An effective safeguarding culture is critical to the creation of a safe and supportive environment for all who come into contact with an organisation.
No organisation that cares about the people with whom it engages, or indeed its own reputation, can ignore the need to work in a way that safeguards and promotes the welfare of people.
Our Safeguarding solicitors at VWV have the experience and expertise to help your organisation comply with its safeguarding responsibilities.
Safeguarding has historically been associated with legal obligations to protect children and vulnerable adults (adults at risk) from abuse and neglect. However, the concept of safeguarding has in recent years been extended to the protection of people generally.
High-profile movements such as Me Too, Black Lives Matter and Everyone's Invited have brought societal expectations about safeguarding and inclusion into sharp focus. They serve to highlight the harm that can result from abuse, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and help to articulate the duty of care which we owe to each other.
How can we help?
Our team of safeguarding solicitors here at VWV can help you to plan for and navigate these issues. Our support includes:
advice on the management of safeguarding risks
consideration of safeguarding governance arrangements and structures which facilitate effective oversight and delegation
how to set an effective safeguarding culture where people raise issues of concern, safe in the knowledge that appropriate action will be taken
the development of best practice safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct
safer recruitment procedures and pre-employment checks
advice on how to manage, report and investigate current and non-recent allegations
advice on referral and reporting
dealing with inquiries, inspections, complaints and claims
Your safeguarding resources
We also offer the following, to help you keep on top of your safeguarding obligations:
eLearning courses on safeguarding and staff equality & diversity, provided by our subsidiary VWV Plus
Policy Tracker, a VWV Plus digital product to ensure that staff have read and understood your safeguarding policy and key documents
training, including on safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), managing allegations, and safer recruitment
