Safeguarding Self-Audit for High or Medium risk Organizations

• The text is about helping organizations to assess their safeguarding practices if they are Medium & High-Risk Grantees.
• It presents a table with headings that clarify expectations, reasons for these expectations, evidence, and status.
• The self-audit can be used as an action plan to measure progress.

Safeguarding Self-Audit Expectations

• There should be a policy statement recognizing that the child's needs are paramount when responding to welfare and protection issues.
• The policy should clearly apply to anyone working for or with the organization.
• Someone of sufficient seniority should be designated with responsibility for safeguarding matters.
• Staff should be supported to effectively recognize and respond to safeguarding concerns.
• Staff should be able to recognize safeguarding concerns and handle them suitably.
• Staff need to be aware of who to inform about any safeguarding concerns.
• There must be a clear decision maker on who should refer to any relevant child protection agencies.
• There is a need to record safeguarding concerns in a secure manner.
• Steps need to be taken to identify people who have committed to safeguarding children.
• Additional needs must be considered with intermediary or re-granting organizations.
• Supervision arrangements and access to Designated Safeguarding Officer need consideration.
• How data will be retained and stored needs considering.
• Different safeguarding processes are required when working globally.
• A section on online interactions with children is a must to ensure there is appropriate safeguarding practices in place.
• Guidance on photographs is important to ensure security.

Explanations and Best Practices

• Organizations that don't directly work with children may struggle with safeguarding.
• A strong endorsement from senior staff emphasizing children's needs is crucial.
• Clear communication on who the policy applies to avoids confusion, including partners and contractors.
• A senior person should be named with responsibility and is important to cover both operational and strategic aspects of concern.
• Support and supervision should be given from managers to raise awareness of safeguarding.
• Staff should know forms of abuse and how they become aware of is important so they know how to respond.
• Documenting the organization's safeguarding arrangements, including designated officers and contact details.

Positive Indicators/Signs Include

• Policy statements that consider all types of contact that the organisation has with children.
• Policies recognising children remain children until they reach 18.
• A willingness to listen and act on feedback and issues that may affect them.
• A designated person wanting the job to truly understand.
• Time and resources need to be allocated for allocating safeguarding.
• There has to be clear limitations and instructions on the role and responsibility to engage and appropriately respond.

Things to look out for

• Statements that focus solely on the organisation or that are simply defensive in tone.
• Statements that are not signed off.
• No named or recognised person who is of sufficient seniority with safeguarding responsibilities.
• Lack of training and inadequate supervision.
• No clarity of how the process operates if the organsiaation works with another.
• If there is uncertainty of any specific referral policies with appropriate referral pathways.
• The lack of acknowledgement of any online risks.