Key roles and responsibilities in adult safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s business!
Everyone working or volunteering within sporting organisations should be alert to possible indicators of adult abuse and report any adult safeguarding concerns following their reporting procedures. This includes coaches, officials, paid staff and volunteers. They should also take steps to prevent harm occurring within the organisation’s programmes and activities. However, there are some roles with additional safeguarding responsibilities. Everyone involved with the organisation should understand these roles and responsibilities, and there should be clear written reporting procedures to follow should an adult safeguarding concern arise within the organisation.
It is essential that sporting organisations understand the responsibilities placed on them, both by specific legislation and the common law duty of care. Trustees are ultimately responsible for ensuring that these safeguarding obligations are met. By so doing, they will help to safeguard, not only those engaging in the organisation’s programmes and activities, but also the organisation, it’s staff and it’s volunteers. Organisations have an obligation to create a work environment which is safe and respectful towards those who work there (staff and volunteers) and towards beneficiaries. More information can be found at Home – DIY Committee Guide
While safeguarding is the shared responsibility of all Trustees, this role provides support and guidance to the Board, CEO and Leadership Team on this priority to ensure that appropriate and effective governance is in place. Organisations should develop a clear role description (view a sample role description)
Sports organisations should appoint someone to deal with adult safeguarding issues which arise in their organisation. A key role introduced within the regional adult safeguarding policy Adult Safeguarding: Prevention and Protection in Partnership key documents is that of the Adult Safeguarding Champion (ASC).
If your organisation has staff or volunteers who are subject to any level of vetting under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 in respect of your work with adults, then you must have a nominated Adult Safeguarding Champion. If you do not have staff or volunteers who require to be vetted, then you are not required to have an ASC. However, to appoint one would be best practice. All groups and organisations working with adults are encouraged to do so.
The ASC provides strategic and operational leadership and oversight in relation to adult safeguarding within the sports organisation and is responsible for implementing its Adult Safeguarding Policy Statement.
The ASC should ensure that, at a minimum, the organisation safeguards adults at risk by:
- recognising that adult harm is wrong and that it should not be tolerated;
- being aware of the signs of harm from abuse, exploitation and neglect;
- reducing opportunities for harm from abuse, exploitation and neglect to occur; and
- knowing how and when to report safeguarding concerns to HSC Trusts or the PSNI.
The ASC role involves the following components:
- to provide information and support for staff on adult safeguarding within the organisation;
- to ensure that the organisation’s adult safeguarding policy is disseminated and support implementation throughout the organisation;
- to advise within the organisation regarding adult safeguarding training needs;
- to provide advice to staff or volunteers who have concerns about the signs of harm, and ensure a report is made to HSC Trusts where there is a safeguarding concern;
- to support staff to ensure that any actions take account of what the adult wishes to achieve – this should not prevent information about any risk of serious harm being passed to the relevant HSC Trust Adult Protection Gateway Service for assessment and decision-making;
- to establish contact with the HSC Trust Designated Adult Protection Officer (DAPO), PSNI and other agencies as appropriate;
- to ensure accurate and up to date records are maintained detailing all decisions made, the reasons for those decisions and any actions taken;
- to compile and analyse records of reported concerns to determine whether a number of low-level concerns are accumulating to become significant; and make records available.
In larger organisations the ASC may delegate some of the operational tasks or activities to an appointed person(s) within their organisation e.g. the Safeguarding Lead.
To meet the governance requirements set out in the regional adult safeguarding policy, the ASC should compile an annual Adult Safeguarding Champion Position Report. This Report contains data such as the number of adult safeguarding referrals made and not made to the HSC Trust; the adult safeguarding training opportunities provided within your organisation and the uptake across staff and volunteers; and any action your organisation plans to take to ensure it is compliant with the regional adult safeguarding policy.
The Position Report contains significant information for your organisation’s Senior Management Team and/or Trustees. It should be scrutinised by them on an annual basis. It should also be made available for any external audit purposes, where relevant. To access the report template with guidance, contact the Adult Safeguarding in Sport Service, Volunteer Now.
