SSAFA Volunteer Knowledgebase

Safeguarding Policy

Updated on

The Safeguarding Policy was reviewed by the Safeguarding Committee in May 2026.

Purpose

SSAFA is a charity, whose support covers both regulars, veterans and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service. SSAFA helps the armed forces community in a number of ways, though our focus is on providing direct support to individuals in need of physical or emotional care.

The purpose of this policy is to set out how SSAFA requires every employee, volunteer, and trustee to act to protect children and adults from harm including keeping employees, volunteers and trustees safe within their role and functions on behalf of SSAFA.

This policy provides the principles that guide our approach to safeguarding children and adults and should be read in conjunction with SSAFA Safeguarding Procedures.

SSAFA is committed to keeping vulnerable children and adults safe from harm and will act to respond to any concerns raised with regards to this.

Scope

This policy applies to all trustees, volunteers, employees, sessional workers, agency staff, students and any other individual working or providing services on behalf of SSAFA.

It aims to enable them to protect those beneficiaries of the service who are vulnerable and may be at risk of harm. We understand the unique demands of service life and aim to support in all areas including financial difficulties, debt, addiction and mental health difficulties to name a few.

Failure to comply with this policy is a serious matter and may be dealt with under the complaints procedure for volunteers and trustees and disciplinary procedures for employees.

Safeguarding Statement and Code of Conduct

We believe that: nobody who is involved in our work should experience abuse, harm, neglect or exploitation. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all of our beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, to keep them safe and to work in a way that protects them. All employees and volunteers who come into contact with vulnerable people should adhere to the following code of conduct in order to keep the people it supports safe.

Commitment

We are committed to keeping people safe from harm, especially adults at risks and children. We will ensure that employees, volunteers, and anyone delivering a SSAFA service has the appropriate level of skills and knowledge to undertake their role. All employees and volunteers have all been checked and vetted through the DBS process.

We commit to providing a robust process, support, and resources to enable those who come in to contact to be safe from harm and protect children and adults at risk. We commit to working with relevant agencies to ensure our beneficiaries are safeguarded under a multi-agency approach.

We commit to convening a safeguarding board on a quarterly basis where all safeguarding matters are reviewed at a directorate level.

Understanding

We understand our beneficiaries needs and are non-judgmental in our approach. We will promote an outcomes approach to safeguarding that works for children and adults resulting in the best experience possible. We will proactively collect safeguarding data to inform our own practice, learning and manage safeguarding risks.

Integrity

We are committed to safeguarding children and adults in a way that is open and honest and supports them in making choices and having control in how they choose to live their lives. We will raise public awareness so that employees, volunteers, and communities can make sure they are doing the right thing with regards to Safeguarding and play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect.

Compassion

We will prioritise the needs of children and adults at risk. If an individual (employee or volunteer) has reasonable cause for concern to suspect an adult or child in their area is suffering or is at risk of abuse and neglect and has needs which leave them unable to protect themselves, then they must ensure concerns are raised with the safeguarding team in order to decide what action (if any) should be taken, and by whom (the “duty to enquire”) in order to relieve suffering.

Responsibilities

All employees and volunteers who have any contact with children and adults at risk have a responsibility to protect them. If you suspect that an individual is at risk of abuse/harm then your duty is to report this concern.

If someone is at an immediate risk of harm, then in the first instance you should call the police on 999 or your local emergency number. You must also report your concerns and actions to the safeguarding team and your line manager.

If the risk is not immediate you should contact your line Manager and the Safeguarding team on +4420 4558 7891 for guidance. For SSAFA Community Healthcare Overseas please follow local guidance.

The Personal Support and Social Work Service (PS&SWS) have their own Safeguarding Policy which should be followed in the first instance. PS&SWS staff should follow their own reporting structure and seek advice and guidance from their Social Work Team Lead (SWTL) or Regional Service Manager (RSM) regarding matters involving a safeguarding concern. However, all staff must also ensure their practice remains aligned with overarching organisational safeguarding policies and procedures.

For further guidance on what to do if someone discloses abuse/ a safeguarding concern to you should refer to the Safeguarding Procedure.

Whistleblowing

Under the Whistleblowing Policy, SSAFA encourages employees, volunteers and beneficiaries to raise concerns relating to unsafe care, practices or working environment. The policy is not intended for use where your concern is in the nature of a personal grievance or complaint about your employment in such a case, the Grievance or Complaints policies should be consulted.

Sharing of Information

Sharing of Information should be done in accordance with SSAFA’s Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy which is governed by the following Caldicott Principles:

  1. Justify the purpose(s) for using confidential information
  2. Use confidential information only when it is necessary
  3. Use the minimum necessary confidential information
  4. Access to confidential information should be on a strict need-to-know basis
  5. Everyone with access to confidential information should be aware of their responsibilities
  6. Comply with the law
  7. The duty to share information for individual care is as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality
  8. Inform service users about how their confidential information is used

If you are unsure about if you are able to share information then please consult with the Safeguarding team on +4420 4558 7891 and/or the Data Protection and Governance Manager or SSAFA Caldicott Guardian.

Record Keeping

Records shall be kept in accordance with SSAFA’s Information Management and Retention Policy. All Safeguarding concerns should be recorded centrally on our own CMR system (IMP).

All volunteers must ensure that confidential information relating to safeguarding queries are not stored on a personal computer as per the Information Management and Retention policy. All referrals should now be completed using the electronic safeguarding form on the website.

SSAFA’s Safeguarding Policy & Procedures will adhere to the following UK laws and guidance that seek to protect children and adults.

References

This Policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies and procedures:

SSAFA Safeguarding Process Map

Non-FHS Safeguarding Process

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SSAFA Policies & Guidance

SSAFA Policies 48
Vetting Guidance 2
Volunteer Policies 23

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