, in addition to this policy. If a concern arises about a child during a school-based session, it is reported to that school's own DSL immediately, as well as recorded internally by Braythorpe.
5. LONE WORKING
As a sole practitioner working directly with children, Dave follows these safeguards for every Alongside session:
— A parent, carer, or supervising adult is informed of the exact start and end time and location of every session.
— Sessions are held in daylight, in an open outdoor public space, never behind closed doors.
— A trusted contact is informed of the session schedule and can be reached if needed.
— Physical contact with a child is limited to what is necessary for safety (for example, in an emergency) and is recorded if it occurs.
— Any one-to-one conversation of a sensitive nature is recorded in the child's session notes on the same day.
6. RECOGNISING AND RESPONDING TO A CONCERN
A safeguarding concern may arise from something a child says (a disclosure), something Dave observes (a change in presentation, behaviour, or an injury), or something a parent or professional shares. The same process applies regardless of the source.
6.1 In the moment
1. Stay calm and listen. Do not promise confidentiality, do not ask leading questions, and do not investigate.
2. Reassure the child they were right to say something, without over-reacting or making promises about what will happen next.
3. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
4. As soon as possible afterwards, and always on the same day, write down what was said or observed, using the child's own words where possible, with a date, time, and location.
6.2 Referral pathway
Braythorpe is not able to open or hold a statutory case file. Once a concern is recorded, Dave will, within one working day:
— Contact the child's school (if known) and speak to that school's DSL, who holds statutory responsibility; or
— Where no school is involved, or the school itself is the source of the concern, contact the relevant local authority's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or children's social care front door directly; or
— Contact the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) for advice on how to proceed, if there is uncertainty about the right route.
Braythorpe will inform the parent or carer that a referral is being made, unless doing so would place the child at greater risk, in which case advice is sought first from the local authority or the NSPCC.
Non-negotiable: No concern is ever "sat on" until the next scheduled session or consultation. Concerns are actioned the same day they arise.
7. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DAVE OR AGAINST BRAYTHORPE
If a concern or allegation is raised about Dave himself, it is reported directly to the LADO for the relevant local authority, not managed internally. Braythorpe's professional indemnity insurance (Hiscox) and enhanced DBS status are held on file and will be shared with any statutory body on request.
8. INFORMATION SHARING, RECORDING, AND DATA PROTECTION
Safeguarding records are kept separately from general client notes, stored securely, and shared only with those who need to know on a strict need-to-know basis, in line with Braythorpe's Privacy Policy (braythorpe.co.uk/privacy).
— Records include: date, time, who was present, what was said or observed (in the child's own words where relevant), and any action taken.
— Data protection law does not prevent, and never overrides, a safeguarding referral. Sharing information to protect a child's welfare is lawful.
— Records are retained in line with statutory guidance and Braythorpe's data retention schedule, and are held more securely and for longer than routine business records.
9. SAFER RECRUITMENT
Any future associate, subcontractor, or employee working directly with children on Braythorpe's behalf will be required to hold a current enhanced DBS certificate, provide two references, and complete safeguarding induction training before working unsupervised with children.
10. POLICY REVIEW
This policy is reviewed annually, or sooner following any safeguarding incident, near-miss, or significant change to how Braythorpe delivers its services. It was last reviewed on 13 July 2026.
APPENDIX A — LOCAL AUTHORITY AND NATIONAL CONTACTS
A.1 Slough (Slough Children First)
LADO (allegations against Dave or Braythorpe): LADO@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk / 07927 681858
MASH — concerns about a child: 01753 875362
Emergency Duty Service (out of hours): 01344 351999
General enquiries: 01753 477321 — Slough Children First, Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough, SL1 2EL
A.2 Buckinghamshire Council
LADO (allegations against Dave or Braythorpe): 01296 382070 / secure-LADO@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
First Response Team — concerns about a child: 01296 383962 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm) / secure-cypfirstresponse@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Emergency Duty Team (out of hours): 0800 999 7677
A.3 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM, via Achieving for Children)
LADO (allegations against Dave or Braythorpe): lado@achievingforchildren.org.uk / 07774 332675 (or 020 8891 7370)
MASH — concerns about a child: MASH@achievingforchildren.org.uk / 01628 683150
Emergency Duty Team (out of hours): 01344 786543
A.4 National and cross-cutting contacts
Emergency services: 999 — a child is in immediate danger
NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 — 24-hour advice when the right next step is unclear. Anonymous.
NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line: 0808 800 5000 — concerns about how a child protection issue is being handled by another professional or organisation
Braythorpe insurer (professional indemnity): Hiscox — policy details held on file, available to statutory bodies on request
These details are checked and updated at every annual policy review (Section 10), and sooner if Braythorpe becomes aware a service has changed its contact arrangements.
This policy is available to any parent, school, or professional on request, and a plain-language summary is also available at hello@braythorpe.co.uk.