Safeguarding Policy

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

At Precious Foundation for Women, Children, and Adolescents (PFWCA) UK Limited, we are completely committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Protecting human rights and preventing harm is at the core of everything we do.

📌 1. Purpose & Core Principles

Our framework operates under three non-negotiable tenets:

• The Individual First: The welfare of the individual is always paramount.

• Equal Protection: Every person has an equal right to protection from harm, regardless of age, gender, race, or background.

• Shared Responsibility: Safeguarding operates as a collective accountability binding every layer of our organization.

👥 2. Scope: Who This Applies To

This policy applies universally to everyone operating under or alongside our organization:

• Full-time, part-time, and contracted staff members.

• Field, clinical, and mobile outreach volunteers.

• The Executive Board of Directors and Trustees.

• Delivery partners, external consultants, and field agencies.

🔍 3. Recognizing the Signs of Abuse

We define the core categories of abuse in strict alignment with UK statutory guidelines to guarantee immediate clinical and community clarity:

• Physical Abuse: Intentional physical acts causing bodily harm or injury (e.g., hitting, physical restraint, or inappropriate medication control).

• Emotional & Psychological Abuse: Persistent emotional maltreatment, verbal assault, isolation, or manipulation that damages self-esteem.

• Sexual Abuse: Forcing, enticing, or exploiting a child or vulnerable adult into any sexual activity, regardless of perceived awareness or consent.

• Neglect & Acts of Omission: Persistent failure to meet an individual's basic physical, medical, nutritional, educational, or hygienic needs.

• Financial & Material Abuse: The unauthorized, deceptive, or coercive exploitation of a person’s money, property, welfare benefits, or legal assets.

📞 4. Our Designated Safeguarding Team

We maintain clear internal accountability. If you have any concerns, suspicions, or disclosures, please contact our lead immediately:

👤 Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Lead Officer: Omoye Onuh (Director of Operations & Programmes)

✉️ Email: info@pfwca.org

📞 Phone: 01296 330134 (Please quote reference: Safeguarding Intake)

Note: If an incident or concern directly involves the DSL, the matter must be escalated instantly to our Founder & Clinical Lead, Precious Omigie.

⏱️ 5. Our Step-by-Step Reporting Protocol

When a safeguarding breach or suspicion arises within any PFWCA UK operation, our team executes a strict, timed sequential triage procedure:

1. Immediate Protection (Minutes 1–15): We ensure the immediate safety of the individual. If urgent medical attention is required, emergency services are called instantly via 999.

2. Factual Logging (Within 2 Hours): The details are logged objectively using an official Incident Report Form, focusing strictly on observations and verbatim quotes.

3. Internal Escalation (Within 4 Hours): The completed report is passed directly to our DSL, Omoye Onuh.

4. Statutory Referral (Within 24 Hours): The DSL executes a formal multi-agency referral to the Buckinghamshire Council Adult/Child Safeguarding Boards (MASH) or the police if a criminal act is suspected.

🔒 6. Safer Recruitment & DBS Checks

To preserve a safe network for the communities we serve, PFWCA UK operates robust vetting rules. Every staff member and volunteer engaging in regulated activities with children or vulnerable adults must clear an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before deployment.

📅 7. Policy Governance & Review

This policy functions as a binding corporate governance requirement. It undergoes formal evaluation and annual re-ratification by our Board of Directors, or rapid revision following direct updates to UK statutory safeguarding legislation.

• Company Registration Number: 17139325

• Policy Enactment Date: 28th May 2026

• Mandatory Review Date: 27th May 2027