Policy paper

Strategy for dealing with safeguarding issues in charities

The Charity Commission’s role and approach in dealing with safeguarding issues in charities.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

One of the Charity Commission’s strategic aims is to ensure that trustees carry out their duties as required by law. This includes trustees taking reasonable steps to protect their beneficiaries, and others who come into contact with their charity, from harm.

Protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities should be a governance priority for all charities. It is a fundamental part of operating as a charity for the public benefit. Any failure by trustees to manage safeguarding risks adequately is of serious regulatory concern to the Commission. It may consider this to be misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity and this may also be a breach of trustee duty.

This document sets out the Charity Commission’s 4 strand safeguarding strategy and:

  • emphasises trustee awareness and prevention
  • explains the Commission’s supervisory and monitoring role
  • describes how it co-operates with other agencies
  • explains when and how it intervenes, including the purpose and scope of its regulatory engagement
Published 23 May 2013
Last updated 6 December 2017 + show all updates
  1. Updated strategy sets out the Commission’s approach to safeguarding, and explains what trustees’ charity law duties mean in the context of safeguarding.

  2. First published.