How to conduct a safeguarding audit of your organisation

This guide provides a systematic framework for organisations to evaluate their safeguarding practices. It outlines how to perform a "health check" that identifies gaps, ensures regulatory compliance, and strengthens protective measures for vulnerable individuals.

• Audit Purpose & Scope: Examining policies, staff knowledge, documentation, and training to ensure compliance with frameworks like Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Internal vs. External Audits: balancing cost-effective, regular internal monitoring with the unbiased, expert evaluation provided by external specialists.
• Core Audit Components:
• Policy Review: Verifying that procedures are accessible, up-to-date, and free from jargon.
• Staff Engagement: Using interviews and observations to test if written policies match real-world daily practices.
• Training Assessment: Evaluating content relevance and staff confidence through scenario-based testing.
• Case Management Review: Analysing historical data to identify systemic patterns, response times, and documentation quality.
• Action Planning: Using a risk assessment matrix to prioritise findings (Red/Amber/Green) and assign clear ownership for remediation.

A safeguarding audit is like a health check for your organisation's protective measures. It examines every aspect of your safeguarding framework:

• Policies and procedures
• Staff training and knowledge
• Incident reporting systems
• Risk assessment processes
• Record-keeping practices

This guide will walk you through conducting a thorough safeguarding audit that leaves no stone unturned. We'll share practical steps, real-world examples from UK organisations, and proven strategies to measure the scale of any gaps you might discover.

From a small nursery in Manchester that transformed their safeguarding practices to a large charity in London that uncovered crucial training needs - we'll show you how different organisations have used audits to strengthen their safeguarding measures and build trust with stakeholders.

Understanding Safeguarding Audits

A safeguarding audit acts as a comprehensive health check for your organisation's safeguarding practices. Think of it as a detailed inspection of your home's security system - you need to know every lock works, every camera functions, and every alarm triggers correctly.

What Do Safeguarding Audits Examine?

These audits examine:

• Policy Implementation - How well your safeguarding policies translate into daily practices
• Staff Knowledge - The understanding and application of safeguarding procedures
• Documentation - Record-keeping standards and incident reporting processes
• Training Effectiveness - The impact of safeguarding training on staff behaviour

Why Are Safeguarding Audits Important?

UK organisations must comply with specific regulatory frameworks, including:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
• Care Act 2014
• Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Charity Commission guidance

Regular safeguarding reviews bring substantial benefits:

• Risk Reduction - Early identification of potential safeguarding issues
• Legal Protection - Documented evidence of due diligence and meeting insurance requirements
• Enhanced Reputation - Demonstrated commitment to safety
• Stakeholder Trust - Increased confidence from service users, families, and partners
• Staff Confidence - Better understanding of roles and responsibilities

Real-Life Impact of Safeguarding Audits

A school that discovered through their audit that playground supervisors needed clearer guidance on reporting concerns. By addressing this gap, they created a simple reporting system that staff actually used, leading to earlier intervention in potential safeguarding issues.

Types of Safeguarding Audits

Organisations can choose between two main approaches to safeguarding audits: internal and external assessments. Each serves distinct purposes and offers unique advantages.

Internal Audits

• Conducted by designated staff members within the organisation
• Cost-effective and allows for frequent monitoring
• Enables deep understanding of organisational culture and practices
• Ideal for quarterly or bi-annual reviews
• Helps identify immediate concerns requiring attention

A primary school in Manchester successfully implemented monthly internal audits, leading to improved staff training participation and better documentation of safeguarding incidents.

External Audits

• Performed by independent safeguarding specialists like our safeguarding collective partners Cornerstone.
• Provides unbiased, objective evaluation
• Brings fresh perspectives and industry expertise
• Recommended annually or during significant organisational changes
• Ensures compliance with latest regulations and best practices

A youth sports charity in London benefited from external audits by identifying gaps in their volunteer screening process and implementing robust safety measures for off-site activities.

The choice between internal and external audits often depends on:

1. Organisation size
2. Available resources
3. Regulatory requirements
4. Complexity of operations
5. Previous audit findings

Many organisations opt for a mixed approach - regular internal audits supplemented by annual external reviews. A community centre in Birmingham used this strategy to maintain consistent safeguarding standards while ensuring independent verification of their practices.

Key Components of a Comprehensive Safeguarding Audit

A robust safeguarding audit examines multiple interconnected elements that work together to create a secure environment. Let's explore these essential components that form the foundation of an effective safeguarding framework.

1. Policy Review

The cornerstone of any safeguarding audit starts with a thorough policy review. Your organisation's safeguarding policies act as the blueprint for protecting vulnerable individuals and creating a safe environment.

A comprehensive policy review should examine:

• Core Safeguarding Policy
• Clear reporting procedures
• Defined roles, responsibilities and training
• Updated contact information
• Risk assessment protocols
• Whistleblowing procedures
• Safer recruitment guidelines - refer to these safer recruitment guidelines for best practices.
• Physical site environment
• Online safety measures

When reviewing these documents, ask yourself:

• Are the policies easily accessible to all staff members?
• Do they reflect current legislation and best practices?
• Is the language clear and free from jargon?
• Have the policies been reviewed within the last 12 months?

Real-World Example: A local school discovered during their policy review that their online safety guidelines hadn't been updated to address remote learning challenges. This gap left students potentially vulnerable during virtual classroom sessions. By identifying this oversight, they quickly developed new protocols to ensure student safety in digital spaces.

To assess policy robustness, create a checklist comparing your documents against sector-specific standards and regulatory requirements. Consider using external benchmarks like the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance or Care Quality Commission standards as reference points.

2. Interviews and Observations

Face-to-face conversations reveal insights that paperwork alone can't capture. Staff interviews create a clear picture of how safeguarding practices work in real-world situations. These discussions help identify potential gaps between written policies and daily implementation.

Key Interview Areas:

• Understanding of safeguarding procedures
• Confidence in reporting concerns
• Knowledge of reporting channels
• Awareness of designated safeguarding leads
• Personal experiences with safeguarding situations

It’s a good idea to maintain confidentiality as well in case concerns are raised about practices of other staff members.

Site visits add another layer of understanding through direct observation. Watch how staff interact with vulnerable individuals, notice safety measures in practice, and spot potential risks in the physical environment.

Observation Checklist:

• Security measures at entry/exit points
• Staff supervision ratios
• Display of safeguarding information
• Safe spaces for confidential conversations
• Implementation of safety protocols

An occurrence sometimes seen in schools through staff interviews is that while written procedures are robust, newer staff members can feel hesitant to raise concerns. To solve this you can provide additional mentoring support and create an anonymous reporting system.

3. Training Assessment

A robust training assessment examines both the content and delivery of your safeguarding training programmes. Your audit should evaluate:

• Training Records: Attendance logs, completion rates, certification status, and renewal dates
• Content Evaluation: Relevance to staff roles, alignment with current legislation, coverage of essential topics, and real-world scenario inclusion

Regular knowledge checks help measure training effectiveness. Consider implementing:

• Pre and post-training assessments
• Scenario-based quizzes
• Role-play exercises
• Practical demonstrations

A recent case study from a UK primary school revealed gaps in their training approach through simple staff surveys. Teachers reported feeling confident about spotting signs of abuse but uncertain about handling disclosures. This led to targeted training sessions focusing on disclosure protocols.

Training Assessment Tools:

✓ Staff feedback forms
✓ Training impact surveys
✓ Knowledge retention tests
✓ Performance observations
✓ Peer assessments

Your assessment should identify specific areas where staff need additional support. A secondary school in Manchester discovered through their audit that while staff understood basic safeguarding principles, they needed more guidance on online safety concerns. This insight led to specialised digital safeguarding training sessions.

Remember to check if your training meets statutory requirements and professional standards for your sector. Different roles may need different levels of training - from basic awareness to designated lead level qualifications.

4. Previous Concerns Case Management Review

Past safeguarding cases hold a wealth of information about your organisation's handling of concerns. A thorough review of historical case management reveals patterns, strengths, and areas needing improvement in your safeguarding practices.

Key Elements to Examine:

• Initial response times to concerns
• Quality of documentation
• Consistency in following procedures
• Communication with relevant parties
• Implementation of support measures
• Resolution outcomes

A practical approach to a case management review involves creating a structured assessment matrix. This helps track specific elements across multiple cases:

Case Review Matrix Example: □ Incident documentation complete □ Appropriate authorities notified □ Risk assessment conducted □ Support measures implemented □ Follow-up actions recorded □ Lessons learned documented. Our safeguarding collective partner Patronus Safeguarding provide a system that covers all these areas and more.

Look for recurring themes in your historical cases. Did similar incidents happen multiple times? Were certain procedures consistently missed? These patterns highlight systemic issues requiring attention.

Real-World Example: A UK school discovered through case management reviews that playground incidents weren't properly documented during lunch breaks. This led to implementing a new recording system and additional supervisor training, reducing incident reporting gaps by 75%.

Your review should span at least the previous 12 months, examining both major and minor incidents. This comprehensive view helps identify subtle patterns that might be missed when focusing solely on serious cases.

5. Feedback, Reporting, and Action Planning

The feedback and reporting stage transforms audit findings into actionable improvements. Organisations benefit from both immediate verbal feedback sessions and comprehensive written reports.

Verbal Feedback Sessions:

• Create open dialogue with key stakeholders
• Share urgent findings requiring immediate attention
• Allow for quick clarification of observations
• Enable real-time discussion of potential solutions

A detailed written report serves as your roadmap for enhancement. Your report should include:

• Executive summary highlighting critical findings
• Strengths identified during the audit
• Areas requiring improvement
• Specific recommendations linked to evidence
• Risk-rated action points
• Realistic timelines for implementation

Creating an Effective Action Plan:

1. Prioritise actions based on:

a. Safeguarding risk level
b. Resource availability
c. Implementation complexity
d. Regulatory requirements
2. Assign clear ownership:
a. Designate responsible individuals
b. Set measurable outcomes
c. Establish review dates
d. Define success criteria

Pro tip: Create a simple tracking system using a spreadsheet or project management tool to monitor progress against your action plan.

Remember to schedule regular progress reviews to maintain momentum and adjust your approach based on implementation challenges or new insights. This dynamic approach ensures your safeguarding improvements remain practical and achievable.

Identifying Gaps in Safeguarding Practices

Effective gap analysis in safeguarding practices requires a systematic approach combined with practical assessment tools. Here's how successful UK organisations identify and address their safeguarding gaps:

1. Risk Assessment Matrix

• Create a comprehensive checklist of safeguarding requirements
• Rate current practices against each requirement (Red/Amber/Green)
• Prioritise areas marked as 'Red' for immediate action

2. Comparison Against Standards

• Review current practices against:
• Statutory guidance
• Industry best practices
• Regulatory requirements
• Document areas of non-compliance or partial compliance

3. Staff Feedback Analysis

• Anonymous surveys
• Focus group discussions
• One-to-one interviews

A care home in Leeds used staff feedback to uncover gaps in their escalation procedures. Their team highlighted confusion about reporting lines during weekend shifts - leading to the development of a 24/7 on-call system.

Systematic gap analysis helps organisations strengthen their safeguarding frameworks. Each technique offers unique insights into potential vulnerabilities and areas for improvement.

Seeking Professional Support: The Role of Consultants in Enhancing Safeguarding Measures

Professional safeguarding consultants bring fresh eyes and specialist expertise to your organisation's safeguarding practices. Their external perspective helps identify blind spots that internal teams might miss during self-assessments and our safeguarding collective partner Cornerstone are experts at this with their Health Check.

Here's what experienced consultants bring to the table:

• Specialist Knowledge: Deep understanding of latest regulations, best practices, and sector-specific requirements
• Objective Assessment: Unbiased evaluation of current practices without internal politics or preconceptions
• Time-Efficient Solutions: Quick identification of gaps and practical recommendations based on extensive experience
• Tailored Support: Customised guidance that fits your organisation's unique needs and circumstances

Cornerstone can support your organisation through:

• Policy development and review
• Staff training needs analysis
• Risk assessment frameworks
• Investigation support
• Action plan development
• Implementation guidance

Working with Cornerstone doesn't mean outsourcing responsibility - it's about building internal capacity and confidence in safeguarding practices. Many organisations find that initial consultancy support leads to stronger internal safeguarding leadership and more effective long-term practices.

Conclusion: Taking Proactive Steps Towards Enhanced Safeguarding Measures

A robust safeguarding audit isn't just a tick-box exercise - it's a powerful tool for protecting vulnerable individuals and strengthening your organisation's safeguarding framework.

Regular audits help organisations:

• Identify gaps in policies and procedures
• Enhance staff knowledge and confidence
• Build trust with stakeholders
• Stay compliant with current regulations
• Create safer environments for all

The comprehensive audit process we've explored - from policy reviews to case management assessments - provides a solid foundation for continuous improvement in safeguarding practices. Many organisations find value in combining internal expertise with professional consultants to achieve the best results.

Remember: A successful safeguarding audit is an investment in your organisation's future. Whether you're conducting internal reviews or working with external specialists, the key is maintaining consistent focus on safeguarding excellence. Start your audit journey today - your stakeholders deserve nothing less than the highest standards of protection and care.