Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub

The Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub

The Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub (The Hub) is a freely accessible online resource providing guidance, support, advice and access to training resources in relation to safeguarding and risk management for organisations and individuals working with young people. The Hub provides a comprehensive risk management framework that can be applied to the diverse activities across the youth sector, and is intended to be a ‘go-to’ place with content drafted and maintained by safeguarding and risk experts.   

The Hub aims to promote good safeguarding and risk management practices across the youth sector. The Hub relates directly to the delivery of youth programmes and services and does not cover occupational health and safety considerations. Organisations should ensure they have access to separate competent advice regarding occupational health and safety matters.  

Why is it needed?  

Safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults is the most important duty of any youth worker. In response to reduced funding and resources within the sector, the national workforce has changed and this has placed greater reliance upon volunteer youth workers. The diminishing infrastructure support available to volunteers, and the organisations they work with, means there is inconsistent training, CPD opportunities and resources available across England. 

Meanwhile, the complexities of young people’s needs and risks have increased. We recognise there is a need for clarity and investment to support organisations and individual workers to develop consistent support structures of safeguarding and risk management in order to help ensure our young people have access to safe services, support and care.  

The Resources

Setting up your Safeguarding Culture

This guidance is designed to facilitate good thinking in relation to developing a robust and effective safeguarding culture.

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Safeguarding for Youth Work Guidance

This document outlines safeguarding policy and procedures for the protection of children and young people at risk.

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Safeguarding Standards for the youth sector

have been designed to support good safeguarding practices for all those working with children and young people

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Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers

Any allegation or concern that an employee or volunteer has behaved or may have behaved in a way that has hurt/harmed, or potentially harmed, a child or young person, must be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively and promptly, regardless of where the alleged incident took place. Any allegation against a member of staff must be reported within 24 hours to the County LADO Service, by the DSO. This referral will determine whether the allegation reaches the harm threshold to justify involvement from a LADO in the management of the allegation.

Competent Advice

Youth work organisations, as ‘employers’ are required by law to appoint a ‘competent’ person or people to help them meet their legal health and safety responsibilities. Further information regarding competence can be found on the HSE Website

Complaints, Compliments and Comments

We are committed to delivering services with the highest standards of care and committed to ensuring ongoing organisational development to maintain excellence. Your complaints, compliments and comments help us to learn about, and improve, how we work. This complaints, compliments and comments policy and procedures applies to anyone not working for the organisation. This includes, but is not limited to:

Consent Form Template

This is an example of a consent form template for young people to take part in youth work activities

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Youth work organisations will regularly use, provide, and come into contact with substances which could be ‘hazardous to health’ and should therefore be aware of the potential risks.

Critical Incident Response

Youth work organisations and workers must be prepared and know what to do if faced with an emergency or critical incident i.e. a situation that overwhelms the immediate staff team and requires the wider support of the organisation and/or external support services.

Day Venues

Youth work organisations use a range of different venues for delivering their services. The venue itself is a key part of the overall safety management system so advance planning is required. When using day activity venues that are not owned or managed by the youth work organisation, workers should ensure that procedures are in place to manage the safety and wellbeing of young people and workers at the venue.

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

This guidance explains why a DBS can have value and how to best use them as part of a wider culture of safer recruitment. It also highlights their appropriate use and legal compliance. This guidance should be read alongside the Safer Recruitment Policy and Recruitment of Candidates with a Criminal Record Guidance.

Due Diligence for Suppliers and Partners

This guidance outlines why due diligence of partners and suppliers is a vital part of keeping children, young people and adults at risk, safe. It offers an approach to how you might carry out a due diligences process and what you may assess.

Electrical Safety on Youth Work Programmes

Electricity and the use of electrical equipment presents a significant risk on youth work programmes the potentially high severity of consequence which may result from poor practice.

Equipment Safety

The information included within this resource applies to any equipment used during youth work activity, either by young people themselves or the workers who are with them. Information in this resource does not cover workers’ use of occupational work equipment. For example equipment used in office settings which young people do not have access to, or where a contracted third party may be operating machinery to set-up a site in advance of a youth programme i.e. to put up marquees or teepees.

Example Accommodation Inspection Checklist

Example general third party checklist

Example Risk Assessment

This is an example of a completed Risk Assessment for a youth activity

Example transport provider checklist

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Contact the Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub

The Training Courses

Please click below to register for free access to our introductory safeguarding training courses

Note: Course registrations are currently only processed during business hours, if you register at the weekend, please allow some time for your login information to come through

Who is it for? 

The Hub aims to provide support for anyone across the youth sector who may be seeking safeguarding or risk management information, guidance or support. The Hub aims to support both organisations and individual practitioners alike. It is recognised that there are many National Associations and other organisations within the sector who are already following and have access to high quality and established risk management frameworks.  The information within The Hub is not intended to replace or supersede established systems that youth organisations have already developed.  It is primarily aimed at those who have limited access to such resources, specialist knowledge or established practice. 

How to use this resource 

The Hub provides guidance on what organisations or individuals should do in response to areas of safeguarding and risk management, highlighting examples of good practice.  

The Hub is structured to provide a risk management framework that can be applied to a broad range of activities and practice across the youth sector. The framework includes specific guidance topics arranged into four key areas of: Safe People; Safe Place & Activities; Safe Policy, Process & Procedure; and Safe Equipment & Resources.  

You are invited to navigate through the resource to access advice on specific topics, or to view and apply the framework as a whole. Where applicable and appropriate, template documents are available to download to support the application and implementation of good practice. If you have any questions or queries about the Hub, please complete the form below.  

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