Published: 4 October 2021
Introduction
Your safeguarding policy sets out what you will do to keep people safe.
The amount of detail you go into in this document will vary depending on what your organisation does but the main thing is that there is a policy and procedure in place and everyone in your organisation (no matter what their role) has seen and understood them.
Getting Started with Safeguarding
The moment you start an organisation, especially one working directly with children or adults at risk, there are certain steps you can take with regards to safeguarding. This isn’t just about having something written down to tick a box. A lot of safeguarding is about creating a culture of openness and where safeguarding is a priority.
- Identify and assess the risks for your organisation
- Nominate your safeguarding leads (and trustee responsible for safeguarding)
- Develop your staff, trustees’ and volunteers’ understanding of safeguarding
- Research local policies and key contacts
- Write a safeguarding policy statement that it includes everything it needs to
- Create your basic safeguarding procedures to help everyone in your organisation respond appropriately to concerns.
- Set a code of conduct to outline behavioural expectations
- Select the right staff and volunteers through safe recruitment processes
- Stay informed and up to date of changes in safeguarding best practise
- Review and check your safeguarding arrangements to make sure they are effective
Policies & Procedures
The key documents you should have in place for your organisation are:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Reporting Procedure
- Code of Conduct
- Risk Register
Templates, Checklists and Resources
We recommend these guides and templates to help you get started with (or to help you review) your safeguarding policy:
- If your main work is with 0-18 year olds we recommend you work through the safeguarding and child protection self-assessment tool (NSPCC Learning)
- If your main work is with adults, we recommend this checklist and guide (Ann Craft Trust)
Other useful templates and resources:
- NCVO’s Getting Started with Safeguarding
- Guide to writing a safeguarding policy statement for children (NSPCC Learning)
- Writing a safeguarding adults policy and procedure document (Ann Craft Trust)
- Core Safeguarding Policy Templates (BOND)
Further Support
If you would like any support to put safeguarding policies & procedures together, please contact the VCS Support Team at Community Southwark: info@communitysouthwark.org or 020 7358 7020.