Accountability structures

In creating a healthy culture, it is important to implement an accountability structure which ensures those who have concerns know who they can go to.

In some organisations, it can be unclear who to go to with a concern, and whether that concern will be acted on appropriately, beyond just being listened to.

Should the Safeguarding Lead decide a concern raised is not a safeguarding issue, but an issue of poor practice, an accountability structure can be another way concerns can be addressed. The accountability structure should apply to all levels of leadership within the organisation.

The role of an accountability structure is to:

• Ensure there are people available to listen to and act on concerns about unhealthy leadership issues if someone feels they have not been handled correctly.
• To quality assure the responses to complaints which arise through evaluation, and review in partnership with the leaders handling them.

These people may be seen as ‘accountability partners’ who, in terms of hierachy, could sit above or alongside senior leaders to offer scrutiny, encouragement and challenge as appropriate.

In the same way that an organisation should publicly communicate who their Safeguarding Lead is, it is appropriate that the accountability structure is also clearly communicated.

An organisation should consider:

• Adopting an accountability structure as part of its governing constitution.
• Having trustees who are not part of the day-to-day leadership of the organisation who can fulfil the accountability role.
• How to document and review the way concerns are addressed and handled on a regular basis.
• How to communicate the accountability structure to the organisation.

Things to consider

Smaller organisations or independent places of worship can be particularly at risk of having no way of escalating concerns internally within the organisation. This can also be a problem when an organisation is part of an umbrella body but operates independently. Lines of accountability may be limited depending on the autonomy of the organisation.

Where organisations find it difficult to find appropriate accountability mechanisms due to lack of leaders or suitable individuals internally, organisations could explore making arrangements for support with other local partners, sharing best practise between each other and making themselves accountable to leaders locally.

To do this appropriately, there should be clear parameters, appropriately documented, for how these arrangements will work and how information will be shared and managed.