Safeguarding means protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of children,
young people and adults at risk, enabling them to live safely, protected from harm,
abuse and neglect in line with UK legislation.
The Shackleton Foundation provides seed funding and support to early-stage social
ventures with a primary focus on benefitting young people in the UK, particularly
centred around: youth offending, education and attainment, life skills and
employability, community cohesion, and physical and mental health. Although we,
the Foundation, do not provide services to, or work directly with, children/adults at
risk, the Charity Commission requires all registered charities to ensure that
safeguarding is a governance priority.
By prioritising safeguarding within our internal practices and integrating safeguarding
into our overall approach to funding, the Foundation plays an important role in
promoting practices and organisational cultures which keep people safe. This policy
reflects the Foundation’s obligations under the Charities Act 2011, Charity
Commission regulations on safeguarding and other relevant UK legislation. This
document sets out our approach to safeguarding.
We encourage a culture of good practice in safeguarding in organisations that are
funded by the Foundation, whilst recognising that it is their responsibility to ensure
that their safeguarding policies and procedures are fit for purpose, given the specific
nature of working with young people in the UK.
This policy is reviewed and approved by Trustees on an annual basis to reflect best
practice and take into account any changes within the Foundation.
This policy was approved by Trustees; January 2025
And will be next reviewed; January 2026
Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone working at the Foundation and all are
expected to follow the guidance set out here. The Administrator and Trustees have
ultimate responsibility for safeguarding within the Shackleton Foundation and are
responsible for:
• Approving the Foundation’s Safeguarding Policy and overseeing its
implementation and effectiveness and ensuring this is reviewed on an annual
basis*.
• Ensuring the Foundation is compliant with Charity Commission regulations and
that all serious incidents are reported to the Charity Commission.
• Appointing a Safeguarding Lead who is responsible for championing
safeguarding at Board level and providing oversight on high-risk safeguarding
concerns. The Board Safeguarding Lead is Karen Kwong.
*The Foundation does not undertake Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks
as we do not work directly with children and young people or adults at risk. We
should therefore not be left alone with children, young people or adults at risk when
visiting an organisation or project and will refuse to do so if asked. We must ensure
that we are aware of and follow any safeguarding procedures required by the
organisation being visited.
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect and do not engage in any form of
harassment, intimidation, victimization, abuse or exploitation.
• Do not discriminate, directly or indirectly, against any person on the basis of sex,
race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality,
ethnic or social origin, religion, culture, language, age, disability, or any other
status.
• Behave in a manner that upholds the values of the Shackleton Foundation and
avoid any conduct which could damage the reputation of the Foundation.
• Report any concerns about the safety of any individual connected with our work
to the Board Safeguarding Lead immediately.
• The Board Safeguarding Lead is responsible for ensuring that all concerns are
taken seriously and responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
The Foundation expects all organisations applying for funding to have a
Safeguarding Policy in place and will be asked to confirm this on their application
form. If successful with their application they will be asked to submit their
safeguarding policy as part of their Shackleton Leaders Agreement and prior to
receiving any funding.
Drawing on the Charity Commission’s guidelines, the Foundation expects all
successful applicants to demonstrate adequate safeguards in the following four
areas:
• Policies & Procedures: The organisation has in place a safeguarding policy and
procedures that are up to date with the legislative and policy requirements of the
relevant nation.
• Reporting and Response: The organisation has accessible channels for people
to raise concerns and is clear about how it will respond. This should include
reporting to and working in partnership with local safeguarding services.
• Human Resources: The organisation has enough staff to provide a safe service
and the necessary checks are in place when recruiting staff (eg. References,
Disclosure and Barring Services checks). Once in post, staff are provided with
appropriate training and support to ensure they are aware and able to fulfill their
safeguarding responsibilities.
• Governance & Accountability: Leadership of the organisation promote a culture
of openness and transparency and there is clear accountability and oversight of
safeguarding issues. For organisations working directly with children, young
people or adults with care and support needs, this must include having a
Designated Safeguarding Lead.
In line with Charity Commission guidance, Shackleton Leaders (fundees) are
required to notify the Foundation, as instructed within their Leaders Agreement and
within 24hrs of incidents, that have resulted in or risk significant harm or abuse. The
responsibility for responding to the concern, including notifying relevant authorities
and the regulator, rests with the Shackleton Leader and should be undertaken in line
with their own safeguarding procedures. Upon receiving the report, the Board
Safeguarding Lead will assess the situation and if satisfied that appropriate action
has been taken, will simply thank the Shackleton Leader for sharing details of the
concern and their response, make a record of the incident and share this with
Trustees at the next board meeting. If the matter is more serious, the Board
Safeguarding Lead will immediately discuss with the Chair to agree appropriate
actions.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-for-charities-and-trustees#have-suitable-policies-and-practices-in-place
https://www.ncvo.org.uk/help-and-guidance/
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/writing-a-safeguarding-policy-statement
We define:
• Children: a person/ people under the age of 18
• Young people: children who are 16 or 17 years old
• Adults at risk: any person aged 18 or over who has needs for care and
support and is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and is unable to
protect themselves
Contact Information
Board Safeguarding Lead: Karen Kwong (Trustee) info@shackletonfoundation.org
