Community and voluntary organisations are often among the first to notice when someone may be experiencing harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation. This practical toolkit has been created to help staff, volunteers and trustees respond confidently and appropriately when concerns arise.
Produced in collaboration with the London Borough of Ealing and Ealing & Hounslow Community Voluntary Service (EHCVS), the toolkit provides clear, practical guidance for organisations working with people who may be vulnerable for a range of reasons, including age, disability, ill health, isolation, poverty, immigration status, language or experiences of abuse and exploitation.
The toolkit explains how to recognise potential signs of harm, what to do when you have a concern, how to respond sensitively to a disclosure, and when and how to report concerns to the appropriate services. It also covers confidentiality and information sharing, recording concerns, safeguarding responsibilities and how organisations can put effective safeguarding arrangements in place.
Alongside practical guidance, the toolkit includes seven fictional case studies covering issues including domestic abuse, coercive control, abuse in same-sex relationships, migrant survivors, children affected by domestic abuse, modern slavery, radicalisation and grooming. These scenarios are designed to help teams discuss and practise how they would respond in real-life situations.
The toolkit also includes a quick-reference directory of local and national safeguarding contacts, a concern recording form, a safeguarding-readiness checklist and a glossary of key terms.
Whether your organisation is developing its safeguarding arrangements or simply wants staff and volunteers to feel more confident about what to do when something doesn’t feel right, Keeping People Safe provides a straightforward starting point for building safer, more responsive community organisations.
Download the Toolkit here: Keeping People Safe Toolkit
