‘Conversations with partners about safeguarding can feel like a check list but it should be about more than that, it should be a partnership to manage risks’.
The CAPSEAH framework is essential for strengthening child safeguarding in contexts that involve humanitarian aid, development and peacekeeping work. It addresses risk factors, such as power imbalances, gender inequalities and social exclusion, which are often at the root of wider safeguarding issues. Many of the foundational actions it promotes help build a robust safeguarding culture, reducing the risk of harm not only in SEAH but also in other critical areas of child safeguarding.
Child safeguarding is an essential responsibility for trustees and leaders in any organisation and a strong safeguarding culture starts with well-informed and proactive leadership. As the GOV.UK guide on Safeguarding for Charities and Trustees states, ‘A strong safeguarding culture means you protect people, minimise risks of harm, and instil confidence that concerns will be appropriately addressed.’ To achieve this, trustees must identify and manage safeguarding risks, review and update policies regularly and ensure suitable checks are in place for staff and volunteers.
Carano4Children (C4C) also highlights core responsibilities for trustees to uphold safeguarding, such as appointing a designated safeguarding trustee, managing allegations, conducting thorough risk assessments and balancing trustee representation to prevent dominance in decision-making: ‘Protecting people from harm must be central to our culture’.
Explore some resources developed by KCS and other organisations on this topic:
- www.capseh.safeguardingsupporthub.org (available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic)
- CAPSEAH Practical Guidance (available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic)
- CAPSEAH (pdf file in English)
- CAPSEAH (pdf file in Spanish)
- Training Module – Safeguarding responsibilities for C4C trustees by Carano 4 Children
- SOS Children’s Villages Spain – Leadership model (available in Spanish)
- Child protection at school by Unicef Spain (available in Spanish)
- UK Government – Guidance: Safeguarding for charities and trustees
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations – Help and Guidance
International Child Safeguarding Week is a global online campaign hosted by Keeping Children Safe, from 21-25 October 2024, to emphasise that safeguarding children from exploitation and abuse is everyone’s responsibility. It offers daily resources and insights on different child safeguarding themes, all available on the KCS website.