Safeguarding & Wellbeing Policy

This policy explains how Three Peaks Challenge Ltd protects children, young people and vulnerable adults who join our events, as well as the duty of care owed to every participant and staff member.

1. Scope

The policy applies to all directors, employees, freelance mountain leaders, drivers, medics, volunteers and contractors engaged by Three Peaks Challenge Ltd. It covers activities delivered across the UK, including guided challenges, training walks and promotional events.

2. Commitments

• Promote a culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are taken seriously.
• Comply with relevant UK legislation, including the Children Act 2004, the Care Act 2014 and local authority safeguarding partnership guidance.
• Design events that prioritise wellbeing – managing group sizes, transport hours and rest periods to reduce fatigue.
• Ensure emergency procedures, communications equipment and welfare facilities are in place for each itinerary.

3. Roles and responsibilities

• The Managing Director acts as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and can be contacted via [email protected].
• Every guide and driver is responsible for reporting concerns immediately to the DSL or the on-call duty manager.
• Contractors must provide evidence of appropriate insurance, qualifications and (where relevant) Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks before commencing work.

4. Identifying and reporting concerns

• Staff receive regular training on recognising signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation and poor mental health.
• Concerns are recorded using our incident reporting form and escalated to the DSL without delay.
• Where there is an immediate risk of harm, staff will contact the emergency services first and notify the DSL as soon as it is safe to do so.
• We will co-operate fully with statutory agencies and share information on a need-to-know basis.

5. Working with young people and vulnerable adults

• Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who remains responsible for their welfare throughout the event.
• Accommodation is allocated to respect privacy and safeguarding best practice. Mixed-gender rooms are only used for family groups or when specifically requested.
• Photography and media consent is collected in advance. We will not publish identifiable images of minors without the documented permission of their parent/guardian.

6. Support and wellbeing

We promote a positive working environment by scheduling rest breaks for staff, providing access to mental health resources and encouraging open conversations about fatigue, stress or accessibility needs. Participants are encouraged to raise concerns early so we can adapt plans where reasonable.

7. Review

This policy is reviewed annually or following any safeguarding incident or regulatory change.