Actions to take
Five key steps
The Charity Commission has set out five key steps for charities to take to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities which we have explained below, as we think they are useful for all voluntary organisations.
1. Identify and manage safeguarding risks
Think about the way your organisation operates, the activities it undertakes and the people it comes into contact with. Identify the circumstances where there are safeguarding risks and then work out what action you can take to remove or reduce the likelihood of that harm occurring. You need to record the risks and action that you are taking, and review this regularly.
2. Have suitable policies and practices in place
Your charity must have robust safeguarding policies which everyone understands and uses. These should include making sure everyone knows how to identify and report a concern or incident.
Go to our Safeguarding policies section for further help with this.
3. Carry out necessary checks
You must make sure trustees, volunteers and staff are suitable to act in their roles through carrying out relevant checks. Recruiting or bringing new people into the organisation, whether as volunteers or into paid roles, is an opportunity to take a preventative approach to check whether they are safe and suitable to join you. A few basic steps will help you to gain a better understanding of who you are entrusting with your work and your reputation.
Our information sheet Safer Recruitment gives you further guidance on how to approach this.
Undertaking the appropriate checks may also involve carrying out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. There are detailed rules about when it is appropriate to use DBS checks and you can find more information in the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) section.
4. Protect your volunteers and staff
It is important to provide them with ongoing support and supervision, to help them deliver their best for you, and continue to keep everyone safe. They will also need safeguarding training proportionate to their role and the amount of direct contact they are expected to have with children, young people or adults at risk.
5. Handle and report incidents appropriately
When handling and recording safeguarding incidents you should act in a secure and responsible way and respond quickly.
All community and voluntary organisations are expected to be prepared to make a safeguarding report to the local authority social services department if they have concerns involving abuse or neglect.
Additional responsibilities – children and adults at risk
If your organisation works with children, young people under 18 or adults who may have care and support needs then there are additional safeguarding responsibilities that you must follow.
You can find more information on this in our section on Working with people who could be at risk
If things go wrong…
Importantly – If something does go wrong, and it probably will (we’re only human after all), what should you do?
- Follow the policies you do have in place
- Seek advice and guidance from your CVC or Safeguarding Service, or other agencies you may already work with
- Be honest. Acknowledge that something didn’t work as well as it should, and take determined steps to put it right. Seek advice
- Review the policies that allowed the issue to occur and look to improve them
