Unit 6: Learning and organisational culture

6.3 Useful tools to reflect on safeguarding values

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Whether explicit or implicit, organisational values guide decision-making. Safeguarding policies should all reflect that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’.

However, while this might exist in your policy, is the understanding of this value the same at governance, leadership and staff levels? Or even with other learners undertaking this course?

In her book on creating a sustainable culture, Perkins (2019) suggests that four sets of questions can help to explore values and culture. These four sets, whilst not written for the international aid sector specifically, can be applied to this context by providing a useful tool on how to reflect on the safeguarding values of your organisation.

The questions are detailed below and provide a tool to critically evaluate the values that underpin your organisation’s safeguarding culture.

Review your stories:

Is there an understanding of safeguarding in your organisation? When a culture reflects on the experiences of members of an organisation, we can sometimes gain insight into the factors that influence the behaviour of people who work for or represent the organisation.

Explore how staff perceive safeguarding leadership:

Does everyone know how to achieve and communicate organisational vision and values to others? For example, we might talk about valuing every child and vulnerable adult, but does everyone see this and value it in all aspects of the organisation such as fund raising, operations and its programmes?
Is safeguarding integral to all programmes at all times or is it only considered when donors demand it, such as in due diligence assessments? Perkins (2019) argues that exposing divergences can allow work to be undertaken which, in this context, will adapt and improve the safeguarding culture of an organisation.

Observe behaviours:

Do your values come through in the work that is undertaken within your organisation? What do you see your staff or other colleagues doing?
Are colleagues approachable to raise concerns?
Do they truly listen to partners and the recipients of the services or programmes?
Do staff and/or beneficiaries come forward to report? Do they trust the reporting mechanisms?
Are there some staff who exempt themselves from the behaviour of the rest of the system?
Is there data that clearly indicates trends on perspective of behaviour? For example, gender-based violence (GBV) prevails across class and cultural boundaries, but do people come forward with concerns, or does it remain hidden?

Discuss together how safeguarding values are interpreted:

Do you have regular conversations with leaders, your staff, and colleagues about safeguarding within your organisation?
Does everyone demonstrate the same values when you have these discussions?
Do senior leaders regularly share insights around safeguarding that bring the issues to life in a meaningful way for staff? This is one way of helping all to interpret safeguarding values in the same way. An effective safeguarding culture will evidence this.
Do leaders demonstrate ‘doing the right thing’ for survivors by placing them at the heart of their response, even above the interests of the organisation (for example, the risk to fundraising) and do they ensure there is a strong track record of support? (Bond, 2021)

You can explore this issue further through the following readings:

A respectful organisational culture is crucial to safeguarding (Williams/Bond, October 2018)
Improving Safeguarding and Culture at Oxfam (Oxfam, October 2020)

Report handling mechanisms

At the core of effective safeguarding systems and processes will be a robust system for handling reports to ensure an effective safeguarding response for everyone, including children and vulnerable adults.

This happens through carefully managed information sharing within the confines of confidentiality and timely safeguarding responses. You will have seen in the earlier case study of ABC-AID that there was no such system to record and share information on a need-to-know basis in line with data protection laws and good practice.

Such a system would allow concerns to be tracked and monitored. It would also help to gauge the number of complaints and concerns received and help identify patterns, themes or trends.

Policies and systems need to be clear as to who can log concerns and incidents. They need to state who will update case files through the life of a case, specifying what data needs to be recorded when. There needs to be clear guidance on who has access to the different safeguarding documentation and records, and how to escalate matters to law enforcement or other external bodies.

And when a case is closed there should be a list of who needs to be informed, and a way that the learning from the case can be harnessed and disseminated through the organisation. The safeguarding focal point and senior leadership team oversee all the above. Robust and safe complaints mechanisms will help share staff perceptions, behaviours and culture within the organisation.

Activity 6.3 Improving you report handling mechanisms

How might you ensure that your safeguarding report handing mechanisms include robust documentation, record keeping and sharing only on a need-to-know basis?

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Further reading

Developing and modelling a positive safeguarding culture: A tool for leaders (Bond)

Timeliness

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You would have noted from the ABC-AID case study that there was a considerable delay in raising concerns which had an impact on the lives of the child survivors in that case.

Such concerns would also have had a huge impact on the name and reputation of the organisation and the international aid sector.

Organisational safeguarding policies should detail the following:

What, how and where to record concerns?
Who to share information with, and for what purpose?
How to make decisions and processes based on risk assessments?
Cover actions required for the survivor/victim(s) as well as the Subject(s) of Complaint.
Service providers, who have been assessed in their capacity to respond to diverse individuals, need to be mapped out and included in a referral pathway that links with the safeguarding report-handling mechanism. This should be regularly updated.
Support for staff survivors must be explicitly explained. Confidentiality issues may be more complex in these scenarios.

Remember: there should always be a timeframe for actions as some aspects of safeguarding have life-and-death consequences. Others may impact on long-term mental and physical health, psychosocial wellbeing, and the livelihoods of individuals or safety considerations for wider staff or community members.

It is important to respond quickly to enable the Safeguarding Lead or investigations teams to gather evidence; accurately record the incident details as recalled by the survivor or witnesses; ensure the immediate safety of parties to the incident; and prevent further incidents or harm from occurring.

A timely response to any incidents or concerns shared with the organisation also shows respect for all those involved.

Safe spaces

The ABC-AID case study also demonstrates that policies and processes can be in place, and yet safeguarding incidents and breaches of policies and processes can still happen.

Being mindful of the need to constantly strengthen your safeguarding culture is part of the role description for Safeguarding Leads and senior leadership teams.

But what does this look like?

Ensuring that there are safe spaces for staff and others to speak out against poor practice and areas of concern without imposing sanctions.
Listening.
Sharing what’s working in implementing safeguarding and learning from others.
Providing avenues to help and support when a concern is identified.

Of course, it is not always easy to challenge poor practice. It can be difficult and takes courage, as in some situations there may be unpleasant consequences for all those involved.

As a Safeguarding Lead or focal point, here are some tips:

Ensure you are familiar with local policy for raising safeguarding concerns within your organisation.
Seek support as soon as possible. Ask yourself – do I need some help here? Do you need to talk to a relevant colleague or your manager?
If the behaviour is one that has low-lying risk, could you talk directly to the person whose behaviour you have concerns about?
If the answer to question 3 is no, escalate your concern to a more senior colleague in the organisation or, if you do talk to the person directly but still have concerns, you will also need to escalate these. Remember: such concerns may relate to one individual’s behaviour towards another, a child or vulnerable adult, or they may relate to a lack of response to a concern.
Keep a log/timeline and record your concerns and notes from any related conversations. However small the concern is, it is important to keep a written record as it could escalate at a later date and your evidence may be required as part of the reporting process.
Whatever role you have, remember you have a responsibility to speak up and raise your concerns if you believe there is a risk to a child, vulnerable adult, colleague or any other.

All staff and volunteers should feel empowered and supported to challenge poor safeguarding practices and feel confident that their concerns will be followed. It is equally important that organisations listen to concerns and address them quickly. This will provide a safer organisational culture for all.

Confidentiality

As a child, did you ever play a game called ‘Whispers’?

This is where everyone stands in a line or a circle. The first person has some important information and whispers it into the ear of a second person. The first person is not allowed to repeat it. The second person then whispers what he or she heard to the third person. The third person then whispers what she or he heard to the fourth person and so on. At the end, the last person in the line or circle reveals what they heard. It is usually completely different from what the first person said!

Reflect on the learning of this game. If someone is concerned and they talk to someone about it, that second person will repeat what they think they heard to the third person, and so on. It’s how rumours start, and while all this is going on, more victims could be abused because no one is taking any effective action!

To prevent rumour mongering and safeguard confidentiality and privacy for survivors/victims as well as for Subjects of Complaints, it is important that everyone in your organisation understands who is responsible for safeguarding and how to reach them.