Safeguarding
and
Child Protection
Policy Checklist
for Voluntary, Community
and Faith Sector
SEPTEMBER 2009
1.0 Issues to consider before you start
Before starting to write or review your organisation’s Safeguarding and Child
Protection Policy, you should consider the following:
1) Agree the process for drafting policy – whether one person will write it,
or whether a group of people each write different sections. If one
person writes it this should ensure a consistent style throughout,
however it is clearly more work for one person than sharing with a
number of colleagues.
2) Set a timescale for completion of the policy, including formal minuted
agreement from management. Ensure this is adhered to as closely as
possible.
3) Consider including vulnerable adults as well. There is considerable
overlap with issues for working with vulnerable adults so avoids the
need for two separate but similar policies. For advice regarding
safeguarding vulnerable adults contact Sheffield Adult Safeguarding
Board Partnership 273 6870, to make a referral about a concern ring
2734908.
4) Consider equalities issues throughout the document. Particular
consideration should be made regarding race, culture, age, gender,
sexual identity, and disability
5) Ensure the policy is written in a clear and concise manner, and follows
a logical order.
6) If you use other organisations policies or our template policy to inform
your work, do not copy and paste wholesale. What applies to one
organisation will not necessarily apply elsewhere. In order for them to
be workable, policies have to be relevant and applicable to the
individual organisation. Otherwise children and vulnerable adults could
be placed at risk.
7) The checklist below refers to other policies that your organisation
should have, which are necessary to safeguard and promote the
welfare of children.
8) You need to ensure there is cross reference to the other relevant
policies / documents in your organisation, and also local procedures
such as the South Yorkshire Child Protection Procedures 2007.
9) Consider how you will consult with children and young people or
service users, depending on the business of your organisation.
Feedback about this process should be included in the policy.
SSCB Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector –
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
2
10) Consider also as to how you will consult with partner agencies, and
who you will approach for feedback about your policy. This should also
be incorporated into the policy.
11) Agree the process for dissemination in your organisation, to ensure all
staff and volunteers are aware of its existence. This includes
agreement of senior managers in your organisation. They also need to
made aware of the policy, if they have not already been involved. If it is
a review of an existing policy you should communicate to them what
the main changes are.
12) Further advice and information is available from the Voluntary,
Community and Faith section of Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board
website at www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org.uk or from Deborah
Somerset Malia, Training Coordinator, Safeguarding Children Training
Service for the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors (0114 321
1715 or email deborah.somerset-malia-scts@family-action.org.uk or
Angie Heal, Policy Development Coordinator, SSCB (0114 273 5195 or
email Angie.Heal@sheffield.gov.uk) Advice on adults can be obtained
from www.sheffield.gov.uk/safeguardingadults, which includes details
of training available. For more details contact the Safeguarding Adults
Training Section on 273 4255 or 273 4389.
Safeguarding children training is also available from the Safeguarding
Children Training Service for the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors.
Contact Deborah Somerset-Malia (details as above) for further information or
visit the training pages of the SSCB website (details above).
2.0 Checklist
We recommend that you should include the following in your safeguarding
and child protection policy:
Section
Contents section
Statement who policy has been
agreed and endorsed by
Period of review
Comments
For ease of use as reference
document
For example, the management
committee or board of trustees
Recommended every two years or
earlier if organisational or legislation
or national guidance changes
A) Policy statement which includes:
Principles of policy
Includes definition of child; statement
of commitment to safeguarding and
promoting welfare, reference to
equalities, and partnership working
Purpose of policy
The reason for developing the policy;
provides procedures for staff to
follow; outlines responsibilities
SSCB Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector –
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
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Who policy applies to
Summary of responsibilities of staff /
volunteers
Refer to designated safeguarding
officers in organisation
Summary of consultation process and
outcome with children and young
people, service users and partners
B) National and Local Framework
Legislation and national policy should include reference to:
 Working Together to
Safeguard Children (2006 /
2009)
 Children Act 1989 and 2004
(specific reference to Section
10 - cooperation; 11 –
arrangements to safeguard
and promote welfare)
 Safe from Harm (2007)
 No Secrets (2000)
 Independent Safeguarding
Authority (vetting and barring)
 Every Child Matters 2003
 South Yorkshire Child
Protection Procedures 2007
 Sheffield Safeguarding
Children Board protocols
Staff, volunteers, clients / service
users / children and young people,
contractors, other stakeholders with
whom you work etc
Understand responsibilities; take
appropriate action; value and respect;
commitment to safer recruitment;
ensuring partners and contractors
abide by organisational policies;
induction, training and supervision of
staff / volunteers; commitment to
share relevant information; record
keeping responsibilities.
Responsibilities are outlined in
section 11 of the Children Act 2004.
Also duty to report any concerns
about other staff of volunteers (Local
Authority Designated Officer - LADO
arrangements)
Minimum of two designated staff.
Written job description including roles
and responsibilities and their contact
details (to include in policy
appendices)
Summarise what the consultation
process you have undergone and
with whom re the policy, and what
changes have been made as a result
Ensure consistent with legislation and
national guidance
Be alert of updates and changes
Ensure responsibility for this is
allocated to specific member/s of
staff, and that they know when and
how to report any changes / updates
Include other guidance / policies for
the specific area in which you work
with children, young people or
families
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Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
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
Safeguarding Adults
Procedures (2008)
(full references at end of this
checklist)
Definitions:
 Early intervention
 Safeguarding
 Child in need
 Child protection
 Safeguarding and recognising
adults at risk
 Categories of abuse
 Indicators of abuse (as an
appendix)
 Information sharing protocols
What to do if worried about a child
See Working Together to Safeguard
Children 2006 / 2009 for detailed
information
See Safeguarding Adults procedures
and local policies via Internet as in
12) above
Action for staff to take if concerned.
Clear and unambiguous procedures
in relation to responding to children
with additional needs, child in need
and child protection concerns, with
contact details. Emphasise staff /
volunteers do not have an
investigative role. Guidance should
be sought from Sheffield
Safeguarding Children Advisory
Service, Service Districts, Children’s
Specialist Services or South
Yorkshire Police
When working in partnership with
other agencies, for example when
there is a lead professional
coordinating a multi-agency response
for a child with additional needs, need
to agree who takes responsibility.
What to do if worried about an adult
Staff recruitment
Induction for staff / volunteers
As with children each organisation
should have clear policies to make
referrals into adult services. If advice
in required contact the office on 273
6870 or the person’s allocated social
worker
Commitment to safer recruitment
process. Refer to Appendix 5 of the
South Yorkshire Child Protection
Procedures. Training for staff in
organisation re safer recruitment
Safeguarding and child protection
training as part of induction
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Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
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Staff / volunteer child protection
training
Staff and volunteer adult protection
training
C) Other policies and procedures
Associated required policies:
 Record keeping - including
managing and storing, length
of time required to keep
records, ensuring Data
Protection compliance,
keeping staff records
 Recruitment
 Supervision
 Code of conduct – including
dealing with allegations against
staff / volunteers
 Whistleblowing
 Responding to complaints
against staff / volunteers /
organisation
 E-safety – including
Acceptable Use Policies
 Information sharing /
confidentiality policies
D) Appendices
What to do if concerned about a child
- flow chart
Allegations against staff, volunteers
or carers – flow chart
Useful references to include in policy:
 Legislation and policy as
outlined in section B
 Guidance for adults working
with Children and Young
People in Educational Settings
(DCSF, 2009)
 South Yorkshire Safeguarding
Children Boards Child
Protection Procedures 2007
 SSCB safeguarding protocols
 Seven Golden Rules for
Information Sharing
 Section 11 Guidance
 “What to do ..” booklet (SSCB)
E) Contact numbers
Type and frequency of training.
Internal within own organisation and /
or external (see section 12 above)
Agree a training plan for all staff and
volunteers
If your organisation works with
children and young people or parents
/ carers who bring children to project
or on project activities also need
photo / video policy and use of
images policy, including consent form
for parents / carers
Procedures / protocols are available
from the SSCB website regarding the
following:


Recruitment
Allegations against staff,
volunteers and carers
 Whistleblowing (in Safer
Recruitment – South Yorkshire
Child Protection Procedures)
 E-safety
See below references (section 3)
See below in references (section 3)
Contact numbers of local and national
organisations. Useful information on
SSCB website.
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Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
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3.0 References / contacts
Children Act 1989 and 2004 (specific reference to Section 10 - cooperation;
11 – arrangements to safeguard and promote welfare) www.opsi.gov.uk
Every Child Matters 2003 www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/about
Guidance for adults working with Children and Young People in Educational
Settings (DCSF, 2009) www.dscf.gov.uk
Independent Safeguarding Authority www.isa-gov.org.uk
Information sharing: Pocket Guide (DCSF, 2008)
www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
No Secrets (Department of Health, 2000) safeguarding adults guidance
www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics
Safeguarding Adults Policies and Procedures www.sheffield.gov.uk/safeguardingadults
Safe from Harm: Children’s Views on Keeping Safe (Dr Roger Morgan, CSCI,
2007) www.ofsted.gov.uk
Sheffield Safeguarding Children Advisory Service (0114) 205 3535 (Mon – Fri
9 – 5)
Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board protocols
www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org.uk
South Yorkshire Child Protection Procedures 2007
www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org.uk
Statutory guidance on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the
welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 (DCSF, 2007)
www.dcsf.gov.uk
What to do if you think a child is being harmed Sheffield Safeguarding
Children Board (2009) www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org.uk
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006; revision due in 2009)
www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters
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Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy checklist – September 2009
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