Everyone in Girls’ Brigade England & Wales must work hard to make sure everyone feels respected, safe and included so that they are able to speak up. Remember you don’t need to be certain before you speak up. If you are ever worried about someone, always speak to Central Office or email [email protected] to share what is causing you to worry - it may be that your gut instinct is right. There is a form in Life to the Full for reporting concerns.
TOP TIP Remember anyone can be at risk of abuse. People are at risk at different times and in different situations. If you have any concerns, do something.
In this safeguarding briefing, we are looking at safeguarding allegations which are made anonymously. These are more difficult to manage, and we have seen a rise in this type of reporting, which we still have a duty to try and resolve.
A broad-brush statement alleging someone’s sexually inappropriate behaviour, or behaviour which is potentially of a criminal nature, from a ‘bogus’ email address, makes it difficult for the accused individual to defend and difficult for the organisation to fact find. It would be more helpful to provide some facts about the concern that can be checked and contact details to enable safeguarding to contact the referrer.
Why do people remain anonymous? There could be a variety of reasons such as feeling unsafe to make the disclosure because they believe there will be consequences to them personally, either through their volunteering/workplace experience where they will have to face the person, or that nothing will be done.
If it’s a case of thinking “What if I am wrong?”, well yes, you could be wrong, but you cannot afford to take the risk of not reporting your concerns. Not reporting could mean a lost opportunity to help the person or persons at risk of harm and could result in criticism of you and the organisation. You will not be penalised if you report in good faith. Remember that if you truly believe there is wrong doing, you should remain steadfast and be contactable to discuss your concerns.
There are several ways to do this. You could:
- report directly to police if the wrong doing affects you
- send an email to [email protected] detailing your concerns
- complete a reporting a cause for concern form
- contact your line manager who can then contact safeguarding on your behalf
- make a freedom to speak up or whistleblowing disclosure
If you genuinely believe the allegation, include your name and contact details and as much detail as possible about the concern. This can then be given to the police or the Local Authority Designated Officer and follow up information obtained via a fact-find exercise.
However, knowingly making a false allegation, whatever the motive, is completely unacceptable. Being publicly accused of a something that you did not do is distressing and once the information is out there, trying to defend yourself, clear your name, fight suspicion, and tolerate disdain makes for a horrible predicament.
Making a false accusation in a public way is an aggressive, cowardly act and, if the allegations are proven to have been made falsely and maliciously, will result in disciplinary actions against the person or person(s) who made these allegations.
If you do not feel it is safe for you to raise a grievance through the normal line management procedure, there is an option to use the Freedom to Speak Up process.
The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role is there to provide leadership, expertise, advice and challenge. The Guardian ensures no one suffers negative repercussions from speaking up.
If you have something you want to speak up about and feel that other routes are not suitable, or if you just want some advice and support on what options you have, please seek advice from GB Central Office. This is a confidential service. The guardian will protect your anonymity if this is important to you.
Employees and volunteers have a personal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare and wellbeing of all children and vulnerable adults by protecting them from abuse and will support them wherever this happens.
Safeguarding Reminder for GBEW People
If you are ever worried about a safeguarding concern, you should:
□ complete a Safeguarding Cause for Concern form
□ contact the Support Office or [email protected] for advice, guidance, or ad hoc support
Do not wait if you are unsure seek advice early. Please share with colleagues, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
