Safeguarding Policy.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

The Salik Project UK CIC is committed to safeguarding the welfare of every person we come into contact with through our work — including adults at risk, children, and individuals in vulnerable circumstances connected to addiction in South Asian communities.

We believe that everyone has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This policy sets out how we fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities and what to do if a concern arises.

Scope of this policy

This policy applies to all activities undertaken by The Salik Project UK CIC, including:

• Community engagement events, focus groups and listening sessions
• Outreach work with individuals and families affected by addiction
• Partnership activities with mosques, community centres and statutory services
• Online and digital engagement through our website and social media
• All staff, volunteers, trustees and advisors working on behalf of the organisation

Our primary focus is on South Asian communities in Rochdale and Greater Manchester, including adults in vulnerable circumstances due to substance use, and family members — including children — living in households affected by addiction.

Our staff and volunteers

All staff and volunteers representing The Salik Project UK are expected to:

• Be aware of the signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in adults and children
• Understand what to do if they have a safeguarding concern
• Treat all individuals with dignity, respect and cultural sensitivity
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times
• Never promise confidentiality where a safeguarding risk exists

We are committed to ensuring that anyone involved in delivering our work receives appropriate safeguarding awareness training and is clear on their responsibilities.

How to raise a safeguarding concern

If you have a safeguarding concern — whether about a child, an adult at risk, or any individual you have encountered through our work — please contact us immediately:

• Email: contact@salikprojectuk.org
• Subject line: Safeguarding Concern — [brief description]

We will respond promptly, treat your concern with the seriousness it deserves, and escalate to the appropriate statutory services where a risk of harm is identified.

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, do not wait — call 999 first.

What happens when a concern is raised

When a safeguarding concern is brought to our attention, we will:

• Record the concern promptly and accurately
• Assess the level of risk to the individual(s) involved
• Refer to appropriate statutory services — including Rochdale Children's Services, Adult Social Care, or Greater Manchester Police — where a risk of harm is identified
• Maintain confidentiality to the extent possible while fulfilling our duty of care
• Support the individual in accessing appropriate professional services

We work closely with partner organisations — including Turning Point, WHAG, Action Together, and Rochdale Council Public Health — and will engage these partners as appropriate when managing a safeguarding situation.

Confidentiality and information sharing

We respect the confidentiality of everyone we work with. However, confidentiality is not absolute. Where there is a risk of significant harm to an individual or to others, we have a duty to share information with the appropriate statutory authorities, regardless of whether the individual has consented.

We will always endeavour to explain to the individual what information is being shared and why, unless doing so would increase the risk of harm.

Useful safeguarding contacts

The following organisations provide specialist safeguarding support and guidance:

• NSPCC — child protection helpline: 0808 800 5000  ·  nspcc.org.uk
• Rochdale Safeguarding Children Partnership — rscp.co.uk
• Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership — greatermanchestersafeguardingpartnership.co.uk
• FRANK — drugs advice and support: 0300 123 6600  ·  talktofrank.com
• Samaritans — emotional support: 116 123 (free, 24/7)
• Emergency services — 999

Review and updates

This safeguarding policy will be reviewed at least annually, or following any significant safeguarding incident or change in legislation. The most recent review date is shown at the top of this page.

For questions about this policy or to raise a concern, contact us at contact@salikprojectuk.org.