Safe Organisations

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Every agency must consider the way they offer services to children and parents. Visit Every Child Matters website for more information.

For information specific to voluntary organisations, you may find our Safeguarding in voluntary agencies page useful.

Reference material

Here are some useful links to help organisations comply with legal requirements

• Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 came into force on October 1 2005. This places new duties on most agencies who provide public services to make sure they are doing everything appropriate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This applies to contracted or commissioned services as much as services provided directly. For advice on how to comply with this legislation see Guidance on the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Alternatively download our leaflet explaining Your duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (pdf 155kb). 
  
• The Shipman Inquiry made recommendations about the need to protect vulnerable adults
  
• The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides information on the Race Relations Act

Safe recruitment

• View proposals for a vetting and barring scheme to safeguard children and vulnerable adults
• The Sexual Offences Act 2003 protects children and vulnerable adults by making certain abuses of trust by workers providing a service a criminal offence. View the key points for children and families (pdf 625kb)
• The Section 11 guidance draws attention to the need for safe recruitment
• The Department for Children, Schools and Families have published a guide to the Protection of Children Act 1999
• The guidance safeguarding children, safer recruitment and selection in education is useful to many organisations working with children. It can be downloaded from Teacher Net. Those responsible for staff selection and interviewing in education settings can also access an online training course
• Out new Human Resources guidance documents are now available.  Download Safeguarding standards in Human Resource management (pdf 389kb) and Safer disciplinary decisions (pdf 379kb).  These provide advice on safer recruitment, selection and workforce management.  To order copies, please contact the SSCB on the details below. 

Workforce skills

• The government has published the Common core of skills and knowledge for the children's workforce. Chapter three describes the skills and knowledge staff need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children they have contact with
• The Department for Children, Schools and Families has published a toolkit to support agencies in developing multi agency working. This is available through the multi agency working guidance

Local policies and protocols

• The safe organisation checklist (pdf 47kb) is available in A4 and A3. For copies email sscb@southwark.gov.uk
• Safeguarding in voluntary organisations for guidance on developing child protection policies in voluntary and independent organisations and faith groups
• For information on safeguarding vulnerable adults including our safeguarding adults policy, see our safeguarding adults pages 
• For information, including handling individual cases, see procedures, guidance and advice for those working with children and families
  

Contact

Southwark safeguarding children board (SSCB)
Tel: 020 7525 3306
Fax: 020 7525 3328
sscb@southwark.gov.uk
Mabel Goldwin House
49 Grange Walk
London
SE1 3DY