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Safeguarding Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out Beyond and its subsidiaries and the Now and Beyond Festival (collectively, “Beyond”, “we” and “our”)’s approach to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. It applies to all aspects of our work and to everyone working for Beyond, including permanent and temporary employees, contractors, volunteers and self-employed contracted inspectors (collectively, “staff”).

2. What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding means protecting children and young people’s right to live safely and free from abuse and neglect, including, but not limited to:

  • protecting children from maltreatment;
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
  • ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in life.

We will seek to safeguard children and young people by:

  • recruiting appropriate staff and mental health and/or wellbeing providers for the Now and Beyond community (our location-based directory of mental health and/or wellbeing providers specialising in children and young people’s mental health and/or wellbeing), ensuring all necessary background checks are made; and
  • sharing information about child protection and good practice with schools and mental health and/or wellbeing providers.

3. Recruitment

Beyond carries out background checks on everyone who works for us, to ensure we have appropriate individuals, with the right skills and qualifications. All roles require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or Disclosure Scotland check (or equivalent) and references before the individual joins us. Mental health and/or wellbeing providers for the Now and Beyond community will be subject to a DBS check and a check of social media because their role may bring them into regular contact with children.

Anyone interviewed for a post with Beyond, either internally or from outside the organisation, will need to show an understanding of safeguarding that is relevant to the role that they are applying for.

4. Expectations of staff

Everyone working for Beyond has a responsibility to familiarise themselves with this safeguarding policy and the procedures that go with it. They must maintain a proper focus on the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable young people in all aspects of their work.

Anyone who works for Beyond must inform their manager if they or any adult living in their household become(s) the subject of an allegation involving abuse or a safeguarding concern against a child or vulnerable young person. If anyone is in doubt whether the situation or allegation is relevant they should:

  • refer to the definitions of safeguarding and protection of children and young people set out in this safeguarding policy; and
  • seek advice from their line manager.

5. Acting on safeguarding concerns

To the extent that anyone working for Beyond has concerns about individual children or vulnerable young people who are or may be being abused or who are at risk, that they come across during their work, they should consult their line manager or duty team.

Anyone working for Beyond who has concerns about the behaviour of a colleague must always raise this with their line manager.

Any allegations of misconduct towards children and/or vulnerable young people by those working for Beyond will be managed by the board of Trustees.

6. Learning and improving

We are determined to keep improving our knowledge and understanding of how best to protect children and young people. We will review our own practices regularly to check that we are placing the right emphasis on safeguarding in our work.

We will carry out in-depth reviews of our actions in cases where children and young people suffer serious harm while under the care of mental health and/or wellbeing providers listed in the Now and Beyond community. The main purpose of the reviews is to learn lessons about how our systems need to improve to protect children and young people better in the future.

7. How to contact us?

If you have any questions about this safeguarding policy, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Louisa Rose, at louisa@wearebeyond.org.uk.

8. Changes to the Policy

We may change this safeguarding policy from time to time and any such changes will be published on our website.

Last updated September 2025.