Community Buildings – Safeguarding
Working with village and community halls to improve Safeguarding in rural areas
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is calling on England’s 10,000 village halls to make sure policies and procedures are in place to keep everyone safe.
As a Member of ACRE Network - England’s largest rural grouping of community support agencies – ACT is raising awareness of the measures that can be taken by halls across Cumbria to protect individuals from harm, and supporting volunteer hall committees to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence to operate in a safe and welcoming manner for all who use their facility.
Village hall committees have an important part to play in creating safe spaces for members of their community, especially when it comes to protecting younger or more vulnerable people. The committee may not work directly with children or adults at risk, but it is responsible for the contracts it makes with hirers. Everyone has a responsibility to: look out for others; know where to find help; and to have Safeguarding policies and procedures in place to support this - a Safeguarding Policy and use of an appropriate written Hire Agreement are essential.
Key Resources
Contact us at ACT for free copies of:
- Safeguarding information sheet for village halls
- Model Safeguarding Policy for a village hall
- Model Village Hall Hire Agreement and guidance
Posters for your hall
- Safeguarding children poster - 'If you SEE something SAY something'
- Safeguarding adults posters & leaflets (see bottom of web page) - 'Concerned about an adult? Speak up'
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern in Cumbria
- Concern about a Child?
- Cumberland Safeguarding Hub - Tel: 0333 2401727
- Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Hub - Tel: 0300 373 2724
- Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership https://www.cumbriasafeguardingchildren.co.uk/
- Concern about an Adult?
- Cumberland Council - Tel: 0300 373 3732
- Westmorland and Furness Council - Tel: 0300 373 3301
- Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board https://www.cumbriasab.org.uk/
If you feel a person is in immediate danger, call the police on 999
Other Resources
- Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding guidance: www.anncrafttrust.org/resources
- Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding Adults Week 2024: www.anncrafttrust.org/safeguarding-adults-week-2024-links-resources-and-more/
- NCVO Safeguarding information: www.ncvo.org.uk/help-and-guidance/safeguarding/
- NSPCC Safeguarding Children information: learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/voluntary-community-groups
- NSPCC Safeguarding examples – hiring out space learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/safeguarding-examples-issues-concerns
- Charity Commission guidance for Trustees: www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees
- Handling safeguarding allegations in a charity www.charitysafeguarding.dcms.gov.uk/
- Care and Support statutory guidance – Safeguarding (definitions and responsibilities): www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance#safeguarding-1
- YouTube Presentation from our ACRE Network colleagues at Community Action Northumberland: Safeguarding Training for Volunteers
- From 2023 Cumbria CVS no longer offers Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Groups are referred to an online service provided by Community Action Suffolk: Further details here: cumbriacvs.org.uk/about-us/disclosure-and-barring-service/
A national survey conducted by ACRE showed that village halls are a vital asset for many rural communities. 60% of halls provide the only meeting space in the local area, whilst 80% of respondents knew someone whose lives had changed for the better as a result of joining activities at their local hall.
Halls can continue to improve lives through adopting effective safeguarding practices and policies, to ensure that everyone is protected in rural areas.
This work is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
