Safeguarding responsibilities shared by the Charity Commission

Specifically, our advice is trustees need to:

Know your duties and responsibilities – under charity law but also under other specific statutory duties or guidance which apply because of the type of work your charity undertakes
Ensure adequate measures are in place to assess and address safeguarding risks put in place adequate safeguarding policies and procedures, including relevant HR matters, appropriate for your charity’s particular circumstances and which reflect both the law and best practice
Make sure your charity’s policies and procedures are effectively applied in practice
Ensure there are mechanisms in place which provide trustees with assurance about your charity’s compliance with those policies and procedure
Ensure those safeguarding policies, practice, and performance are robustly and regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date and fit for purpose
Actively promote a safe culture and strong awareness of everyone’s safeguarding responsibilities in your charity
Take steps to help deter and prevent safeguarding issues from occurring
Ensure there are mechanisms in place to promptly identify and act upon emerging safeguarding trends or issues
Ensure that serious incidents are reported to the Commission in accordance with its guidance and that safeguarding allegations, complaints or incidents are reported to other agencies in accordance with the law and best practice

The measures in place should be proportionate to the size of the charity and the risks arising from the charity’s activities.

For further advice and sources of guidance:
·         safeguarding landing page
·         safeguarding strategy
·         safeguarding policy check list
·         Reporting serious incidents