Children and vulnerable people are not always able to tell us when this is happening to them, so it is up to the adults around them to make sure we can spot the signs and know what to do if we have concerns.
Voluntary and community groups who work with children and young people and/or vulnerable adults can struggle to keep up to date and to find the right resources. We run regular Basic Safeguarding Awareness Workshops which cover how to identify and deal with safeguarding issues which will help small voluntary and community organisations to develop good practice that suits their group and its activities. For details of future sessions go to the CVS Events page and set the category to Safeguarding.
In addition, you can sign up for free e-learning using the e-learning self registration system, available from the Pan-Bedfordshire Local Safeguarding Children Boards Training Unit. Their directory of courses lists subjects relating to the safeguarding of children and also vulnerable adults. Please note that groups working with adults can use this training too. Face-to-face training, and other information is also available from the Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Training page.
Groups who are in the early stages of thinking about safeguarding and working with children, and those who already have some experience of working with children and keeping them safe, will find Are They Safe useful. This guide from NSPCC has been written for leaders of a wide range of voluntary and community groups and has 9 steps, which walk you through developing a safeguarding plan and implementing it. It contains information about what safeguarding is, explains why voluntary and community groups need safeguards, and provides links to further information that will help you work through each step.
Organisations with more safeguarding experience can use the NSPCC Safeguarding Tool which has resources, including template forms, sample policy statements and codes of conduct to help your group safeguard children. Their self-assessment tool is also available to find out if your group is doing all it can to safeguard children.
The NSPCC safeguarding standards are aimed at voluntary and community organisations, as well as social enterprises and not-for-profit organisation. They help organisations to take responsibility for keeping children, young people and young adults safe; have a practical approach; and comply with legislation and national guidance. They provide useful templates, examples, and links to further information, and are designed to be used alongside our safeguarding tool.
Our DBS checking page has information about how to carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (formerly known as CRB checks).
Our Safeguarding and Trustees page provides a starting point for Trustees of an organisation to find out more about their responsibilities for safeguarding.
Visit the VOCypf Safeguarding Children page for additional information for groups working with children.
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