Keeping people safe is our first responsibility

Together Minds UK exists to strengthen communities, and that can only happen when people feel safe. Our safeguarding practice draws on the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), the Care Act 2014 and Keeping Children Safe in Education, and on the safeguarding and online-safety frameworks recommended by the NSPCC and the UK Safer Internet Centre. Where we use technology, it supports — and never replaces — human judgement on safeguarding decisions.

Safeguarding means protecting people’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It includes:

• Protecting children and young people from maltreatment and from things that impair their health or development.
• Protecting adults at risk from abuse, neglect, exploitation and self-neglect.
• Taking action to enable people to make choices and have control over their lives.
• Preventing harm through safer design, moderation, education and early help.

• People first — the wellbeing and safety of the person always outweighs organisational or commercial interests.
• Take every concern seriously — we never dismiss a disclosure, however small it seems.
• Person-centred and trauma-informed — we listen without blame and act at the individual’s pace.
• Least intrusive effective action — we do only what is needed to keep someone safe.
• Confidentiality with limits — we keep information private, but we will share it with the right agencies when someone is at risk.
• Accountability — decisions are recorded, reviewed and overseen by our trustees.

We apply heightened protections for children (anyone under 18) and for adults at risk. An adult at risk includes anyone who may be unable to protect themselves because of a disability, mental health difficulty, illness, age, communication need or life circumstance — including neurodivergent people, people experiencing homelessness, and people subject to coercion or exploitation.

Our communities also include parents, carers, professionals and organisations; safeguarding duties extend to anyone we become aware is at risk, regardless of whether they are a registered member.

Harm can take many forms. We train our team and moderators to recognise possible signs of:

• Physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect.
• Online harms: grooming, sexual exploitation, coercive control, harassment, hate, bullying and image-based abuse.
• Extremist radicalisation and recruitment.
• Financial abuse, scams and exploitation.
• Domestic abuse and controlling behaviour.
• Self-harm and suicidal thoughts — treated as a safeguarding and clinical emergency.

We do not expect anyone to diagnose abuse. Our expectation is to notice, listen and refer to the right help promptly.

If you are ever worried about someone, follow these steps — our team uses the same approach:

1. Recognise — notice changes, signs or disclosures, online or offline.
2. Respond — stay calm, listen, reassure, and avoid interrogating or making promises of secrecy.
3. Report — raise it immediately with our Designated Safeguarding Lead, or to emergency services on 999 if there is immediate danger.
4. Record — write down factually what was seen or said, with dates and times, as soon as possible.
5. Refer — the Safeguarding Lead refers to the appropriate agency (police, social services, NSPCC, LADO) without delay.

Anyone can report a concern to us through the report button on any page or profile, or via our contact page. Reports can be made anonymously.

Following UK Safer Internet Centre guidance, we design safety in rather than adding it later:

• Age-appropriate access — features for children and young people are restricted, with no unsolicited private messages to under-18s.
• No public-facing children’s profiles, and parental or carer oversight tools for younger users.
• Reporting and blocking available on every post, profile and message.
• Proactive review of content where risk indicators appear, with human decisions on any safeguarding action.
• Links and uploads checked, with sensitive content filtered or removed.
• Data minimised — we collect only what we need and keep it only as long as necessary under UK GDPR.

We operate a clear safeguarding structure with named accountability:

• A Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputies are responsible for concerns, referrals and records.
• Trustees provide oversight and review safeguarding at least twice a year.
• All staff and volunteers complete safeguarding training at induction and refresh it annually.
• We use safer recruitment: role-based DBS checks, references, interviews and a code of conduct.
• Moderators receive specialist training in online harms, trauma-informed response and child protection.

Safeguarding records are factual, written as soon as possible, and stored securely and confidentially under UK GDPR. We share information with the police, social services and partner agencies when it is necessary to protect someone from harm — the duty to safeguard overrides routine confidentiality in these circumstances.

• Any allegation against a staff member, volunteer or partner is managed independently, with referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) where relevant, and immediate suspension pending investigation.
• Anyone can raise concerns or “whistleblow” without fear of detriment; reports can be made anonymously.
• Safeguarding incidents are reviewed to learn and improve, and a safeguarding summary is reported to trustees annually.
• This policy is reviewed at least every 12 months, or sooner if law, guidance or serious incidents require it.