Decision making

To ensure transparency and accountability in decision making it is important that appropriate opportunities for internal challenge are built into the decision-making processes.

It's important to establish thresholds for decision making that help leaders and workers feel comfortable in making decisions, knowing when to take a decision higher, and what to do when a decision is made which they disagree with.

To avoid conflict or a power imbalance in decision making you should consider:

• Having an agreed policy on decision making thresholds that require the input of different teams. e.g. in a church, who makes decisions on the content of Sunday services?
• Create opportunities for including people in decision-making e.g. having periods of consultation or opinions polls.
• Build in necessary points of accountability and challenge where appropriate e.g. meetings to feedback on progress made or actions taken.

Decision making in safeguarding cases should be victim-survivor centred, in line with law and guidance, trauma-aware, well documented, and collaborative with statutory agencies as necessary.

If general decision making is transparent and accountable, this builds trust in the organisation so people will feel more able to raise safeguarding concerns, and have trust in the process.