The recent conviction of Russell Brand and the public discussion surrounding allegations concerning David Walliams, which he denies, have once again raised important questions about power, accountability, and safeguarding within the creative industries.
While it is essential to distinguish between proven offences and unproven allegations, both situations highlight a common safeguarding concern: What happens when power, influence, and reputation make it difficult for people to speak up?
The creative industries can present particular safeguarding challenges. Freelance work, short-term contracts, informal recruitment practices, and intense competition can create environments where people fear that raising concerns will damage their careers.
As Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture and Media, recently observed, cases such as those involving Russell Brand may still be happening today. Significant power imbalances continue to exist within the media and entertainment sectors. She has called for stronger protections for those who raise concerns and greater accountability across the industry.
For safeguarding professionals, this points to a fundamental truth that many of us have argued for years: power imbalance is a safeguarding issue.
Safeguarding and Power
The lessons from non-recent abuse cases involving figures such as Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris remain highly relevant today.
One of the clearest is that no individual should ever be considered beyond scrutiny because of their profile, popularity, influence, or past achievements. Effective safeguarding requires organisations to challenge assumptions, apply safeguards consistently, and ensure that status or celebrity never becomes a barrier to speaking up or acting on concerns.
Key Questions For Organisations
Organisations should be asking themselves some difficult questions:
- Do staff, freelancers and contractors know how to raise concerns?
- Are internal reporting processes trusted and free from retaliation?
- Are senior and high-profile figures held to the same standards as everyone else?
- Is safeguarding embedded within organisational culture, leadership and decision-making?
A healthy safeguarding culture depends on people having multiple trusted routes for raising concerns.
Beyond Internal Processes
Alongside strong internal processes, independent mechanisms have an important role to play. The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) provides an independent route for individuals to seek support and raise concerns about behaviour in the creative industries. You can learn more on the official CIISA website.
At Ann Craft Trust, we believe these events should go beyond providing a moment of reflection, and should instead act as a catalyst for lasting change.
For more than 30 years we have worked with organisations across sport, social care, charities, faith settings, and communities to strengthen safeguarding culture, governance, and leadership.
The lessons are consistent: There is more to meaningful safeguarding than policies alone. It comes from creating environments where people feel safe, heard, and able to challenge inappropriate behaviour, regardless of who is involved.
Organisations must also understand how unhealthy cultures can develop gradually. Over time, workplace traditions or humour perceived as “banter” can normalise inappropriate comments, conduct, or behaviour. If organisations dismiss concerns because they’re “just a joke”, or if they accept certain things as just part of the culture, they can lose opportunities to challenge harmful behaviour.
An Opportunity For Change
The creative industries have an opportunity to stand up and say enough is enough. Doing so will require collaboration between employers, broadcasters, regulators, and government. Together, we can address power imbalances, strengthen reporting pathways, and embed safeguarding throughout organisational cultures.
Ann Craft Trust welcomes the opportunity to work with the creative sector, regulators, and policymakers to help make that happen. We want to work alongside organisations, representative bodies, and government to ensure that safeguarding is built into the way creative industries operate at every level.
If the sector is serious about change, safeguarding must become a real priority for how creative organisations are led, governed, and held accountable.