Safeguarding
Contact is committed to promoting the welfare and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at risk across the UK and protecting them from abuse or neglect, whether they are receiving services from us, are Contact staff and volunteers, or anyone else we meet through our work.
In this article
Policy strategy
Contact believes that all children and young people and vulnerable adults at risk of harm deserve to live happy, safe, and secure lives, protected from abuse, harm, or neglect.
We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and vulnerable adults at risk to keep them safe. And we commit to practice in a way that protects and safeguards children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk of harm.
We acknowledge our responsibilities to those who fall under statutory safeguarding definitions.
Contact’s responsibilities
Our responsibilities as an organisation are:
- To notify the appropriate agencies if abuse is identified or suspected.
- To support and if necessary help secure the safety of individuals and ensure that all referrals to services have full information in relation to identified risk and vulnerability.
- To check volunteers and employees who have access to or work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults at risk through the official criminal record checking procedures.
- To ensure all staff and volunteers are aware of the relevant safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures for raising safeguarding concerns.
- To ensure that all staff have had adequate training and that this is reviewed regularly.
Responsibilities of Contact employees, volunteers and other representatives
We require our employees, volunteers and other representatives:
- To be familiar with the safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adult at risk’s policies and procedures.
- To attend Contact’s mandatory safeguarding training (employees).
- To attend additional safeguarding training as and when a role requires.
- To take appropriate action in line with the safeguarding policies.
- To promote the principles and good practice to other voluntary organisations.
- To declare any existing or subsequent convictions. We will regard failure to do so as gross misconduct, possibly resulting in dismissal.
Accountability
Contact’s Board of Trustees is accountable for ensuring that the organisation has appropriate structure, processes and resources in place to ensure safeguarding is central to everything it does. The Board also monitors compliance.
Contact’s Executive Director of Information, Advice and Family Support is the senior individual accountable for all aspects of safeguarding across the organisation, including a strong culture of safeguarding.
Contact’s Designated Safeguarding Officers support the workforce to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns. The safeguarding team are responsible for giving safeguarding advice and guidance across the organisation.
Our safeguarding policies
Our safeguarding policies outline the practice and procedures for paid and voluntary staff in Contact so that they can contribute to the prevention of abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults through raising awareness and providing a clear framework for action when abuse is suspected.
We review our safeguarding policies annually and make updates as required in line with the relevant legislation in each country in the UK.
Download our policies below:
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy – England
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy – England
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy – Northern Ireland
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy – Northern Ireland
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy – Scotland
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy – Scotland
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy – Wales
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy – Wales
Page last updated: 6 July 2026