Our Policies
Men's Shed Knutsford has adopted a number of policies, which are published on this page. The links below jump to the relevant sections.
Safeguarding Policy: Adults at Risk
The policy sets out Men’s Shed Knutsford’s values in relation to safeguarding and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Shed’s Board of Trustees, as well as highlighting what is not their responsibility.
Definitions
Shedders refers to any member or attendee of the Shed
Shed Volunteer refers to a Shedder that has taken on a more formal role e.g. Health and Safety Officer or Safeguarding Contact (SC). They may have had some training or be particularly experienced in that particular area.
Safeguarding Shedders
Men’s Shed Knutsford (herewith referred to as MSK) recognises that by providing a Men’s Shed (herewith referred to as Shed) for the local community, it has a duty of care to protect its members (referred to as Shedders) from harm. MSK’s Board of Trustees (herewith referred to as the Trustees) sets out the following values in safeguarding its members:
- All Shedders have the right to participate in the activities of the Shed, free from of abuse or neglect or fear of abuse or neglect
- All Shedders have the right to have their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs respected and taken into account
- All Shedders have the right to be provided with a safe environment with adequate health and safety procedures in place
- All Shedders have the right not to be discriminated against for their age, gender, sexuality, race or other personal characteristic
- All Shedders have the right to have any allegation they make about abuse or neglect taken seriously and acted on immediately
Men's Shed Knutsford Safeguarding Contacts
Below are the Shed's main contacts if you need to report a safeguarding issue as detailed in this policy, or need further information.
Christopher Gray
Telephone: 01565 370006
Email: info@mensshedknutsford.com
Mike Houghton
Telephone: 01565 370006
Email: info@mensshedknutsford.com
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding means protecting a person’s right to a safe environment, free from abuse or neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experiences of abuse and neglect, whilst ensuring that an adult’s wellbeing is promoted. This includes, where appropriate, having regard for their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs.
How do you determine whether an adult is at risk?
The Care Act 2014, which provides the legal framework for safeguarding, identifies ‘an adult at risk’. This supersedes the commonly known No Secrets statutory guidance which covered adult safeguarding and defined a vulnerable adult (now referred to as an adult at risk) as a person “who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation”.
The Care Act 2014 recognises an adult at risk (historically referred to as a vulnerable adult) as an adult whom:
a. Has needs for care and support.
b. Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
c. As a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
To ensure that this document reflects current legislation and to avoid any implication that people with care and support needs are inherently vulnerable, all references will be made to ‘adults at risk’, rather than ‘vulnerable adults’.
What is Care and Support?
Care and support, which can also be known as social care, is help provided to people in need of practical support due to illness, disability, old age or a low income (NHS, 2017).
It can include, but is not limited to having a care professional help around the home, getting to and from work or the shops, or cooking meals. It can also include having structural changes made to the home to help a person manage. Care and support services are the responsibility of Local Authorities, but can also be carried out by private companies, charities or family and friends.
Are Shedders considered adults at risk?
Not necessarily. A Shedder will only be considered an adult at risk if he or she fits with the above definition of an adult at risk, as defined by the Care Act 2014, which provides a legal framework for delivering care services and safeguarding. Many Shedders live and carry out their lives independently, without the need for care or support to carry out their daily tasks and activities, they are not experiencing or at particular risk of abuse or neglect and they are able to protect themselves.
What is abuse?
Types of abuse vary. A person can be abused verbally, physically, psychologically or financially. It can happen as a result of an action, or as a result of a failure to act. It can happen when an adult at risk is wrongly influenced to carry out a financial or sexual exchange that they do not consent to, or aren’t able to consent to.
Abuse can lead to a violation of a person’s human and civil rights and can occur in any relationship or environment. It may result in a person being hurt or exploited. Sometimes the abuse is illegal and the adult at risk is protected by the law, as is everybody else.
Abuse is a wrongful use of power and can come in any of the following forms:
- Psychological e.g. emotional abuse or depriving a person of contact with another.
- Sexual e.g. inappropriate looking or touching, taking sexual photos or rape.
- Physical e.g. hitting, restraining or pushing.
- Financial e.g. theft or putting pressure on somebody about their financial arrangements.
- Modern Slavery e.g. forced labour.
- Discriminatory e.g. harassment or insults because of a person’s race, gender or identity.
- Neglect e.g. ignoring emotional or physical needs.
- Self-neglect e.g. a person not caring for their own personal hygiene or health.
Please note that the above are intended only as examples and not an exhaustive list. It is recognised that some instances of abuse may not fit neatly into these categories. If you have reason to believe somebody is being abused or neglected you must act in line with this policy.
An abuser can be anybody - a person abusing an adult at risk might be at risk themselves. This is still abuse and should be dealt with in line with this policy.
Our role in safeguarding adults at risk
The Trustees recognises that from time to time adults at risk may become members of the Shed. The following section details the roles and responsibilities of the Shed in safeguarding adults at risk.
Prevent
MSK’s risk assessment will be regularly reviewed and will include an assessment of safeguarding for adults at risk, including mitigation strategies
All Shed volunteers will be carefully recruited and references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks will be carried out for any Shed volunteer working unsupervised and directly with adults at risk All new Shed volunteers will be given an induction that covers health and safety and safeguarding procedures including reading and understanding this policy
Health and safety procedures will be regularly reviewed by the Trustees to ensure minimal risk to all Shedders, including adults at risk. Any adult at risk wanting to join the Shed will be met with by a suitable Shed volunteer to understand their needs for any additional provision. A judgement will be made as to whether the prospective member needs professional support at each visit to safeguard them and the other Shedders from harm or allegation of harm. The Trustees will ensure that no adult at risk is left alone with any Shed volunteer or Shedder at any time unless they have had the relevant checks and training.
If at any time the Trustees introduce sessions for adults at risk where no professional support worker is supervising, it will seek advice from the Local Authority Adult Social Care department and arrange safeguarding training and DBS checks for Shed volunteers leading the sessions. The Trustees will always ensure recorded information is stored safely and securely and is accessible only to those who need the information in the protection of adults at risk.
Report
Although every effort will be made to prevent instances of abuse, if you do witness an incident, or have a concern about an adult at risk you should: Take ALL suspicions or allegations of abuse seriously.
Report quickly using the reporting form included in this document, giving all of the detail you know and leaving nothing out. Submit your form to a Safeguarding Contact (SC) with no delay.
If you think the matter is serious and the adult at risk may be being, or have been harmed, do not wait to find a SC and phone the police. On receipt of a completed reporting form, the SC will: Seek help from the Local Authority’s Adult Social Care department (details at end of policy) or call the police if they think a crime is being committed. If the concern is considered minor and an adult at risk has brought a worry about another volunteer or Shedder to the SC’s attention, they will discuss with the the Trustees to ensure that all efforts are in place to protect the person i.e. they are supervised or the activities are in large groups. Never try to resolve a serious allegation of abuse or neglect themselves. It could make things worse. Remember, an adult at risk should never be left alone with an untrained person who has not had the relevant checks.
Record
The SC lead who receives a report, or witnesses any incident of abuse will:
- Listen carefully, giving full attention and never directly questioning the adult at risk unless the report comes from them in person.
- Allow the reporter to provide a spontaneous account, never interrupting to ask something when the person is recalling events.
- Make an accurate record of the information, taking care not to miss any details, however insignificant they may feel at the time.
- Use the reporters own words where possible.
- Explain that they cannot promise to not share this information with other appropriately selected people – never offering false confidentiality.
- Reassure the reporter that they did the right thing by raising the issue.
- Explain what they will do next and that they will need to get help to keep the adult at risk safe.
- Never ask the reporter to repeat their account to anybody.
Choosing an appropriate level of safeguarding
Not all of the responsibilities will apply at all times, but the above summarises the safeguarding actions that the SC or Shed volunteers might carry out, depending on the assessed level of risk to Shedders at any one time.
For example, if the Shed currently has no members considered at risk then an introductory talk to all new Shed volunteers that includes reading this safeguarding policy may suffice. If the Shed has members that are deemed to be at risk and Shed volunteers are likely to spend time supporting them, all of the preventative actions may be necessary and a full, formal investigation and reporting strategy will need to be in place. Due to the nature of the Shed environment, it is very unlikely that Shed volunteers will ever be alone with adults at risk and the safeguarding actions will reflect that. The safeguarding strategy is based heavily on prevention; however, it recognises that having recording and reporting systems in place is good practice in case of the event of abuse. MSK’s Trustees recognises that its Shed volunteers are not care practitioners and that an adult at risk wanting to be a member of the Shed may need professional support to do so. Therefore, it will ensure that appropriate steps are taken to ensure that prospective members are met with and an assessment is made as to whether the Shed is a safe place for them, or whether they may need professional support, at an appropriate person to person ratio to be able to safely attend the Shed. Where every effort will be made for the Shed to be accessible to everyone, it is recognised that safety is the most important factor and the nature of the Shed activities may mean that not everybody will be able to attend. The Trustees will seek advice from their Local Authority wherever there is any doubt. Safeguarding is not a one-off exercise and this policy and the procedures within it will be regularly reviewed and updated as appropriate.
When we cannot act
MSK is a voluntary organisation and not professional care practitioners. Therefore, help will need to be sought for any instance or allegation of abuse towards an adult at risk.
Local Authorities take the lead in providing care to adults at risk in their area and should always be the first point of contact, unless the situation is deemed an emergency or crime, at which point the police should be called. If you believe an adult to be at risk who has no care arrangements in place and you are concerned, you should speak with your local care giving authority for advice. It is not the responsibility of MSK to organise or seek carers for Shedders.
Local Authority Adult Social Care Dept. Details Cheshire East Council – Social Care Dept Call 0300 123 5010 (8:30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:30pm Friday) 0300 123 5022 (at all other times including bank holidays)
Publication date: 02 June 2025
Health and Safety
Introduction
The Trustees have overall and final responsibility for health and safety in the Shed.
The respective Day Shed Manager has day-to-day responsibility for ensuring practice of this policy in the Shed.
Statement of General Policy
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Prevent accidents and cases of ill-health arising from Shed activities by managing the health and safety risks in the Shed
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Prevent accidents and cases of ill-health arising from Shed activities by managing the health and safety risks in the Shed
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Engage and consult with Shedders on day-to-day health and safety conditions
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Implement and display clear details of emergency procedures – evacuation in case of fire or other significant incidents.
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Provide and maintain Personal Protective Equipment and ensure it is used where appropriate
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Maintain safe and healthy conditions, maintain equipment and machinery, and ensure safe storage.
First Aid Box located in the Lobby
Accident Log Book located in the Lobby
Fire Assembly Point is outside Public Toilets in King Street Car Park
Privacy Policy
Data Protection Statement
Men’s Shed Knutsford is classified as a Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR). This policy outlines our commitment to protecting the personal data of people in relation to our organisation’s work in accordance with the GDPR – as regulated by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK authority on data protection - and carrying out any data processing with transparency, accountability and good governance.
Main Contact
Below is the Sheds main contact for data protection in line with this policy. They should be your primary contact should you wish to discuss something related to data protection, or need further information.
Data Protection Officer (DPO): Michael Houghton DPO Tel: 01565 370006
DPO Email: info@mensshedknutsford.com
The DPOs’ are volunteers of the Data Controller, Men’s Shed Knutsford, and have responsibility for ensuring personal data is collected and processed lawfully in line with this policy and the GDPR, and is kept secure.
Please note: Current GDPR rules do not require small voluntary organisations, like Sheds, to have a Data Protection Officer, but we have appointed the above for good practice to ensure there is a named contact to handle any queries from members.
Definitions
This policy uses the GDPR’s definitions for the following key terms.
Personal Data – any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, both ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ identification.
Natural Person - an identifiable person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identification number or to one or more factors specific to his physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural or social identity.
Data Controller - a ‘person’ who determines the purposes for information processing and the manner in which it is done. A data controller will be a ‘person’ reconised by law i.e. individuals, organisation and corporate bodies.
Data Processor - any ‘person’ (again, a person as recognised by law), other than an employee of a data controller, who processes the data on behalf of the data controller.
Other key terms are defined within their sections.
Data Collection
From time to time, we will need to process the following examples of personal data from volunteers, service users and other natural persons related to our work. We may also, at times, need to collect and process personal data not listed here. The following are some examples of the types of personal data we may collect and process.
- Name
- Contact information e.g. address, telephone numbers, email addresses
- Information about your age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, disability status
- Your occupation and job title
- Information about your skills, qualifications and expertise
- Information relevant to our human resources procedures
We may use this information to:
- Manage memberships
- Understand the views and opinions of Shedders and other related persons
- Handle complaints
- Monitor the impact of our work e.g. through case studies or consultation
- Improve our services
- Carry out administration functions
- Get help if somebody is in danger e.g. contact next of kin if an accident or emergency occurs
- Send information we think might be of interest to you
- Comply with legal obligations
In line with the GDPR, Men’s Shed Knutsford will ask for and record individuals’ consent prior to collecting and processing data for certain purposes and provide clear and concise privacy notices to provide information on how and why we are collecting and processing particular data. Men’s Shed Knutsford will ensure it provides ongoing opportunities to give or revoke consent where appropriate and necessary in line with the GDPR. Men’s Shed Knutsford’s privacy notices will also state clearly our lawful basis or bases for collecting the data in each instance that we collect and process it. This will be in line with the six documented legal bases of the GDPR; consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public tasks or legitimate interest.
Men’s Shed Knutsford will maintain a live log of the exact types of data, reasons and lawful basis for collection and processing which allows us to demonstrate our compliance with the GDPR with the ICO, if ever necessary.
Men’s Shed Knutsford will never, under any circumstances, use personal data to discriminate against a person for any reason.
Men’s Shed Knutsford will audit personal data on file on an annual basis to ensure it is still relevant, needed and lawfully held. If ever we need to use data for another purpose, we will make sure we inform and/or request consent from the relevant persons, in line with the GDPR.
Men’s Shed Knutsford will carry out a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) prior to implementing new data handling technology and/or where processing personal data is likely to significantly affect individuals.
Data Handling
Men’s Shed Knutsford understands its obligations under the GDPR, when collecting, controlling and managing personal data. We will ensure that we:
- process data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.
- collect data only for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processing in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes.
- process data adequately, relevant and limited to only what is necessary.
- ensure personal data is accurate and kept up to date, rectifying and erasing any errors or inaccuracies without delay.
- will keep personal data in a form that permits identification of individuals for no longer than is necessary for the purpose.
- process personal data in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing, and against loss, destruction or damage.
As a data controller and in line with the GDPR, we will keep a record of our processes, consistent with the above and be able to demonstrate our compliance at any given time.
Data Storage and Security
Men’s Shed Knutsford takes the matter of safety of personal data very seriously and will always ensure we put in place robust safety measures, appropriate to the type of information we hold and process.
In order to secure personal data kept by Men’s Shed Knutsford we will use a mixture of the following methods, appropriate to the data held.
- Physical security including good quality doors and locks
- Computer security including passwords, and encryption
We will check our storage and security practices regularly to ensure they are in line with regulation and appropriate for the personal data held. We will build a culture of awareness and security within the Shed ensuring good communication with key people, and we will only ever provide access to personal data for people that need it for lawful processing.
The exact way we store personal data for each purpose will be documented in our Data Protection Log.
Individual Rights
Men’s Shed Knutsford is aware of the rights for individuals whose personal data we hold. In line with those rights we will ensure we process data in accordance with these rights.
We will:
- Be transparent and inform them of how and why we will process their personal data, as well as the lawful basis for doing so.
- Respond within 30 days if people ask to access their personal data, allowing them to verify its lawful collection and processing.
- Rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data without delay.
- Erase any personal data when it is no longer needed or there is no lawful reason for it being held.
- Take immediate action if an individual requests that we suppress the processing of their data or objects to its collection, retaining just enough to respect their wishes in future.
- Never process personal data for more than it’s lawful, documented purpose(s).
- Obtain clear, active consent from each individual where we are lawfully obliged to do so.
Data Breaches
Men’s Shed Knutsford recognises the GDPR’s guidelines to record, rectify and report, where necessary, data breaches; where a breach of security leads to the destruction, loss, alteration or unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data.
The Men’s Shed Knutsford DPO is allocated the responsibility for minimising the likelihood of breaches and taking prompt action if ever they happen. Men’s Shed Knutsford will ensure it notifies the individuals whose data is involved if there is any adverse risk to them as a result of the breach, and where necessary notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Accessing Information
Under the GDPR, individuals have the right to access the information held about them. If you would like to request information held, or be reminded of the reasons, lawful basis and methods of keeping your personal data, please send a request in writing to:
FAO: Michael Houghton
Men’s Shed Knutsford
Cranford House
8 Malt Street
Knutsford
WA16 6ES
We will respond to all requests within 30 days.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
The ICO is “the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals” (ICO website). It is responsible for administering the provisions of the GDPR. Under the GDPR, organisations must register with the ICO unless exempt.
Men’s Shed Knutsford is exempt from registering with the ICO because is it a non-profit making organisation or only makes a profit only for its own purposes.
Men’s Shed Knutsford only:
- processes information necessary to establish or maintain membership or support.
- processes information necessary to provide or administer activities for people who are members of the organisation or have regular contact with it.
- shares the information with people and organisations necessary to carry out the organisation’s activities unless given permission otherwise.
- keeps the information while the individual is a member or supporter or as long as necessary for member/supporter administration.