Re.Leaf Art Therapy

Safeguarding Policy

Sole Practitioner Art Therapist

Last reviewed: October 2025
Next review: October 2026

1. Introduction

This Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy sets out the commitment of Re.Leaf Art Therapy, a sole-practitioner art therapy service operating in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and, where applicable, adults at risk.

Re.Leaf Art Therapy provides therapeutic art-based interventions to help children and young people with emotional, behavioural or psychological challenges. The safety and welfare of every child with whom I work is paramount.

This policy outlines:

• my safeguarding responsibilities as a registered, qualified art therapist

• the standards of professional conduct I follow

• what constitutes abuse

• referral pathways in Guernsey

• procedures for responding to concerns or disclosures

This policy should be read alongside:

• the Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership (ISCP) procedures

• the Bailiwick of Guernsey Children Law 2008

• the NSPCC Safeguarding Standards for the Voluntary and Community Sector (2019), which this policy aligns with

• Any additional safeguarding or child protection policies of organisations or schools with whom I work

2. Purpose of this Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that:

• No child or vulnerable individual is harmed through contact with Re.Leaf Art Therapy

• Any safeguarding concerns are recognised early, taken seriously and reported in line with Guernsey law and best practice

• Clear guidance exists for responding to disclosures or indicators of abuse

• Consistent safeguarding standards are applied whether therapy is delivered in schools, community settings, private practice or online

• Records are maintained securely and appropriately

Children are defined as anyone under 18.
Adults at risk are those who, due to disability, mental health needs, illness, age or circumstance, may be unable to protect themselves from harm, exploitation or neglect.

3. Safeguarding Principles

Re.Leaf Art Therapy is committed to the following principles:

• The welfare of the child is paramount.

• Every child has the right to grow up free from abuse, neglect, bullying or exploitation.

• No child must be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, disability, race, religion, culture, or sexuality.

• Children using therapy services must be treated with dignity, respect and care at all times.

• All concerns or allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and acted on promptly.

• Safeguarding takes precedence over confidentiality where a child is at risk of harm.

• I will work collaboratively with the relevant safeguarding bodies in Guernsey, including the MASH (Multi-Agency Support Hub), Children’s Social Care, Police, schools, and healthcare providers.

• This policy is reviewed annually or when legislation or guidance changes.

4. What Constitutes Abuse?

Abuse can be perpetrated by adults or by other children. Types of abuse include (but are not limited to):

4.1 Physical Abuse

Hitting, shaking, poisoning, burning, or otherwise causing physical harm.

4.2 Emotional Abuse

Persistent emotional maltreatment including humiliation, threats, bullying, unreasonable expectations, or rejection.

4.3 Sexual Abuse

Including inappropriate touching, sexual activity, sexualised behaviour, grooming, exploitation, exposure to sexual content or communication.

4.4 Neglect

Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or emotional needs.

4.5 Bullying / Cyberbullying

Including intimidation, threats, harassment, exclusion, or online abuse.

4.6 Exploitation

Including criminal exploitation, trafficking, coercion, or abuse of power.

5. Code of Conduct (for Sole Practitioner)

As the sole practitioner of Re.Leaf Art Therapy, I commit to:

• Treat every child with dignity, respect and equality.

• Conduct therapy only in suitable, agreed and safe environments.

• Ensure transparency and, where possible, work within view or earshot of others (when in school or organisational settings).

• Never engage in inappropriate physical contact.

• Never form exploitative, or inappropriately personal relationships with a child.

• Avoid communicating with clients via personal social media or private messaging outside professional contact.

• Maintain clear professional boundaries (including maintaining safe touch, language, and physical distance).

• Never give guarantees of secrecy—children will be advised that safeguarding concerns must be shared with appropriate authorities.

• Keep accurate, factual, confidential notes stored securely in line with data protection requirements.

• Undertake CPD in safeguarding and maintain professional registration (e.g., BAAT / HCPC or equivalent).

• Act immediately if I believe a child may be at risk.

Any breach of this code constitutes grounds for professional investigation or referral to relevant authorities.

6. Recruitment and Vetting (Sole Practitioner)

As a sole practitioner I ensure that:

• I maintain an enhanced DBS check appropriate for work with children and vulnerable adults.

• I adhere to safe lone-worker practices where applicable.

• When contracting with schools or organisations, I provide all required safeguarding documents, insurance, and professional registration evidence.

7. Responding to Concerns or Disclosures

(Also see Child Protection Procedure)

If a child makes a disclosure or if I witness signs of abuse:

I will:

1. Listen calmly, without judgement or leading questions.

2. Reassure the child, without promising confidentiality.

3. Record the disclosure as soon as possible, using the child’s own words.

4. Report concerns immediately to the appropriate safeguarding contact.

5. Inform (where appropriate) the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) of the school or organisation where therapy is taking place.

6. If in private practice, follow Guernsey’s referral pathways (below).

In an emergency (immediate risk):

• Call Guernsey Police: 999

For safeguarding concerns in Guernsey:

Multi-Agency Support Hub (MASH)

• Children’s MASH: 01481 223182

• Out of hours (Emergency Duty Team): 01481 725241

Email (non-urgent referrals): mash@gov.gg

I will always prioritise the safety of the child over procedural considerations.

8. Record Keeping, Data Protection & Confidentiality

• All safeguarding concerns, disclosures and referrals will be recorded factually, dated and stored securely.

• Records will be kept in accordance with the Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2017. I use the secure record keeping provider, ‘KIKU’ - (see privacy policy)

• Confidentiality will be maintained except where an overriding safeguarding concern requires information sharing.

• Records will be retained in line with professional, legal and insurer requirements.

9. Whistleblowing

As a sole practitioner, I am committed to professional transparency.
If working within schools or partner organisations, I will follow their whistleblowing procedures to report concerns about unsafe practices.

10. Related Policies (Re.Leaf Art Therapy)

Available upon request:

• Data Protection & Privacy Policy

• Contract for Therapy / Client Agreement/ Confidentiality Agreement

I also adhere to:

• British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Code of Ethics

• HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance & Ethics (if registered)

• Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership guidance

11. Legislation & Guidance (Guernsey Context)

This policy is informed by:

• Children (Guernsey and Alderney) Law 2008

• The Care Agency Safeguarding Procedures

• Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership guidance

• NSPCC Safeguarding Standards (2019)

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (UK, 2023) — used as supplemental best practice

• Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2017

12. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:

• Guernsey safeguarding legislation changes

• professional guidance changes

• practice contexts change (e.g., introduction of online therapy)

There are two main agencies responsible for the investigation of child abuse in Guernsey and Alderney:

Committee for Health and Social Care;

Guernsey Police.

If you are worried about a child, you should contact the Multi-Agency Support Hub (MASH) by calling

01481 223182.

An Emergency Duty Team is also available out of hours by calling the Hospital switchboard on 01481 220000 and asking for the Emergency Duty Team to report a child protection emergency.

The Guernsey Police can be contacted by calling 01481 222222 at any time of the day or night. The Public Protection Unit can be contacted by calling 01481 222222 between 9am and 4.30pm.

If you have an immediate concern about a life being at risk or you believe a crime to be taking place - call 999.

The Islands Child Protection Committee (ISCP) has produced guidelines when there is a need to act to protect a child.http://iscp.gg

ReLeaf Therapy Services cannot provide a crisis service. If you need urgent help:

• Contact your GP and request an urgent appointment

• Contact the Samaritans on their free and confidential helpline 116 123

• If you are concerned you might harm yourself or someone else, contact the Emergency Department on 01481 220000 (GSY) or the emergency services on 999

Privacy Policy - ReLeaf Therapy Services

I understand how important your privacy is. I take care to maintain your confidentiality in accordance with current data protection laws (GDPR, 2018) and the ethical guidelines of BAAT and HCPC. These guidelines have been set up to protect your confidential material and ensure that your therapist always conducts themselves with professionalism and integrity.

In order to provide you with the best service possible, I will hold your personal contact details and records of your therapy sessions. Please find below important information about how this information will be held and used.

Your personal information

I use the secure, encrypted and password protected practice management platform, Kiku (wearekiku.com) to collect and store your personal data. At the point of booking your initial consultation with me, you will be asked for your personal contact information, for example your name, address, email address and telephone number and you may also choose to share details of the issues you are looking for help with. This is done through the GDPR compliant goformz.com service.

Your contact information is stored securely in Kiku and can only be accessed by me.

In order to be able to fulfil my duty of care to you, in your initial consultation or first treatment session, I will ask you for contact information for your GP and elected Emergency Contact person. These details will be stored securely in Kiku and will only be accessible to me

This personal information will be held for the duration of your therapy after which it will be deleted from my Kiku database.

Please note that I will need to keep a record of your name and client reference number for seven years after the end of your therapy, so that we can respond effectively to any potential requests regarding your clinical notes and treatment.

I will never pass on your contact details to any third party organisations for the purposes of sales, marketing or research and will never use your personal data for any purposes other than the administration of the counselling service I am providing to you i.e. to arrange, cancel and rearrange appointments and collect payment for sessions.

Your payment details

e.g. All payments are asked to be made through direct bank transfer. I and my website therefore do not hold your payment information. I will never keep a written record of your card details.

Your therapy sessions

Everything that you discuss with [me / your therapist is confidential]. Confidentiality will only be broken if there is concern about your safety or the safety of someone else or I am instructed to do so by a Court of Law. I will always endeavour to speak to you about this first.

During remote working [I / your therapist] will ensure that I am conducting online and telephone sessions in a quiet, private and confidential setting. I have selected video calling platforms that offer end to end encryption to ensure maximum privacy. Please note however that I cannot be held responsible for any breaches that occur due to failures in this technology.

I discuss my clinical work with a supervisor. This is to ensure that I am offering you the best service possible. These conversations are bound by confidentiality and you will only be referred to by your first name.

I keep notes of each session. These are anonymised and are stored in a locked filing cabinet or within a password protected file within the secure Kiku system (wearekiku.com). These notes are for my use only and help to keep a track of everything that is being discussed. In line with industry guidelines, these notes will be kept securely for up to seven years after your therapy comes to an end. After this time, they will be confidentially destroyed.

If your sessions are paid for or arranged via a third party, (e.g. your employer, a friend, or a family member), other than payment requests, invoices or receipts your counselling information will not be shared. Details about what is discussed in your sessions will remain confidential between us. Any other information can only be shared if you provide your written consent.

Your communications with us

All of re-leaf therapy services email accounts use the secure Google workspace server and are double password protected. If you send an email to your therapist’s email address, only they will have access to it.

Data Usage

I will only use your email address and telephone number to contact you about your appointments. I may also contact you directly via email in order to share information with you that is pertinent to your therapeutic process.

Your phone number may also be used to issue appointment reminders via text message.

Your rights

Any personal data retained by [me / our service or your therapist] is kept in accordance with the GDPR, 2018.

Under these guidelines you have the following rights

1. The right to request access to your data

You can request to view the information that [I /we] hold about you (contact details, appointment logs etc.) at any time. If during therapy you would like to see your session notes, please let me know directly. Should you require a copy of your notes after your therapy has come to an end you can make this request by emailing georgina@releaftherapy.net or calling 07450233327.

2. The right of rectification

At any point during your time using my service or during the seven years thereafter, while we retain your records, you have the right to request amendments to your contact details or session notes. This right can be exercised either by speaking directly to me or by contacting me in writing.

3. The right to be forgotten

You can request that I delete and confidentially destroy the information that I hold about you and your sessions at any time. This request can be made by contacting me.

Instances where I would not be able to comply with your request are as follows:

1. a) It is necessary for [me /us] to retain these records in order to continue providing an effective service

2. b) I am compelled to retain these records by a Court of Law

3. c) I require these records in order to establish, exercise or defend legal claims

Consent

When you book your first session with us , you will be asked to provide a digital signature on a consent form on goformz.com to confirm that you consent to the storage and processing of your personal data for the purposes of providing therapeutic services.

You are entitled to withdraw this consent at any time and can do so by emailing me

Breaches of data protection

In the event of any breach of my data protection policies, I will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours and will seek to rectify this immediately.

Raising concerns

Should you have any concerns about my data protection practices, you can raise these directly with your me. You can also notify the Information Commissioner’s Office. I am registered with ICO under the reference number C1615567on text goes here