Fire Cadets – Safeguarding Guidance (SAFER)

Introduction

Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm and abuse. National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults, recognising that the protection and safety of vulnerable individuals is a priority. Safeguarding is ‘everyone’s responsibility’ and a duty for the whole organisational to have this embedded in their culture for the benefit of their communities.

This product aims to provide Safeguarding guidance for Fire Cadets programmes and activities– expectations, commitments and approach to working with young people who are part of the fire and rescue service uniformed youth group.

Background

NFCC is an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK fire and rescue services. Fire Cadets is a uniformed youth organisation supported nationally by NFCC and run by individual fire and rescue services. The services own and manage their own risk in relation to the safety of their cadets and leaders, with the expectation to uphold the highest standards.

The NFCC Safeguarding Board and the NFCC Children and Young People Executive Board sets the strategic direction for Safeguarding and Fire Cadets programmes and activities, which is delivered to fire and rescue services by the NFCC Prevention Hub. NFCC has published and implemented a range of guidance and training to fire and rescue services, which should be read in conjunction with this guidance:

Our Commitment

Our safeguarding commitment for Fire Cadets is built on the following principles:

  • That safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We recognise our duty to safeguard children and young people, and that working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people, and their parents and carers, is essential to this.
  • That the safety and welfare of children and young people is, and must always be, an essential priority
  • That all children and young people have the right to be protected from abuse, exploitation or harm
  • That all safeguarding concerns and allegations of abuse must be taken seriously, reported, and responded to appropriately and within a timely manner

Putting our commitment into practice

We expect fire and rescue services to put the following measures in place to help create safe and inclusive environments for the children and young people who participate in Fire Cadet programmes and activities. These include:

  • Recruitment and selection processes to assess the suitability of staff, volunteers and delivery partners to work safely with children and young people. This includes appropriate level of DBS checks (or equivalent in devolved administrations).
  • The provision of compulsory safeguarding induction and training to all members of staff and volunteers to ensure they understand their responsibilities
  • Maintain effective safeguarding policies and procedures that are actively used and understood
  • Having a clear and accessible reporting mechanism that supports all staff, volunteers, children and young people, parents and carers to safely report safeguarding concerns or allegations
  • Clear, effective and widely promoted complaints, concerns and whistleblowing procedures
  • Sharing local safeguarding information with NFCC to identify emerging trends or recurring issues to provide assurance and evaluation of local delivery

How do we achieve our commitment across UK Fire Cadets?

We expect all Fire Cadet Units to work towards implementing the Fire Cadets SAFER (Safer recruitment, Awareness, Framework, Environment, Reporting) guidance.

S - Safer Recruitment

Safer recruitment is embedded in the culture and practice of Fire Cadet volunteers
NFCC Safeguarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

How to achieve

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

  • Quantitative data provided to NFCC quarterly

A - Awareness

Fire Cadet staff and volunteers have a strong awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities and expectations.

NFCC Safeguarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

How to achieve

  • Induction
    • All staff and volunteers receive a Fire Cadet induction covering access to national and local policies, procedures and training, and how to apply them in Fire Cadets programmes and activities. This includes sharing the NFCC Safeguarding video for professionals, Level 1 and 2 Safeguarding Training (or equivalent for devolved administrations). Training and Induction records are recorded by the fire and rescue service.
    • All Fire Cadets who attend Fire Cadet programmes and activities have an induction at the first session covering the named Safeguarding person, how to contact them and raise concerns.
  • Training
    • All staff and volunteers receive Level 1 and 2 training by the fire and rescue service. This is reviewed and updated regularly.

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

    • Quantitative data provided to NFCC quarterly

F - Framework

Fire Cadet staff and volunteers have a strong awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities and expectations.

NFCC Safeguarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

How to achieve

  • Induction
    • All staff and volunteers receive a Fire Cadet induction covering access to national and local policies, procedures and training, and how to apply them in Fire Cadets programmes and activities. This includes sharing the NFCC Safeguarding video for professionals, Level 1 and 2 Safeguarding Training (or equivalent for devolved administrations). Training and Induction records are recorded by the fire and rescue service.
    • All Fire Cadets who attend Fire Cadet programmes and activities have an induction at the first session covering the named Safeguarding person, how to contact them and raise concerns.
  • Training
    • All staff and volunteers receive Level 1 and 2 training by the fire and rescue service. This is reviewed and updated regularly.

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

    • Quantitative data provided to NFCC quarterly

E - Environment

There are effective safeguarding governance, policies and procedures are in place and used

NFCC Safeguarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

How to achieve

  • The fire and rescue service has agreed to work towards achieving the Fire Cadet SAFER guidance
  • The fire and rescue service has assurance of efficient and effective safeguarding policies, procedures and referral routes within FRS and assurance given on working towards the Fire Cadets SAFER
  • When procuring services, the fire and rescue service will provide assurance that the procurement processes incorporate safer recruitment practices.
  • Partner organisations will need to declare that they have the appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

  • Provided to NFCC quarterly

R - Reporting

There are clear, effective and widely promoted referral, complaints and whistleblowing procedures

NFCC Safeguarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

How to achieve

  • Referrals: There are clear, visible and accessible procedures for concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person who is a Fire Cadet.
  • External reporting routes and contacts (such as NSPCC) are promoted alongside formal internal procedures.
  • National co-ordination: Fire and rescue services share safeguarding data which is shared with the Safeguarding Oversight and Scrutiny (SOS) panel.
  • Thematics inform training, policy and practice across local Fire Cadets via the NFCC Safeguarding Board, with questions and actions being shared with the Children and Young People Executive Board.

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

  • Follow the reporting process in Appendix A

How to achieve

  • The Fire Cadet website should clearly detail key aspects of Safeguarding.
  • There are clear and accessible procedures for complaints and whistleblowing.

Evidence to provide national oversight of local assurance

  • Reported to NFCC yearly

Appendix A – Safeguarding Referral Pathway

The following process should be incorporated in fire and rescue service policies and procedures, including the NFCC oversight step.

  1. Fire Cadet staff member or volunteer has a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person who is a Fire Cadet
    • Q: Is the child or young person in imminent risk of significant harm?
      • Yes: Call 999 (or follow your local arrangements via fire control) and report to the police, following the fire and rescue service procedure
      • No: Follow the fire and rescue service referral procedure
  2. Complete the information on the NFCC Fire Cadets SAFER sharing form
  3. Why share information with the NFCC Safeguarding Team?
    • To provide oversight and assurance
    • Contribute to a proactive and safe Fire Cadet environment
    • Identify trends or recurring issues
    • Adapt training and guidance based on emerging safeguarding trends and patterns