Safeguarding Policy¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Reference | POL-008 |
| Type | Policy |
| Version | 1.00 |
| Status | Approved |
| Owner | Standards & Welfare Officer |
| Approver | Board |
| Approval Reference | MIN-2026-08-02 |
| Effective Date | 2026-08-05 |
| Next Review | 2027-08-05 |
| Review Requirements | As defined in STD-001 |
| Classification | Public |
Purpose¶
To protect the welfare of children and vulnerable adults who may be present at BRSA activities, and to set out what happens if a safeguarding concern arises.
This is a baseline draft, not a finished policy. It's written now so BRSA isn't starting from nothing once an actual event is being planned, but it needs a proper review - ideally against current guidance and, if there's any doubt, actual advice - before BRSA relies on it for a real event, not just a committee sign-off on the wording.
Scope¶
Applies to any BRSA event, meeting, or activity, in person or online, where under-18s or vulnerable adults may be present.
BRSA's activities are expected to be family-oriented - parents or guardians attending with their own children, rather than BRSA running activities specifically for unsupervised children. This policy is scoped to that reality. If BRSA ever moves toward running activities aimed at children without their own parent or guardian present, that is a materially different situation requiring its own proper review, not just an update to this document.
Statement of Commitment¶
BRSA takes the welfare of children and vulnerable adults seriously. Nothing BRSA organises is intended to give any individual unsupervised access to a child or vulnerable adult.
Where Responsibility Sits¶
Parents and guardians remain responsible for supervising their own children at BRSA events. BRSA's responsibility is to provide a reasonably safe environment and to respond appropriately if a concern arises - not to act in place of a parent.
Designated Safeguarding Lead¶
The Committee designates a Safeguarding Lead, who is the first point of contact for any concern. [To be designated - the Standards & Welfare Officer is a natural fit given the remit, but this should be a deliberate Committee decision, not an assumption.]
If You Have a Concern¶
Anyone with a safeguarding concern - something seen, heard, or told to them - should:
- Not investigate it themselves.
- Report it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead promptly.
- Write down factually what was seen or said, as soon as possible, while it's fresh - not opinions or interpretation, just what happened.
For anything indicating immediate risk to someone's safety, contact emergency services (999) or the relevant local authority safeguarding team directly, without waiting for a Committee meeting. The NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) is also available for advice on whether something needs escalating.
Recording¶
Safeguarding matters are recorded as Confidential Minutes (TMP-004), given their sensitivity, and handled with particular care under POL-007 (Records Retention Policy), which already flags that safeguarding records may need a different retention approach than other confidential business.
DBS Checks¶
[Not yet determined - needs checking, not assuming.] Whether any BRSA role meets the legal definition of activity requiring a DBS check depends on the specific nature of the role - how often, how unsupervised, and what kind of contact with children or vulnerable adults it involves. This should be checked against current DBS eligibility guidance (gov.uk) for any specific role before it's created, rather than assumed either way in general terms here.
Training¶
As BRSA's activities grow, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, and ideally any volunteer with regular contact with children at events, should complete basic safeguarding awareness training. Free or low-cost options exist (for example via NSPCC Learning) and this is a proportionate step even before any formal requirement applies.
Related Documents¶
- POL-003 Code of Conduct
- POL-006 Conflicts of Interest Policy
- POL-007 Records Retention Policy
- POL-009 Health & Safety Policy
- PROC-003 Data Breach and Incident Response
- PROC-005 Complaints Procedure
- TMP-004 Confidential Minutes Template
Review Requirements¶
As defined in STD-001, and in any case before this policy is relied on for an actual event.
Change History¶
| Version | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.10 | 2026-07-24 | DC | Initial baseline draft |
| 0.50 | 2026-07-24 | DC | Version -> 0.50; Status -> Review |
| 1.00 | 2026-08-05 | DC | Version -> 1.00; Approval Reference -> MIN-2026-08-02; Status -> Approved; Effective Date -> 2026-08-05; Last Reviewed -> 2026-08-05; Next Review -> 2027-08-05 |