What do we talk about when we talk about safeguarding?
Broadly speaking, we talk about what we can do to keep people safe. But all too often, the discussions we have are reactive.
In our busy roles, our default position is often that safeguarding is about the policies and procedures we follow when harm or abuse occurs. We often talk about the lessons we can learn from past instances of abuse and neglect. If we do talk about prevention, we generally talk about how we can draw from these lessons to develop policies and procedures that could minimise the risk that someone will experience harm again.
Of course, these discussions are vital in preventing harm and abuse re-occurring. They can play an important role in keeping people safe. The problem is that a focus on “lessons we can learn” implies that we need to wait for something to go wrong before we can identify what needs fixing.
Change the Conversation
That’s why, for Safeguarding Adults Week 2025, our aim is to change the conversation.
Instead of asking:
What can we learn from past instances of abuse and harm?
Try asking:
What can I do today to prevent abuse and harm from occurring tomorrow?
How can I empower the person who draws on my support to keep themselves safe?
This might be a question of:
What information, education, support can we give, that will empower and build a person’s resilience?
Or:
How can we build inclusive and resilient communities in which people look out for each other?
Keep The Conversation Going
There are other questions we might ask as we try to change the conversation:
What does inclusive sport, activity and community engagement really look like?
How do we promote our offer across a broad range of communities so that everyone feels welcome to participate in an activity, or safe to go to their local café?
What role should leadership play in creating more supportive environments?
How can our leaders set the right safeguarding culture in their organisation?
As finances get increasingly strained across many sectors, how can our leaders find the bravery to prioritise proactive safeguarding rather than reactive measures?
Because it is a Conversation!
We’re saying “change the conversation” because it is a conversation! It’s a dialogue that involves us all, and we all have a part to play in preventing abuse.
It’s a conversation about proactive intervention. It’s an ongoing dialogue about the good things we can do, as individuals and organisation, to create safer environments that actively work to prevent abuse.
It’s important that as many people as possible join in this discussion. How can we amplify individual voices to reduce the risk of harm, neglect, and isolation?
Tell Us Your Stories
What does prevention look like in practice?
As they say, it’s better to show rather than to tell.
So as well as talking about prevention in safeguarding, we also want to share your stories.
We want to hear stories of positive outcomes, exciting initiatives, and fruitful partnerships. We want to hear as many voices as possible, so if you have anything to share, please do!
How many conversations start with one person telling a story to another? Our hope is that, through sharing your stories, we’ll kickstart many, many more conversations across the UK, as individuals and organisations start to realise the amazing things that can happen when people work together.
What Are We Doing at the Ann Craft Trust?
We’re part of changing the conversation here at the Ann Craft Trust. That’s why we’ve created a number of resources that focus on prevention:
- Understanding Financial Capability & Recognising Financial Abuse – A free eLearning course which may help prevent future instances of financial abuse. Learn more.
- Safeguarding Matters Podcasts – Many of our podcasts focus on prevention. For example, we recently spoke to Head Safe Football about how certain cultural changes could help keep players safe in the long-term.
- Safeguarding Adults Week resources – We have produced a suite of free resources to help you promote Safeguarding Adults Week both online and offline. We will be adding to these resources in the coming months, so make sure you sign up for email updates!