Partnership working

When organisations work together it's important that safeguarding is part of the conversation from the beginning. It should be built into any agreements and revisited regularly to make sure everything is working. 

Partnerships can take many forms, from a group using another’s premises, to organisations teaming up to fund, support or run activities, either locally or overseas. Whatever the setup, safeguarding needs to be a shared priority. 

Different organisations may have different ways of working with children, young people or adults at risk. To make sure everyone has a shared understanding, it’s important to agree on what good safeguarding looks like, share evidence where needed, and set up a way to check things are working as they should. 

If safeguarding isn’t properly managed, it can cause real problems. If something goes wrong and it’s unclear who’s responsible, your organisation could be held accountable. It could also affect your reputation and make people question whether you’re able to keep others safe.

You should make sure: 

• Everyone understands their safeguarding responsibilities.
• There’s a clear plan for how it will work in practice. 
• Communication between organisations stays open. 

Without clear agreements and regular checks, safeguarding can fall through the cracks - especially if each group assumes the other is handling it. This can lead to vulnerable people being put at risk. Good planning and clear processes help make partnerships safer and more effective for everyone involved.