Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do.
Medaille Trust supports people who have experienced modern slavery, human trafficking, exploitation and abuse. Many of the people we work alongside have experienced significant trauma and may continue to face risks from exploiters, unsafe relationships or other forms of harm.
We have a responsibility to do everything we reasonably can to protect the children and adults we encounter through our work from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.
Read our Safeguarding Policy here.
Our approach is centred on the individual. We recognise that safeguarding is not simply about responding when something goes wrong. It is about creating safe environments, identifying risks early, listening to people and taking appropriate action.
We are committed to:
Putting people first – listening to individuals, taking their concerns seriously and involving them in decisions about their safety wherever possible.
Taking concerns seriously – responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns, disclosures and allegations.
Working in a trauma-informed way – recognising how experiences of trauma, exploitation and abuse can affect people's needs, choices and behaviour.
Preventing further exploitation – remaining alert to the risk of re-trafficking, coercion and continued exploitation.
Working with others – sharing information appropriately and working with statutory agencies and specialist organisations when this is necessary to protect someone.
Creating a culture of accountability – ensuring staff and volunteers understand the standards expected of them and feel confident raising concerns.
Learning and improving – reviewing incidents, concerns and practice so that safeguarding continues to develop across our organisation.
Safeguarding is particularly important because of the nature of Medaille Trust's work. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility at Medaille Trust.
We want everyone who comes into contact with Medaille Trust – including survivors, residents, staff, volunteers, supporters and partners – to feel safe, respected and able to raise concerns.
Our teams support people who may remain vulnerable to exploitation even after they have reached a place of safety. Risk can be complex and circumstances can change quickly.
Our staff therefore work with individuals to understand risks and develop appropriate plans to support their safety and wellbeing.
Where concerns arise, we balance an individual's wishes, rights and independence with our responsibility to protect them and others from harm. There may be circumstances where we need to share information or take action without an individual's consent because there is a serious risk of harm or because we have a legal safeguarding responsibility.
Everyone working or volunteering for Medaille Trust has a responsibility for safeguarding.
We have policies and procedures setting out how safeguarding concerns should be identified, reported, recorded and managed.
Staff and volunteers receive safeguarding training appropriate to their roles, and safeguarding responsibilities form part of our induction and ongoing practice.
We also have designated safeguarding leads and clear arrangements for escalating and overseeing safeguarding concerns.
Safeguarding is not the responsibility of one person or one team. We expect everyone within Medaille Trust to remain alert, act professionally and speak up when something does not feel right.
If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of someone connected with Medaille Trust, we want you to tell us.
You do not need to be certain that abuse or harm has taken place before raising a concern. If something has happened, you have noticed something that worries you, or someone has told you something that causes concern, please report it.
Concerns might relate to:
If your concern relates to a member of Medaille Trust staff, a volunteer or someone in a position of responsibility, you can still contact us. Your concern will be handled through the appropriate safeguarding process.
We will treat safeguarding information sensitively. However, we cannot always promise complete confidentiality because we may need to share information with relevant people or agencies to protect someone from harm.
Jamie Graham
Email: j.graham@medaille-trust.org.uk
Phone: 07398379960
If you believe that you or another person is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you are concerned that someone may be experiencing modern slavery or human trafficking, you can also contact the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline on 08000 121 700.
Our Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that Medaille Trust fulfils its safeguarding responsibilities.
Safeguarding practice is overseen through our governance and leadership arrangements, with safeguarding concerns, risks, learning and improvements appropriately reported and scrutinised.
Our aim is not simply to have safeguarding policies in place, but to maintain a culture in which safeguarding is understood, discussed and embedded throughout the organisation.
People who have experienced exploitation deserve to feel safe, to be heard and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Safeguarding at Medaille Trust is therefore more than responding to incidents. It is about the culture we create, the decisions we make and the way we work every day.
We will listen. We will take concerns seriously. We will act when someone may be at risk.
