The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has released key findings of a review into how charities protect vulnerable people from harm.
ACNC Commissioner Sue Woodward AM said the charity sector clearly understands the importance of managing the risk of harm to vulnerable people.
However, she said the ACNC’s safeguarding review has highlighted how critical it is that charities set out policies and procedures to protect against the risk of harms such as exploitation, violence and abuse.
“Safeguarding is an important focus area for the ACNC. Ineffective safeguards can result in an increased risk of harm to vulnerable people including children, seniors and people with impaired intellectual or physical functioning,” Ms Woodward said.
Among the key findings, the Managing safeguarding risk review found:
- Strong safeguarding requires charities to take the time to establish appropriate processes, systems and procedures.
- Smaller charities may benefit from working with larger, more experienced charities and peak bodies.
- Safeguarding was often reflected in a charity’s culture but not always documented in formal policies and procedures, resulting in inconsistency in addressing risks.
- Most charities were aware of legal obligations, however, these were rarely recorded in a single place, such as a register of legal obligations. This made it difficult to keep on top of changes to relevant legislation.
Ms Woodward said those responsible for running charities have an obligation to develop ways to manage and protect people who are directly and indirectly involved in their specific organisation.
“A big picture view is required here. Of course, charities have a duty of care to their staff, managers, volunteers and the people who use their programs. But they also need to implement policies and procedures that cover others they use to deliver services.
“That will vary from one organisation to the next, but it might be suppliers or partner organisations, for example. However, the duty to protect all of a charity’s people and those they serve is paramount,” Ms Woodward said.
Read the Managing safeguarding risk review report summary.
To help charities meet their obligations, the ACNC has resources including a safeguarding checklist, a policy template and guidance. See the Governance Toolkit: Safeguarding vulnerable people.