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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Lone Worker Policy

This policy has been designed as a source of advice for the managers of staff who may be required to lone work within the Youth Work organisation. The guidance is to be read in conjunction with the organisation’s Lone Working Procedure, Safer Working practices and a specific, up-to-date risk assessment. Whilst it is the legal responsibility of the organisation to provide safe systems of work, individuals have a responsibility to follow safe working practices, both within the office environment and outside of it.

Manual Handling

The term manual handling covers a wide variety of activities including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying, all of which present a risk of injury if not managed appropriately.

Media Consent Form

This is an example template of a media consent form to collect young people's media permissions

Medication

Youth work organisations should ensure that they have a policy and procedures in place for managing young people’s personal medication, and ensure that policies take into account the full range of activities and services that may be provided. This may include residential programmes, instances of remote supervision, programmes overseas, or in remote areas where access to professional medical provision may be delayed and/or contact with parents/guardians may not be immediate.

Online Delivery – Policy and Guidance

Checklist for Youth Work Online session This document offers a simple checklist of things you … Continued

Policy for Recruitment of Candidates with a Criminal Record

Our organisation is committed to a culture of inclusivity and equality whilst ensuring the safe provision of services to children, young people and adults at risk. Having a criminal record does not automatically prevent you from working with or for our organisation. We recognise the contribution that all people can make as current or future workers, as both employees and volunteers, and are committed to a fair recruitment process in which no-one faces unfair discrimination due to a criminal record.

Position of Trust Guidance

The aim of this guidance is to outline the legal requirements associated with having a legally defined position of trust and offer best practice guidelines for those working in a non-legal or informal position of trust whether paid, unpaid, over 18 or under 18.

Public Spaces and Outreach Work

When using public spaces to deliver organised and scheduled youth programmes or services, or whilst providing outreach work within the community, youth work organisations will need to consider a number of factors to manage risk effectively

Recruitment of Candidates with a Criminal Record

About This Guidance This guidance promotes and supports a culture of fair and equal recruitment … Continued

Residential 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 residential 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.

Risk Assessment Process

Risk assessments should always be considered in the context of the potential benefits of the specific programme, location or activity for the young people participating.

Risk Assessment Template

Please click here to download a word version of a Risk Assessment Template

Safeguarding Concern / Incident Report Template

Please click below to download an Safeguarding concern / incident report template for your use

Safeguarding for Youth Work

This document outlines safeguarding policy and procedures for the protection of children and young people at risk. Every organisation and its individual staff members have a duty of care to ensure the protection of the young people they are working with, from unnecessary risk and/or harm.

Safeguarding Governance Guidance

The aim of this guidance assists you to ensure your organisation effectively oversees the application of safeguarding. This guidance is primarily for anyone in the voluntary sector but is applicable to anyone providing youth work services to children and young people. This could include but is not limited to a charity, community interest company, social enterprise or unincorporated charitable organisations.

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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

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.