Safeguarding Policy

Hero Project UK

Hero Project UK Safeguarding Policy

Effective date: 16/08/2025

1. Introduction & Commitment to Safeguarding

The Hero Project UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We believe that all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation, or identity, have the right to protection from harm and to feel safe and respected.

This policy sets out how we protect children and young people who engage with our services, including online coaching emails, events, and mentoring activities. It explains our responsibilities, and the steps we take to keep young people safe.

We recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, volunteers, and partners working with The Hero Project UK are expected to follow this policy.

2. Scope of this Policy

This safeguarding policy applies to:

All children and young people under the age of 18 who engage with The Hero Project UK.
Young adults who may be considered vulnerable due to additional needs or circumstances.
All staff, volunteers, trustees, and contractors working on behalf of The Hero Project UK.

This policy applies in all contexts where The Hero Project UK operates, including:

Online coaching emails and other digital communications.
In-person events, mentoring sessions, workshops, or community activities.
Any contact we have with children and young people through our programmes or outreach.

We recognise that safeguarding risks can occur in both online and offline spaces, and we are committed to ensuring our practices are safe and appropriate in every setting.

3. Key Principles & Legal Framework

The Hero Project UK follows the principle that the welfare of the child is paramount, as set out in the Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004.

Our safeguarding approach is informed by the following principles:

Children have the right to be protected from harm.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All staff and volunteers have a duty to take action if they are concerned about a child’s wellbeing.
Children and young people should be listened to. We respect their views and involve them appropriately in decisions affecting their safety.
Transparency and accountability. Safeguarding practices must be clear, consistent, and open to scrutiny.

Legal and Policy Context (UK)

Children Act 1989 & 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children (Statutory Guidance, 2018)
Keeping Children Safe in Education (where relevant)
Data Protection Act 2018 & UK GDPR

International Considerations

As The Hero Project UK also engages with young people outside the UK:

In the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires parental consent for under-13s.
In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 and national child protection principles apply, including restrictions on collecting personal data from children under 15.

While our safeguarding and data practices are designed in line with UK standards, we also take account of these international frameworks to ensure good practice for all our users.

4. Roles & Responsibilities

Safeguarding is a shared responsibility. Everyone involved in The Hero Project UK — whether staff, volunteers, or trustees — has a duty to act if they are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person.

The Safeguarding Lead

The Safeguarding Lead for The Hero Project UK is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). They can be contacted via our main email address: info@heroproject.uk. All safeguarding concerns sent to this address will be prioritised and reviewed by the Safeguarding Lead.

The Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

Acting as the first point of contact for any safeguarding concerns.
Ensuring that safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and followed.
Keeping up to date with safeguarding training and best practice.
Reporting serious safeguarding concerns to the relevant statutory services (e.g. local authority children’s services, or emergency services in urgent cases).
Overseeing safer recruitment and ensuring volunteers are appropriately checked (e.g. DBS in the UK, where relevant).

Volunteers and Staff

All volunteers and staff working with The Hero Project UK are responsible for:

Reading and following this safeguarding policy.
Being alert to signs that a young person may be at risk of harm.
Escalating any concerns immediately to the Safeguarding Lead.
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries at all times, both online and offline.

Directors

Directors are responsible for:

Ensuring the organisation meets its safeguarding responsibilities.
Reviewing safeguarding practices annually.
Supporting the Safeguarding Lead in carrying out their duties.

5. Recognising & Responding to Concerns

We recognise that safeguarding concerns may arise in two contexts: online coaching and in-person events. Our response will depend on the nature of the concern and the setting.

5.1 Online Coaching

All interactions currently take place via email newsletters and coaching prompts.

If a young person discloses something concerning by email:

Acknowledge and listen – respond compassionately without judgement.
Do not promise confidentiality – explain that we may need to share information if someone is at risk of harm.
Record the concern – save the email securely and notify the Safeguarding Lead.
Immediate risk – if a young person appears to be in imminent danger but we only have limited information (name/email), we will:
- Reply using our crisis response email with helpline numbers (UK/US/AUS).
- Encourage them to contact emergency services or a trusted adult immediately.
- Where sufficient identifying information is available, the Safeguarding Lead may make a referral to statutory services.

Non-urgent concerns – provide signposting resources (e.g. helplines, support organisations), and escalate internally.

⚠️ We do not provide counselling or ongoing therapeutic support. Our role is to encourage, signpost, and escalate safeguarding concerns as appropriate.

5.2 In-Person Events (UK Only)

The Hero Project UK may occasionally run in-person events within the UK only. Safeguarding procedures for these settings differ from online coaching, as staff may have direct responsibility for participants’ immediate safety.

If a safeguarding concern arises at an event:

Ensure immediate safety – if the young person is in danger, remove them from harm and contact emergency services (999 UK).
Reassure the young person – listen calmly, avoid leading questions, and explain what will happen next.
Report internally – as soon as possible, escalate to the Safeguarding Lead.
Record factually – write down what was said or observed, including date/time/location.
Follow up – the Safeguarding Lead will decide whether to contact statutory services or parents/carers.

6. Safe Recruitment, Training & Conduct

The Hero Project UK is a small organisation, relying on a combination of staff and volunteers. We recognise our responsibility to ensure that anyone working with or on behalf of the organisation acts safely and appropriately.

6.1 Recruitment & Vetting

All new staff and volunteers must complete a Volunteer Safeguarding Declaration Form, confirming that they have read this policy, agree to follow it, and declare that they have no relevant unspent criminal convictions.
The Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Lead are required to hold an Enhanced DBS check. This process is being arranged as a priority and will be renewed in line with legal requirements.
References may be requested where appropriate, particularly for staff or volunteers who will have regular or ongoing engagement with young people.

6.2 Training

All staff and volunteers will receive an induction covering this safeguarding policy, online safety, and their responsibilities.

Safeguarding awareness training will be refreshed at least annually.
The Safeguarding Lead will book accredited training (e.g. NSPCC/Local Authority) and cascade key learning to the team.

6.3 Conduct

Staff and volunteers must act as positive role models and maintain clear professional boundaries at all times.

All communication with young people must go through official Hero Project channels (e.g. newsletters, monitored inboxes). Personal email, phone numbers, or social media must not be used.

Any safeguarding concerns must be escalated immediately — staff and volunteers must never promise confidentiality.

6.4 Training and Awareness

We make sure that all staff and volunteers are trained in safeguarding and know how to respond to any concerns. Our Safeguarding Lead and Deputy receive formal training, and all volunteers complete an induction and safeguarding briefing before working with us.

7. Online Safety & Digital Safeguarding

Your safety online is very important to us. Here’s how we keep our coaching safe and respectful:

Your data is private

We only collect the information we need (your name, email, birthday, and country of residence). This is stored securely in our system and only seen by our team.

Age requirements

To keep within data privacy laws, you need to be:

14 or older if you live in the UK or USA
15 or older if you live in Australia

If you don’t meet these age requirements, we will unsubscribe you from our emails.

Safe communication

Our team will only contact you using our official Hero Project email accounts. We will never use personal social media, messaging apps, or phone numbers to get in touch.

Weekly safeguarding checks

We review incoming emails regularly. If we see anything worrying, we will flag it to our safeguarding team straight away.

Respectful behaviour

We ask that all communication is kind and respectful. If we receive abusive, harmful, or explicit messages, we may need to stop communication and, if necessary, report it.

Your privacy

We will never share your personal details, or use your words or story publicly, unless you (and your parent/carer if you’re under 18) give us clear written consent.

8. Confidentiality & Information Sharing

We respect the privacy of all young people and families who engage with The Hero Project. However, safeguarding concerns will always take priority over confidentiality.

No promises of secrecy – If a young person discloses something that suggests they are at risk of harm, staff and volunteers must explain that the information may need to be shared with others to keep them safe.

Internal reporting only – Concerns are shared only with the Safeguarding Lead (or Deputy if they are unavailable).

Secure record-keeping – All safeguarding records are stored securely in a restricted safeguarding register. Access is limited to the Safeguarding Lead and Deputy.

External referrals – Where a young person is at risk of significant harm, the Safeguarding Lead may share relevant information with statutory agencies (e.g. children’s social care, police) in line with UK law.

Minimal disclosure – Only the necessary details will be shared to protect the young person

9. Record Keeping & Confidentiality

We keep clear and secure records of any safeguarding concerns that are raised with us. These records are stored safely, with access limited only to the Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

We will only share information with other organisations or services if it is necessary to protect a young person from harm, or if we are required to do so by law.

All records are kept for an appropriate amount of time in line with safeguarding and data protection guidance, and then securely deleted.

10. Whistleblowing and Raising Concerns

We are committed to creating a safe and transparent culture. If any staff member, volunteer, or young person is worried about how safeguarding is being handled within The Hero Project, they are encouraged to raise their concerns.

Concerns can be reported by emailing info@heroproject.uk.

All concerns will be taken seriously, treated confidentially, and investigated appropriately.

11. Policy Review and Approval

This safeguarding policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains up to date with legal requirements, best practice, and the needs of the young people we support.

The next scheduled review will take place in June 2026, or sooner if there are significant changes in legislation or in the way we deliver our services.