Everyone in The Boys Brigade, whether they are a volunteer or in a paid role, has a responsibility to keep children and young people safe, and a duty to respond to any safeguarding concerns and allegations. Any allegation or concern about a leader who has behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child or young person must be taken seriously and reported, regardless of where and when the alleged incident took place, even if anyone has any doubts about the circumstances.
As trusted adults, children and young people may feel comfortable enough to tell leaders of a safeguarding concern or allegation about a leader. Leaders may also hear such concerns from a parent, another leader, a church official, or someone else. A leader may also witness concerning behaviour or actions by another leader. It is important that such concerns are always responded to in line with our safeguarding procedures outlined below. Leaders should also follow the policies and procedures of the Church they are partnered with. If any adult volunteer is unable to understand and follow the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures, or is unable to safeguard children and young people, they cannot be considered for adult roles in The Boys’ Brigade.
Safeguarding is not just about responding directly to specific concerns and allegations that may be made against a leader. We have a shared responsibility to ensure BB leaders always act appropriately when working with children and young people. The Leaders’ Code of Conduct aims to help us protect children and young people from harm and to reduce situations where misunderstandings, concerns or allegations occur. When leaders fail to follow the code, it is important that this is reported to prevent unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour that may lead to future safeguarding concerns or allegations.
See the Leaders’ Code of Conduct here.
Where a leader considers another leader may be a risk to children, whether this is in a BB setting or their private life, they must take action and report this. For urgent advice regarding a safeguarding concern or allegation about a leader, call 0300 303 4454.
The procedures below apply when there is a Safeguarding concern or allegation about a leader*. This includes safeguarding concerns that have occurred in a BB setting or the private life of the leader concerned. It also includes non-recent abuse concerns about former leaders that occurred in a BB setting. * Link to non-recent abuse page
1. Immediately inform your Company Captain (or leader in charge in their absence) and Church official in line with their safeguarding procedures. If the concern is about the Company Captain, you MUST inform BB Headquarters directly.
2. Don’t discuss with or confront the leader. This could undermine any investigation and may place a child or young person at further risk.
3. Record the facts as you know them in an account. Include what was said, using the child’s words or the words of anyone else reporting this to you. Outline what happened, including when and where, who was involved and details of any witnesses. If handwritten, sign and date your account and keep it safe.
4. You, or the Captain, must inform the BBHQ Safeguarding manager within 24 hours. It is essential that you do not make any judgments, even if you have any doubts about the circumstances. Your responsibility is to “pass it on.”
*A ‘Leader’ in this context refers to all adult roles at the company level (including chaplains), reserve officers, and all Battalion and District officials. Concerns about reserve officers, battalion and district officials should be passed on to the relevant president. If the concern is about the president, it should be reported directly to BB HQ.
Information sharing in a safeguarding context means the appropriate and secure exchange of personal information between individuals with a responsibility for children and young people, to keep them safe from harm.
Information sharing is an important part of safeguarding, essential for identifying patterns of behaviour or circumstances in a child’s life that may indicate they are at risk of harm or are being harmed and need support or protection. Information sharing is also necessary when it relates to an adult working with children who may be unsuitable because they have harmed, may have harmed or are a risk to children.
Leaders who are aware of a safeguarding concern or allegation, or other circumstances where a child or young person could be at risk of harm, must share the information in accordance with BB Safeguarding Procedures. In a company setting, this is where leaders “pass it on” to their Captain/Correspondent or Leader-in-Charge unless the concern is about them (in these circumstances, contact BBHQ directly). In a Battalion or District setting, this is where leaders pass it on to their president unless the concern is about them (in these circumstances, contact BB HQ directly)
Safeguarding concerns or allegations and any linked records/accounts should only be shared on a “need to know basis” with those responsible for taking action, and otherwise treated with the strictest of confidence. The information should not be shared routinely with other leaders unless there is a legitimate reason to do so. The leader reporting to the BB Safeguarding Manager will be advised of any information that needs to be shared, and who by, in order to keep children and young people or anyone else, safe.
In most circumstances, it is not necessary to seek consent to share information for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of a child, provided that there is a lawful basis to process any personal information required. The lawful basis* for sharing information comes from a range of Legislation, statutory guidance and the BB Data Protection Policy, including the following:
* The most appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR for information sharing in the voluntary sector is “legitimate interests”. “Public task” or “legal obligation” are for public sector organisations.
Other than in the Republic of Ireland, Churches have their own safeguarding procedures which leaders are expected to follow as well. Churches should have a nominated Safeguarding Lead who would ordinarily be informed about any safeguarding concerns or allegations. Depending on the Church’s procedures, leaders may also be required to inform their Minister or other Senior Church Official.
In addition to reporting all Safeguarding concerns and allegations to the BBHQ Safeguarding Manager, there are some regional variations.
In Scotland, in Churches that are part of the Church of Scotland Denomination, safeguarding concerns MUST be reported to the Safeguarding Co-Ordinator.
In the Republic of Ireland, concerns MUST only be reported to the Regional Safeguarding Panel and are not to be shared with the Church.
Not all safeguarding concerns or allegations are obvious or easy to recognise. You may be worried about the behaviour of a leader without knowing if it amounts to a safeguarding concern or something else, such as a conduct matter or complaint. This could include not following guidance in relation to how BB activities are organised, their behaviour at BB activities or their behaviour outside of BB. Where there is a risk of harm to children and young people, it should be considered as a safeguarding concern.
A safeguarding concern or allegation may relate to a leader who has
It may also include a leader who has failed to follow the Leaders’ Code of Conduct.
It is essential that safeguarding concerns about leaders are reported within 24 hours. The BB Safeguarding Manager has responsibilities, on behalf of the organisation, to promptly refer concerns about adults (where there is risk of harm to children and young people) to Statutory Agencies.
Where it is considered, the circumstances do not amount to a safeguarding concern, it will be reviewed with the Director of Operations, and the appropriate course of action will be determined. You may be given advice about local management of the concern.
There may be concerns that a leader is a risk to children outside of BB. This could be in relation to their own children, contact they have with other children that causes concern, or some other behaviour that may impact on their suitability to be a leader. Leaders who become aware of this have a responsibility to share these concerns so that any risk/transference of risk can be assessed.
The concern could be in relation to something specific or could be several general concerns that have arisen over time. Once the concerns are recognised as such, they should be reported by following the BB safeguarding reporting procedures outlined above. The BBHQ Safeguarding Manager, supported by the Safeguarding Panel, will determine the appropriate course of action. Where leaders are unsure whether the concerns amount to something that should be reported, advice should be sought from the BBHQ Safeguarding manager or the Director of Operations. Of note – leaders themselves have a responsibility to inform BBHQ about any changes that may impact their suitability to be a leader.
See the Leaders’ Code of Conduct here
As a youth organisation, The Boys’ Brigade has a primary responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people within the organisation. It is recognised that there may be situations where a volunteer leader’s circumstances change, and this might affect their ability to fulfil their responsibilities as a BB leader. They may become a vulnerable adult or an adult at risk of harm. Ways to support a leader may include a listening ear, signposting to pastoral support, suggesting they speak to their GP, or other support services.
Where it is considered that a leader is putting children at risk (even if this is not intentional), this must be reported as a safeguarding concern. In responding, the BBHQ Safeguarding Manager will consider whether the situation requires the leader to take a break from BB activities and responsibilities to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to undertake a risk assessment process prior to the leader returning to their BB role. To find out more about Adults at risk of Harm, see here.
