"We cannot always build a future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future."
Our commitment to keeping everyone safe
At Sidewalk, our main priority is keeping everyone safe. We have an extensive safeguarding policy that covers all aspects of our work, ensuring a secure environment for young people, staff, and volunteers.
Here is an overview of our comprehensive safeguarding approach:
We are committed to ensuring that we have the best qualified and safest staff and volunteers to support our young people. Our rigorous recruitment process includes:
Enhanced DBS Checks - We carry out enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on all staff and volunteers, including checking the barred list to ensure no prohibited individuals work with young people.
Professional References - We require two unrelated professional referees, including current or most recent employers, to verify character and suitability for working with young people.
Lone Working Policy - All staff working one-to-one with young people must strictly follow our comprehensive lone working policy to ensure safety for both parties.
Our commitment to safeguarding excellence is maintained through continuous training and development:
Annual Policy Updates - Our safeguarding policy is comprehensively reviewed and updated annually in September, with mandatory whole-staff training undertaken at this time.
KCSIE Compliance - All staff are required to read and understand the latest “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (KCSIE) guidance. We immediately share any updates when they are published by the Department for Education.
Specialist Training - Staff who work one-to-one with young people receive specialized annual training on key issues in contextual safeguarding, which must be completed before beginning direct work with young people.
Our safeguarding procedures are designed to be accessible, supportive, and effective:
Trained Personnel - All our staff and volunteers receive comprehensive safeguarding training that is updated annually. Our team is ready and equipped to support young people who wish to share their concerns in a safe, confidential environment.
Open Communication - We encourage open dialogue about safeguarding concerns and maintain a culture where young people feel comfortable approaching our staff with any issues they may face.
If you need to share any safeguarding concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our designated safeguarding leads:
Primary Contact: [email protected]
Secondary Contact: [email protected]
All communications are treated with strict confidentiality.