About SAFEcic
SAFEcic is a not for profit organisation, dedicated to improving safeguarding for everyone. We receive no external funding, but instead sell our courses and expertise commercially and use any surplus to subsidise the same, high quality training, audits, services and advice to charities and good causes.
SAFEcic's main office is at;
Unit 10, Mid-Suffolk Business Park, Eye, Suffolk. IP23 7HU
Tel: 01379 871091 Email: help@safecic.co.uk
Our office opening hours are;
09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Thursday
09:00 to 15:00 Friday
We are closed at weekends
Click here to discover SAFE's History & Key Safeguarding Milestones
Established for twenty one years, SAFEcic is a not for profit community interest company dedicated to raising safeguarding standards. We take pride in delivering high quality services and maintaining long term relationships with all our clients to support them in achieving and maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding across many sectors. We work with more than 7,000 organisations and have well over 70,000 registered online users on our website.
A corporate member of National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the SAFEcic team works with a wide range of organisations in a wide range of sectors; from educational multi-academy trusts, major charities, statutory and international organisations, to smaller voluntary groups in the community, and SAFEcic has addressed the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Charities and Volunteering at Westminster.
All of SAFEcic's multi-agency safeguarding experts are professionally qualified and are drawn from police, social care, education, and health backgrounds. SAFEcic's adult and child safeguarding services include a membership scheme, face to face, blended and online training, DBS checks, policy writing, external audits, rapid reviews advice and consultation.
SAFEcic is also a member of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP) and was runner up in the NSPCC National Trainer of the Year Award 2018. The SAFEcic team was funded by the British Council to advise Hungary with regards to their national safeguarding legislation and practice in 2003; and has also worked extensively with a major leisure provider across the Middle East.
SAFEcic comments for; Sky News, Anglia TV, BBC Radio, BBC TV and the Daily Mirror.
SAFEcic carries Employers Liability (up to £10m), Public/Products Liability Insurance (up to £10m), Professional Indemnity Insurance (up to £2m), Trustees'/Directors' liability (up to £2m) and Organisational Liability (up to £2m).
SAFE has always offered its services commercially, using the profits generated to subsidise the same, high quality services for good causes (such as charities, not-for-profit groups and community organisations).
SAFE's History
Choose Your Year or Milestone
1989 - 1991 The Children Act and Interagency Guidance
1993 Vulnerable Adult Training Development
1999 'Working Together' Revision Introduces 'Safeguarding'
2000 Safeguarding Toolkit & SAFE Award Launched
2001 Soham Murders Highlight Recruitment 'Local Check' Shortfalls
2004 Web Launch & Growth Beyond Suffolk
2006 'Working Together' Revised
2010 New Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance
2012 Protection of Freedoms Act
2013 New Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance
2015 The Care Act and new statutory guidance
2017 Children and Social Work Act 2017
2018 New Act, new guidance published and statutory guidance updated
2019 Updating and combining Adults' and Childrens' materials
2023 Busy Meeting needs and celebrations
SAFE was originally a Suffolk Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) project which evolved to charity status then on to become a nationally focused, not for profit, community interest company. At the heart of SAFEcic is the desire to protect children and protect vulnerable adults. It also aspires to enable those who work voluntarily and paid, qualified and unqualified, in many diverse and varied situations to protect all children, young people, the elderly and vulnerable adults. This also includes protecting family members and carers.
To achieve a safeguarding environment, SAFEcic provides organisations, groups and individuals with:
- current and relevant safeguarding information
- extensive training packages in safeguarding both children and adults at risk.(In the beginning SAFE provided face to face training but quickly included on-line training)
- templates and toolkits for adult and child safeguarding policies and procedures
- conferences for participants to hear speakers at top of their field in safeguarding children, young people, and adults. The conferences cover specific issues, research, developments in safeguarding good practice and provide the opportunity for networking
- advice which, if necessary, is backed up by professionals working in the relevant field
- safeguarding audits and reviews of groups' and organisations' policies, procedures and practices
- policy writing
- DBS checks, safeguarding risk assessments, support, advice, consultancy
- strategies for safer recruitment
There has been an increasing need to protect children and adults at risk, in the fast growing field of information technology. This area of eSafety has become an important development for SAFEcic. SAFEcic is an associate member of the UKCCIS (United Kingdom Council for Child Internet Safety) .
All SAFEcic's work is based on current safeguarding legislation and guidance.
The story starts in 1987 following the publication of the Cleveland Report and the first Working Together: A Guide to Inter-Agency Co-operation for the Protection of Children from Abuse in 1988. Prior to this, from the early 1970’s, terms used to describe what might be happening to children began with battered baby syndrome, then non-accidental injury. By 1980 the term became officially known as ‘Child Abuse’ and this covered physical injury, physical neglect, failure to thrive and emotional abuse. There was no mention of sexual abuse. However one of the main recommendations of the Cleveland Inquiry was for the main agencies to understand each other’s roles and the implications of legal intervention in mainly child sexual abuse whilst also protecting children in general. This required agencies who worked together in this field to also train together. This training was developed specifically for those professionals who would become involved in child abuse cases. This included, not only social care, child care staff but specifically identified police officers, senior teachers and health visitors. Police and social care staff who undertook child abuse investigations, which may lead to prosecution, also needed specialist training to undertake these investigations.
1989 - 1991 The Children Act and Interagency Guidance
In 1989, the publication of new and principle legislation on child protection raised the profile of child abuse. This was the Children Act 1989. It brought together a number of existing legislative documents which affected children. Important aspects included the paramountcy principle, put simply, that the welfare of the child supersedes any other legislation and actions making the welfare of the child paramount. It charged local authorities with the “duty to investigate...... if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering or likely to suffer, significant harm” (section 47). The Children Act 1998 defined “harm” as ill-treatment. This is the impairment of health and or development by e.g. sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect and emotional abuse.
Government guidance, Working Together 1988 was published to encourage interagency co-operation and updated in 1991. This was statutory guidance under the Children Act 1989 The importance of training was emphasised, the focus being ‘children at risk of significant harm.’ The introduction of ‘thresholds’, i.e. levels at which, what kind of intervention and investigation would take place and when. Training was emphasised as a vital need in safeguarding children.
In Suffolk these plans included the development of a multi-agency training team of experienced professionals from each of the main agencies. Their remit was to train staff from all agencies and sectors, who work with children and their families.
The training was designed to enable, staffacross the agencies to:
- recognise and respond to children at risk or suffering harm
- enhance understanding of other agencies roles and responsibilities
- work and share information effectively between the agencie
Specialist training was also devised to teach, police and social workers, skills in investigation and communicating with children. This would include the videoing of interviews with children to act as their main account to be used in court. This training, called Joint Investigation Training, commenced in 1989.
Jill Powell, now SAFE’s Independent Consultant, had become a member of that team; Rosie Carter, now SAFE’s MD, joined in 1993 . Both were working half time still in their own professional roles, alongside one other part time professional. The team was now based at the Kerrison Conference and Training Centre in Mid Suffolk
1993 Vulnerable Adult Training Development
By March 1993, Jill had been seconded for her other half time to help in the development of training for vulnerable adults. Jill and Rosie trained staff working in adult day centres and adult residential units in good practice, recognition and referral of sexual abuse, of vulnerable adults. As this was before the publication of the document, ‘No Secrets’, yet to be published in 2000, or any other supporting legislation, funding was difficult. The original trainer for safeguarding of vulnerable adults continued working alone, whilst Jill was given a full time training post in child protection training.
1999 'Working Together' Revision Introduces 'Safeguarding'
By 1999, and taking in to account the Department of Health’s Child Protection: Messages from Research published in 1995, another revision of Working Together was published. This guidance was different in focus, as its subtitle suggests - ‘A Guide to Interagency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children’. The scope of those who needed training had also widened. Now, not all training was essentially multi-agency or needed to include the whole remit required for professionals. It was however essential training to important individuals in the lives of children. This guidance used the word “safeguarding” for the first time instead of the term “child protection” which had taken over from “child abuse”. The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families was published by the Department of Health in 2000. This was to be used alongside the 1999 Working Together. This document described the detail of what was required when assessing adults and children in a family, when children were considered, in need and/or neglect or abuse had happened or was considered at risk of happening. This document was aimed at social care workers, teachers, doctors, including psychiatrists, and health visitors .
By this time the training team consisted of Jill and Rosie with help from designated police officers. The question now was; how are we going to reach the many who work with children and their families, paid or volunteers? Many, such as sports groups, clubs and faith groups, worked at their own job during the day so training was required in the evenings or weekends. Training at this time was free under the support of the Suffolk ACPC. This functioned using funding from the main agencies. We had always been fortunate that dedicated and knowledgeable individuals, who were working in child safeguarding, willingly and freely gave their time to training. As they all had full time jobs they could only volunteer occasionally.
2000 Safeguarding Toolkit & SAFE Award Launched
By 2000, we were training more and more in the evening or weekends as well as delivering our specialist and multi-agency training. We had to think of ways to raise funds, to pay trainers, and develop a strategic workable plan. The police inspector in charge of the teams of child protection officers was particularly worried about small football clubs, and other small volunteer groups. Rosie and Jill were looking at ways to reach and help the many small and disparate organisations and groups who were working voluntarily with children, young people and their families. The police inspector, through his work, knew that it was these small groups who were particularly vulnerable to being targeted by paedophiles. Lessons from research, identified the need for early identification and referral. If this was to be achieved, then training was going to have to raise awareness in safeguarding.
This would need to:
- raise awareness of safeguarding and it being the responsibility of everyone
- discuss the importance of observation and recognition of possible abuse when working with children and young people
- overcome the barriers, such as knowing possible family members of colleagues involved in possible abuse
- building confidence in making a referral to the police or social services
- and developing good practice skills such as record keeping
Along with our police colleagues and a dedicated sports development officer from Waveney District Council, we met at the Ipswich Town Football Club to find a way forward. It was never going to be easy. We would need:
- information leaflets to back up the training
- concise, straight forward training that could be delivered in about 2 hours.
and trainers who could overcome issues such as:
- the subject itself being difficult for some
- those who would insist “it wouldn’t happen here”
- and a few individuals who would distract and disturb the training
As we worked on this project, Rosie took on the lead for the development work, which was to be named SAFE, standing for, Safer Activities For Everyone. Rosie also continued delivering main stream training and running conferences for children regardless of their ability. Children with disabilities were often not taken into account when considering safeguarding. Jill continued leading on multi-agency and specialist training and putting on bi-annual national 2 day conferences at nearby Snape Maltings.
With the backing of the Bishop of Ipswich and St Edmundsbury, Jill took on the role of training Faith Groups in the county as well as working as Safeguarding Advisor to the Bishop. This raised funds to help pay for a few occasional trainers. The training and advice was given in line with the SAFE project. Many groups were coming forward as well: including other Churches of varying denominations and Mosques. Rosie was responding to an ever growing list of individuals and groups, from football, golf, archery, swimming and leisure centres, Woodland Folk to playgroups and nurseries. Rosie had developed a toolkit for writing policies and procedures and good practice which enabled groups to provide safe, informed and alert staff but also provided evidence of their achievement. This then developed into achieving the SAFE Award. The Award was given when all good practice guidelines were in place and all staff had received training. An audit would be carried out by one of the SAFE team to pass inspection. The first award was presented by David Sheepshanks, the then Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club, at a Premier League Match at ITFC’s Portman Road. The initial steering group for SAFE had grown to help and support its development.
2001 Soham Murders Highlight Recruitment ' Local Check' Shortfalls
Between 2000 and 2006 there was continual development by Government, rather than particular departments to improve the safety and response to children and their families. It also aimed to ensure that every child had the opportunity to achieve their potential. In 2000 Victoria Climbié, aged 8 years, died a horrible death caused, over a considerable time, by her carers. In 2001 national attention was on Soham in Cambridgeshire where 2 girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman had been abducted. Holly and Jessica had been taken and subsequently murdered by their school caretaker, Ian Huntley. If police intelligence and rigorous recruitment had been in place, it was felt that Ian Huntley would not have been in a position of trust working so closely to children. At that time the only guidance was for schools to do a local police check and check that applicants were not on the barred list for Department for Education ( List 99) , this would also automatically check the Department of Health Consultancy Index , the equivalent health “barred list”.
The Criminal Records Bureau started to work as the central point for all checks and systems to be tightened up. All applicants for posts involving working children were to seek clearance via the bureau, known as “disclosure”, before starting work. Unfortunately this caused a considerable backlog of people being checked and many changes were instigated by government with advice being given and withdrawn then re-given. The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) took the place of the barred list. The ISA will be merged with the CRB to form the new merged Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) later in 2012.
The Victoria Climbié Report written by Lord Laming, was published in 2003, after a major review of Victoria’s life and death. Keeping Children Safe report (DfES, 2003) was the Government's response to the report written by Lord Laming, as well as the Every Child Matters (green paper DfES 2003), which led to the Every Child Matters: Change for Children Programme. These then led to changes in legislation brought together in the Children Act 2004. The Act did not replace, or even change much in the Children Act 1989, but provided changes in the way agencies would work together. It placed a duty on local authorities and their partners, including the police, health service providers, and the youth justice system, to co-operate in promoting the welfare of children and young people. Local Authorities also had to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. The Children Act 2004 required that by 2006 ACPC’s were to be replaced by statutory, Local Safeguarding Child Boards (LSCBs).
2004 Web Launch & Growth Beyond Suffolk
In 2004 Rosie, by this time, was concentrating on Education's single agency training and had worked on, and was able to launch the oursafesite.com website. This development was not only to help inform groups of, changing laws and guidance, but to begin providing on line training. More and more individuals and groups were looking for training. Not only was it becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the level of face to face training, but also attendance at training was becoming difficult for many. Membership of SAFE provided updated toolkits, online training and advice. SAFE became an umbrella service for the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) - which later became the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in 2012. Safe recruitment was becoming a major part of the work undertaken. The website allowed for fees to be included enabling SAFE to be self funding. By 2005 SAFE became a registered charity, Safeguarding Children Partnership, known as SAFEchild. By now Rosie was managing an ever increasing team of self employed experts in the field of safeguarding children as trainers and developing a team of administrators. Rosie became full time to manage the charity. Half her salary came from Social Services via the ACPC which had been supporting SAFE from the beginning and half her time was paid by funds raised via the charity. The project had progressed from reaching locally based organisations and groups to having a national focus especially through the work within the leisure industry. Trustees now replaced the steering group and consisted of a retired senior police officer, solicitor, judges and head teacher. Its Patron was the high profile Lady Clare Euston, Countess of Euston, who has always done great work for the community.
2006 'Working Together' Revised
In 2006 an updated Working Together was published taking into account the inquiry report into the death of Victoria Climbié, the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme and the Children Act 2004. After criticism of the 1999 version, the term “child protection” had widened to “safeguarding children” but there was still no definition in law or any guidance on what was meant by the term.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children was defined in the 2006 Working Together as:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s health or development; and
- ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
In 2006 the Government published non statutory guidance, under the change for children agenda called, What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused. This document was made readily available to the whole community and was designed for statutory and the independent sector as well as the wider community.
In 2008 a more sophisticated SAFE web site was needed to take account of significant changes and developments to ensure that toolkits and training were up to date and fit for purpose. The training needed to be developed to include safe recruitment guidance, to include more in-depth interview techniques, other guidance and esafety. This new website was safechild.co.uk. By 2009 Rosie, as chief executive of the charity, was no longer paid by Suffolk C.C.
In 2009 the charity launched the web site safechild.co.uk . In addition to safechild.co.uk there was now safeadult.co.uk. It had become obvious, through calls made to SAFEchild, that many people were looking for a similar service, in particular on line training and toolkits for safeguarding vulnerable adults. A growing number of services where now being inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), using regulations and standards set by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. The outcome 7 of regulation 11 states: “protecting people who use services from abuse”.
2010 New Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance
In 2010 a new Working Together to Safeguard Children – a Guide to Inter-agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children was published. There had not been a comprehensive update since 2006, it was in urgent need of updating to reflect the changes in practice over the last four years.
During 2011 it became increasingly financially difficult to function under charity status and the Trustees made the difficult decision to close the charity. SAFEchild would cease. After a short time, Rosie and other SAFE colleagues decided they would not give up and together they established Safer Activities for Everyone CIC, a not for profit organisation and social enterprise. A new website www.safecic.co.uk was developed and Rosie continues to direct and develop this company. The many SAFE expert professionals continue to support the project to ensure that all work undertaken and advice given, continues to be relevant, up-to date and correct.
2012 Protection of Freedoms Act
In May 2012, the Protection of Freedoms Act gained royal assent. The act brought in many changes to the vetting and barring process: The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) was created to take over the responsibilities of both the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), which were both shut down. The ISA registration scheme was abandoned and the scopes of regulated activity, barring and eligibility for criminal records checks were all redefined and reduced. SAFEcic's CRB/DBS team worked tirelessly throughout this period to ensure all of our processes were kept up to date, our customers informed and our deadlines met.
2013 New Working Together to Safeguard Children
In anticipation of Safer Internet Day 2013, SAFEcic launched a new, Ofsted compliant, online training course for eSafety: allowing individuals and organisations alike to update their knowledge of legislation, procedures and the risks surrounding the online world. Shortly after, in March 2013, the Department for Education published their latest statutory guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children And in April 2013, SAFE launched an online Safeguarding Adults with Dementia Course.
The DBS also went through more changes this year, in February, the Court of Appeal concluded that DBS checking of certain "spent" convictions is in violation of human rights. As a result, new legislation is now in place and from 29 May 2013 the DBS will begin 'filtering' old and/or irrelevant warnings, cautions, reprimands and convictions. The DBS plan to appeal the decision. Alongside this, the long awaited 'DBS update service' started from 17 June 2013 and the DBS also ceased issuing certificates to anyone but the applicants themselves.
We worked with University Campus Suffolk(UCS), Suffolk Police, Suffolk Hate Crime, Fresh Start new beginnings to design a free, easy to use dedicated web space, hosted on our website which offers a resource bank of advice, information and support relating to online behaviour of children and young people: www.ezSAFE.co.uk. Shortly after SID, in April 2014, Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges was launched by the Department for Education, replacing the 2007 guidance 'Safeguarding children and Safer Recruitment in Education'.
On 18 June 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that certain old cautions and convictions should not be declared, supporting the decision of the Court of Appeal back in February 2013 - therefore the filtering of old cautions and convictions will continue in line with current legislation.
2015 The Care Act and New statutory guidance
In March, the government released updated versions of two key statutory safeguarding documents:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education: for schools and Colleges
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
In April, The Care Act 2014 came into power. Although many of the changes were not implemented right away (some having been pushed back to 2020), the Act is a huge step towards the improved safeguarding of adults at risk. it also establsihed the need to have Safeguarding Adult Boards in each local Authority.
In 2016, we moved our offices from Chestnuts Farm to the Mid Suffolk Business Park across the road, expanding to a larger office building with an upstairs training suite. This is a very exciting time as we are now able to offer in house training courses to organisations and individuals. In late 2016 we launched our programme of Open House events and continue to build on this today.
2017 Children and Social Work Act 2017
One of the four main purposes of this Act Is to improve joint work at local level to safeguard children and enable better learning at local and national level to improve practice in child protection.
2018 New Act, new guidance published and statutory guidance updated
UKGDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 covers the management and control of personal information. UKGDPR refers to any personal information which can be used to identify an individual
New Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, Between Children in Schools published and Statutory Guidance updated
- Keeping Children Safe in Education: for schools and Colleges
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
2019 Updating and combining Adults and Children materials
It had become necessary to begin to up-date our training, toolkit templates policies and the SAFE Award.
Instead of thinking of safeguarding children and young people and safeguarding adults as separate subjects it was becoming clear that for many amalgamating our materials, would be more beneficial, whilst keeping the original format for some.
We began this task as well as making any changes required, updating and refreshing as we went.
Statutory guidance
- Keeping Children Safe in Education: for schools and Colleges updated in October 2019
- Working Together to Safeguard Children updated in February 2019
In response to the lockdown due to the pandemic we devised a safeguarding hub to provide any necessary information and responses to issues on our website.
Work went on with devising new online training and Rosie and members of her training team, became very experienced in delivering zoom training.
The steps SAFEcic has taken to meet the needs of the many who continue to work, during these difficult times, have been met with positive feedback. Some of the new approaches such as Zoom meetings and blended training will,we are sure, continue to be popular beyond the pandemic. With the benefits of reduction of time and travel, cost of venues and other expenses, remote training will continue to be provided.
Going forward, SAFEcic will continue to provide a range of training, on-line and face to face, audits, membership, resources, DBS services and safeguarding advice.
We are 2 years into the Covid-19 pandemic with restrictions being eased and a return to the work place for many.
These last 2 years have taught us many skills, which we will continue to develop and improve to bring safeguarding children and adults to our global audience.
We have now updated of all our available toolkits and downloads. A wide range of organisations and groups have successfully completed the SAFE Award. This attainment provides a significant self audit, of the way each group and organisation have meet their safeguarding duties.
In line with the new Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 we are now developing specific online training for all school staff. This training will focus on a whole school approach with particular reference to:
- Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges published by Ofsted in June 2021
The course will also focus on achieving a safe environment by raising awareness of this difficult subject in an ever complex and changing world. A major theme is ensuring a whole school approach is established whereby safeguarding becomes embedded into the principles and culture of schools and colleges. This training will then be developed for, and available to, groups and organisations from other sectors
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2023 Busy meeting needs and celebrations
at SAFEcic we are:
- continuing to use the skills and ways of working adapted and developed during the lockdowns, and the last year’s cautious return to the workplace.
- providing a range of online, blended and bespoke live safeguarding training, focused on specific identified training needs.
- continually updating the training in regard to:
- new and updates to legislation
- revised and updated statutory and good practice guidance
- research and inquiry outcomes
- adapting to the updated Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of safeguarding for professional registration
- providing an umbrella service for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) since 2012.
- undertaking Rapid Reviews to assess an organisation's safeguarding culture.
- supplying safeguarding audits and pre-inspection services.
In June the SAFEcic team lead by Rosie met to celebrate the 20 years of having an online presence with our first website presence, oursafesite.com., providing toolkits, updating information and online training. Rachael Oliver and Dawn Crisp were recognised during our celebrations for being part of the founding team. Both have demonstrated their skills and talents helping SAFEcic to become what it is today.
During this year our IT team have updated our email system and created our new website, still using the same trusted values and services and keeping the SAFEcic.co.uk address.
