For a holistic safeguarding approach, the following safeguarding principles, drawn from international legislation and development practices, are recommended. In applying these principles, institutions need to determine what these principles mean in their context and have them codified.

• Survivor-centred: Ensuring that the rights, needs and wishes of survivors of violence are at the centre of any intervention for their welfare.
• Best interests: When responding to safeguarding concerns consider the best interests of the child, or of the adult who lacks the capacity to consent to decisions in relation to the concerns raised.
• Empowerment: Encourage and support persons to make their own decisions and give informed consent.
• Prevention: Using a safeguarding lens across the institution to recognise and mitigate risks and abide by the "do no harm" principle. 
• Proportionality: any safeguarding response will be appropriate to the risk presented by applying the least intrusive/restrictive approach.
• Protection: ensuring the best possible support to learners and staff including providing information on how to identify and report abuse.
  
• Partnership: Working collaboratively with partners and other institutional stakeholders/sector actors to ensure effective safeguarding. 
• Accountability: Ensure everyone acts with integrity,  transparency and accountability in reporting and responding to concerns.