Safeguarding & Governance

Your young people's safety is not a box we tick.

Every credential, protocol, risk assessment and governance document is in place before a single session begins. This page exists so your DSL, headteacher and governors have everything they need.

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Our Credentials

Everything your school needs to see.

We make it easy for DSLs and governors to approve our provision. Every document is available to download from our partner resources page.

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Enhanced DBS Checks

All Baxter Project practitioners hold current enhanced DBS checks with children barred list check. Certificates available on request.

✓ All practitioners
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Public Liability Insurance

Full public liability insurance in place covering all sessions, all settings and all companion dogs. Certificate available for schools.

✓ Full coverage
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Risk Assessments

Comprehensive dog session risk assessments completed for every setting. Dynamic risk management embedded in practitioner training.

✓ Setting-specific
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Consent Framework

Parental/carer consent obtained before any young person begins. Child-appropriate assent sought in every case. Templates provided to schools.

✓ Before day one
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Data Protection & GDPR

GDPR-compliant data handling via ODISSYS. Role-based access, encrypted storage, audit trails and a full data protection summary available.

✓ GDPR compliant
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Safeguarding Protocol

Clear escalation pathways for all disclosures. Practitioners trained in safeguarding. All concerns logged in ODISSYS and referred to the school DSL.

✓ DSL-aligned
Companion Dog Assessment

Not therapy dogs. Behaviour-assessed companion dogs.

This is one of the most important distinctions we make. Every dog working with The Baxter Project is independently behaviour-assessed before being introduced to any school setting.

  • Independent behaviour assessment by qualified assessor prior to any school work
  • Ongoing welfare monitoring — sessions are as much about the dog as the young person
  • Dogs can opt out at any time — sessions stop if the dog shows stress signals
  • No dog works in a setting that poses a welfare risk to them
  • Practitioners trained in dog body language and welfare indicators
  • All dogs are the personal companions of practitioners — not working animals
Baxter the Border Terrier — founding companion dog

Baxter — the Border Terrier who started it all. Every dog in our programme is assessed to the same standard.

Our Protocols

How we keep young people safe.

Safeguarding is embedded in everything we do — not bolted on at the end.

Before Sessions Begin

  • School referral form completed with relevant background
  • Parental/carer consent form signed and returned
  • Young person's assent sought and recorded
  • Any known safeguarding concerns or triggers shared with practitioner
  • Risk assessment for the setting reviewed and signed off
  • Named DSL contact confirmed

During Sessions

  • Sessions logged in ODISSYS in real time
  • Safeguarding disclosures recorded immediately and escalated to DSL
  • Practitioners never alone with a young person in an unsupervised space
  • Dog welfare monitored continuously throughout
  • Session notes include mood, engagement and any concerns

Reporting & Governance

  • Termly reports generated via ODISSYS for school leadership
  • All safeguarding notes available to school DSL on request
  • Outcome data reported against agreed measures (SDQ, SCWBS, resilience)
  • Annual governance review of all protocols and procedures
  • Incident log maintained and available to Ofsted / Estyn on request

Data & Privacy

  • All data held securely in ODISSYS — encrypted, role-based access
  • Young people identified by reference code, not full name, in reports
  • Data retention policy aligned to school standards
  • GDPR data protection summary available for school DPOs
  • No data shared with third parties without consent
Partner Documents

Download what you need.

All governance documents are available to partner schools via our partner resources portal, or request them directly.

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School Referral Form

Start the referral process for a young person
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Consent Forms

Parent/carer and young person consent templates
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Dog Session Risk Assessment

Completed risk assessment for school settings
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Safeguarding Protocol Summary

Our safeguarding escalation framework
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Data Protection Summary

GDPR compliance overview for school DPOs
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Parent/Carer Information Letter

Introductory letter template for families

Questions about our safeguarding framework?

We're happy to speak with your DSL, headteacher or governor directly. No question is too detailed.

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