Our commitment to safeguarding

We are dedicated to best practice and we aim to protect all children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation.

We want your children to grow, learn, have fun, and stay safe, and we take these responsibilities very seriously.

How we keep children safe

We take the following steps to safeguard your children at our events and in our services:

• Risk-check activities and venues: We thoroughly assess buildings, venues, and activities to make sure they are safe.
• Staff and volunteer vetting: Everyone working with children undergoes appropriate background checks (e.g., DBS/PVG/Access NI) and reference verification.
• Clear procedures for concern: Staff and volunteers are trained to act if they believe a child is being harmed at home or elsewhere.
• Promoting respect: We encourage children and young people to treat each other kindly and respectfully.
• Safety information: We provide children and families with clear guidance on staying safe, both online and offline.
• Communication support: We ensure that children, especially those who are deaf, understand safety information and can express themselves.

Our events: Safety first

All events undergo comprehensive risk assessments, focusing on:

• fire safety
• safe use of equipment
• medication administration
• communication needs
• staff and volunteer training
• insurance coverage

When other organisations (like crèche providers) support our events, we ensure their suitability and safety standards meet our expectations.

Training, policies, and accountability

We maintain a safe environment by ensuring that:

• all staff and volunteers are trained in safeguarding and child/adult protection appropriate to their roles
• they are supervised and supported throughout their work with us
• everyone adheres to our clear safeguarding policies and procedures
• all concerns, poor practices or unsafe behaviour can be safely reported by children, parents, staff or volunteers

If we have concerns about a child or young person’s safety, we will share this information with the appropriate authorities, and where possible, we will inform parents/carers first.

Keeping safe online

We provide internet-based services for children and young people, and we are committed to:

• ensuring these services are safe
• helping children understand how to protect themselves online

Safeguarding adults

While our work focuses on deaf children, we often engage with adults – parents, carers and family members. We take any adult safeguarding concerns seriously.

If you have any concerns, contact: safeguarding@ndcs.org.uk.

What you can do

You can support our safeguarding efforts by:

• talking to your child about who they can trust and encouraging open communication
• providing us with important information (such as health conditions and allergies) to help us care for your child
• teaching your child about online safety
• letting us know if something doesn’t feel right

Want to know more?

If you’d like to view our full safeguarding policies or have concerns:

• Contact the staff member responsible for the event or their manager.
• If unsure who to speak to, or if you’re unhappy with a response, email: safeguarding@ndcs.org.uk.

Are you deaf or a sign language user? 

Use our video relay service (SignVideo) to contact us and access policies in an accessible format.

Further support and advice 

• Department for Education
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)
• NSPCC