Safeguarding Policy
Heart Buddies
Effective date: 26 May 2026
Heart Buddies is committed to helping create a safe, kind and supportive environment for children, families, parents, carers and supporters.
Heart Buddies currently provides comfort items, including therapy bears, and encourages community connection and shared experience. We do not provide medical advice, counselling, therapy or crisis support.
1. Our Commitment
We believe every child, young person and vulnerable person has the right to feel safe, respected and protected from harm.
We aim to act with care, responsibility and common sense in all Heart Buddies activities, including online community spaces, fundraising, donations and family support.
2. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to trustees, volunteers, supporters and anyone acting on behalf of Heart Buddies.
It also applies to Heart Buddies online spaces, including any Facebook page or community group managed by Heart Buddies.
3. What Heart Buddies Does
- Provides comfort and support items such as therapy bears
- Encourages families to share experiences and support each other
- Creates a compassionate online community
- Raises awareness of congenital heart disease and open heart surgery experiences
4. What Heart Buddies Does Not Provide
- Medical advice
- Diagnosis or treatment guidance
- Counselling or therapy
- Emergency or crisis support
- Replacement for professional healthcare advice
Families should always speak to qualified healthcare professionals about medical concerns.
5. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns
If a safeguarding concern is raised with Heart Buddies, we will take it seriously and respond appropriately.
Where we believe someone is at immediate risk of harm, we may contact emergency services or relevant safeguarding authorities.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
6. Online Community Safety
Heart Buddies encourages kindness, respect and careful sharing within online spaces.
Members should not share personal medical details, private family information or images of children without appropriate consent.
Heart Buddies may remove posts, comments or members where content is unsafe, unkind, misleading, inappropriate or harmful.
7. Photography and Children
Images of children should only be shared with clear permission from a parent or guardian.
Heart Buddies will not knowingly publish images of children without appropriate consent.
8. Confidentiality
Any personal information shared with Heart Buddies will be handled respectfully and in line with our Privacy Policy.
Confidentiality may be limited if there is a concern that someone is at risk of harm.
9. Contact
Email:
info@heartbuddies.org
Website:
heartbuddies.org