Safeguarding

Desired outcome

A fire and rescue service that actively promotes the Safeguarding of those in its Community and its employees and volunteers. It works proactively to reduce the risk of abuse, harm and neglect.

One that is compliant with Safeguarding legislation, understanding and effectively fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities to its Local Safeguarding Adults Boards and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board or Partnership. It ensures its employees undergo regular thorough background checks.

A service whose culture has Safeguarding principles and processes fully embedded, enabling it to identify risk of abuse, harm, or neglect to individuals and intervene to mitigate the risk at the earliest opportunity.

One whose staff are trained to understand and be able to apply Safeguarding policies and processes. They are suitably supported and empowered to be able to respond adequately to Safeguarding incidents as appropriate to their roles and responsibilities.

A service that collaborates appropriately with Others to ensure a coordinated approach to safeguarding.

Activity

Strategic, Cultural and Service Delivery

Business Area(s)

Prevention

Date approved: 31 Jan 2022
Date issued: 20 Dec 2023
Review date: 28 Feb 2025
Reference number: FSD-PRE02

What is required to meet the fire standard

A fire and rescue service must:

have a responsible person within the service at the highest strategic level (where reasonable), that demonstrates the services commitment to the importance of Safeguarding and is responsible for ensuring:
1. the service is and remains compliant with legislation and follows relevant guidance;
2. the service’s Designated Safeguarding Leads or Head of Safeguarding, where applicable, are appropriately qualified and suitably trained in accordance with legislation and the requirement of Local Safeguarding Adults and Children’s Boards;
only use accredited persons to provide Safeguarding training.
educate, train and support employees and volunteers, relevant to their role, in the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse, harm, or neglect.
align local training to its Community Risk Management Plan and the NFCC’s Safeguarding Guidance for Children, Young People and Adults.
implement proportionate processes to enable regular background checks appropriate to individual roles or duties and having due regard to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order.
work effectively with Others (including cross-border working) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse, harm, or neglect.
have agreed systems, standards and protocols in place to:
1. allow Safeguarding concerns to be raised or otherwise identified;
2. investigate Safeguarding concerns; and
3. maintain effective and efficient information sharing, ensuring data is made available to all those who need it, in accordance with national and local guidelines.
demonstrate inclusivity by recognising and responding to the diversity of its Community and providing equality of access.

A fire and rescue service should:

Use the suite of NFCC Safeguarding guidance including self-assessment and risk assessments, and other guidance relevant to mitigating the risk of abuse, harm, or neglect.
contribute to the continual improvement of Safeguarding adults and children at risk of harm by communicating, sharing learning and experiences with the NFCC network of fire and rescue service Safeguarding leads through, but not limited to:
1. engaging with NFCC forums;
2. supporting the NFCC Safeguarding Workstream through national and regional structures; and
3. considering appropriate representation at relevant national events and conferences.

Expected benefits of achieving the fire standard

Improved Safeguarding outcomes for communities, employees and volunteers and a raised awareness of Safeguarding evidenced by:
1. measurable Safeguarding referrals that encompass both early identification and threshold assessments before referral to Local Authorities
2. an increase in the number of employees and volunteers trained in safeguarding.
Fire and rescue services become trusted and reliable partners on Safeguarding to Local Authorities, statutory agencies, and universal services.
Increased numbers of at-risk Community members, employees and volunteers living and working safely because Safeguarding risks are identified and responded to sooner.
Standardised approach to Safeguarding will help to maximise the efficiency of cross border, collaborative, and shared learning opportunities.

Legal requirements or mandatory duties

This Fire Standard reflects only the most appropriate legislation to this topic. We recognise that fire and rescue services must comply with a broader list of legislation to undertake their duties, which would be applicable to all standards. View the legislation which applies to all Fire Standards.

Linked qualifications, accreditations or fire standards

Prevention Fire Standard
Code of Ethics Fire Standard
Protection Fire Standard
Community Risk Management Planning
Operational Competence Fire Standard
Operational Learning Fire Standard
Operational Preparedness Fire Standard
NFCC CPD accredited Safeguarding ‘train the trainer’ course Level 3 and 4
Level 1 Safeguarding training (e-learning or equivalent)
Leading and Developing People Fire Standard
Leading the Service Fire Standard

Guidance and supporting information

NFCC Safeguarding Guidance for Children, Young People and Adults (including the Self-Assessment Toolkit)
NFCC Person Centred Framework
NFCC Managing Allegations Guidance
NFCC Positive Disclosure Risk Assessment Guidance
Joint DBS Eligibility Checks for Fire and Rescue Authority Roles
NFCC Safeguarding Competency Training Framework
NFCC Equality of Access

Glossary of terms

Community

A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Community Risk Management Planning

The process by which services identify community risks, estimates of the impact of those risks should they occur, and define their preventative and response activities to them for their geographic area of responsibility. Services collate this information in a risk management plan (known previously as an Integrated Risk Management Plan) or to align with latest guidance – a Community Risk Management Plan.

Equality of Access

The responsibility of ensuring all services and information provided by a fire and rescue service to the public or within their organisation, is inclusive and accessible.

Others

A collective term to describe the parties that may be pertinent to the activity described in the standard. This might include both organisations or the employees and volunteers of those organisations such as but not limited to, other fire and rescue services, partner organisations, other emergency responder agencies, stakeholders or members of a community.

Person-Centred Approach

An approach that places the individual and the communities served by the fire and rescue service at the core of its prevention activity.

Prevention Activity

Activities or initiatives delivered by fire and rescue services aiming to reduce risks or threats to health in communities.

Prevention Strategy

The approach being taken by a fire and rescue service in relation to delivering its prevention activities. This may be a single document or something which is part of a larger group of documents depending on how the service approaches its strategic planning for the organisation.

To protect another person’s right to live and work in safety, free from abuse and harm.

You Said, We did

If you have taken part in a consultation, you may be interested to read our post-consultation “You said, we did” report to see how your feedback has shaped this Fire Standard.

Safeguarding Fire Standard

Updates to this standard

Last Update:

1 December 2023

Desired Outcome

It ensures its employees undergo regular thorough background checks.

A service whose culture has safeguarding principles and processes fully embedded, enabling it to identify risk of abuse, harm, or neglect to individuals and intervene to mitigate the risk at the earliest opportunity.

One whose staff are trained to understand and be able to apply safeguarding policies and processes. They are suitably supported and empowered to be able to respond adequately to safeguarding incidents as appropriate to their roles and responsibilities.

To achieve this Fire Standard

3. educate, train and support employees and volunteers relevant to their role, in the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse, harm, or neglect.

5. implement proportionate processes to enable regular background checks appropriate to individual roles or duties and having due regard to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order.

6. work effectively with others (including cross-border working) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse, harm, or neglect.

7. have agreed systems, standards and protocols in place to:

a. allow safeguarding concerns to be raised or otherwise identified;

b. investigate safeguarding concerns; and

c. maintain effective and efficient information sharing, ensuring data is made available to all those who need it, in accordance with national and local guidelines.

8. demonstrate inclusivity by recognising and responding to the differing needs of its diverse community to ensure equality of access.