An Open and Honest Culture

As a Trustee you must ensure your RLG has an open, honest culture as this sets the tone for good safeguarding practice.  Barriers to good safeguarding practice are very often to do with members not feeling confident in the processes, or feeling not valued or listened to.  You can promote a healthy safeguarding culture within your RLG through:

•Having processes in place for raising concerns that all Religious, staff and volunteers know about.

•Giving regular opportunities for Religious, volunteers and staff to feedback on the implementation of policies and procedures.

•Encouraging Religious, staff, volunteers and people using the RLG to raise any concerns they have.

•Taking concerns seriously and ensuring feedback is given so that the person who raises the concern is reassured that appropriate action is being taken.

•Not being defensive about mistakes.

•Not covering up to try to protect reputation.

•Identifying and addressing any barriers to good safeguarding practice – problems could be related to ways of working that are caused either by the systems in place, or by behaviours that have become normalised within the RLG.

•Demonstrating a culture of transparency through excellent leadership.

•Embedding learning from safeguarding concerns to support improvements in future practice.