A safeguarding policy aligned with current requirements and practical for a small charity

Background
The Prayer Book Society (PBS) has been actively campaigning for the wider use of the Book of Common Prayer for more than 50 years. It is a small charity and most of its activity is adult-focused. However, it runs a set of public speaking awards aimed at young people, which requires a clear and proportionate safeguarding framework.

In light of recent safeguarding reforms within the Church of England, Interim CEO David Harvey recognised the importance of strengthening PBS’s safeguarding arrangements and ensuring that all staff and volunteers understood their responsibilities in relation to children and vulnerable adults participating in PBS events or using its venues.

As he prepared the ground for the appointment of a permanent CEO, David and the trustees were keen to ensure that safeguarding arrangements were appropriately documented, legally informed and embedded prior to handover.

Brief
Action Planning was asked to review a draft safeguarding policy prepared by David and to advise on implementation across the charity’s activities. Emma Goulds took the brief.

Process
David had prepared a draft safeguarding policy drawing on materials from the Church of England and other recognised sources. Following initial revision and internal comment, the draft was submitted to Emma for review.

Emma advised that an alternative template aligned with recognised safeguarding frameworks would better reflect current good practice. With David’s agreement, she redrafted the policy and supporting statement accordingly. She worked with PBS to understand its context and draft the policy to reflect relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Outcome
Emma’s revised version of the policy was formally adopted by the trustees and published on the PBS website alongside practical guidance for branches. PBS also sought external review from Christian Safeguarding Services to provide additional assurance and support ongoing development.

“It's about credibility,” said David. “Is the policy robust and proportionate? It needs to be both. We want arrangements that reflect our size and structure, while meeting our responsibilities properly. For example, DBS checks must be applied appropriately based on role and level of regulated activity – neither under-used nor applied indiscriminately. For our awards finals, with up to 40 young participants, we need a particularly strong and clearly structured framework. So this is about responsible and evidence-based risk management.”

Emma also advised on how the policy should be implemented across different programmes, recognising that these require different approaches. Safeguarding training and guidance are being developed to support consistent implementation.

“We have long-serving volunteer members who value clarity and practicality,” said David. “Emma helped us develop guidance that was clear, respectful and workable, while making clear that safeguarding is a non-negotiable priority. It was a thoughtful and constructive process.”

Consultant’s Insight
When drafting safeguarding policies, there are many templates available. The key is not simply to adopt a template, but to adapt it carefully to the specific context, activities and risk profile of the organisation.

PBS primarily runs events where children are either not present or attend with parents or carers. However, safeguarding responsibility remains with the organisation. A layered approach was therefore adopted, identifying which activities require more robust processes, while ensuring safeguarding remains a priority across the organisation.

Seeking external input from Christian Safeguarding Services was an important governance step, demonstrating how seriously the trustees and leadership take safeguarding.