If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 in the UK. Outside the UK, contact emergency services in the country where the person is physically present. Do not wait for a reply from us.

You can report something that happened to you, something you witnessed or a concern about someone else. You do not need proof. You can contact the police or local safeguarding services directly without our permission.

Contact oudebateclub@gmail.com and the relevant officer will be alerted to the concern.

During an event, tell the host or moderator using the reporting route explained at the start. You can ask for a private conversation. Do not post sensitive details in a group chat. If contacting us, tell us how and when it is safe to reply.

We aim to acknowledge non-urgent reports within two working days. Our contact routes are not a 24-hour emergency service. If danger is immediate, or an urgent concern cannot wait for our monitoring hours, contact the relevant emergency or safeguarding service directly.

We accept anonymous reports, although missing information may limit what we can do or prevent us from replying. We do not tolerate intimidation or retaliation against anyone who raises a concern honestly.

Safeguarding means taking steps to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation, and responding when someone may be at risk. Open Debate CIC aims to make debate and public speaking accessible while taking people’s safety and welfare seriously.

This policy covers participants, members, guests, speakers, volunteers, staff, contractors and directors in activities and channels that we organise or manage. It includes online and in-person debates, workshops, events, membership activities and related communications. It applies to people taking part in the UK and overseas.

For this policy, a child is anyone under 18, including a student or volunteer aged 16 or 17. We apply child safeguards to them. Some local laws also provide adult protection from age 16, including in Scotland; we use the appropriate local referral arrangements.

All participants can report harm. We pay particular attention to people who may have difficulty protecting themselves from abuse because of their care or support needs or circumstances. Being disabled does not by itself mean that someone cannot make decisions or needs statutory safeguarding intervention.

Where we deliver an activity with a society, university, venue or another organisation, we agree safeguarding responsibilities and reporting routes beforehand. An affiliation does not automatically make another organisation responsible for our activities.

We act on concerns about physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse; neglect; domestic abuse; financial exploitation; grooming; coercion; discriminatory abuse; stalking; and harmful online conduct. Grooming means building trust or dependence to enable abuse or exploitation. Harm can involve an adult or another child, and can occur outside a session between people who met through our activities.

Examples include threatening or humiliating someone, repeated unwanted contact, sexual harassment, pressuring a participant for money or personal disclosures, sharing their private details without permission, or encouraging violence. A disclosure of abuse, serious self-harm risk or immediate danger also requires a safeguarding response.

Disagreement and criticism of arguments are part of debate. Hosts consider behaviour, context and the risk of harm when deciding whether to intervene. Political disagreement alone does not establish a safeguarding concern. Personal abuse, intimidation and targeted harassment breach our standards.

• Treat people with dignity. Challenge arguments without personal threats, humiliation, discriminatory abuse or sexual harassment.

• Respect someone’s decision to pass, take a break or leave. Do not pressure them to speak, disclose personal experiences or explain their identity.

• Respect privacy. Do not publish another participant’s contact details, screenshots, voice or image without permission.

• Follow the host’s instructions and use the agreed route to report concerns. Do not pursue someone after they have asked you to stop contacting them.

Staff, volunteers and speakers must keep appropriate professional boundaries. They must not exploit their role, seek sexual or romantic contact with under-18 participants, arrange secret contact or use gifts, favours or money to create dependence. Access to support or opportunities must never depend on accepting personal contact.

Hosts may pause a discussion, stop a recording, restrict chat, remove someone from a session or end an event to protect participants. We take proportionate action and explain decisions where it is safe to do so.

Each event states its age range. Under-18s can attend only where we have agreed suitable arrangements for the activity, their age, location and support needs. An adult membership or an open booking link does not by itself make an activity suitable for a child.

Our standard arrangement is to obtain the young person’s agreement and written permission from a parent or carer with authority to give it, alongside a safe emergency contact. This is our participation safeguard, rather than a statement that parental permission is legally required for every 16 or 17-year-old. If involving a parent or carer would be unsafe or inappropriate, the safeguarding lead must agree a lawful alternative before attendance.

Sessions involving under-18s must have at least two authorised adults present, with supervision adapted to the group and activity. This is our organisational standard. Online breakout rooms must be supervised; guest speakers must not have unsupervised access to children. Young volunteers remain protected by these arrangements and do not replace adult supervisors.

Routine individual contact with a child must use approved channels and be observable by, or accessible to, a second authorised adult. Necessary confidential safeguarding conversations follow an agreed protocol, with another authorised adult aware and able to assist. Emergency help must not be delayed. For in-person events, we agree arrival, collection, supervision, accessibility and any transport arrangements before the event.

We review topics and materials for age suitability. We do not admit a child, or continue an activity, if we cannot provide the agreed safeguards.

Before an activity, the organiser assesses risks arising from the audience, topic, format, venue or platform, access needs, adult and child interaction, and any recording. The plan identifies who is responsible, how participants report concerns and who can provide safeguarding cover. Hosts give advance information about potentially distressing content and offer ways to take part without sharing personal experiences.

Every role holder must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check appropriate to their role before starting. This includes all elected, appointed, paid and unpaid roles, including directors, committee members, officers, facilitators, moderators and volunteers. The check must be verified and a suitability decision recorded before duties begin or role access is granted.

A basic DBS check is the minimum where the role is not legally eligible for a higher-level check. We obtain the appropriate standard, enhanced or barred-list check where the role is eligible and requires it. A basic check does not replace an enhanced or barred-list check required for the work. We confirm the correct checking jurisdiction and complete any additional Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI checks needed. If a DBS check cannot lawfully be obtained, the appointment remains on hold while the checking route is resolved.

DBS applicants must be at least 16, so formal role holders must be 16 or over under this policy. Under-16s can participate in suitable activities. We assess relevant overseas history because DBS does not provide a complete record of time lived abroad. We check whether a previous certificate or Update Service record is suitable for the new role and review checks when responsibilities or relevant circumstances change.

We also use clear role descriptions, identity checks, appropriate references, induction and supervision. Relevant disclosed information is assessed fairly and confidentially. We do not permit anyone to undertake work from which they are legally barred. A criminal-record check is one part of the suitability decision and does not by itself establish that someone is safe to work with participants.

People delivering or moderating activities receive safeguarding instruction appropriate to their role before starting. The lead and deputy need training appropriate to child and adult concerns and referral decisions. We keep training and role assessments under review, including when activities or responsibilities change.

We assess each platform before using it with children. Event information explains access, moderation, privacy and reporting arrangements. Live sessions use suitable admission controls, authorised hosts and controls over chat, screen sharing and breakout rooms. We can restrict or close a channel if we cannot moderate it adequately.

Staff and volunteers communicate with children through authorised organisational accounts and approved channels. They must not develop personal social-media friendships or private social contact with under-18 participants through their CIC role. Pre-existing family or personal relationships must be declared and managed. Young volunteers use approved channels when acting for us. Any approved use of a personal device must protect organisational records and account access.

Children are not added to general adult WhatsApp or Facebook groups as the default. Any mixed-age group requires a specific risk assessment and safeguarding-lead approval, with an explanation of what other members can see and how they can make contact. We check the platform’s current age rules and provide an alternative communication route where needed.

Group settings do not necessarily prevent members from contacting one another privately. Moderators cannot see every private message and groups are not continuously monitored. Each channel states its moderation hours and reporting route. Unwanted private contact connected to our activities can still be reported.

Participants can use a suitable display name and a private or blurred background where available. We do not require cameras to stay on where this would create an accessibility or safety problem. Hosts explain any genuine activity requirement beforehand.

Before recording or livestreaming, we explain what will be captured, why, who will have access and how long it will be kept. We obtain agreement before including identifiable participant contributions or images. Attendance and permission for recording or publicity are separate decisions. Cameras being off can still leave names, voices or chat captured.

Our default for public guest events is to record the speaker and agreed presentation, keeping participant contributions out of the published recording. Identifiable contributions by under-18s require a separate risk assessment, the young person’s agreement and appropriate parent or carer permission. We provide a way to participate without appearing in promotional material.

As soon as a safeguarding disclosure is recognised, the host stops recording or streaming and restricts accidental capture. Safeguarding conversations and identifying incident details are not published. People can ask us to stop future use or remove material we control; copies shared by others may not be recoverable. The privacy notice explains requests and retention.

We listen to what the person wants to happen and support them to make their own decisions. We ask about safe contact and communication needs, and offer reasonable adjustments, breaks or a trusted supporter where appropriate. We do not assume that disability, illness or difficulty speaking means someone lacks decision-making capacity.

We normally seek an adult’s agreement before referring their situation or sharing their information. Sharing without agreement may be justified or required, for example to respond to serious danger, protect someone else or fulfil a legal duty. The safeguarding lead seeks appropriate advice, considers the person’s wishes and records the reason for the decision. Staff do not make unsupported capacity assessments.

1. Protect immediate safety. Contact emergency services when needed. A host may pause the activity, stop recording or prevent further contact.

2. Listen calmly and take the report seriously. Ask only what is needed to understand immediate safety and next steps. Explain who may need to know; do not promise secrecy or confront the person accused.

3. Make a factual record promptly. Include the date, time, relevant location, the person’s words where possible, what was observed and action taken. Separate observations from assumptions.

4. Inform the safeguarding lead, deputy or alternative contact without delay and on the same day. Staff must contact statutory services directly if delay would leave someone at risk or no suitable organisational contact is available.

5. Assess next steps and refer promptly where needed. The lead considers the person’s wishes, local safeguarding thresholds and any legal reporting duty. We seek advice where uncertain and follow up if a referral receives no response or risk remains.

6. Provide safe follow-up. Explain what we can about next steps, support options and protective measures. Record decisions and review whether further action is needed.

Staff preserve relevant ordinary messages and records securely. Do not download, forward or make copies of suspected child sexual abuse images; seek police advice on preserving evidence. We do not investigate suspected criminal abuse ourselves or require someone to resolve possible abuse through mediation.

When a child may have harmed another child, we consider the safety and support needs of both and seek specialist advice. We do not automatically treat the matter as an ordinary disagreement.

Report a concern about the safeguarding lead to the deputy or alternative contact. A person who is implicated must not handle the report or decide its outcome. If no independent organisational route is available, contact the relevant statutory safeguarding service or police directly.

We consider protective restrictions, including removal from contact while advice is sought. These measures protect people and do not themselves decide whether an allegation is proven. We manage employment or volunteer matters fairly and in line with advice from the investigating agencies, including appropriate information and support for the person accused.

In England, allegations meeting the threshold about a person working with children are reported to the local authority designated officer within one working day. This officer advises on allegations against the child workforce. We seek advice if unsure; we do not investigate first or wait for proof. Elsewhere we use the applicable local procedure. This does not replace an urgent police or children’s services referral.

Leaving a role does not end consideration of a concern. We make any legally required referral to a barring body, police or other authority, and meet applicable partner or funder reporting requirements. We also record and review boundary concerns that fall below a statutory referral threshold.

The appropriate service depends on the person’s location, age and circumstances. You can report directly. For immediate danger, use emergency services.

England

The local council’s children’s services or adult safeguarding team.

Wales

The local council’s social services safeguarding team for children or adults.

Scotland

The local council’s social work or adult protection service. Child safeguards also apply to our under-18 participants.

Northern Ireland

The relevant Health and Social Care Trust’s Children’s Gateway or Adult Protection Gateway service.

Outside the UK

The appropriate child protection, adult protection or police service where the person is physically present.

For online incidents we establish the person’s current location where needed to obtain help, without asking them to post it publicly. For planned overseas participation by under-18s, we identify usable local reporting routes and consider relevant local requirements before admitting them. We may seek UK police or specialist advice, but cannot promise that UK agencies can intervene abroad.

In the UK, adults worried about a child can seek advice from the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. Children and young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111. Check each service’s current availability; these are not substitutes for emergency services. Outside the UK, use locally available support.

We share information only with people who need it to protect someone, respond properly to a concern or meet a legal duty. Where safe, we explain what we will share and why. We do not notify a parent, carer or person accused where doing so could increase danger or prejudice an investigation.

Data protection law allows necessary safeguarding information to be shared where an appropriate legal basis and any additional conditions are met. Consent is not always required. We record the basis for sharing, limit what we share and use secure routes.

Safeguarding records are kept in restricted organisational storage, separate from routine membership and event records. Access is limited to authorised people. We follow a documented retention schedule, review continued need and securely delete records when appropriate. Records needed for an investigation, legal obligation or claim are preserved.

We do not put identifiable safeguarding reports into general group chats or public AI tools. Our privacy notice is available at https://www.oudebateclub.com/privacypolicy. Contact the safeguarding lead if you need to discuss safe handling of your information.

Our directors are accountable for ensuring this policy is implemented and resourced. The safeguarding lead coordinates responses, referrals and records; the deputy provides cover. Organisers and moderators implement event safeguards. Everyone working on our behalf must follow the policy and report concerns promptly.

If you are unhappy with how we handled a concern, contact the alternative contact listed above. Tell us what you believe was missed and any continuing risk. We arrange review by someone not involved in the matter, explain the review process and keep you informed where safe. A complaint does not suspend necessary protective action or external reporting.

We review this policy at least annually and sooner after a serious incident, a relevant legal change or a change in our activities. We seek feedback from participants, including young people, and review whether reporting routes and safeguards work in practice. A version in a different format can be requested through the safeguarding contact.