Roles and Responsibilities

As a trustee you are expected to act with care and diligence. The term ‘due diligence’ means that, in line with your duty of care, you take reasonable steps to avoid harm to others. You must have mechanisms in place to make sure that a safe environment is created for people within and who use your service and volunteers. Safeguarding sits within this wider responsibility. All trustees collectively hold this responsibility and should assure themselves that good safeguarding practice is in place in the Religious Life Group. It is recommended that you have a lead trustee for safeguarding; this will provide focus, but it does not absolve other trustees of responsibility. Trustees do not need to be experts or to know every detail, and certainly should not be involved in operational activities as this will blur lines of responsibility and accountability. However you need to understand what needs to be in place and ensure that someone who does have adequate understanding is accountable in your Religious Life Group. In safeguarding terms, this means that you should have a member that is an operational Safeguarding Lead. This person will be accountable to the board and will work closely with the Lead Trustee for Safeguarding. Depending on the size and type of your RLG, you may want a lead as a designated post or you may attach responsibility to an existing post.

As a Trustee of a Religious Life Group, ensure that you are taking the following steps to address the expectations of the Charity Commission and to ensure excellent safeguarding practice within your RLG: 

Ensure a good quality service as a basis for good safeguarding practice – it fosters an environment less likely to give rise to safeguarding concerns

Ensure a safeguarding strategy is in place – decide on your RLG’s priorities and how they might be achieved 

Ensure the safeguarding lead reports progress on strategy aims and objectives to the board at least annually

Develop the right culture – open, honest and ensure everyone understands the ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ approach 

Risk assessment – make sure you anticipate any risks that may apply to you (are there any particular types of abuse or neglect that present a risk to the groups of people you support?) and make plans to mitigate those risks

Eyes on, hands off –know what is going on but don’t get involved in operational detail

Have an operational safeguarding lead, a member at a senior level, with the right skills and knowledge to support you, the staff and volunteers

Ensure regular reporting to the board from the safeguarding lead –ask the right questions, scrutinise, challenge and monitor

Collect information that will be useful to help you to understand where improvements or changes need to be made – each RLG will need to decide what might be useful in the context of their work

Make sure you (the board of trustees) are informed of any serious concerns. The Charity Commission definition of a serious concern includes harm to people who come into contact with your RLG through its work

Ensure safeguarding decision makers in your RLG understand the relevant law on information sharing

Ensure safeguarding is part of the recruitment process