Protecting children and adults at risk in everything we do
Approved by: [Board of Trustees, on adoption] · Version 1.0 (Draft), July 2026 · Next review: 12 months from adoption
1. Our Commitment
ORCD UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and dignity of everyone connected with our work: children, adults at risk, staff, volunteers, trustees, and the communities who ultimately benefit from the humanitarian programmes we help fund. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this commitment applies without exception.
This policy sets out how ORCD UK meets that commitment. It reflects the standards expected of every UK charity by the Charity Commission, and the additional standards expected of organisations connected to international humanitarian work, including the Core Humanitarian Standard and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) principles on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
2. Scope and Definitions
Who this applies to, and what safeguarding means.
Who this policy applies to
- All ORCD UK trustees, staff, and volunteers, whoever employs or manages them.
- Anyone representing ORCD UK at events, on social media, or in any public-facing capacity.
- Contractors, consultants, and third parties working on ORCD UK’s behalf.
- Our delivery partners, principally ORCD Global, in respect of the standards we expect from them (see “Working with Delivery Partners” below).
Who this policy protects
- Children (anyone under the age of 18).
- Adults at risk (anyone who, due to their circumstances, may be less able to protect themselves from harm or exploitation, including people affected by conflict, displacement, poverty, or disability).
- Our own staff, volunteers, and trustees.
- Anyone who interacts with ORCD UK, including donors, supporters, and members of the public.
Key definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Safeguarding | Action taken to promote the welfare of children and adults at risk, and to protect them from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. |
| Abuse | Physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological harm, neglect, or financial exploitation. |
| Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) | Any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power, or trust for sexual purposes, including profiting financially or socially from the sexual exploitation of another. |
| Safeguarding concern | Any worry, disclosure, allegation, or observation that a child or adult at risk may be at risk of, or experiencing, harm. |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) | The named individual responsible for safeguarding oversight within ORCD UK. |
3. Our Guiding Principles
These principles underpin every part of this policy and every decision ORCD UK makes in relation to safeguarding.
- The welfare and dignity of children and adults at risk is paramount, and takes priority over the reputation of ORCD UK, any partner, or any individual.
- Everyone has an equal right to protection from harm, regardless of age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, or any other characteristic.
- Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. No one at ORCD UK, whatever their role, is exempt from this policy.
- We operate a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, exploitation, and harassment of any kind.
- We will listen to, and take seriously, any safeguarding concern raised, in good faith, by anyone.
- We will work only with delivery partners who share these standards, and we will act if we have concerns about a partner’s practice.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
Clear responsibility is essential to effective safeguarding. The table below sets out who is responsible for what within ORCD UK.
| Role | Safeguarding responsibility |
|---|---|
| Board of Trustees | Overall responsibility for ensuring this policy exists, is followed, and is reviewed. Ensures adequate resources and oversight. |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) | Day-to-day responsibility for safeguarding. First point of contact for concerns. Ensures concerns are recorded, assessed, and acted upon appropriately, including referral to external authorities where necessary. |
| Director of Operations | Ensures this policy is embedded in recruitment, induction, and day-to-day practice. Acts as DSL until a dedicated role is appointed. |
| All staff, volunteers, and trustees | Read, understand, and follow this policy. Raise any concern promptly. Complete safeguarding training where required. |
As a new and small organisation, ORCD UK does not yet have a dedicated Designated Safeguarding Lead separate from its Director of Operations. This will be reviewed as the organisation grows, and a dedicated DSL role will be considered a priority once the board and staff team expand.
5. Prevention
Reducing risk before it arises. Good safeguarding starts with prevention, building the right culture, checks, and behaviours so that harm is far less likely to occur in the first place.
Safer recruitment
- References will be sought for all staff and, where appropriate, volunteers and trustees.
- Where a role involves direct contact with children or adults at risk, an appropriate criminal records check (DBS check, or the equivalent in a volunteer’s country of residence) will be obtained before the role begins.
- All new starters will be given this policy as part of their induction and asked to confirm they have read and understood it.
Code of conduct
Everyone connected with ORCD UK is expected to behave in a way that upholds the safety and dignity of others. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Treating everyone with respect, regardless of their background or circumstances.
- Never using a position of trust or influence for personal, financial, or sexual gain.
- Being mindful of power imbalances, particularly in communications involving vulnerable people, donors, or beneficiaries.
- Taking particular care with photography, storytelling, and the use of images or stories involving children or vulnerable adults, always seeking informed consent and protecting identities where appropriate.
- Never being alone with a child in circumstances that could not be reasonably explained or justified.
Online and social media conduct
Given ORCD UK’s work is largely conducted online, particular care is taken with digital conduct: no private messaging of a personal nature with beneficiaries or vulnerable individuals met through our work, careful review of images and stories before publication, and prompt removal of any content raising a safeguarding concern.
6. Reporting a Concern
What to do if you’re worried. If you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child, an adult at risk, or anyone connected with ORCD UK’s work, please act. You do not need to be certain, and you do not need proof — a genuine concern is enough.
How to raise a concern
- Speak to, or email, the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible: ima.raza@orcduk.org.
- If your concern involves the DSL, please contact the Chair of Trustees directly instead.
- If a child or adult is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services first (999 in the UK, or the relevant local emergency number), then inform ORCD UK as soon as it is safe to do so.
What happens next
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Record | The concern is recorded in writing, factually and promptly, including dates, names, and exactly what was seen, heard, or said. |
| 2. Assess | The DSL assesses the level of risk and decides on next steps, which may include seeking external advice. |
| 3. Act | Appropriate action is taken, which may include referral to statutory authorities (such as the police or children’s/adult social care), informing a delivery partner, or an internal investigation. |
| 4. Follow up | The person who raised the concern is kept informed as far as appropriate, and support is offered to anyone affected. |
| 5. Review | Every concern is reviewed by the Board to identify any lessons or policy changes needed. |
Confidentiality will always be respected as far as possible, but it cannot be absolute. If a child or adult is at risk of serious harm, ORCD UK has a duty to act, and information will be shared with the relevant authorities where necessary to protect someone from harm.
7. Working with Delivery Partners
Because we deliver through others. ORCD UK does not deliver humanitarian programmes directly; funds we raise are channelled to experienced delivery organisations, principally ORCD Global. This means our safeguarding responsibility extends to the standards we require of our partners.
What we expect of delivery partners
- A safeguarding policy of their own, covering both their staff and the people they serve.
- A clear process for staff and beneficiaries to raise safeguarding concerns, including concerns about their own staff.
- A commitment to zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse, consistent with IASC PSEA principles.
- A willingness to report serious safeguarding concerns to ORCD UK where they may affect funded activity.
Our due diligence
Before entering into or continuing a funding relationship with a delivery partner, ORCD UK will seek assurance that appropriate safeguarding standards are in place. Where concerns arise about a partner’s safeguarding practice, ORCD UK will raise them directly, and may pause or withdraw funding if serious concerns are not addressed.
8. Training, Records, and Review
Training and awareness
- All trustees, staff, and volunteers will receive an introduction to this policy as part of induction.
- Anyone in a role with direct contact with vulnerable individuals will be expected to complete appropriate safeguarding training.
- This policy will be reviewed with the team periodically, not simply filed and forgotten.
Record keeping
Safeguarding concerns and their outcomes will be recorded and stored securely and confidentially, accessible only to those who need to know, in line with our Privacy Policy and data protection obligations. Records will be kept for as long as necessary to protect individuals and meet legal requirements.
Policy review
This policy will be formally reviewed at least annually, or sooner if a safeguarding concern, a change in the law, or a change in our activities suggests it should be updated. It will be approved and adopted by the Board of Trustees.