Safeguarding

Depending on the nature of your activities, the closure of your organisation may create new risks for people your organisation supports. It may also create gaps in provision in your community and new demands on other services, including on statutory services.

Actively communicate with other local service providers about your upcoming closure. Think widely about all other organisations which may be impacted.

If you currently accept referrals or other organisations signpost people to your services, make sure they’re aware of your upcoming closure. You should inform them you’re no longer accepting requests for services.

If you work closely with education, health or statutory protection services, always give them early notice of your closure and consider any need for wider transition planning.

You may want to consider:

• transferring activities or services to a new provider
• sharing information about your service users with another provider. This may require an information sharing agreement and consent from each service user
• working with higher-risk service users to develop an individual transition plan
• discussing with your funders how they can support other providers.

If your organisation works with children or adults at risk, you should have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. These must be followed by all trustees, staff and volunteers.

When you’re closing you should consider how you meet your safeguarding responsibilities.

If you have any safeguarding concerns you should act before you close. This includes if:

• you have a current concern about child or adult at risk of harm
• you’re currently assisting statutory services in responding to a known concern about a child or adult at risk of harm
• an allegation has been made against a member of your team and you’re currently assisting statutory services in responding
• you’re undertaking an internal investigation about a concern or an allegation against a member of your team. If you deliver regulated services you may have a legal duty to refer the person to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

In these circumstances, you should discuss your upcoming closure with your local authority statutory child protection or adult safeguarding services. Make sure a plan is in place to transfer information as necessary.

You may also want to discuss details of historic safeguarding cases with your relevant local authority statutory child protection or adult safeguarding services. They can advise on what to do with the data you hold about these cases. You may need to consider securely retaining data after you close.