Safeguarding Policy

Our commitment

At Apple Tree Osteopaths, we work primarily with babies, children and postnatal women. The safety and welfare of every person in our care — and every person who comes through our doors — is something we take seriously and think about carefully.

We believe that no child, young person or vulnerable adult should ever experience abuse of any kind. This policy sets out how we work to prevent that, and what we do if a concern arises.

This policy applies to everyone working on behalf of Apple Tree Osteopaths — including osteopaths, associates, administrative staff, students and volunteers.

Who this policy protects

• Children and young people up to the age of 18
• Vulnerable adults, including those whose circumstances make them less able to protect themselves from harm or exploitation
• The children of adults who use our services

Our safeguarding lead

Our designated safeguarding lead is Felicity Bertin. If you have a concern — about yourself, your child, or anyone else — you can contact Felicity directly:

Our principles

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the child or vulnerable adult is always the primary consideration
• Every person, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief or sexual identity, has an equal right to protection from harm
• Some children and adults face additional vulnerability because of their experiences, level of dependency, communication needs or other factors
• Working alongside families, carers and other agencies is essential to promoting welfare and keeping people safe

How we work to keep people safe

In practice, this means we:

• Listen to and respect the children, young people and vulnerable adults we see
• Follow safe practice procedures and a clear code of conduct for all staff
• Recruit staff and associates carefully, ensuring all necessary checks are completed
• Store and handle personal information professionally and securely
• Use safeguarding procedures to share concerns with the appropriate agencies when needed
• Maintain effective complaints processes
• Ensure our physical environments are safe for everyone who uses them

All practitioners at Apple Tree Osteopaths maintain safeguarding training in line with GOsC guidance and review it regularly.

If you have a concern

If you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child, young person or vulnerable adult — whether or not they are a patient of ours — please do not stay silent.

Within our practice, contact our safeguarding lead Felicity Bertin at info@appletreeosteopaths.co.uk or 07591 791636.

For non-urgent concerns, you can also contact:

• NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (24 hours)
• Childline: 0800 1111
• Your local authority children's services or adult social care team

Legal framework

This policy is informed by the following legislation and guidance:

Policy review

We are committed to reviewing this policy annually and keeping our practice in line with current guidance.