Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is an important issue. We take responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of those we work with. As a responsible grant-maker, we ask applicants to confirm they have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. We support best practice and legal compliance for safeguarding. This is what it means in practice:
For our people
- We provide training on personal safety. This is especially important for staff travelling on Foundation business and visiting charities.
- We have processes to monitor staff safety and wellbeing when travelling for work.
- We expect our staff to be accompanied at all times on visits to charities. Our staff can’t be left unaccompanied with children, young people or vulnerable adults. Our staff will politely refuse to do so if necessary.
- We have vetting procedures for people working with us.
- Our Trustees review the Foundation’s safeguarding policy every year and when legislation is revised.
For our applicants and charity partners
We don’t want to burden our applicants with unnecessary demands but we also need enough information to make good funding decisions. We do not expect a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to safeguarding. But we do expect that applicant’s safeguarding measures are:
- up to date
- actively monitored
- relevant and proportionate to an applicant’s work and their beneficiaries
- agreed by their trustees or governing body
- reviewed on a regular basis
We aren’t a regulator and we can’t give advice on safeguarding as this isn’t our area of expertise. But we do expect safeguarding policies and procedures to include:
- A statement outlining an organisation’s commitment to safeguarding and protecting vulnerable people.
- Specific safeguarding procedures relating to an organisation’s work with its vulnerable beneficiaries and/or staff.
- Clarity on who is responsible for safeguarding.
- A clear process for staff on reporting concerns, disclosures and for whistleblowing.
- A regular review of policy and procedures. This means they are up to date with risks, good practice and changes in legislation.