The Purpose and Scope of This Policy Statement

Buddy Up! is a matchmaking platform designed to help individuals find compatible housemates. Our platform is strictly intended for users aged 18 and above, ensuring that young people do not engage with our services.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

• To affirm that Redwood Network Ltd does not provide services to children or young people under the age of 18. This is to protect children and young people including the children of adults who use our services.

• To provide our staff, volunteers, and users with a clear framework that outlines how we approach child protection and online safety.

• To ensure that in cases where the children of adult users are affected, appropriate safeguarding measures are in place.

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Redwood Network Ltd, including senior management, the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff, and contractors.

Legal Framework

This policy has been developed in accordance with legislation, policy, and guidance aimed at protecting children in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Key references include:

• The Children Act 1989 and 2004

• The Protection of Children Act 1999

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2018)

• The Children’s Code (Age-Appropriate Design Code) enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

• The Online Safety Act 2024

• GDPR and UK Data Protection Act 2018

A comprehensive summary of child protection legislation and guidance is available at nspcc.org.uk/childprotection.

Supporting Documents

This policy statement should be read alongside our other policies and procedures:

• Privacy Policy

• Terms and Conditions

• Community Guidelines

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We believe that:

• Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind

• We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

We recognise that:

• the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take

• Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

• All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse

• Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues

• Extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

Find out more about:

• safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

• safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

• safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people

• safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• Enabling ID verification options

• Valuing, listening to and respecting them

• Appointing a nominated child protection lead for children and young people, a deputy and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding

• Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers

• Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures

• Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and olunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently

• Recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made

• Recording and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance [more information about this is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/for-organisations]

• Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets, posters, group work and one-to-one discussions

• Making sure that children, young people and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern

• Using our safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately

• Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately

• Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise

• Ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place

• Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance

• Building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

If an underage user is identified on the platform, Redwood Network Ltd will:

1. Immediately suspend and remove the account.

2. Investigate how the underage user was able to register and take corrective measures.

3. Where necessary, report incidents to relevant safeguarding authorities.

4. Communicate with affected parties, including parents or carers, if appropriate.

We will also ensure that all safeguarding concerns, including suspected child exploitation or abuse, are reported in accordance with our legal obligations.

Building a Culture of Safety

Redwood Network Ltd is committed to:

• Fostering a digital environment where users feel safe and respected.

• Encouraging users to report any concerns and providing clear guidance on how to do so.

• Continually improving our safeguarding measures and collaborating with external experts in child protection and online safety.

This policy will be reviewed every 3 years to ensure ongoing compliance with child protection legislation and best practices.

Contact

For further information or to report a safeguarding concern, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Officer at support@buddyup.life