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POL-03

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy

How we protect children and vulnerable adults who use the shop, the upstairs gaming room and our events, and what to do if you are worried about someone.

Applies to: All staff, volunteers and contractors working at the shop and at our events.

1. Purpose

Many of our customers are children and young people, and some customers are adults who may be vulnerable. We want everyone who comes to our shop and gaming room to be safe. This policy explains how we keep people safe and what we do if there is a concern.

We follow the principles of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023: safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and a child's welfare comes first.

2. Scope

This policy applies to everyone working for GG Entertainment Group Ltd, paid or unpaid, in the shop, in the upstairs gaming room, at events and release nights, and online where staff communicate with customers on our behalf.

3. Policy statement

We believe that no child or vulnerable adult should experience abuse or neglect. We will take every concern seriously, act on it quickly and share information with the right people. We will not ignore a worry because it seems minor or because we are not sure.

Child
Anyone under 18.
Vulnerable adult
An adult aged 18 or over who may need support because of age, illness, disability, or mental health, and who may be unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
The person who takes the lead on safeguarding concerns. At GG Entertainment this is the Managing Director, Richard Allison.

4. Roles and responsibilities

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Managing Director is the Designated Safeguarding Lead. He receives all concerns, decides what action to take, makes referrals, keeps records and makes sure staff are trained. If he is not available, or if the concern is about him, staff may contact Derbyshire children's services or the police directly.

All staff

Everyone must know the signs of abuse, know who the Designated Safeguarding Lead is, report concerns straight away and follow the conduct rules in this policy. You do not need to be sure that abuse is happening to report a concern.

5. Recognising abuse and exploitation

Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect. It can happen at home, in the community or online. Signs can include unexplained injuries, changes in behaviour, being withdrawn or very anxious, being afraid of an adult, poor hygiene or hunger, or things a child says to you.

Risks linked to gaming and trading

  • Online grooming: adults, or older young people, may contact children through games, chats or social media, pretend to be a friend, offer gifts or in-game items and try to move conversations to private channels.
  • Financial exploitation: children may be pressured or tricked into handing over valuable cards or games for little or nothing, or into spending money they should not.
  • Cyberbullying and pressure: bullying can continue in group chats and games. Children may feel pressured to buy or trade.
  • Inappropriate content: access to games or material not suitable for their age.
  • Vulnerable adults may be targeted for money, or for cards, games or consoles, or may be pressured into selling them.

Be alert if an adult is paying unusual attention to a child, offering to buy or swap valuable items with a child alone, asking children for their contact details, or trying to be alone with a child in the upstairs room.

6. What to do if you are worried

  1. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police.
  2. If a child tells you something, stay calm. Listen. Do not ask leading questions and do not promise to keep it secret. Explain that you need to tell someone whose job it is to help.
  3. Tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible, the same day. Do not investigate yourself and do not confront the person you are worried about.
  4. The Designated Safeguarding Lead decides whether to refer to Derbyshire children's services through Starting Point, or to call the police. For a vulnerable adult, the referral is to adult social care at Derbyshire County Council or to the police.
  5. Write down what happened using the recording rules below.

7. Recording and confidentiality

  • Write down what you saw or heard, in the person's own words where possible, with the date, time and who was present. Stick to facts, not opinion.
  • Sign and date the record and pass it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
  • Records are kept securely, kept separate from general customer records in GG Vault, and seen only by those who need to know.
  • Safeguarding information is shared on a need-to-know basis. Data protection law, including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, does not prevent sharing information to keep a child safe.
  • Do not discuss concerns with other customers, on social media or with people who have no need to know.

8. Staff conduct rules

  • Never message children privately. Do not contact under-18s through personal social media, text or messaging apps. Communication with children about the shop goes through official shop channels and, where possible, through a parent or guardian.
  • Do not be alone with a child in a closed room or out of sight of others. Keep doors open and stay visible.
  • Do not give lifts, gifts or money to children, and do not meet them outside the shop on a personal basis.
  • Do not take photographs of children except as set out in the Social Media and Photography Policy (POL-31).
  • Do not buy, sell or swap items with children for personal gain.
  • Do not use language or behaviour that is sexual, abusive, or inappropriate in front of children.
  • Report any concern about another member of staff's behaviour to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or if it concerns him, to the police or children's services. This is a duty, not a betrayal.

Physical contact should be avoided unless needed to prevent injury or give first aid.

9. Safer recruitment and DBS checks

We take up references and check identity before anyone starts work. Anyone who supervises the upstairs gaming room or runs events where children attend must have an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before doing so. Volunteers and contractors are treated the same way. Staff are given safeguarding training when they start and refresher training at least every two years.

10. Children in the shop and gaming room

The rules on age, supervision and parental consent are in the Under-18s and Parental Consent Policy (POL-04). Rules for behaviour in the room are in the Gaming Room Rules and Code of Conduct (POL-05). Games are only sold or played in line with the Age Ratings Policy (POL-06). Children who are lost or left behind are never sent away alone. Staff stay with them in a public part of the shop and contact a parent or guardian, or the police if needed.

11. If this policy is not followed

Failing to report a concern, or breaking the conduct rules, is serious misconduct and may lead to dismissal and a referral to the police or the Disclosure and Barring Service. Customers who put children at risk will be banned and, where appropriate, reported.