Reg 12
Statutory baseline
We work to the safeguarding standard set out in Regulation 12 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 — and audit against it.
Safeguarding
Built to Keep Young People Safe — and to Stay That Way
Safeguarding at Lunar Care is not a policy on a shelf. It is who we hire, how we train, what we record, and how we respond when something doesn't look right.
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The Standard
Safeguarding by the Numbers
The operating commitments behind a safe home — the things that hold steady whatever the day brings.
Enhanced
DBS and reference checks
All staff hold an enhanced DBS check, multi-source references, and a fully verified employment history before they start a shift.
24/7
Staffing and on-call
Daytime 1:2 staffing plus waking nights in both buildings, with on-call senior cover whenever the home is open.
How It's Built
The Five Pillars of Our Safeguarding Practice
Each pillar has trained staff, written procedures, and external scrutiny behind it. Together they describe how we actually work, not what we aspire to.
Safer Recruitment
Enhanced DBS, identity and right-to-work verification, full employment history, multiple references, and values-based interviews — the basics, done thoroughly, every time.
Training and Supervision
Safeguarding, child sexual and criminal exploitation (CSE/CCE), missing-from-care, online harm, prevent, and trauma-informed practice — refreshed regularly and reflected on in supervision.
Missing-From-Care Procedures
Risk-assessed protocols aligned with statutory guidance and local authority procedures: prompt police reporting, return-home conversations, and pattern review by the Registered Manager.
Multi-Agency Working
Active relationships with social workers, education, CAMHS, virtual schools, exploitation teams, and the police — not just for incidents, but for ongoing planning.
External Scrutiny
Reg 44 monthly independent visits, Reg 45 six-monthly internal reviews, and Ofsted inspection — with findings actually fed back into how the home runs.
Principles
The Principles That Sit Behind the Procedures.
What 'safeguarding done well' actually means in practice — beyond the documentation.
- 01
Safeguarding is everyone's job — every staff member is trained to spot, record, and escalate concerns, not just the designated lead.
- 02
A culture where it's safe to raise concerns — staff, young people, and visitors all have routes to raise issues, including outside the staff line.
- 03
Listen first, document promptly — when a young person discloses, we listen, reassure, record accurately, and act through the right channels.
- 04
Patterns matter as much as incidents — single events get logged, but it's pattern review by the Registered Manager that often catches the real risk earliest.
- 05
The least restrictive option, always — restrictions on liberty must be necessary, proportionate, lawful, and reviewed.
- 06
We work with families and the wider network — even where contact is restricted, family connection (where safe) is part of how we keep young people grounded.
Questions
Safeguarding FAQs
Common questions from families, placing teams, and partner agencies.
Q. How do you handle a young person going missing?
We have a written missing-from-care procedure aligned with statutory guidance and local police protocols. Staff make immediate phone-and-environment checks, escalate to the Registered Manager, report to the police within agreed timeframes, and notify the local authority. Every return is followed by a return-home conversation and a pattern review.
Q. What's your designated safeguarding lead arrangement?
The Registered Manager holds designated safeguarding lead responsibility, supported by a deputy. Both have completed enhanced safeguarding training, attend local authority safeguarding networks, and are on call. All staff know who to escalate to and the routes outside that line if needed.
Q. How are concerns about a member of staff handled?
Allegations against staff are managed under the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) process. We don't investigate internally first — we escalate to LADO immediately, suspend where appropriate pending outcome, and cooperate fully with any external investigation.
Q. How do you protect young people from exploitation (CSE / CCE)?
Staff are trained on CSE and CCE indicators, the home has a location risk assessment that is kept current, and we work closely with local exploitation teams. Each young person has individual risk factors mapped onto their care plan, and online safety is a routine part of key work.
Q. Are young people aware of how to raise concerns?
Yes — at admission, every young person is given clear information about how to raise a concern (with us, with their social worker, with their advocate, with Ofsted, and with the Children's Commissioner). It's revisited regularly through key work and house meetings.
Get in Touch
Need More Detail?.
Our safeguarding policies are available on request to professionals and inspecting bodies. Get in touch with the Registered Manager.
Contact the Manager