Repatriation

If someone working overseas for your organisation is part of a serious safeguarding concern, they might need to return to the UK - either for a short time or permanently - while the situation is looked into. 

If the concern has also been reported to local authorities in the country where it happened, you shouldn’t assume the person is free to leave that country. They may need to stay while an investigation happens.

Even if allowed to leave, the person should be ‘stepped back’ from their role, and not be around children or adults who might be at risk. You may also need to make sure they are supervised during this time. If limited staffing makes that difficult, you should consider moving the individual to another role or project until either a full risk assessment has been done, the police investigation has been completed, or both. 

If the individual returns to the UK, either by choice or because your organisation asks them to, that doesn’t mean the person is no longer a risk to people. You should report what happened to your charity regulator, your insurance company, and the police.

If you think there’s the possibility they might work overseas again - either independently or with another organisation - you should also report the concern to the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 

Page last updated: 12 November 2025