Launched on 1 July, the standard provides guidance to help organisations “keep individuals safe from harm and respond effectively to safeguarding concerns”.
Produced with the UK National Standards Body, and guidance from charity representatives at Barnardo’s and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as well as the Rugby Football Union, the guidance laid out step-by-step recommendations for organisations to reduce the risk of harm to individuals in their organisation and meet legal safeguarding responsibilities.
This included recommendations about how to ensure safeguarding during recruitment, identifying risks to vulnerable employees, creating a safeguarding policy and process for reporting concerns, as well as how to implement safeguarding protections.
Liz Sebag-Montefiore, founder of consultancy 10Eighty, welcomed the guidance as timely, given increased awareness of the need for safeguarding in recent years.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “This new standard aims to provide a framework for UK organisations, to keep people safe and protect vulnerable people.
“Organisations working with the public must be aware of their legal safeguarding responsibilities, and prioritise the safeguarding of children and adults at risk.
“This issue has come to prominence in recent years, and the new guidance is timely and welcome.”
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The guidance recommended that employers have an understanding of their legal duties to safeguard employees within their organisation and from third parties, and complete risk assessments of those vulnerable to them.
Safeguarding employees comes from the top, the guidance noted, and safeguarding policies should be embedded into the culture, which should be communicated to employees, contractors and volunteers.
Those responsible for the organisation's “governance, leadership and operation” are responsible for setting and implementing policies around safeguarding, the guidance suggested, which should include identifying, preventing, reporting and addressing safeguarding concerns.
A safeguarding lead should be identified to oversee how safeguarding is implemented across the organisation, according to the BSI. This person should also be responsible for determining an appropriate response to concerns.
However the whole business is responsible for safeguarding, including HR, suggested Kevin Fitzgerald, managing director of HR software provider Employment Hero.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Safeguarding sits within the remit of HR but it is also a key responsibility for the wider business.”
Employers should use the BSI standard as guidance but ultimately organisations are responsible for their own success, he added.
“Each business needs to take responsibility for their own safeguarding requirements. The standards released yesterday by BSI should be viewed as guidance, not the ultimate playbook," Fitzgerald added.
“The guidance lays out a clear track on what is needed to build out a safer recruitment process, including monitored background checks, training probation periods, reporting and escalation procedures, whistleblowing polices, and data and information management.”
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Kelly Tucker, founder of consultancy HR Star, told HR magazine that the guidance could go further by pointing to specific measures for organisations to implement the guidance.
She commented: “The BSI's new safeguarding standard is a significant step towards ensuring the protection of vulnerable adults and children. However, it could go further in mandating specific measures and accountability mechanisms to ensure robust implementation across businesses.”
Tucker added that employers could implement the guidance alongside regular training to ensure that employees are successfully safeguarded.
She continued: “Employers can implement this guidance by integrating safeguarding policies into their operational framework, providing regular training, and establishing clear reporting procedures. They should also foster a culture of vigilance and responsibility among employees.
“To measure the success of safeguarding measures, employers can conduct regular audits, seek feedback from employees, and monitor incident reports to identify and address any gaps in their safeguarding practices.”
