This Privacy Notice outlines how Family Avenues Ltd collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy.

Information that we collect:

·       Contact information, such as your name, address, email address and phone numbers

·       Financial details, such as details about your payments and your bank details (when booking appointments)

·       Personal information (such as medical needs, educational needs, diagnoses, where applicable to our services)

·       Information about how you use our products and services, including our website and social media pages

How do we collect your information?

We collect personal information from you when you submit a form, register with our website, make a purchase, or otherwise provide us with personal information, whether online, email or via telephone phone.

How do we use your information?

·       To provide our assessments, products or services

·       To process payments

·       To communicate with you (e.g, marketing, customer support)

·       To improve our products and services

·       To comply with legal obligations

We may share information with:

·       Service providers who help us operate our business

·       Payment processors

·       Law enforcement or regulatory authorities as required by law

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice or as required by law.

Storage and Security

The storage of your information is of the upmost importance to us.  We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.  We regularly review our storage procedures.

Your rights:

You have the right to:

·       Access your personal information

·       Request correction of your personal information

·       Request erasure of your personal information

·       Object to processing of your personal information

·       Restrict processing of your personal information

·       Data portability

Contact us:

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Notice, please contact us at hello@familyavenues.co.uk

Likewise, if you would like a copy of this or any other policy emailed to you, just let us know.

Last reviewed  14th November 2025.

Family Avenues Safeguarding Policy

The purpose and scope of this policy statement:

Family Avenues aims to support families of autistic children.  We do this through the provision of assessment, advice, support, purchasable and free downloads and through social media.

Family Avenues recognises the right of every individual to stay safe and believes that children and vulnerable adults should never experience abuse or neglect of any kind.  It understands that disabled children and adults are at a particular risk of abuse and neglect. Family Avenues are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, to keeping them safe and to working in a way that protects them.

We expect all directors, staff, and beneficiaries involved, including parents/carers, to share this commitment.  Further, we recognise that effective safeguarding and child protection is the responsibility of all directors and staff at Family Avenues and not just the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).  It is also the responsibility of everyone involved in Family Avenue’s services to prevent the physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults in our sessions and to report any abuse or neglect discovered or suspected.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

•  to protect children and young people who receive Family Avenue’s services from harm.  This includes the children of adults who use our services 

•  to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Family Avenues, including Directors, Finance Managers and other paid staff.

Legal framework

This policy is governed by the following pieces of legislation and guidance:

·       Care Act 2014

·       Care and Support Statutory Guidance (2018)

·       Care Standards Act 2000

·       Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 & Revised Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales (2015)

·       Human Rights Act 1998

·       Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025

·       Mental Capacity Act 2005

·       Mental Health Act 1983

·       NHS and Community Care Act 1990

·       Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

·       Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

·       Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

·       Safeguarding Disabled Children: Practice Guidance 2009

·       Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

·       The Children Act 2004

·       The Data Protection Act 2018

·       The Police Act 1997

·       Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023

Supporting documents

This policy statement should be read alongside our organisational policies, procedures,

guidance and other related documents:

·       Privacy Policy

·       Complaints Policy

We believe that:

·       children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind

·       we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

We recognise that:

·       the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the 

·       decisions we take 

·       working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and 

·       other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

·       all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse

·       some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous 

·       experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues

·       extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

Key evidence in practice:

We will seek to keep children, vulnerable adults and staff at Family Avenues safe by:

·       valuing, listening to and respecting them

·       adopting, maintaining and updating our Safeguarding Policy, guidance and procedures in all aspects of

·       working and doing all we can to ensure any allegations, disclosures, incidents, near misses or behaviour that might flag up safeguarding concerns inside or outside our activities are appropriately identified, investigated and acted upon

·       ensuring that there is one Designated Safeguarding Lead

·       all staff are safeguarding trained and conversant with the Family Avenues Safeguarding Policy and Guidance and Procedures and are able to deal effectively with any issues raised regarding safeguarding.

·       ensuring that there is an open policy on reporting anything suspicious

·       recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring that the necessary checks are made, including of references and DBS

·       providing all necessary induction and further training for staff and volunteers so that they fully understand their roles, responsibilities and procedures for safeguarding, including self-reporting personal difficulties which they know to be impinging on their professional competence 

·       recording and storing personal information professionally and securely

·       using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know when completing Appeer’s Services Application Forms and Terms and Conditions upon booking

·       using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff

·       creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise

·       ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place

Contact details

Nominated child protection lead:

Name:  Paula

Email:  hello@familyavenues.co.uk

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. 

This policy was last reviewed on 14th November 2025.

Signed:

Paula, Co-Director and DSL

Date: 14-11-25Description text goes here

Complaints Policy and Procedures

Family Avenues Ltd

This policy is in conjunction with our other policies which are available to read on our website.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all complaints about Family Avenues’ services or operations are handled in a timely, fair, and sensitive manner, and that lessons are learned to improve services and effectiveness.

This policy aims to:

·       Provide clear guidance for handling complaints.

·       Ensure a fair and consistent approach.

·       Encourage constructive feedback and continuous improvement.

Scope:

This policy applies to:

·       Staff, service users, parents/carers, and members of the community.

·       All complaints related to Family Avenues’ services and operations.

Principles:

Family Avenues is committed to:

Fairness: Treating all complaints objectively and respectfully.

Transparency: Clear communication on processes and outcomes.

Confidentiality: Protecting the privacy of complainants and those involved.

Responsiveness: Acting promptly and learning from complaints to improve services.

Types of Complaints:

Informal Complaints

Some complaints may be minor or easily resolved through informal discussion:

Complainants are encouraged to speak directly with the staff member involved or

email them (copying in Directors if appropriate).

Staff will aim to put things right and adapt future practice where necessary.

Formal Complaints

Formal complaints are appropriate when:

·       Issues are not resolved informally.

·       Complaints are complex or require higher-level consideration.

Submission:

Must be made in writing within three months of the incident.

Sent to:

Family Avenues Directors at Family Avenues email or address.

Acknowledgment:

Complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days.

Investigation:

Investigations are led by one or more Director.

Additional information or discussions may be requested by phone or email.

All complaints will be handled fairly, confidentially, and respectfully.

Outcome:

Written outcomes will be provided within 28 working days of receipt (or receipt of any

further requested information).

Remedial action will be taken where possible.

If action is not possible, Family Avenues will explain why, apologise, and outline learning

points.

Escalation

In the event that a complaint needs to be escalated, it will be reviewed by the other Directors.

Feedback

Issues not qualifying as formal complaints will be treated as feedback, including:

·       Comments on the type of work Family Avenues undertakes

·       Suggestions or concerns about policies or decisions

·       All feedback will be acknowledged and passed to relevant staff for consideration.

Refusal of Complaints

Family Avenues may refuse a complaint if:

·       It is about events over three months ago

·       It attempts to reopen a previously resolved complaint

·       It is anonymous

·       It is unreasonable or vexatious

Roles and Responsibilities

Family Avenues Directors have overall responsibility for the policy and ensuring complaints are handled fairly and promptly.

All staff are responsible for acknowledging complaints, handling them respectfully, and escalating where appropriate.

Monitoring and Review

Complaints and outcomes will be monitored regularly to identify trends and areas for

improvement.

This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed.

Policy Variations

Family Avenues reserves the right to amend or vary this policy.

Further Information

For questions or clarifications, please contact hello@familyavenues.co.uk

Family Avenues – Cancellation & Booking Policy

To secure your appointment with Family Avenues, a 50% non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. This deposit confirms your session and covers preparation time for your appointment. The remaining balance is due one week before your scheduled session.

If you need to reschedule, we kindly ask for a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. With at least 48 hours’ notice, your appointment can be moved to a new date without additional charges. Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule or transfer payments for sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice.

In the unlikely event that Family Avenues needs to cancel your appointment, we will offer either a full refund or a rescheduled appointment, whichever you prefer. We aim to minimise any disruption and will always communicate promptly if a change is required.

By booking with Family Avenues, you agree to these terms. Thank you for your understanding and for valuing the time and care that goes into each session.

Family Avenues is committed to making our website and services accessible, welcoming and usable for all families. We want every visitor to be able to access the information, support and resources they need without barriers.

We aim to follow best practices for digital accessibility, including designing our website to be clear, readable and easy to navigate on a range of devices and assistive technologies. This includes:

·        Providing clear headings and simple page layouts

·        Using high-contrast colours and readable Sans Serif fonts

·        Ensuring images include alt text wherever possible

·        Offering accessible formats for key documents upon request

·        Making sure our online booking system is simple and user-friendly

·        Avoiding unnecessary jargon and using plain language throughout the site

We know accessibility is an ongoing process, and we are continually learning and improving. If you experience any difficulty accessing information on our website or using our services, please let us know so we can support you and make improvements. You can contact us at:

hello@familyavenues.co.uk

We will always do our best to respond promptly and offer information in a format that meets your needs.

Family Avenues is committed to creating a supportive, inclusive space for every family.tem description