The Bishop Radford Trust Safeguarding Policy
This policy outlines our safeguarding procedure and what we expect from all those who work for and with the Trust.
It is our belief at The Bishop Radford Trust (BRT) that everyone has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harassment, without exception or regard for any personal circumstances or characteristics. This policy details how we make sure all those who work for us are clear about the importance of safeguarding and what to do if they have any concerns.
This policy applies to all BRT employees, trustees, volunteers, interns, and individuals or organisations we engage with.
Safeguarding in the context of Grant-making
As a grant making Trust our primary safeguarding focus is to assess the safeguarding arrangements of current and prospective grant holders.
Given the number and diversity of grantees, there is significant variation in the grant holders and the safeguarding risks.
Some of our grant holders may never come into contact or deal with children or adults at risk of harm. Others may have significant involvement. The location of grant holders will be relevant in some cases.
Some grant holders operate outside the UK, often in some of the poorest and least-developed areas of the globe, where children and adults may face different or additional risks of exploitation, and employees may be subject to a power imbalance.
Assessments for grant-holders:
For all grant holders, we aim to conduct a reasonable and proportionate assessment of their approach to safeguarding. We will take several factors into account, including:
- Scope of the funding.
- Nature of the grant holder’s activities.
- The risks of abuse, neglect or exploitation of people that the grant holder may encounter in its work.
- Location of the work, with particular regard to any additional safeguarding risks that might by connected to that location.
The trustees of BRT together with the Director, will ensure that clear guidelines are in place when:
- Assessing applications
- Recommending prospective grant holders
- Monitoring grants.
- Acknowledging, responding to and reporting safeguarding concerns
Grantmaking guidelines
These guidelines are designed to ensure that reasonable and proportionate assessments and monitoring are conducted in our grant-making process, both at the application stage and over the life of any funding. The guidelines will be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.
• Reflect: consider the safeguarding risks and obligations of the grant holders the Trust generally supports to inform a checklist, flowchart or series of questions to consider in assessing applications.
• Research: assess whether a grantee applicant / holder meets the expected safeguarding requirements and has any reported concerns on the Charity Commission.
• Review: at regular intervals, discuss with trustees any safeguarding concerns reported by grant holders, and more widely if there is relevant learning, consider changes in the operating environment, legislation, guidance and safeguarding practice and revise the guidelines to reflect these.
• Recognise: be alive to safeguarding questions on project visits and in grant reports.
• Respond: acknowledge safeguarding concerns raised by grant holders promptly and deal with them in an appropriate, timely and confidential manner.
• Report: report safeguarding concerns promptly to a senior member of BRT staff, and if necessary to the Trustees.
Safeguarding requirements will be reasonable, proportionate and deliverable.
Primary accountability for safeguarding should be to the participants of programmes funded by BRT.
Safeguarding training
The Trustees will also ensure the provision of regular and up-to-date safeguarding training and access to learning networks and specialist advice as necessary.
Reporting concerns
Employees or associated personnel who have a safeguarding concern of any kind, whether it is about a colleague, trustee, volunteer, intern, associated personnel, or a grant holder, must bring it to the attention of the Director of BRT.
The Trust must document all reports of safeguarding concerns or issues, with as much detailed information as possible, and maintain a register of safeguarding concerns, which will be kept securely and confidentially.
Confidentiality:
At all stages of the reporting or investigation process, confidentiality is essential. Confidentiality must be balanced against the need to conduct prompt and fair investigations, as well as, in some cases, an obligation to report to authorities such as the police or social services
Approach to investigation:
The level of investigation and the investigation process itself will depend on the nature of the safeguarding issue identified and where it arises.
Procedure if the investigation is connected to a grant-holder:
If it is in connection with a grant holder, where BRT will inevitably have a more limited ability to investigate, we would expect to engage with that organisation first under their policies and procedures. We recognise that there may be instances where it is deemed necessary to immediately notify external authorities. The Director and Trustees will decide whether any safeguarding issue is a serious incident and if appropriate report it to the Charity Commission or ask that the grant holder does this themselves.
Reporting a safeguarding concern:
Please contact enquiries@bishopradfordtrust.org.uk.
Grant holders requirements:
We will ask all approved grantees for a safeguarding policy. Funds will not be transferred to any grantee until we are in receipt of an adequate safeguarding policy.
We will signpost to thirtyoneeight.org if grantees need advice, don’t have a policy, or we believe they need an updated policy.
If you have any queries about the details of this policy, please write to enquiries@bishopradfordtrust.org.uk.
