Including safeguarding into the induction process makes sure all new staff and volunteers understand your organisation’s commitment to creating a safe culture and how they play a key role in that. It allows everyone to get the same clear messaging and information about policies, processes and expectations as well as creating the space to have a conversation to ensure that information is understood and to answer any questions they might have.
Safeguarding Adults Induction Checklist
Your standard organisation induction is likely include areas such as HR, Health and Safety, Finance, IT Systems, security and training. We would always recommend adding safeguarding adults to that list. The areas that should be included your induction for safeguarding adults are:
- Organisational structure and the contact details for the Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Officer
- The main safeguarding policies
- Safeguarding Adults policy
- Whistleblowing policy
- Complaints policy
- Include others as applicable e.g Equity, IT usage, GDPR, Prevent training etc.
- The process should a safeguarding concern about an adult be raised or identified. Knowing how to record and report it
- The Code of Conduct and expectations
- The safeguarding requirements of their role
- Safeguarding training needs for their role
- Supervision and probationary period
It is a good practice to:
- Have an induction checklist which is used as a guide and signed and dated at the time of the induction and kept in the staff files
- Provide a pack of information or have on a shared site where all staff can access the safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct etc.
- Ask the new starter to read and sign to say they have read the information and agree to the code of conduct
Safeguarding Audits
We have over 25 years experience safeguarding adults across all types of organisations. Our independent audits review your current policies, practices, training and investigations to give you recommendations and advice on how to improve safeguarding in your organisation.