We recognise that all vulnerable adults and children should be protected from all forms of abuse and mistreatment and are committed to acting immediately, where appropriate, upon any such reports of incidents or concerns received by the Charity. This Safeguarding Policy aims to encourage a speak-up culture so that those working or volunteering with the Charity can safely report safeguarding concerns.

A safeguarding incident or concern should be reported to the Operations Manager in the first instance. The Trustees will then take appropriate action which may include:

• Following relevant safeguarding statutory guidance and best practice

• Referring and reporting safeguarding matters to relevant external agencies

• Treating the reported safeguarding related incident or concern as an urgent priority

As a measure to protect people who benefit from the Charity’s grant-giving from harm, it is a requirement that all grant applicants have an up-to-date Safeguarding Policy in place. 

The MSE Charity does not work directly with vulnerable adults or children (a child being defined as any person under the age of 18). As a result, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are not undertaken. We regularly review what safeguarding checks, policies and risk mitigation strategies are needed as the Charity evolves or individual roles change. 

This policy is reviewed annually by the Operations Manager in consultation with the Board of Trustees. Interim reviews may be triggered by changes in legislation, roles, or safeguarding incidents.