SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to:

• protect children and vulnerable adults from all types of abuse
• inform all staff and those we work with of our overarching principles and procedures that guide our approach to safeguarding

If you are unsure what this policy means, or how it relates to you, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Mission Statement

At Atlantic Travel GB Ltd we believe that safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is our responsibility. We will do everything in our power to ensure children and vulnerable adults who meet with Atlantic Travel in any capacity, are safeguarded.

This policy applies to all those who work for and with Atlantic Travel GB Ltd in any capacity and is based on the following principles:

• The welfare of the child/vulnerable adult is paramount.
• All children/vulnerable adults, regardless of age, ability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, culture or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
• Any safeguarding concern or allegation of abuse will be taken seriously by Atlantic Travel GB ltd and responded to appropriately.
• Atlantic Travel GB Ltd recognises this may require a referral to the independent Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) if an allegation has been made against a bus driver or member of staff.
• We have a commitment to safer recruitment, selection and vetting that include checks into the eligibility and the suitability of all our staff, the coach operators contract to and their drivers.
• We have a commitment that all drivers will be trained and updated regularly on child protection and safeguarding.

Scope of the Policy:

Atlantic Travel recognises the importance of safeguarding in the work we do and fully understand our responsibilities. We have no governing body that sets out requirements of our industry in terms of safeguarding. However, we choose to operate to the highest standards.

This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the relevant legislation and statutory guidance, including but not limited to the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Care Act, 2014, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019, the Rehabilitation of Offenders’ Act 1974 and General Data Protection Regulation, 2018.

We will treat any breach of this policy very seriously. For those who work for us, failure to follow this policy could lead to disciplinary action, which may ultimately result in dismissal. For those who work with us, we reserve the right to immediately terminate your contract.

Code of Conduct:

1. We expect all staff and all those who work with us, including and most particularly school bus drivers to behave appropriately at all times.
2. No member of staff, or school bus driver will ever befriend a child outside of their professional role. They will never share, or accept, personal details, become friends with a child on social media, take photographs of a child, or meet them outside of their school bus role.
3. No member of staff, or school bus driver will ever guarantee confidentiality to a child and if they ever have concerns about a child the member of staff will speak to the designated safeguarding lead. A school bus driver would speak to their coach operator, who in turn would speak to the designated safeguarding lead at Atlantic Travel GB Ltd.
4. If a child or vulnerable adult makes a disclosure, the member of staff needs to inform our designated lead for guidance who in turn will if necessary inform our Local Authority Designated Office (LADO)

Safeguarding Roles at Atlantic Travel:

All those who work for or with Atlantic Travel share the responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults but there are individuals within the company with specific safeguarding responsibilities. All staff members will be expected to take part in safeguarding training every 3 years.