Safeguarding

The safety of every child is non-negotiable.

This page sets out our safeguarding framework, training requirements, reporting procedures, and contacts. If you have an immediate concern about a child, call 999 or our 24/7 safeguarding line: 0800 123 4567.

Our safeguarding principles

1
Child-centred
Every decision we make starts with the best interest of the child. We listen to children, believe them, and act on what they tell us.
2
Proactive, not reactive
We train every driver and PA before they meet a child. We identify risk early and intervene before harm occurs.
3
Clear reporting lines
Every member of our team knows exactly who to call, when, and what will happen next. Ambiguity costs lives.
4
Transparency with families
We communicate openly with parents and carers — including when things go wrong — while maintaining confidentiality where legally required.

Incident response framework

Three-tier classification. All incidents are logged in our management system and reported to the commissioning local authority.

Tier 1Concern / welfare note

A driver or PA observes something unusual about a child — behaviour change, unexplained mark, disclosure. No immediate risk.

Response
Record in system within 4 hours. Ops manager reviews same day. May escalate to Tier 2 or refer to social worker.
SLA: Report within 4 hours
Tier 2Safeguarding incident

An incident occurs during transport that may indicate abuse, neglect, or a protection risk. Child may have made a disclosure or shown signs of harm.

Response
Immediate notification to DSL. DSL contacts referring LA social care team within 1 hour. LADO notified if allegation involves staff.
SLA: DSL notified within 30 mins · LA contacted within 1 hour
Tier 3Emergency / critical incident

A child is in immediate danger, has been harmed, or a serious criminal matter arises during transport. Medical emergency may be concurrent.

Response
999 immediately. DSL and MD notified in parallel. Journey suspended. Evidence preserved. LADO and LA emergency duty team contacted. Board notified within 2 hours.
SLA: 999 → DSL within 5 mins → LA EDT within 30 mins

Training requirements

Minimum requirements before any team member may work unsupervised with children.

Driver
Renewal: Annual
PATS — Passenger Assistant Training Scheme
Safeguarding Level 1 (awareness)
Trauma-informed transport (Vayacare internal)
Communication passport induction
Annual safeguarding refresher
Passenger assistant (PA)
Renewal: Annual
PATS — Passenger Assistant Training Scheme
Safeguarding Level 2 (practitioner)
Team Teach Level 1 (de-escalation)
Epilepsy awareness
Autism awareness
Operations manager
Renewal: Annual + MARAC updates
Safeguarding Level 3 (designated safeguarding lead)
MARAC awareness
LADO referral process
Section 47 and Section 17 duties

Reporting contacts

If you have a concern about a child transported by Vayacare, contact us immediately. You do not need proof to raise a concern.

RoleContactPhoneEmail
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)Jenny Walsh07700 900 142safeguarding@vayacare.co.uk
Deputy DSLTom Krishnamurthy07700 900 187tom.k@vayacare.co.uk
Out-of-hours safeguarding24/7 on-call line0800 123 4567
LADO (Bromley)Bromley Children's Services020 8313 4325lado@bromley.gov.uk
NSPCC helplineFor concerns about a child0808 800 5000help@nspcc.org.uk

Policy documents

📄
Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
Updated Jan 2026 · 22 pages
PDF ↓
📄
Staff Code of Conduct
Updated Sep 2025 · 8 pages
PDF ↓
📄
Communication Passport guidance
Updated Nov 2025 · 12 pages
PDF ↓
📄
Lone working & transport safety policy
Updated Jan 2026 · 10 pages
PDF ↓
📄
Whistleblowing policy
Updated Sep 2025 · 6 pages
PDF ↓
📄
LADO referral procedure
Updated Jan 2026 · 4 pages
PDF ↓