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.

Safeguarding for Youth Work Guidance

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

Safeguarding Standards for the youth sector

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

Safeguarding Standards for the Sector

These standards promote good safeguarding practices for those working with children and young people, adults … Continued

Safer Recruitment Policy

Safe recruitment means taking steps to ensure only individuals who are suitable for working with young people, whilst keeping them safe from harm and risks, are appointed. The following process will be adopted and applied consistently when appointing a staff member, associate or volunteer.

Safety Briefings

It is good practice for all workers, particularly those working directly with young people, to receive a structured briefing at the beginning of any programme and/or after any significant change. This briefing should include a summary of the risk assessment, identifying key hazards and any key control measures that apply to the forthcoming activity. Workers should be given the opportunity to ask questions on the risk assessment and their role in the application of control measures.

Safety Culture

Safety culture is a combination of the individual and group values, attitudes and behaviours that influence how health and safety is managed within an organisation, and how effectively processes and procedures are implemented. Safety culture should influence, and be influenced by, the overall values and ethos of the organisation.

Safety Monitoring and Audit

Effective safety management is normally delivered using a systems-based approach and an important component of this is monitoring and review

Setting Up Your Safeguarding Culture

This guidance is designed to facilitate good thinking in relation to developing a robust and effective safeguarding culture. It is written as a thought piece, and offers a way of thinking that establishes your organisation’s approach. It will enable you to create your own, personalised checklist of actions to keep you and the young people you’re working with safe, and to manage risk well, as well as provide you with a set of suggested first 10 steps. It is not designed to tell you about the general aspects of establishing a youth group.

Staff Conduct Policy

As a Youth Worker working in the organisation – whether as a member of staff or a volunteer – you have a responsibility to ensure that everyone attending activities, particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults, are protected from harm. It is the responsibility of each adult working within the organisation to ensure that:

Supervision

Supervision can be provided directly, indirectly (within clear boundaries) or remotely. Workers should always ensure that arrangements are appropriate for the needs and capabilities of the group and that associated risks have been taken into account.  

Supporting Individual Needs

It is essential that youth work organisations understand the individual support needs of all individuals participating in programmes or accessing services in advance, including young people and workers. Organisations should carefully review all information received from young people prior to a programme (i.e. application forms or similar), and pay particular note to any pre-existing conditions or accessibility requirements that have been disclosed.

The Role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead in a Youth Setting

Contents 1. About This Guidance This guidance talks about the purpose, roles and responsibilities of … Continued

Transference of Risk

Transference of risk is when an employee has committed a criminal offence or come into contact with a concern within their personal life. (see allegations against adults’ policy). If a member of staff’s own child/children come to the attention of the statutory agencies for child protection, then issues of transference of risk will need to be considered by the organisation.

Transference of Risk Assessment Form

This template can be downloaded and filled in to assess Transference of Risk.

Transport

Youth work organisations should give particular consideration to road transport safety. Travelling in various means of transport is likely to be one of the higher risk activities involved in the delivery of youth work services. This guidance focuses upon private hire and self-drive road transport and not other methods such as rail, air or ferry. Safety should always be considered when planning transport but other factors will also need consideration such as convenience, cost, health benefits (i.e. walking or cycling) and environmental impact (i.e. use of public transport). All national and local regulations must be adhered to at all times.

Weather

Youth work organisations should consider the potential effects of adverse weather when planning youth sector … Continued

Welfare

All health and safety processes included in this document apply equally to both workers as well as young people. Along with health and safety, welfare is a core part of an employer’s duty to workers as well as young people.

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.  

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