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Safeguarding Policy Statement

Covering children and adults at risk. Version 1.2, 14 July 2026.

This policy statement sets out how HappyMe protects children, young people and adults at risk who use our app, with particular regard to those who are more vulnerable. It should be read alongside our other policies and reviewed regularly.

Purpose and scope

HappyMe is a digital wellbeing and mental health app operated by Happy Solutions Ltd, a company registered in the Isle of Man (company number 131430C). Its content is created by Melanie Drameh, a practising therapist who works with children, young people and adults, and it reflects the same body of work she delivers face to face at her clinic, AchieveHappiness, in Rochdale, United Kingdom (achievehappiness.co.uk).

The app makes therapeutic content available to users of all ages. This includes tasks that help people manage their mental health, lessons and audio and video content that explain how the brain works and how to understand and manage anxiety, and self-assessment questionnaires that help users reflect on how anxious or burnt out they may be feeling.

HappyMe does not include any chat, messaging, comments or other features that allow users to communicate with one another, and it does not host any user-generated content. All content is produced by a qualified, practising therapist.

Although HappyMe is designed for people of all ages, we recognise that children and young people, and adults at risk, may use it, and that some are more vulnerable than others. This policy sets out how we keep them safe.

In this policy, a child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. An adult at risk is any person aged 18 or over who is, or may be, in need of care or support by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness, and who is, or may be, unable to protect themselves against harm. Because HappyMe's content addresses anxiety, low mood and burnout, we recognise that some of our adult users may be adults at risk.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

  • to protect the children, young people and adults at risk who use HappyMe from harm, including those who may be at greater risk
  • to provide the owner of HappyMe, along with any staff, contractors, volunteers, and users and their families and carers, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and protection.

This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Happy Solutions Ltd, including the owner, any employees, contractors and freelancers (such as those producing or reviewing content) and volunteers.

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of Isle of Man legislation and guidance that seeks to protect children and adults at risk, including the Children and Young Persons Act 2001, section 17 of the Safeguarding Act 2018, and the Isle of Man Safeguarding Board Multi-Agency Safeguarding Procedures. We also have regard to Isle of Man Safeguarding Together 2019.

Because HappyMe is delivered online and a number of our users are based in the United Kingdom, we also have regard to UK safeguarding practice and guidance where relevant, and we follow standards such as the UK Information Commissioner's Office Age Appropriate Design Code (the Children's Code), which sets out how online services likely to be accessed by children should be designed.

We handle personal data in line with Isle of Man data protection law, namely the Data Protection Act 2018 (Isle of Man) and the applied GDPR, regulated by the Isle of Man Information Commissioner (inforights.im). Where we process the personal data of users based in the UK, UK data protection law may also apply.

Supporting documents

This policy statement should be read alongside our other policies, procedures and guidance:

  • role description for the nominated safeguarding lead
  • procedure for responding to a concern or disclosure about a child, young person or adult at risk
  • procedure for responding to a user who may be at risk of harm to themselves or others
  • recording concerns and information sharing
  • records retention and storage
  • code of conduct for staff, contractors and volunteers
  • content development and clinical review process
  • online safety and age-appropriate design
  • data protection and privacy policy
  • safer recruitment
  • managing complaints
  • whistleblowing.

We believe that:

  • children, young people and adults at risk should never experience abuse of any kind
  • we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of everyone who uses HappyMe, to keep them safe, and to design and deliver our content in a way that protects them.

We recognise that:

  • the welfare of children and adults at risk is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
  • everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, has an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
  • some users are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, mental health difficulties or other issues, and this is especially relevant for an app whose content addresses anxiety, low mood and burnout
  • extra safeguards may be needed to keep those who are additionally vulnerable safe from harm
  • although HappyMe has no features that allow contact between users, and therefore does not carry the risks of online bullying, grooming or exploitation that come with messaging or social features, an app dealing with mental health still carries its own safeguarding responsibilities, particularly around how we respond if a user appears to be in distress or at risk.

How the design of HappyMe reduces risk

We have deliberately designed HappyMe to limit the ways in which users could be exposed to harm through the app:

  • there is no chat, messaging, direct messaging or video calling
  • there are no comments, forums or other spaces in which users interact
  • there is no user-generated content of any kind
  • all content is produced or reviewed by a qualified, practising therapist before it is published
  • the only personally identifiable information we capture is an email address
  • text entered by a user is encrypted on the device before it is saved to our backend database, and is decrypted again only within the app once it has been retrieved. Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest (the stored text, the database and its backups are all encrypted). As a result, we are not able to see the contents of what users write in the app.

This means the risks associated with peer-to-peer contact, such as online bullying, grooming and child sexual exploitation, are not present within the app. We remain alert to the safeguarding responsibilities that do apply, which are set out below.

How we will seek to keep users safe

  • ensuring all content is created or reviewed by a suitably qualified therapist, and is appropriate, evidence-informed and delivered in an age-appropriate way
  • making it clear to users that HappyMe is a self-help and educational tool and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis, therapy, or urgent or crisis care
  • appointing a nominated safeguarding lead, and a deputy, with responsibility for safeguarding and protection
  • adopting safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct
  • providing clear, visible and age-appropriate signposting throughout the app to sources of help and support, including crisis support, so that anyone who needs help knows where to turn
  • designing our self-assessment questionnaires so that they are clearly presented as reflective tools rather than clinical diagnoses, and so that results which may indicate significant distress are accompanied by supportive messaging and signposting to appropriate help
  • responding promptly and appropriately to any safeguarding concern that comes to our attention, including any disclosure a user makes through a support or contact channel
  • recruiting and selecting any staff, contractors or volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks (including enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, or the equivalent, where appropriate to the role) are made
  • recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection law and guidance (see the Isle of Man Information Commissioner: inforights.im)
  • designing the app in line with standards such as the UK ICO Age Appropriate Design Code, including considering the best interests of the child, applying age-appropriate privacy settings by default, and collecting the minimum personal data necessary
  • making sure that users and their families and carers know where to go for help if they have a concern, and how to contact us
  • sharing information about a safeguarding concern with the agencies who need to know, such as children's or adult social care or the police, where a person may be at risk of harm, and involving the person and their family or carers appropriately unless doing so would place them at greater risk
  • ensuring we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place
  • reviewing this policy and our safeguarding practice regularly.

Self-assessment questionnaires and responding to risk

The questionnaires in HappyMe (for example those exploring levels of anxiety or burnout) are designed to help users reflect on how they are feeling. They are not diagnostic tools and do not replace an assessment by a qualified professional. We make this clear to users within the app.

HappyMe does not have anyone monitoring users, and because the text users enter is encrypted on their own device we are not able to read what they write. Where a questionnaire response falls in a range that may indicate significant distress, the app responds automatically with supportive messaging and clear signposting to help, including urgent and crisis support.

Because no one monitors or reviews what users enter, and because HappyMe cannot contact a user directly or intervene in an emergency, we make it explicit within the app that HappyMe cannot provide crisis or emergency help. We direct users to the services that can. Crisis signposting is available from within the app at any time, not only after a questionnaire.

If you are worried about a child or an adult at risk

If someone is in immediate danger, or their life is at risk, call the emergency services on 999.

If you are worried about someone but they are not in immediate danger, use the route for where the person is:

In the Isle of Man

  • Concern about a child: Manx Care Children and Families, (01624) 686179, Childcarereferrals.DHSC@gov.im. Out of hours, contact Douglas Police Station on (01624) 631212.
  • Concern about an adult at risk: Manx Care Adult Protection Team, (01624) 685969. Out of hours, contact the on-call social worker for adults via Noble's Hospital on (01624) 650000.
  • For advice or to escalate a concern: the Isle of Man Safeguarding Board, (01624) 687365, safeguardingboard.co@gov.im, safeguardingboard.im.
  • Urgent mental health support: Manx Care 24-hour Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team, (01624) 642860.

In the United Kingdom

  • Contact the children's or adult social care service of the local authority for the area where the person lives.
  • Urgent mental health support: NHS 111.

Anywhere

  • Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support on 0800 1111 or at childline.org.uk.
  • Anyone can contact Samaritans free, at any time, on 116 123.
  • The NSPCC Helpline is available on 0808 800 5000 or at help@nspcc.org.uk.

Data protection

HappyMe collects and processes personal data, which may include sensitive information about a person's mental health. We handle this data in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 (Isle of Man) and the applied GDPR (closely aligned with UK data protection law): we collect only what we need, keep it secure, and retain it only for as long as necessary. We take particular care with any data relating to children. Our full approach is set out in our privacy policy.

Contact details

Nominated safeguarding lead

Name: Melanie Drameh
Phone: 07412 443313
Email: mell@achievehappiness.co.uk

Deputy safeguarding lead

Name: Simon King
Phone: 07624 241311
Email: support@happymeapp.co.uk

Key external contacts

Manx Care Children and Families: (01624) 686179
Manx Care Adult Protection Team: (01624) 685969
Manx Care 24-hour Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team: (01624) 642860
Isle of Man Safeguarding Board: (01624) 687365
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Childline: 0800 1111
Samaritans: 116 123

Review and sign-off

We are committed to reviewing this policy and our safeguarding practice at least annually, or sooner if there is a significant change to the app, our services, or relevant legislation.

This policy was last reviewed on: 14 July 2026
By the nominated safeguarding lead, Melanie Drameh, and the deputy safeguarding lead, Simon King.