Safeguarding for our applicants and charity partners
The Freemasons’ Charity places great importance on safeguarding. Everyone has the right to feel safe and supported and be protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect and harm.
As a responsible grant-maker, we ask applicants to confirm they have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. We support best practice and legal compliance for safeguarding.
Drawing on the Charity Commission’s guidelines, we require our charity partners to:
- Have relevant and proportionate safeguarding policy and procedures in line with good practice in the sector
- Review policies and procedures on a regular basis, always following a serious incident and at least once a year
- Have a designated Safeguarding Lead if they work with children or adults at risk of harm
- Ensure the organisation provides appropriate training to their staff and volunteers (including trustees)
- Conduct regular background checks for all people working with children and young people and vulnerable adults (using the Disclosure and Barring Service)
We detail in grant agreements with partners our requirements to report safeguarding breaches to us (where permissible in law). Responsibility for responding to safeguarding incidents, including notifying relevant authorities and the regulator, rests with the charity partner and should be undertaken in line with their own safeguarding procedures. Upon receiving the report, we will notify our own Designated Safeguarding Lead to seek guidance on what further information is required from our charity partner. We retain the right to pause or withdraw funding should we have concerns about a partner’s ability to keep people safe.
You can also see our full Safeguarding Policy which includes information about the Freemasons’ Charity’s responsibilities on safeguarding on our website.
Safeguarding policy guidance
The Charity Commission provides online information on safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees.
Please refer to the Charity Commission Safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees – GOV.UK for what to do to protect people who come into contact with your charity through its work from abuse or mistreatment.