Safeguarding
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding is central to everything we do at Gateshead Youth Initiative. Every young person has the right to feel safe, supported and respected in every space we create. Our Safeguarding Policy explains how we protect the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults involved in our activities. It ensures that our volunteers, staff and partners understand their responsibilities and work together to provide a safe, caring and positive environment for everyone.
We take this commitment seriously because safeguarding is more than a policy. It is a shared promise to listen, to act and to always put wellbeing first. By building a culture of care and respect, we help young people feel secure, valued and confident to take part in everything we offer. When young people feel safe, they are better able to grow, achieve and make a positive difference within their community.
Our Safeguarding Team
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Lewis McGreevy
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Lewis is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and has overall responsibility for safeguarding across the organisation. He ensures that all safeguarding concerns are dealt with properly and that our policy is followed at all times.
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Graeme Barnes
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Graeme supports the Designated Safeguarding Lead and helps ensure that safeguarding procedures are carried out consistently. He assists in responding to any concerns and helps maintain clear communication across the team.
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Jamie-Leigh Gibbons
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Jamie-Leigh also supports the Designated Safeguarding Lead and shares responsibility for ensuring safeguarding procedures are followed. She helps manage any concerns that arise and works alongside the team to maintain a safe and positive environment for everyone.
Key Legislation
The following legislation and statutory guidance form the foundation of safeguarding practice in England. Each document was created to protect the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and together they set out the duties, powers and expectations that organisations must follow to keep people safe from harm.
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The foundation of child safeguarding law in England and Wales. It defines what it means to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and sets out local authority duties to investigate and protect.
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Strengthens inter-agency cooperation and accountability. It’s the backbone for “Working Together to Safeguard Children” guidance and the creation of Local Safeguarding Partnerships.
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Established the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) system and makes it illegal for barred individuals to work with children or vulnerable adults. Essential for volunteer-led groups.
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Focuses on protecting adults at risk. Even if your main audience is under-18s, this applies to parents, carers, or vulnerable adults who may be part of your sessions.
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Statutory guidance that sets out how organisations and agencies should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in England. It defines responsibilities for local authorities, education providers, health services and voluntary organisations in protecting children from harm.
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Statutory guidance that outlines the duties and responsibilities of schools, colleges and other education providers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It serves as a key reference for all organisations working with young people to ensure safe and effective practice.
“Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility”
The phrase “safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility” means that protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults is not just the role of designated staff. It is a shared duty across our whole community. Every volunteer, parent, partner and member of the public has a part to play in recognising concerns and taking action when something does not feel right.
The guide linked below provides a helpful overview of this principle. It explains what it means in practice and offers advice on how to identify potential risks, raise concerns and make a referral if needed.
Safeguarding Policies & Procedures
This section brings together the key policies that support our safeguarding structure. While not all of these documents are directly safeguarding related, each one plays an important role in strengthening our overall approach. Together they ensure that every aspect of safety, wellbeing and inclusion is considered, allowing us to respond effectively and appropriately to any situation that may arise.
Safeguarding Policy
Our Safeguarding Policy outlines how we protect the safety and wellbeing of all young people and vulnerable adults who take part in our activities.
Picky-up Policy
Our Pick-Up Policy outlines the steps we take to ensure children are collected safely and responsibly after each session.
Health & Safety
Our health and safety measures protect everyone involved by ensuring all sessions are delivered safely and responsibly.
EDI Policy
We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion so that everyone involved feels valued, respected and able to take part fully.
Do you have a safeguarding concern?
If you need to contact us because of a safeguarding concern, please email safeguarding@gatesheadyouthinitiative.org. This inbox is monitored by our designated safeguarding leads.
ATTENTION: If you believe someone is in immediate danger or this is an emergency, please contact 999 immediately.