All charities have a responsibility to ensure they don’t cause harm to anyone who has contact with them. Charities working with children or adults at risk have extra responsibilities.
As a trustee you must make sure your charity fulfils this responsibility. Even if you delegate some activities to a safeguarding lead or group, you retain overall responsibility.
Harm and abuse have a devastating impact. A strong safeguarding culture means:
- you protect people
- you minimise the risks of any harm or abuse
- everyone has confidence their concerns will be dealt with appropriately
- everyone at the charity understands their role
Every trustee must make sure their charity undertakes these 5 actions:
1 Identify and manage risks
2 Have suitable policies and practices in place
3 Carry out necessary checks
4 Protect your volunteers and staff
5 Handle and report incidents appropriately
Read more detailed safeguarding guidance from the Charity Commission.
Derby Community Accountancy Service 