Community and practice

Yes — and it is smaller than it looks. The standard is the same for every organisation, but how you meet it is scaled to your size. At Tier 1 you need one safeguarding lead, one external backup, a written policy, a signed code of conduct, and an induction for everyone. Your policy may be four pages long. The requirement is that it exists, that it is approved, and that everyone knows it. The requirement is not that it is long.

Around six hours of work, plus one board meeting. Most organisations spread that over two to four weeks.

Yes. Safeguarding covers children, young people whose situation may make them vulnerable, adults at risk, and your own staff and volunteers. Distance from home, economic dependency, isolation and language barriers all raise risk for adult participants — which is why the framework covers them explicitly.

You can use our template, which is designed to be adapted. What you cannot do is adopt a policy without completing the bracketed sections. A policy that names nobody and describes no procedure is not a policy.

The Safe Spaces Implementation Guide. It is the map to everything else.

The named, trained person responsible for coordinating your organisation’s response to safeguarding concerns. Every organisation needs one, at every tier.

In a small organisation, yes. What matters more is that there is a second person — an Alternate or an external backup — who can act when the lead is unavailable, or when the lead is too close to the situation.

This is exactly why the second person exists. The Alternate or the external backup takes over, with the same authority. If the concern involves the director or the lead, the board chair becomes the decision-making lead.

In most countries, no — but it does require training. Our courses cover the role. National requirements vary, so check the Country Legal Supplement for yours.

Report it anyway. Deciding what a concern amounts to is the safeguarding lead’s job, not yours. When in doubt, treat it as the more serious of the two possibilities.

No — and this is one of the most common mistakes. Say instead: “I need to share this with our safeguarding lead to keep you safe. I will tell you what I share, and why.”

No. Do not ask leading questions, do not look for evidence, and do not speak to the person the concern is about. Recognise and report; the safeguarding lead decides what happens next.

It depends on what has happened and where you are. Where a crime may have been committed, or a child is at risk of significant harm, you refer to the statutory authorities and you do not investigate yourself. Mandatory reporting duties differ by country — see the Country Legal Supplement.

Reporting a concern in good faith that turns out to be a misunderstanding is not a failure. Failing to report one is.

Yes. Safeguarding records are special category data, and there are lawful bases for processing them — including protecting someone’s vital interests and substantial public interest. What the law requires is that access is restricted, the purpose is clear, and retention is defined.

Retention periods vary by country. As a general position: six years for cases involving adults, and for cases involving a child, until they reach 25. Confirm your own national requirement.

Yes, where it is necessary to protect someone. Wherever possible, tell the person at risk what is being shared and why, before you share it.

This depends on your country and on the type of work. Some countries require checks for anyone working with children; others do not. See the Country Legal Supplement.

They are free, and yes. You may adapt and reuse them, including inserting your own organisation’s name and branding, provided you credit the Safe Spaces project. See Using these materials.

Yes. If you produce a translation into a language we do not yet cover, we would be glad to hear about it.

No. They provide evidence of completed structured safeguarding training, suitable for your training record and for funder reporting. They are not a professional qualification or a licence to practise.

It downloads at the end of each course, once you have completed the final knowledge check.

No. There is no login anywhere on this website.

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