Safeguarding – What We Would Do
As a small volunteer-run community group, we want everyone who takes part in our activities to feel safe and respected. If anyone ever had a concern about someone’s behaviour, we would take it seriously and follow these simple steps:
1. Keep everyone safe first
If someone might be in danger or needs urgent help, we would call 999 straight away. Otherwise, we would calmly make sure everyone is safe and that the situation doesn’t get worse.
2. Tell someone
The person who noticed the concern would tell our Safeguarding Lead (or the Co-ordinator if they’re not available) as soon as possible. We encourage people not to keep worries to themselves.
3. Write down what happened
We would make a short, factual note about what was seen or said, when and where it happened, who was involved, and what we did at the time. This would be dated and stored safely and confidentially.
4. Get advice or report it
The Safeguarding Lead would decide what to do next. If the concern involved a child or vulnerable adult, we would contact the local council’s safeguarding team or the NSPCC for advice. We would rather ask for help than risk missing something important.
5. Manage the situation
If the concern is about someone’s behaviour at one of our events, we might ask them to leave or not attend until the matter has been looked into. We would do this politely and fairly, making sure everyone understands why.
6. Review and learn
Afterwards, the Panel would meet to talk through what happened, what went well, and what we could do better next time. We would update our procedures or guidance for volunteers if needed.
7. Keep things private
We would only share information with people who need to know, such as safeguarding professionals or emergency services. All details would be kept confidential.