Cotswold Boatmobility - Freedom On Water
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Documents

We are a small charity recognised by HMRC for tax purposes
Cotswold Boatmobility Privacy Policy
 
Our contact details
Name: Cotswold Boatmobility
Address: 89 Boakes Drive, Stonehouse, GL10 3QW
Phone Number: 07562 173659
E-mail: info@cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk
 
 
The type of personal information we collect
We currently collect and process the following information:
  • Personal Identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)
  • Details of any specific individual needs
 
How we get the personal information and why we have it
Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:
  • To allow us to contact you
  • To allow us to ensure your comfort, whilst you are using our service
  • To allow us to ensure your safety whilst you are using our service
  • To allow us to ensure the safety of other service users
  • To allow us to ensure the safety of the general public
We also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:
  • From parents, carers, guardians, colleges, residential homes or other organisations who have responsibility for your health and well-being, who are signing up to use our service on your behalf.
 
We may share this information with our volunteers.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:
(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting 07562 173659 or info@cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk
 
(b) We have a contractual obligation.
(c) We have a vital interest.
(d) We have a legitimate interest.
 
How we store your personal information
Your information is securely stored on our trustees’ databases and the filing cabinet of our chairperson. We also have minimal safety and contact details in paper form, which are carried on the boats during our sessions.
We keep all contact details, medical information and any other personal details that you provide to us  for 3 years. We will then dispose of your information by shredding anything we have stored in paper format and deleting any details we have stored electronically.
 
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us at info@cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk
 or on 07562 173659 if you wish to make a request.
 
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at:
info@cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk
 
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
The ICO’s address:           
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
 
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk


COTSWOLD BOATMOBILITY       SAFEGUARDING POLICY

CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULTS PROTECTION POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Reviewed and consolidated February 2022                                     
COMPILED BY: JANET THOMAS Chair Cotswold Boatmobility
Accepted and approved by Trustees –
Janet Thomas  yes
Yvonne Hobbs yes
Heidi Horn yes
Michael Cartledge yes
Keith Tibbitts yes
Steve Pickover yes
Grahame Robertson yes

  1. INTRODUCTION:
Every organisation is required to have a Safeguarding Policy which should
  • demonstrate ownership of the safeguarding agenda
  • maintain and review a record of concerns
  • follow safe recruitment procedures, including DBS checks
  • maintain safe premises and equipment inside and out
  • comply with relevant current legislation
We all have a responsibility to Recognise, Respond, Report, Record and Refer.
By the nature of what we do, we are not alone with anyone. We are working with vulnerable adults, children and young people so we have additional responsibilities to be sure that everyone feels safe and is safe from any harm.
Our specific boat health and safety policies refer to our normal policies to keep people from harm on and around the water.
We have Trustees, we have volunteers with boating and other qualifications or none and we have guests who are our clientele. Some of our guests are very capable but they are not volunteers.
 

  1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES:
We are an accessible boating group.
We aim to be open to all and indeed to be open to those who may not be able to access another type of sporting group. Indeed, our primary aims are not around coaching skills but about well-being, being sociable and getting out along the canal in the fresh air. (See our Equality and Inclusion Policy)
We are working with non-standard craft and we do not fit easily into training, policies and procedures for sports groups. In some ways our needs are simpler. (See our Health and Safety Policies)
Our volunteers come to us from a variety of sources, currently exclusively by personal recommendation. We need volunteers who can be adaptable and flexible, who can relate to people with disabilities and particular needs and with some boating skills.

  • All adults and children who come out on our boats are protected at all times from behaviour that they find uncomfortable.
  • Most but not all, volunteers will hold current and enhanced DBS checks and some hold similar roles in other organisations. We need to allow for some flexibility in volunteering rotas and longevity of service. Volunteers are never alone with our guests and we would have concerns if this were to happen.
  • Physical contact between adults and children and vulnerable adults will be kept to a minimum and will be around safety issues. Volunteers will always ask if a guest requires support, for example to get in or out of a boat. We do not do lifting and handling.
  • Many, but not all, of our guests, adults and children, come with supporting adults who know their needs and concerns well and who will deal with personal issues if they arise. Some guests who make other guests feel uncomfortable are given separate trips. Volunteers reserve the right to make decisions about whether they feel comfortable with the specific needs of a particular guest.
 

  1. DEFINITION OF ABUSE
Abuse can be defined as any behaviour which knowingly or unwittingly causes harm, endangers life or violates rights. Abuse may be physical, sexual, psychological, financial or material, or neglect. Cotswold Boatmobility undertakes to work with all staff and volunteers to have a clear idea of the indicators of abuse that may be taking place so that if they have any reason to think abuse may be taking place, they are able to alert the safeguarding officer at the earliest opportunity.

  1. VETTING of Trustees, Volunteers, and everyone who may be involved with Cotswold Boatmobility.
By the very nature of being an inclusive voluntary community group, we    may be vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour from any source. At all times water safety comes first. We operate outside on open water in the public domain. We always have at least two volunteers and for water safety reasons also, we never go out alone. At least one Trustee is with the group. We all have to be vigilant about areas which may be out of sight, ie toilets and storage sheds, to not go to these places alone or inappropriately. This is for the protection of each and everyone of us, including from accusations of abuse.
We have had considerable difficulty in finding a group who would oversee our DBS checks and we have hopefully found that membership of British Canoeing will enable us to proceed with DBS checks in the name of Cotswold Boatmobility. Covid has also got in the way of updating checks. Many of the Trustees, some of the volunteers, presumably all of the paid Care Workers and others, have had checks for participation in other groups. This will be addressed by April 2022, starting with Trustees and boating qualified volunteers.
We do not yet ask for written references for Trustees or Volunteers but this will form part of the new / revised Volunteer registration and data collection procedures.
We do not take unaccompanied children, ie all children are under the supervision of a responsible adult, over 18.
  1. ONLINE COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Cotswold Boatmobility has a website, www.cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk with a non- personal email address info@cotswoldboatmobility.org.uk , a very active Facebook Page @cotswoldboatmobility and a mobile phone number 07562 173659. We also have a Twitter account and a Volunteers What’s App account. We are looking into an online rota account. These are all managed by Trustees, mainly but not exclusively by the Chair and are all transferable between them. We do keep phone numbers and email addresses for most participants, for emergency use. We have a membership group who may receive emails to update them about special events. We use our personal phones and email addresses to respond to requests. These are never to be used for other purposes, in the name of Cotswold Boatmobility. See also our Data Protection and Privacy Policy. Given the open and social nature of our organisation, we can be vigilant against misuse but cannot prevent individuals making individual contact.

  1. IN THE EVENT OF SUSPICIONS OR ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE TAKING PLACE WITHIN OR OUTSIDE COTSWOLD BOATMOBILITY ACTIVITIES. See the Code of Practice which is issued separately, for easy access, but added here for the sake of clarity.
 
           Safeguarding Cotswold Boatmobility users.
A code of practice. Version 1 2021 (two pages)
This card contains essential information for all volunteers of Cotswold Boatmobility. Please keep it with you at all times.
What do I do if…?
If a user tells you they are being abused, you must:
1. Allow them to speak without interruption, and accept what they say
2. Be understanding and reassuring – do not give your opinion
3. Tell them you will try to help but must pass the information on
4. Tell your safeguarding officer immediately
5. Write careful notes of what was said using the actual words
6. Include the time and date and full names of those involved
7. Sign and pass your notes to your Safeguarding Officer
8. Make sure that Cotswold Boatmobility poses no further risk to their welfare
If you are concerned about the welfare of a user or there is a concern, complaint or allegation about an adult or yourself, inside or outside Cotswold Boatmobility, you must:
1. Tell your Safeguarding Officer immediately
2. Write careful notes of what you witnessed, heard or were told
3. Include the time and date and full names of those involved
4. Sign and pass your notes to your Safeguarding Officer
 5. Make sure that Cotswold Boatmobility poses no further risk to their welfare
It is your duty to report ALL safeguarding concerns as a matter of urgency following the correct process.
If a user is at immediate risk of significant harm call 999 and request Police.
Inform your Safeguarding Officer, Jan Thomas 07702134957 or email janthomas89@googlemail.com  once you have done this.
You must refer any concern or complaint to your Safeguarding Officer as a matter of urgency.
DO NOT investigate it yourself.
If you are in any doubt about what to do, contact Sarah Haden-Godwin: Adults at Risk and Deputy Children and Young People Safe Guarding Officer or Tom Hall: Children and Young People’s Safeguarding Officer at Active Gloucestershire 01452 393605
You can also contact Chris Mitford-Slade at CCC Project Director, Stroud District Council.
07717 506023 or email Chrisms@stroud.gov.uk
You can also contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk if the user is under 18.
 It is the policy of Cotswold Boatmobility to safeguard the welfare of all users by protecting them from neglect and from physical, sexual and emotional harm. All members have a duty to report concerns or suspicions and a right to do so in confidence and free from harassment.
Code of behaviour
Do remember that you are a role model at ALL times, inside and outside Cotswold Boatmobility. Set a good example for others to follow.
Do treat everyone with dignity and respect in line with Cotswold Boatmobility’s values.
Do treat all users equally - do not show favouritism
Do follow the volunteer-to-user ratios at all times
Do remember that you have been placed in a position of trust - do not abuse this
Do report all allegations, suspicions and concerns immediately
Do remember that someone may misinterpret your actions
Do respect a user’s right to personal privacy
Do act within appropriate boundaries, even in difficult circumstances
Do encourage an open and transparent culture, where people can challenge inappropriate attitudes or behaviours
Do make everyone (young people, parents, users and carers, volunteers and other helpers) aware of our safeguarding arrangements and share our Code of Behaviour
Do create an environment where users feel safe to voice their concerns
Do plan activities that involve more than one other person being present, or at least within sight and hearing of others.
Do not plan to be alone with a user.
Do not drink alcohol when you are directly responsible for users
Do not trivialise abuse or let it go unreported
Do not join in physical contact games with young people
Do not overstep the boundaries between yourself and users by engaging in friendships or sexual relationships
Do not allow activities that encourage bullying behaviour including initiation ceremonies, dares or forfeits
Do not use inappropriate, suggestive or threatening language, whether verbal, written or online
Do not rely on your reputation or position to protect you

  1. TRAINING
The Chair has done formal training with the Anne Craft Trust specifically to support Cotswold Boatmobility.Many of us have had training with other organisations. Like other aspects of our training, we work on an informal basis, sharing information and relying on individual responsibility to act upon it. Our updated Training manual will have a requirement to acknowledge reading of and acceptance of the laws and good practice relating to a Safeguarding policy.

  1. SHARING GOOD PRACTICE
We will continue to work with Active Gloucestershire, British Canoeing, Anne Craft Trust and others who offer advice and training in this area and update as needed.

  1. KEY CONTACTS:
Janet Thomas
07702134957 janthomas89@googlemail.com

Yvonne Hobbs
07769473038 yvonne@grandhobbits.plus.com

Active Gloucestershire
01452 393605

Chris Mitford-Slade
SDC
07717 506023 or email Chrisms@stroud.gov.uk
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

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