Lead Trustee for Safeguarding

Together’s current Lead Trustee for Safeguarding is Dr. Ben Thomas. Here you can read more about why we have a Lead Trustee for Safeguarding and what they do.

Summary

Identified as one of our strategic priorities in our 2019-2024 strategy, protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities are a key governance priority for our charity. As part of fulfilling trustee duties, our Lead Trustee for Safeguarding takes reasonable steps to protect people who come into contact with our charity from harm. The Lead Trustee for Safeguarding is part of our commitment to involve people who use our services in how services are designed and delivered at both a national and local level.

We have a strong reputation in advocacy and carry out our services to the latest best practice guidelines, ensuring that the people who use our services are receiving the highest quality support available and we act in their best interests to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Duties and Responsibilities

In addition to those duties and responsibilities performed by all Trustees, the Lead Trustee for Safeguarding:

  • is familiar with Together’s Policies on Safeguarding (Adults, Hate Crime, Self-Neglect & Hoarding, Children & Young People)’
  • acts as a key consultee for any updates or changes to those policies;
  • is knowledgeable about the wider context to Safeguarding through reviewing the information publicly available via organisations such as the Charity Commission
  • acts as an advocate for Safeguarding matters, ensuring that there is full and appropriate review/challenge of reports brought to the Quality & Safety Committee and that this committee’s views and recommendations are heard by the Board as appropriate;
  • acts as a point of reference and advice for the CEO, COO and/or Head of Quality Improvement who will contact them as appropriate including with regard to any emerging concerns re Safeguarding including critical individual incidents and emerging patterns of reports;
  • advises Together’s Chair in a timely manner of any matters of concern re the above.

The Lead Trustee is supported to discharge their duties and responsibilities through briefings and contact with the relevant staff within the organisation.

For more information view our safeguarding policy.