SAFEGUARDING POLICY

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Safeguarding PolicyDownload
CHARITY CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
Trustee Conflict of Interest

The trustee board will make decisions based only on what’s best for the charity. We do not allow personal interests, or the interests of people or organisations connected to board members, to influence these decisions.

There are 2 common types of conflict of interest: 

  • Financial conflicts – when a trustee, or person or organisation connected to them, could get money or something else of value from a trustee’s decision. This does not include the payment of expenses.
  • Loyalty conflicts – other reasons, a board member might not be able to make decisions that are best for the charity.

Generally, a potential conflict of interest will occur when a board member has a connection to another organisation or person that we have a financial, or other working arrangement with, either as:

  • Family – his or her partner, child etc or:
  • Organisation – as a trustee, board member, member of staff or similar.
Identifying Trustee Conflicts Of Interest

Conflict of interest is a standing item on all trustee board and committee agendas; the chairman will remind trustees at the start of each meeting that any interests must be declared.

A record of any professional or personal interest that may make it difficult for a trustee to fulfil their duties impartially, or may create an appearance of impropriety, with any item on the agenda for that day’s meeting is to be noted in the minutes of the meeting.  Specifically:

  • If a trustee is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the organisation, s/he must declare the nature and extent of that interest to the other trustees
  • If a declaration of interest proves to be or becomes inaccurate or incomplete, a further declaration must be made
  • Any required declaration of interest must be made before the charity enters into the transaction or arrangement
  • A declaration is not required about an interest of which the trustee is not aware or where the trustee is not aware of the transaction or arrangement in question. For this purpose, a trustee is treated as being aware of matters of which s/he ought reasonably to be aware.

If a trustee states a conflict of interest s/he will normally be requested to leave the meeting while the relevant agenda item is discussed. 

Potential Trustee Conflict of Interest

A charity may pay and offer other material benefits, to one or more of its trustees to provide services to the charity, where the trustee board reasonably believes it to be in the charity’s best interests to do so. The services in question must be ones which the charity trustee provides in addition to carrying out normal trustee duties. Any such proposal would be treated on a case-for-case basis and would only be approved subject to compliance with the Articles of Association and Charity Commission guidance.

Where an individual is not part of the decision-making process, there is no direct conflict of interest.  However, where he/she has a relationship with the organisation, or individual trustee/director, the perception could arise that the trustees haven’t acted in the organisation’s best interests, because of this. 

Managing Trustee Conflict of Interest

To manage these issues, the Board will ask themselves these kinds of questions: 

  • Is this the best use we might make of our limited resources?
  • If so, might anyone else be able to provide this service?
  • If there are others, in terms of cost, quality, availability etc, who would be the best provider?
Recording Charity Trustee Decisions

Conflicts of interest will be recorded in the minutes, together with the key points and decision(s) made, in sufficient detail to enable a reader to understand the issue and the basis on which the decision was made.

Equal Opportunities Policy

At Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens, our commitment to equality and diversity means that we welcome and celebrate the fact that we work in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society and believe in the fundamental principle of treating everyone, whether child, young person, parent, staff, volunteers or people from other agencies, equally, without oppression, discrimination or judgement.

No person shall be treated less favourably than any other person because of his or her race, cultural background, nationality, religion, disability, sex, age, marital status or appearance. Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens Trustees and volunteers will not make comments, statements or jokes about any of the above and will not tolerate this from others.
As a Charity, we encourage respect for the differences of others. One of Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens’s Core Values is to be inclusive and to treat all children equally and with respect. We aim to help all children regardless of age, sex, tribe, religion, background or behaviour, and expect all volunteers and trustees members to do the same and to uphold this value. 

Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will also endeavour to meet the special needs of any volunteer regardless of what that need might be. A principle goal of this programme is to include, not exclude and it is the responsibility of all trustees and volunteers to work within this framework.

Statement of Intent

Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens recognises that certain individuals and groups are discriminated against on grounds of disability, race, ethnic origin, culture, socio-economic background, gender, sexuality, religion, creed, marital status and age.  Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens is committed to working towards eliminating all forms of discrimination both through its own work and through its employment policies and practices.

Recognising that passive policies will not achieve change, Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will, through regular monitoring of policies and practices, take active steps to combat discrimination.

The Policy

Service Provision:  Users must have easy access to information about Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens’s services which may involve making materials available where appropriate in a variety of media, e.g. in large print or electronically. In particular, all printed materials will be in a minimum of 10pt type. It is also recognised that Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will not be able to meet all the demands made upon its services.

Recruitment and Selection:  Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens aims to receive the widest response to the recruitment of volunteers, workers or management committee members. All vacancies will be publicised widely. The range of publications and agencies chosen will attempt to reflect the aim of reaching all sections of society. Information sent to potential applicants will include the volunteer or management role description or a job description and a person specification in the case of paid employment and details of the Equality and Diversity Policy. It will be standard practice to supply information in large print when requested – this will be noted in advertisements.

Terms and Conditions:  Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will endeavour to ensure that volunteers, workers and management committee members are not discriminated against through the terms and conditions under which they have been engaged. Furthermore, Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens recognises that from time to time family and social circumstances may change and consequently that volunteers or workers may need to change their conditions of work. Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will attempt, where circumstances and resources permit, to accommodate the needs of those volunteers and workers.

Workers Support: Volunteers and workers are entitled to support from management committee members. Volunteers and workers will receive regular supervision from a named management committee member

Training:  Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens recognises that training is an important factor in leading to job achievement and opportunity.  Induction training is particularly important and will be made available to all volunteers, workers and management committee members. When other needs are identified, every effort will be made to ensure that training is provided.

Purchasing: Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens will try to ensure that the goods and services it offers are accessible to all groups. It will not knowingly receive or purchase goods and services from agencies which practise discrimination.

Monitoring: Regular monitoring and reviews of all procedures will take place from time to time, to check the effectiveness of Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens’s Equal Opportunity Policy.  Trustees will be required to report the results of such monitoring to the management committee annually and to recommend such amendments as are needed to ensure that the Equal Opportunity Policy are effective at all levels of Titan Fitness – Kids & Teens.