Mind Warriors (Addlestone) CIC – Company No. 1717565
For the purposes of this policy, Mind Warriors (Addlestone) CIC will be shortened to MWA.
This policy is for all participants including volunteers, directors, and any visiting practitioners.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
MWA is a diverse and inclusive peer support group. It does not give medical advice, diagnoses, or
therapy etc. MWA aims to actively listen, support and respect all participants, including volunteers
and directors. Please also see the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. This has additional
information on how we deal with behaviours that do not meet our standards in terms of
discrimination and protected characteristics. Safeguarding is at the heart of what we do, and we are
committed to making sure MWA is a safe space for everyone. We will uphold the 2014 Care Act
principles within this document. We will ensure all of the 6 principals of safeguarding are adhered as
part of our policy. The 2014 Care Act describes them as: empowerment, prevention, proportionality,
partnership and accountability.
The definition of an adult in need of protecting is defined by those who have needs for care and
support (regardless of whether it is being provided), are experiencing, at risk of abuse or neglect, and
as a result of those needs are unable to protect themselves against the abuse, neglect or the risk of
it.
1) MWA volunteers will actively listen to participants without judgement and with dignity,
empathy and respect. Volunteers cannot give advice without it being their role within MWA,
however, they can signpost where appropriate to services that may be able to assist.
2) MWA volunteers and participants will keep what is said in the group confidential, unless
there is a risk of immediate harm, such as someone being actively suicidal or plans to harm
others, if a crime is being or will be committed, a significant risk of harm to vulnerable adults
or children, when there is a legal obligation such as a court ordering it, or to protect the
public from serious threats of harm. Any course of action would be made by or with
consultation with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Deputy Designated Safeguarding
lead (DDSL), unless it was an emergency that required emergency services immediately and
neither is in attendance.
3) Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, all over the age of 16 are deemed to have capacity
unless it is proven they do not. Under this Act, those with capacity are able to make
decisions about their lives including making unwise decisions. Unless there is a real and
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genuine risk that is disclosed, MWA can signpost to services that may be able to support the
participant. Whilst acting in the least restrictive way possible. This means that MWA will
only make safeguarding referrals if there is an imminent and significant risk of harm as
detailed above. MWA is unable to determine whether or not the participant has or does not
have mental capacity. This also upholds the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation
(2018) in terms of what information can be shared. However, up till the age of 18, an
individual is a child at the same time, therefore, any safeguarding issues would need to be
passed on to the children’s safeguarding team, not adult safeguarding.
4) Under the GDPR rules we also ask that all participants and volunteers do not discuss anyone
else’s information disclosed during group meetings. We also do not record any of our
sessions in person or online, unless there is an agreement and it is for a specific purpose for
doing so. This would need the consent of attendees and will be stored correctly as per the
regulations. Anyone attending online should make sure their camera remains off at all times.
This is to protect participant’s safety.
5) Whatever is discussed within the WhatsApp groups must remain confidential. Any
safeguarding concerns should be brought to the attention of the admins of the groups. They
will refer on to the DSL or DDSL where necessary. No screen shots should be taken, and
nothing should be discussed outside of the group that is personal information about another
participant. It is fine to share activities, memes etc.
6) Please do not share highly sensitive information via Teams, Google Meet, Facebook or
WhatsApp as they are not completely secure.
7) We will risk assess all activities to ensure participants and volunteers are kept safe during any
activities. Wherever possible we will make it inclusive for all.
8) Who the Group Is For: people living in or connected to the local community (Addlestone). It
is for those seeking peer support, not clinical advice.
9) The minimum age of attendance is currently 16, as per the mental capacity act, but only if
they attend with a parent, guardian or responsible adult.
10) Participation requires sobriety, respect, and kindness. These guidelines apply across all group
formats: in-person sessions, online via Microsoft Teams/Google Meet, and WhatsApp group
participation.
11) Please do support others from personal experiences using “I” statements. Be empathetic
and encouraging with one another, please do not talk about graphic details of self-harm,
suicide plans or trauma. Please do not interrupt, pressure or challenge other’s experiences.
Do not give medical, psychological, legal or financial advice, do not promote services,
fundraise or recruit volunteers without consent from MWA.
12) Volunteers must not privately message any participants, except if it is an agreed role within
MWA. Participants are not allowed to message volunteers in private unless already known to
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one another or in the event of reporting a safeguarding concern. If this happens, it will be
reported to the admins, leader of MWA, the DSL or DDSL as it is a potential safeguarding
matter. This will ensure everyone is safeguarded. There should be no sexual/romantic
conversations at all, online or in person. No meet ups should be arranged outside of MWA
groups between volunteers and participants, unless agreed or the parties are known to one
another already.
13) It is ok to step out or away from in person and online meetings or leave early. However,
please do not record any of the meeting on any devices.
14) Crying is acceptable – tissues are provided!
15) Facilitators can end conversations if disclosures are unsafe or beyond the scope of the group.
If the participant is distressed, volunteers should acknowledge the participant’s feelings and
encourage them to seek support outside the group.
16) If any help with signposting is offered outside the group setting, and there is a face-to-face
meeting online or in person, there must be two volunteers present in order to safeguard
everyone.
17) There are various types of abuse a vulnerable adult may be at risk from –
a) Financial or material abuse, including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in
relation to financial affairs such as wills, inheritance or misuse of benefits etc.
b) Physical abuse including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication,
restraint etc.
c) Neglect and acts of omission, including ignoring mental, emotional or physical health
needs. Failure to provide access to health care and support such as food and
medication.
d) Sexual abuse including rape indecent exposure, sexual harassment, making someone
watch sexual videos, sexual assault etc.
e) Psychological abuse, including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment,
intimidation, gaslighting, control, intimidation or coercion etc.
f) Organisational abuse, including neglect, poor care practice within an organisation or care
homes etc., staff doing what is best for them, as opposed to it being patient centred
care. Can include any of the forms of abuse mentioned as well.
g) Discriminatory abuse, including abuse because of a protected characteristic.
h) Self-neglect, which covers a range of things, such as neglecting personal hygiene, health
or home. It can include behaviours such as hoarding.
i) Domestic abuse, including physical, psychological abuse and coercive control within a
romantic relationship.
j) Modern slavery, which includes human trafficking and grooming gangs etc.
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18) We will make sure our volunteers have training to spot potential signs of any of these
situations and make sure they document things correctly whilst the DSL or DDSL gather
information and decide what to do. The information will be stored securely under GDPR
(2018) regulations. We will ensure volunteers are trained in how to deal with disclosures, for
example not asking leading questions. We will ensure volunteers fill in relevant forms with
all information that has been disclosed and ensuring what is opinion, fact and allegation for
example. It also enables volunteers to know how to deal with a disclosure from one
participant about another, especially as people form friendships and relationships over time.
19) The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Nicola Gould and the Deputy Designated
Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) is Suzanne Billingham. They can be contacted via our email
address info@mindwarriorsaddlestone.co.uk with a subject line of Safeguarding Report and
your initials, however, if neither are available and it is urgent, Yolanda Leadbeater can be
contacted and information provided to her.
20) If anyone wishes to put a complaint into MWA, we encourage this. This means we can
investigate, and take any actions necessary to safeguard everyone and improve. Please see
below complaints policy below.
21) No volunteer or director is able to accept any personal gift that is any more than £5 in value.
The group can accept any larger donations via official avenues or fundraising campaigns.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept anything from anyone diagnosed with dementia due to
safeguarding reasons.
Also please kindly note we are not a crisis service. If anyone is at risk of immediate harm, call
- Otherwise you may attend A&E, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option
provided, Mental Health Crisis Line: 0800 028 8000, Samaritans: 116 123, Single Point of
Access/Mental Health Crisis Line: 0300 456 8342, your GP, Safe Haven: 6pm–11pm daily
which has both online and face to face options depending on the day and location, CALM:
0800 585 858 (live chat & WhatsApp, 5pm–midnight) With You Surrey: 0300 012 0012 and
the Mary Frances Trust: 01372 375400 or text 07929 024722.
How to raise a complaint or concern:
If you have any concerns or wish to submit a complaint, please see the following policy.
Every participant, volunteer or director has the right to raise any concerns over conduct they
witness at group events, or to raise a complaint regarding it. This document sets out the
procedure for submitting a concern or a complaint, and the steps Mind Warriors (Addlestone) CIC
will take to redress the issue.
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Submitting a complaint or a concern
We can only investigate concerns or complaints within a 3-month period unless there are
exceptional circumstances. We cannot usually accept anything past this, as we would be unable
to investigate properly after this amount of time has passed.
Any complaint regarding the concern or complaint should be submitted to Yolanda Leadbeater,
Founder, Director & Facilitator. She can be contacted via
info@mindwarriorsaddlestone@outlook.com or 07880 606078. If Yolanda is not available or you
wish to speak to someone else, please contact Amanda Pomeroy on 07818 648483. If you need
help to put the complaint or concern in writing, they can assist with this. The complaint or
concern should provide as much detail as possible, including what took place, when and where,
who was involved, the names of any potential witnesses to the incident, with a preferred
solution. Alternatively, you can speak to any Group Volunteer who will relay the information to
Yolanda or Amanda and support you through the process, there is a form for volunteers to be
able to record this information which will be passed over to the relevant person.
The CIC will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 24 hours if it is urgent, or we will aim
to respond within 72 hours otherwise. You may be asked to provide additional information to
clarify certain aspects of the report, as this will allow the CIC to appoint the most appropriate
individual to handle the complaint. Once a complaint has been accepted, the CIC will appoint an
individual to investigate the complaint as they see appropriate. This may include meeting with
the complainant and/or the subject of the complaint separately to discuss the matter in more
detail. MWA will investigate as quickly as possible and as thoroughly as possible to bring about a
resolution. They will also speak to any other witnesses to gather additional evidence and
understand what has occurred. We understand that it is hard to put a complaint or concern in
and we will be as supportive as we can, whilst ensuring fairness to all. We will keep the
complainant informed about the investigation and, if there is a delay, we will ensure their
identity is protected unless it has to be disclosed. We would always speak to the complainant
prior to doing so.
Confidentiality
The CIC must balance confidentiality and discretion with fairness and transparency when
investigating complaints.
You have the right to submit a complaint anonymously; however, it may mean that the complaint
is unable to be fully investigated, particularly when it relates to a specific incident and no
witnesses are present. In the interest of fairness, the subject of the complaint should be
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afforded the right to defend themselves against any allegations, which is problematic with
anonymous complaints. We have a duty to protect the person making the complaint, and the
individual the allegations are regarding. We would encourage participants to step forward to be
able to protect everyone involved in the complaint. Generally, where a complainant requests
anonymity the CIC may not be able to take formal action against anyone, but we will look to
address behaviour through informal means, where possible.
The CIC will advise what information, if any, needs to be shared with the subject of the
complaint. If it is not possible for you to remain anonymous it will be your decision whether to
continue with the complaint. Once a complaint has been submitted it can be withdrawn at any
time. If an investigation has been launched, both parties will be informed that the matter has
been closed with no further action being taken, and with no impact on their standing within the
group.
Outcomes – Where possible, we will attempt to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of all
parties. For minor infringements, the CIC Directors, are authorised to warn or reprimand an
individual who is deemed to have breached the CIC’s Safeguarding Policy. For serious offences,
or where an individual has repeatedly breached the Safeguarding Policy, the matter will be
referred to the DSL or DDSL to work in conjunction with the Director. This will mean with regard
to very serious matters it is referred to the Surrey Adult Safeguarding Board (SASB). Additionally,
The Director has the power to: warn as to future conduct; temporarily suspend an individual
from the group; remove an individual from the group; permanently or temporarily refuse
attendance if they do not believe it is in the CIC’s interest for the individual to remain a
participant.
Once a decision has been made, the decision should be communicated to both parties in writing.
Appealing an outcome – Any individual who has action taken against them has the right of appeal
to the full CIC’s Directors. At an appeal, the individual who has had action taken against them
will be given the opportunity to explain why they feel the original decision is unfair and should be
reduced or overturned. They will not be permitted to provide new evidence except in
exceptional circumstances.
Additionally, if the individual who wishes to appeal is the subject of a police investigation and/or
safeguarding investigation by the SASB, or have been convicted or banned from working with or
being around vulnerable adults or children, they would be disqualified from appealing.
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Whistleblowing
If anyone, whether a participant, volunteer or director, believes there is abuse or neglect taking
place by a volunteer or director, whether as individuals or MWA as a whole, they have the right
to whistle blow. This means that the person whistleblowing is protected from any consequences
such as being unfairly prevented from continuing in their role, or victimisation by raising
concerns with adult social care for example.
Any concerns can be raised by approaching a volunteer, a director, the deputy designated
safeguarding lead (DDSL) Suzanne Billingham, or the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) Nicola
Gould, or the founder, director and leader Yolanda Leadbeater.
Alternatively, a referral to adult social care that can be made here by anyone, including the
participant themselves, their friends or family
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/adults/gettinghttps://www.surreycc.gov.uk/adults/gettingsupport/concernssupport/concerns, by calling 0300 2001005, textphone (via Text Relay)
1800103002001005, SMS 07527 182861 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, Video Relay Service
(VRS) Sing Language Video
Relay Service. In an emergency out of hours, you can telephone 01483 517898, or email at
edt.ssd@surreycc.gov.uk, Text Phone (via Relay) 1800101483517898 or Text (SMS) 07800 000388
(for the deaf or hard of hearing).
The Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board works closely alongside adult social care to ensure any
investigations are done correctly by following statutory and local policies and procedures.
The decision of the appeal body is final and binding.
Adopted on: 2nd June 2026
Next Review Date: 2nd June 2027
Approved by Directors Date: 2nd June 2026
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