OmniMusic Safeguarding Policy

Introduction 

We believe everyone has a human right to take part in cultural life and express themselves creatively, ambitiously, and to the best of their ability. OmniMusic exists to remove barriers to music-making, enabling disabled people, and the people who support them, to explore their unique musical talent.  

We strive for excellence and believe that the best practice enables people to move through life feeling physically and emotionally safe; this includes our beneficiaries, stakeholders, and staff.  

This policy sets out our approach and procedure to keep people safe, and what to do if either evidence or instinct tells us that someone is at risk of being or feeling unsafe. 

1. Context 

OmniMusic is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk, specifically those with disabilities, complex needs learning differences.  

We recognise that our beneficiaries experience multiple, both long-term and evolving, risk factors which contribute to their vulnerability. 

We also recognise that our beneficiary community is at greater risk due to their disabilities, communication differences and limited ability to self-advocate. Therefore, we take our responsibility very seriously to observe, monitor and respond appropriately to clear, or suspected, safeguarding concerns. 

2. Purpose 

This policy explains how OmniMusic aims to keep people safe from harm and meet its safeguarding duties, especially in relation to work with children and adults at risk. The purpose of this policy is to: 

• Promote the well-being and protect from harm, abuse, and mistreatment of the people who benefit from our work, our team and people who work beside us. 

• Provide our beneficiaries, their caregivers, our team, volunteers, and partners with our commitment and approach to safeguarding. 

All team members and partners must read and comply with the measures outlined in this policy prior to working with us. 

3. Legal Framework 

We recognise our regulatory duties as laid out by the Charity Commission, for safeguarding and protecting people, and charities, from abuse.   

This policy is based on key legislation including the Children Act 1989 & 2004, the Care Act 2014, and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. It applies to work carried out in England, under English Law. 

4. Regular Review 

The DSL will ensure that policies are reviewed at least annually and when required outside of the annual review cycle, in the event of changes to legislation and/ or best practice. 

5. What We Mean by Safeguarding 

In this policy, safeguarding refers to the range of measures we will take to protect the people who come into contact with OmniMusic from harm, abuse, neglect and mistreatment of any kind. It includes a wide range of issues relating to an individual’s welfare and their health and safety, including:  

• Children and Young People: We will seek to protect children from maltreatment; prevent impairment of their health or development; ensure they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; protect them from harm, exploitation or radicalisation in the physical and online world; and take action to enable them to have the best outcomes in life. 

• Adults at risk: We will protect the rights of adults to live in safety, free from physical, mental, emotional or financial abuse and neglect. In this context, adults may be service beneficiaries, our team, board or volunteers. 

5.1 Definitions 

• Child: Anyone under the age of 18 years. 

• Adult at risk: Anyone aged 18 or over who has needs for care and support and is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, who due to their care and support needs, may be unable to protect themselves. 

• Partners: agencies or organisations we work with to deliver our services. 

• Team member: anyone engaged by, or acting on behalf of, OmniMusic who is involved in the delivery of our activities including employees, volunteers (including trustees) and consultants (including trainees and freelancers).  

 5.2 Specific Considerations 

Our work brings us into contact with people with profound disability and complex needs, who are at the highest risk of exploitation, with the least capacity to independently protect themselves from harm. We have a duty of care to recognise these increased risk factors; taking all reasonable steps to identify and reduce risks, while respecting individuals’ rights to make choices.  

With this, we ensure that our team, volunteers, and partners understand the power dynamics in relationships of trust and maintain appropriate professional boundaries in person, in written communication and online. 

• Deaf and Disabled People: Recognise the increased vulnerability of deaf and disabled people to abuse and take proactive steps to protect them. 

• Children and Adults in the Care System: Address the specific vulnerabilities of looked after children and young people, and adults under state or private social care, ensuring they receive appropriate support and protection. 

6. Our Safeguarding Team 

OmniMusic commits to ensuring that safeguarding responsibilities are core to our practice and actively carried out at all levels of the organisation.  

We will ensure that there is always a minimum of one appropriately qualified Designated Safeguarding Lead at any one time, a representative on our Board of Trustees and a minimum of one Deputy Safeguarding Lead at delivery level. 

The current safeguarding leads and their contact details are: 

• Board Level Lead: Phill Howley (he/him) 

The Board Safeguarding Lead is responsible for ensuring the Board of Trustees is kept up to date with any safeguarding issues arising and is the final point of escalation and Major Incident Reporting to the Charities Commission. 

Phill Howley (Trustee): safeguarding@omnimusic.org.uk / 07837 957367 

• Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL): EJ Trivett and Molly Graham (she/her) 

The Designated Safeguarding Leads will support other practitioners with safeguarding concerns, manage appropriate DBS checks for the team, and lead our safeguarding procedures and any required referrals to statutory authorities. 

EJ Trivett (CEO): ejtrivett@omnimusic.org.uk / 07708 539 834 

Molly Graham (Programme Producer): mollygraham@omnimusic.org.uk 

• Assistant Safeguarding Lead (ASL): Kate Catling (she/her) 

The Assistant Safeguarding Lead will assist the DSLs and is the first point of contact for practitioners and partners for safeguarding concerns within their programmes. 

Kate Catling (Programme Producer): programme@omnimusic.org.uk  

7. How We Keep People Safe 

7.1 Safe Recruitment Practices 

We commit to selecting the best people to work with us, who understand that safeguarding is a core priority to delivering our values. We will:  

• Provide Clear expectations in Job Descriptions and Advertisements: Clearly state safeguarding responsibilities and the requirement for DBS checks in all job descriptions and advertisements. 

• Thorough Application and Interview Processes: Use detailed application processes, verify employment history, and include safeguarding-specific questions during interviews to assess the applicant’s suitability. 

• Comprehensive Pre-Employment Checks: Conduct Enhanced DBS checks, verify qualifications and take up a minimum of 2 references from recent employment history, and follow up on any concerns raised during the application process. 

• Support Self-Disclosure: Give every member of our team the opportunity to self-disclose at the time of the DBS application, or when providing evidence, in line with the Policy of Rehabilitation of Offenders. 

• Right to Revoke: Reserve the right to withdraw employment, or rescind a pre-employment offer, should an individual be considered unsuitable to work with children, young people or vulnerable adults at risk. 

• Mandatory Induction and Ongoing Training: Provide a thorough induction covering safeguarding policies and procedures, and ensure all staff and volunteers complete annual safeguarding training at a level appropriate to their responsibility. 

• Contractual Compliance: Include clear minimum requirements for safeguarding in contracts and clear consequences for any breach of these guidelines, which could result in disciplinary procedures, or termination. 

• Peer Review and Supervision: Support the team to advocate for each other and to voice any concerns, especially regarding the practice and professional conduct of newly contracted individuals. 

• Ongoing DBS Updates: To work with OmniMusic it is a requirement that the team have an Enhanced DBS Certificate, dated within the last 3 years, and are registered on the Updates Service. The DSL will carry out annual updates on all active team members. 

7.2 Induction and Training 

• Mandatory induction for all new team and volunteers, including familiarisation with safeguarding policy, responsibilities and relevant procedures. 

• Regular safeguarding training for all teams, which may be offered in-person or online. 

• Teams must demonstrate evidence of recent safeguarding training attendance with outside agencies or other organisations. If the level of training is not considered appropriate for the role, repeat training will be provided. 

7.3 Professional Conduct 

OmniMusic is committed to creating spaces for people to thrive; we promote attitudes and behaviours that support each other to reach our fullest potential. We respect difference and celebrate inclusion in its widest sense. 

To achieve this we expect our team to: 

• treat people equally with respect and dignity;  

• use appropriate language;  

• behave in a professional manner and respect professional boundaries;  

• avoid any behaviour which could be misinterpreted or misunderstood;  

• avoid any behaviour which might bring OmniMusic’s reputation into disrepute; 

• Ensure spaces and equipment are clean, safe and appropriate for their intended use; 

• not work unsupervised or one-to-one with participants (unless by agreement), or accept sole responsibility for participants;  

• in the event of one-to-one music sessions, ensure that the workspace is open and visible to other team members and that appropriate staff remain in the building and their whereabouts is known at all times;  

• Any breach by staff and/or tutors not following these guidelines could result in disciplinary procedures or enactment of the allegation management procedure. 

7.4 Supervision and Support 

• Provide regular appropriate supervision and support for teams with space to review their own practice. 

• Project teams are encouraged to offer peer-to-peer support, close observation of each other’s practice and are freely supported to escalate any concerns. 

7.5 Working Together 

We all have a shared responsibility to keep each other well and safe from harm. OmniMusic adopts a partnership approach to safeguarding to ensure the safety of all stakeholders, including our team. We do this by: 

• Working in partnership with other agencies to ensure effective safeguarding. 

• Sharing safeguarding policies and clearly setting expectations with all stakeholders. 

• Escalating concerns outside of the partnership if something doesn’t feel right. 

7.6 Keeping Yourself Safe 

Avoid Lone Working 

• We promote a co-delivery model to protect our team from harm or safeguarding risks around lone working.  

• In the event of necessary 1:1 working with a participant, ensure that on site staff are present in the same or next room, with open door and working in view. 

• If in doubt, or for more information, refer to the Lone Working Policy. 

• Carry a fully charged phone, know your location and identify the safeguarding leads for the building. 

• Trust Your Instincts! If something doesn’t feel right, leave the situation and seek help.  

Online, Phone, or Written Communications 

• Always confirm the identity of the person you’re communicating with, especially if they’re asking for sensitive information. 

• Use Secure Channels, opt for encrypted communication methods and avoid sharing confidential information over unsecured platforms. 

• Maintain a professional tone and be mindful of the information you share. Avoid disclosing personal details unnecessarily. 

• Avoid direct communication with participants on social media platforms, redirect to OmniMusic main accounts and highlight with DSL. 

Manage Your Personal Social Media Profiles 

• Regularly review and update your privacy settings to control who can see your information. 

• Be cautious about sharing personal information that could put you at risk. Avoid posting your location or travel plans publicly. 

• Keep an eye on your social media profiles and remove any content that could be used to compromise your safety or wellbeing. 

7.7 Staying Safe Online 

Video Calls 

Online and remote delivery enables us to work when it may not be possible to meet in person, and although not commonplace in our practice, also allows us to reach out to participants in remote or isolated places. This way of working does present risks and challenges including the:  

• opportunity for grooming/sexual exploitation/radicalisation/threat/ financial abuse/racist, sexuality or gender-based violence  

• sharing of personal contact details or information between stakeholders 

• inappropriate conversations between individuals  

• potential allegations against our team 

• potential for ‘Zoom bombing’ (platform hijacked by external hackers)  

When working online, OmniMusic recognises that this is the equivalent of meeting people ‘face to face’ in a room, and therefore the same duty of care and appropriate behaviour detailed throughout this Safeguarding Policy should be adopted.  

In addition, the following steps will be taken to mitigate against potential risks specific to online and remote delivery:  

• OmniMusic staff will use Zoom as its first choice of online platform for remote work  

• A member of staff from OmniMusic will administer each session, including generating a password protected Zoom meeting for a pre-arranged time, specific purpose/activity, enable/disable all necessary Zoom meeting features, securely share meeting information relevant parties and ensure only invited persons are admitted to the call  

• keep accurate records of all online/remote activity and take note of any unusual occurrences, in some instances this may mean the recording of audio/ video/ both for safeguarding purposes. Recording data will be securely retained and deleted in line with OmniMusic’s GDPR and Data Protection Policy  

• ask all team and participants to conduct themselves in the same manner as they would when taking part in a ‘live’ or in-person session including wearing appropriate attire at all times and that any intimate personal care requirements are not carried out during the call 

• ask that, where possible, participants join the online session from a communal space and with a carer/parent/guardian present  

• Advise that everyone present on the call uses a blurred/ virtual background and remains conscious of the potential safeguarding implications of the background in your setting. Including, but not limited to visibility of family members, children and animals; visibility of alcohol; artwork which may carry explicit or culturally inappropriate language/ imagery; personal decor or features in surroundings which may be personal and/ or identify your location or sensitive data. 

In situations where these guidelines cannot reasonably be met, OmniMusic staff have the right to remove individuals from the video call or online session. 

Social Media 

OmniMusic acknowledges that social media is a powerful and valuable tool to raise awareness of our work and connect with relevant parties. These points help ensure that our social media use remains safe and professional, protecting both your personal information and professional reputation. These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Social Media Policy. 

Appropriate Consented Content 

• When creating content which describes or depicts images of vulnerable people, we will always seek explicit consent from the individual and/or their caregivers before sharing.  

• Wherever possible individuals’ names and identifying person information; e.g.: name, age, location, school; will be blurred or anonymised. 

• We will remain vigilant about our use of language, ensuring that our terminology is accurate, appropriate and doesn’t cause risk, harm or offend. 

• Social Media posts will be dual authorised before posting and communications limited to the Communications Team, to protect against exposure to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful material, harmful online interactions, and inappropriate commercial risks for our audiences and organisation. 

Appropriate Values-aligned Interactions 

• Regularly review and update privacy settings to control who can see our information and posts.  

• Only align, ‘like’, share and repost the content of trusted individuals and organisations whose own content will not bring the organisation into disrepute. 

• Proactively stamp out interactions from concerning parties in both the public domain and/or direct messaging, by using block functions and reporting to platform administrators. 

Professional Boundaries 

• Maintain the same professional boundaries by avoiding personal interactions with service users on social media, as you would via any other communication medium or working in person. 

• Communications with participants by direct message are discouraged, and only in necessary circumstances should be carried out via the OmniMusic official channels where multiple administrators can monitor visible interactions. 

Monitor Your Personal Presence 

• Keep an eye on your social media profiles and remove any content that could compromise your safety or professional integrity.  

• Be cautious about sharing personal information or details that could be misinterpreted or used against you. 

Report Concerns 

• If you encounter any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour on social media, report it to your supervisor or the designated safeguarding lead immediately. 

8. What to do if something doesn’t feel right 

We approach safeguarding from a position of low tolerance for concerns, if something doesn’t feel right, escalate. We would rather investigate a concern to no end, than risk missing the opportunity to keep someone safe. 

We understand that instinct and intuition is as valid as proof, and ask that you act, even in the absence of clear evidence. 

8.1 How to respond 

• Listen carefully and trust that what’s being said is correct. 

• Offer immediate support and reassurance. 

• Record a factual account of the conversation immediately, using the person’s actual words wherever possible.  

• Ask open questions to clarify what specifically is being disclosed.  

• Check whether they have any concerns about this being shared so steps can be taken to mitigate any ongoing risks. 

• Remain conscious of your own triggers and biases, to avoid distortion of facts. 

• If the disclosure puts your own safety at risk, handover to a colleague. 

• Sign, date and keep the record safe.  

• Share the report with the Safeguarding Team. 

8.1 What to report and record: 

We understand that it can feel overwhelming if you are faced with a safeguarding concern or disclosure. OmniMusic provides a Safeguarding Report template, however, it will not always be possible or appropriate to access that document at a critical moment.  

We encourage you to gather the following key information, by asking open questions with the aim of gathering the key facts. Avoid adding your own bias, interpretation or assumptions: 

• Date and time of the incident/disclosure  

• Date and time of the report  

• Name and role of the person making the report and their contact details  

• Names of all parties involved in the incident, including any witnesses  

• Name, age and any other relevant information about the person who is the subject of the concern (including information about their caregivers and any siblings)  

• Document what was said, or done, and by whom  

• Make sure the report is factual 

• Any interpretation or inference drawn from what was observed, said or alleged should be clearly reported as such.  

• The record should always be signed and dated by the person making the report. 

8.2 Who to send it to 

• As soon as is practicable, the report should be sent to the OmniMusic DSL.  

• If working offsite, a copy should be sent the partner DSL. 

• If the matter relates to the DSL, the report should be escalated to the Board Safeguarding Lead. 

8.4 What to do if there is immediate risk or danger 

• Call the police straight away on 999 if you think a crime may have been committed or that someone is in immediate danger. 

• If the person is in danger or needs medical attention, call their GP (if known) or emergency services on 999 if immediate assistance is required. 

8.3 What to say to the individual 

A disclosure can be very frightening for a person, it is important to choose our words carefully: 

• Reassure the individual that this isn’t their fault, they did nothing wrong and that they are not in trouble; 

• Let them know that you take what has been said seriously; 

• Reassure them that you will keep their information safe and help them get the support they need as quickly as possible. 

8.4 What to avoid 

• Don’t promise confidentiality – never tell the person that you can keep it a secret. Instead, explain that you may need to pass the information on to keep them, or other people, safe. 

• Don’t Panic! Don’t overreact, be judgmental or make assumptions. Stick calmly to facts. 

• Be aware of your own personal biases, stay conscious and remain neutral. 

• Avoid investigating by repeatedly questioning or asking the individual to repeat the disclosure. 

• Avoid any leading questions, like “did your uncle do this to you?” A non-leading, open question would be “can you tell me how you got that bruise?”. 

• Don’t pressure, threaten or coerce the individual to share more than they feel safe to do so. 

• Avoid discussing the matter with people who don’t need to know. 

8.5 What to do offsite 

• Safeguarding concerns and disclosures regarding any individual should be reported as soon as is safely possible to the onsite, and/or partner, DSL.  

• A copy of the concern should be shared securely with the OmniMusic DSL as soon as possible.  

• Where concerns are raised relating to the conduct of partner staff, partner DSL, or the safety of the space, report to OmniMusic DSL in the first instance. 

9. What Will Happen Next? 

For a detailed breakdown of what happens to your safeguarding report, please see our Safeguarding Procedure. This summary details how our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) processes safeguarding reports: 

9.1 Assess the Situation 

• The DSL will evaluate the information to understand how serious the concern is. 

• We check our safeguarding policies to make sure we’re following the right steps for the severity of the situation. 

• We refer to our records to spot any concerning patterns which might influence the decisions we make about what to do next. 

9.2 Take Immediate Action 

• Our priority is to ensure the safety of the individual involved, taking any necessary immediate steps. 

• We avoid confronting the person who might be causing harm and won’t try to investigate on our own. 

• Instead, we will raise our concerns with relevant parties and agencies as quickly as is practically possible. 

9.3 Consult with Others 

• We might need to share the report to help us make the best decisions, this may involve discussing the concern within our safeguarding team.  

• If we’re unsure, we seek advice from safeguarding professionals or helplines outside of our organisation, such as the NSPCC or local authority safeguarding leads. 

9.4 Escalate (If Relevant) 

• If the DSL considers the report sufficiently serious to escalate, we will notify the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO); 

• If a crime has been committed, or the individual is considered to be in immediate danger we will contact the emergency services.  

• We will share detailed information about the concern and any actions we’ve taken so far. 

• We will follow up with any written reports, evidence and documentation they need.   

9.5 Providing Ongoing Support 

• We will monitor the situation and continue to support the person involved.  

• We will take the pastoral support needs of our team into account when handling safeguarding reports and disclosures. 

• We maintain confidentiality and share information only with those who need to know. 

9.6 Keeping Records 

• We keep detailed records of everything we’ve done, including all communications and decisions.  

• We store these records securely, in clearly labeled files and in line with data protection regulations. 

• Sensitive data may need to be held for longer periods of time, for safeguarding purposes than other personal data we might gather. We will retain records in line with current legislation. 

10. Keeping Information Safe 

Keeping sensitive information safe is as important to us as keeping people safe. 

10.1 Confidentiality and Information Sharing 

• We will record all safeguarding concerns, conversations, decision-making rationale and decisions promptly and in writing;  

• We will record and store information in an appropriate, professional manner; 

• Information will be stored securely and in line with established procedures; 

• We will keep any information confidential and only share concerns and relevant information with individuals and agencies who need to know;  

• We will take extra care with information relating to children and adults at risk. 

10.2 The 7 Principles of Information Sharing 

We will follow the 7 guiding principles for sharing information as set out by HM Government, ensuring information is shared appropriately and securely: 

1. GDPR Isn’t a Barrier to Sharing Information 

2. Be Open and Honest 

3. Seek Advice 

4. Share With Consent Where Possible and Appropriate 

5. Consider Safety and Wellbeing of all parties 

6. Share Necessary, Proportionate, Relevant, Accurate, Timely and Secure Information 

7. Keep a Record 

10.3 Storage and Retention of Records 

• OmniMusic will record any safeguarding reports and store them confidentially on our password protected cloud storage. 

• The data in these reports will only be shared with necessary internal individuals or external agencies. 

• Safeguarding records will be retained for the appropriate period according to the current legislation, advice and guidance. See NSPCC website for latest Records Retention and Storage Guidance. 

10.4 Images and Media 

• To document and celebrate our work, we collect a range of media materials of those engaged in our work- including of children and adults at risk; including, but not limited to, images, audio and video. We have a responsibility to do this safely. 

• Wherever possible we will appoint a professional photographer/ videographer/ media specialist to capture, process and securely transfer media content to OmniMusic.  

• All media professionals will be recruited in line with our safer recruitment guidelines, will be required to have a relevant DBS and demonstrate their own safeguarding and data protection policies meet our minimum requirements. 

• Third-party media consent will be obtained in advance permitting the capture, processing and transfer of media files of children and adults at risk. 

• Data will not be held for longer than is necessary. 

• Team members are not permitted to collect media materials of children or adults at risk on personal devices, unless necessitated to capture relevant evidence in the event of a safeguarding disclosure. In which case, they should seek further advice from the Designated Safeguarding Lead for safe transfer and permanent deletion of files. 

• Should amateur media capture be required, on rare occasion, all images, audio and/ or video must be collected on OmniMusic-owned devices, returned to the office for immediate, secure transfer and then permanently deleted from the portable device. 

• We will ensure that we have appropriate consent for the capture and storage of images; including from caregivers of children or adults at risk. We will inform them how the material will be used, stored, and the potential risks associated with the use and distribution of these materials.  

• We will be transparent on how consent can be revoked and the steps we will take to withdraw the use of media across our work. 

• We will always share expectations when permitting individuals attending our events to take audio-visual materials for their personal use. 

• Where we publish media materials of people at risk, we will proactively reduce the risk of misuse by carefully selecting materials, limiting identifiable information and anonymising individuals wherever possible by blurring identifying features, and using pseudonyms. 

11. Intersecting Policies 

• Safeguarding Procedure 

• Bullying and Harassment Policy  

• Grievance and Complaints Policy 

• Disciplinary and Dismissal Policy 

• Health & Safety Policy  

• Whistleblowing Policy and Procedures 

• Equal Opportunities Policy 

• Data Protection Policy 

• Media Consent Policy 

Appendix 

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child or adult at risk. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child, or adult at risk, either directly by inflicting harm or indirectly by failing to act to prevent harm. It is important to note that vulnerabilities can evolve and change over time, we must be vigilant to protect everyone who comes into contact with our organisation. 

The following are definitions and indicators of different forms of abuse: 

• Physical Abuse: Involves hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm. Indicators include unexplained bruises, marks, or injuries, multiple bruises in clusters, human bite marks, broken bones, and scalds with upward splash marks. 

• Emotional Abuse: Persistent emotional maltreatment causing severe and persistent adverse effects on emotional development. Indicators include neurotic behaviour (e.g., hair twisting, rocking), being unable to play, fear of making mistakes, sudden speech disorders, self-harm, and developmental delay. 

• Sexual Abuse: Forcing or enticing a child or adult at risk to take part in sexual activities. Indicators include pain or itching in the genital area, bruising or bleeding near the genital area, sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal discharge or infection, stomach pains, discomfort when walking or sitting down, and pregnancy. 

• Neglect: Persistent failure to meet basic physical and/or psychological needs. Indicators include constant hunger, being dirty or unwashed, loss of weight, inappropriate clothing for the conditions, complaining of being tired all the time, not requesting medical assistance, and having few friends. 

• Exploitation: Subjecting children or adults at risk to multiple forms of abuse simultaneously, such as criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation. Indicators include changes in emotional well-being, absences from school or home, and appearing with unexplained gifts or money. 

• Domestic Abuse: Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those, who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. Significant harm to children who witness or hear domestic abuse within the family. Indicators include fear of being left with a specific person, having nightmares, running away from home, and sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour. 

• Financial Abuse: Exploiting someone’s financial affairs. restricting someone’s access to money, employment or possessions. pressuring and coercing someone about their will, lasting power of attorney, property or inheritance. 

• Coercive Control: An act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten. 

• Child-on-Child Abuse: Abuse between children, including bullying, physical abuse, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and online abuse. Indicators include aggressive behaviour, fear of being left with a specific person, and inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviour. 

Online Abuse: Risks associated with the online world, including inappropriate language or images, online grooming, cyberbullying, racial abuse, radicalisation and sexting. Indicators include changes in behaviour, fear of using the internet, and secretive behaviour regarding online activities. 

Updated March 2025