Safeguarding statement

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Our commitment

Young Support Services Limited provides residential homes in Cheshire for children and young people aged 4 to 18. Every child in our care has the right to be safe, to be listened to and to be protected from harm. Keeping them safe comes before everything else we do.

Our work follows:

• the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards, including the protection of children standard
• Working Together to Safeguard Children, the government’s statutory guidance
• the procedures of the local safeguarding children partnership for each area where we have a home, and those of each child’s placing authority

This statement is a summary. Our full safeguarding and child protection policy is available on request.

Our principles

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Every member of staff knows how to recognise a concern and what to do about it.
• The child comes first. We act in the best interests of each child, and we see the child behind the behaviour.
• We listen. Children are encouraged to speak up, and what they tell us is taken seriously.
• We act without delay. Concerns are reported and recorded straight away, never left for later.
• We work together. We share information appropriately with social workers, the police, health, schools and other partners to keep children safe.

How we keep children safe

• Planning around each child: every child has a placement plan and individual risk assessments, agreed with their social worker and reviewed regularly.
• Exploitation and contextual risks: staff are trained to spot the signs of child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, county lines, radicalisation and trafficking, and we work closely with police and local partners.
• Missing from care: if a child goes missing, we follow the local missing from home and care protocol, inform the police and the child’s placing authority, and support the child when they return.
• Online safety: we help children use phones and the internet safely, with age-appropriate controls and open conversations.
• Positive relationships: we support behaviour through warm, consistent relationships. Physical restraint is only ever used as a last resort to prevent harm, and every use is recorded and reviewed.
• Records and notifications: we keep clear records and notify Ofsted, the placing authority and other relevant bodies of serious events, as the regulations require.

Safer recruitment and training

Everyone who works in our homes is checked before they start. This includes:

• an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children’s barred list
• at least two references, including the most recent employer
• a full employment history, with any gaps explained
• proof of identity, qualifications and the right to work in the UK
• an interview that explores attitudes to safeguarding

New staff complete a structured induction and safeguarding training before working alone with children. Care staff work towards the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. All staff receive regular supervision and refresher training, and leaders complete advanced safeguarding training.

Listening to children

Each child is given a children’s guide when they arrive, written for their age, explaining how we will look after them and who they can talk to.

• Children can talk to any adult they trust in the home, including their key worker and the Registered Manager.
• An independent person visits each home every month, speaks with the children and reports on how well they are being kept safe.
• Children are helped to contact an independent advocate, their social worker, Ofsted or the Children’s Commissioner’s Help at Hand service on 0800 528 0731.
• Children can call Childline at any time on 0800 1111.

No child will ever be punished for raising a concern or making a complaint. Our complaints procedure explains how complaints are handled.

Who is responsible

The Registered Manager of each home is the designated safeguarding lead for that home, and makes sure every concern is acted on and recorded. The Responsible Individual oversees safeguarding across the company and reviews how well our homes keep children safe.

If you are worried about a child

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. For non-urgent police matters, call 101.

If your concern is about a child in one of our homes, contact us straight away on 0151 374 2841 or Info@youngsupportservices.co.uk. You can also contact the child’s social worker or children’s social care directly.

Our office is in Widnes, in the Halton area. Halton children’s social care:

• Integrated Contact and Referral Team (iCART): 0303 333 4302, Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 4:30pm
• Out of hours, evenings and weekends: Emergency Duty Team on 0345 050 0148

If the child lives in another area, contact that area’s children’s social care team. You can also get advice from the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk.

Concerns about a member of staff

If you are worried about how a member of our staff has behaved towards a child, tell the Registered Manager or a senior manager straight away. If the concern is about the Registered Manager, contact the Responsible Individual through our office.

We refer allegations against staff to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) without delay, and always within one working day. We follow the LADO’s advice, and we do not investigate on our own before speaking to them. Where needed, we take steps to keep children safe while the matter is looked into.

You can also contact the LADO directly. Halton LADO: 0151 511 7122 or lado@halton.gov.uk.

Whistleblowing

Staff are expected to report any concern about poor practice, and are supported and protected when they do. Concerns can be raised with the Registered Manager, the Responsible Individual or a director.

If staff do not feel able to raise a concern inside the company, or feel it has not been dealt with, they can contact:

• Ofsted whistleblowing hotline: 0300 123 3155 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk
• NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line: 0800 028 0285 or help@nspcc.org.uk

Review of this statement

We review this statement and our full safeguarding policy at least once a year, and sooner if the law, guidance or our practice changes. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.