“Safeguarding promotes the safety and welfare of people involved in the delivery or receipt of humanitarian aid and development assistance, protecting them from harm, including all forms of exploitation, abuse and harassment".  

This definition is broad and is designed to encompass the many different types of organisations and activities being undertaken by the international development sector in Scotland.  However, depending on what type of organisation you are (company, charity, working with volunteers etc.) you may wish to familiarise yourself with the specific definitions set out by the regulatory body.  

OSCR Safeguarding Definition  

“Safeguarding is the action an organisation takes to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults to protect them from harm. This includes making sure the appropriate policies and procedures are put in place. Safeguarding includes child protection but goes further and extends to all vulnerable beneficiaries.”  

The full OSCR safeguarding guidance can be found online.  

SCVO Safeguarding Definition  

“Safeguarding basically means ensuring that there are measures in place to make sure that beneficiaries and others who come into contact with your organisation are protected from harm.  Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and for both trustees and staff it means going over and above your minimum legal responsibilities and making sure the culture within your organisation is to respect and protect the people there.”  

More information about safeguarding can be found online.  

Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum  Definition

“Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum have recently consulted on their draft Governance Code. The Code specifically sets out a commitment to ensure that boards regularly review the policies, procedures and reporting arrangements for safeguarding policies.”  

The Governance Forum and the draft Code (pdf) can be accessed online.  

BOND Safeguarding Definition  

“In the UK, safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human right, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect[i]. In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our staff or programmes.”  

The full guidance can be accessed online. BOND works closely with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) who have developed a set of due diligence guidelines for partners and grant holders of UKAid money.  

Other Definitions

Please see the sidebar for BOND's Glossary of Terms contained within its Safeguarding Policy Template on pages 8-10 and for the Scottish Government's National Guidance for Child Protection, which contains definitions of physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect on pages 13-4 (pdf).

The NSPCC has a briefing covering the definitions and signs of child abuse (pdf).