The Charity Commission for England & Wales is clear that safeguarding:
- applies to every charity, not just those dealing with children or adults at risk
- concerns the well-being of every person connected to a charity, not just beneficiaries
- is the responsibility of every charity trustee – not just a designated few
- Trustees have overall responsibility for safeguarding in charities, even if they delegate some activities to a safeguarding lead or group.
- You must ensure your organisation has robust safeguarding policies in place which everyone follows.
- Safeguarding policies should never be ‘cut and paste’. They must always based on the risks to people you come into contact with and be responsive to changing circumstances.
- Everyone involved with a charity should know how to recognise, respond to, report and record a safeguarding concern.