MEM Academy CIC works with vulnerable young people, ex-offenders and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Safeguarding is the foundation of everything we do. This page sets out — publicly and verifiably — how we govern, protect and stay accountable.
All safeguarding concerns — whether about a participant, a coach, a referrer or anyone in contact with our delivery — are escalated directly to the DSL. Concerns are logged, triaged within 24 hours, and where appropriate referred to statutory services (police, social services, probation, MAPPA).
No coach delivers a session — in a community centre, gym, prison or youth setting — without a verified Enhanced DBS on file. DBS records are held by the Designated Safeguarding Lead and re-checked on the standard renewal cycle. Lived experience of the criminal justice system is not a barrier to working with us; each application is risk-assessed individually in line with safer recruitment guidance.
Covers indicators, reporting routes, allegations against staff, and information sharing under Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Enhanced DBS for all coaches and delivery staff. Risk-assessed approach for staff with lived experience.
Lawful basis, retention, subject access, and breach reporting. Personal data processed only on the platform with row-level security.
Three-stage route — DSL → Managing Director → independent escalation. See Section 05.
Equal access regardless of background, conviction history, ethnicity, faith, gender or disability.
Risk assessments per delivery site. Boxing sessions are non-contact only.
Full policy documents available on request to funders, commissioners and statutory partners. Email safeguarding@memacademy.org.uk.
MEM Academy is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC). Annual reports and the CIC34 community interest statement are filed with the CIC Regulator and Companies House and are publicly searchable.
Email safeguarding@memacademy.org.uk. Acknowledged within 3 working days, response within 10.
If unresolved, the complaint is escalated to the Managing Director for formal review and written response.
Complainants may escalate to the CIC Regulator, the ICO (data) or commissioning body funding the relevant programme.
Participant data is processed on the basis of consent (outcome surveys) and legitimate interests (delivery records). Sensitive data (criminal convictions, health) is only processed with explicit consent and a Data Protection Impact Assessment.
All personal data is held inside the MEM platform under row-level security policies — staff and partner access is scoped by role. No participant data is exported to spreadsheets or third-party tools.
Participants can request a copy or deletion of their data at any time by emailing the DSL. Requests are completed within 30 days as required by UK GDPR.
Worried about a participant, coach or session?
Anyone — staff, partners, family members or members of the public — can raise a safeguarding concern directly with the DSL.