Safeguarding officer volunteer roles

Main responsibilities 

Provide thought leadership on the role of safeguarding in Easing Anxieties’ fundraising, marketing, communications, and help keep everyone involved safe and to the standards set.

Translate the risks and opportunities of digital for other trustees, to enable the board as a whole to engage in an informed way.

Take the lead in evaluating safeguarding procedures for the future of Easing Anxieties for the board.

Provide strategic oversight of Easing Anxieties implementation.

Draw on your networks to support our work.

Help ensure that the executive / operations teams have the capabilities that they need to implement the strategy.

Provide safeguarding training for all board and trustee members

Qualities of a safeguarding trustee

Having an investment and understanding of children’s safety 

Have clear past in safeguarding or HR roles 

Have good and clear interpersonal and communication skills 

Ability to work with conflict and emotionally distressing matters.

Ability to produce and develop guidance and resources.

Long-term commitment to Easing Anxieties

In addition to the above, the Digital trustee has the same responsibilities and qualities as all trustees:

Responsibilities of all trustees

Support and provide advice on Easing Anxieities’s purpose, vision, goals and activities. 

Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.

Oversee Easing Anxieites’ financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress. 

Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.

Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.

Review and approve [charity name]’s financial statements.

Provide support and challenge to [charity name]’s CEO in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs.

Keep abreast of changes in [charity name]’s operating environment.

 Contribute to regular reviews of [charity name]’s own governance.

Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to  discussions.

Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect Easing Anxieites’ interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third party  interests.

Contribute to the broader promotion of Easing Anxieites’ objects, aims and reputation by applying your skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts.

 Essential qualities and attributes of all trustees

Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as  trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.

Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.

Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion. 

A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.

Willingness to lead according to our values Easing Anxieites. 

Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

Terms of appointment

Terms of office

Trustees are appointed for a [2] year term of office, renewal for [2] further terms to a maximum of [10] years.

This is a voluntary position, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

Time commitment

Attending [4] Board meetings annually. Currently meetings are held remotely.

You will be a member of a sub-committee which will meet [6] times in a year.

This Role Protects Our People and Our Purpose

At Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C., our work intersects with survivors of CSA, vulnerable young people, and marginalised communities. Content, engagement, and community interaction can surface trauma, risk, or harmful behaviours. The Community Moderation & Safeguarding Officer ensures that all digital and community spaces operate safely, ethically, and responsibly, protecting members, volunteers, and the CIC itself.This is not a passive role. It is a high-responsibility, systems-driven position where vigilance and structured response are critical.

Purpose of the Role

This role is responsible for:

• Protecting members from harm
• Preventing retraumatisation
• Upholding community standards
• Supporting moderators and volunteers
• Ensuring safeguarding procedures are followed in real time

The role-holder ensures that the community does not drift into chaos, harm, or uncontained disclosure.

About the role:

To manage safeguarding and moderation protocols across all digital platforms and community touchpoints, acting as the first point of escalation for risk, abuse, or harmful content.

To uphold UK safeguarding compliance, maintain accurate records, support moderation teams, and advise leadership on risk trends, mitigation, and community safety — protecting trust and ethical engagement.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential experience

• Practical experience in safeguarding, child protection, or vulnerable-adult contexts, or closely related roles involving risk assessment and duty of care.
• Background in social care, youth work, education, community services, mental health, or survivor-support environments with sensitive disclosures.
• Experience moderating online communities or managing safety in digital spaces, particularly those involving vulnerable or at-risk groups.
• Proven ability to identify risk, assess severity, and respond appropriately, including recognising when immediate escalation is required.
• Experience handling incidents and maintaining clear, factual documentation and records in line with safeguarding expectations.
• Experience contributing to or applying safeguarding policies, protocols, or guidance in real-world settings.

Essential skills

• Strong understanding of safeguarding principles, boundaries, confidentiality, and safe handling of disclosures.
• Ability to apply a trauma-informed approach, communicating calmly and respectfully while prioritising safety and dignity.
• Clear written communication skills for incident logs, escalation summaries, and internal reporting.
• Sound judgement and emotional resilience when working with distressing or sensitive material.
• Ability to support and guide volunteers, providing clear advice and reassurance on moderation decisions.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, confidentiality, and safeguarding compliance.
• Confidence following structured protocols, checklists, and escalation routes without deviation.

Desirable (not required)

• Experience with CSA, exploitation, domestic abuse, or safeguarding-led community organisations.
• Experience delivering safeguarding or moderation training to volunteers or staff.
• Familiarity with UK safeguarding expectations and referral processes.
• Confidence using shared digital tools such as Teams, spreadsheets, forms, and incident trackers.

Formal qualifications

• Formal qualifications are not required; equivalent professional experience is essential.
• Full training will be provided on CIC-specific safeguarding and moderation protocols.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Develop, implement, and maintain clear moderation and safeguarding frameworks that are trauma-informed, practical, and consistently applied across all CIC platforms.
• Monitor all community spaces to identify harmful or abusive behaviour, boundary violations, and high-risk disclosures involving children, survivors, or vulnerable adults.
• Take timely moderation action in line with protocols, including content removal, access restrictions, warnings, or escalation to safeguarding leads.
• Escalate safeguarding incidents promptly and accurately in accordance with CIC procedures, prioritising cases involving immediate or serious risk.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records of incidents, actions taken, outcomes, and follow-ups to ensure accountability and audit readiness.
• Support a safe and respectful community culture by reinforcing behaviour standards, tone-of-voice guidance, and survivor-centred practices.
• Train and support volunteers in trauma-informed moderation, safeguarding awareness, confidentiality, and correct escalation pathways.
• Review incident trends and recurring risks, recommending improvements to moderation systems, guidance, and preventative controls.
• Liaise closely with Social Media Engagement Officers, Campaign Managers, and Membership & Community Directors to ensure joined-up safeguarding practice.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by supporting updates to policies, protocols, response scripts, and internal safeguarding documentation.

This role is not suitable if you:

• Avoid conflict or risk
• Seek casual, low-commitment volunteer work
• Are unable to follow structured protocols
• Prefer creative or posting roles over operational responsibility
• Expect immediate paid employment

Important to Be Clear

• This is a volunteer role during the build phase
• It carries real responsibility and accountability
• Paid roles will emerge as funding and sustainability allow

Next Steps

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led and ethics conversation
• A practical safeguarding scenario discussion

If you believe that safety and ethical oversight are as important as strategy and content, this role is for you.

A Final Word

Safeguarding is about people, not procedures.

If you know that:
Protection requires vigilance and structure
Documentation is a safeguarding responsibility
Ethical oversight keeps trust intact

About Us

Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil CIC is a grassroots movement committed to confronting and eradicating Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) across the UK. We give survivors, families, and allies the power to speak out, heal and educate communities through storytelling, outreach, and collective action. We work across all communities - Black, white, Asian, Caribbean, African and beyond, ensuring no survivor feels alone or silenced. Our CIC operates through a community-driven, volunteer-led structure, built by people who believe in truth, justice, and love as law.

This Role Is Not Symbolic. It Is Structural.

Safeguarding is not a policy document; It is not a checkbox; It is not a compliance exercise. In this CIC, safeguarding is the infrastructure that allows the work to exist at all.

We work with:

• Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA)

• Vulnerable adults

• Young people

• Ex-offenders

• Volunteers with lived trauma

• Communities historically failed by institutions

If safeguarding fails, everything fails. This role exists to make sure that never happens.

Purpose of the Safeguarding Officer Role

The Safeguarding Officer is responsible for designing, implementing, and protecting the safeguarding framework that allows the CIC to operate safely, ethically, and lawfully at scale.

This role ensures:

• Survivors are protected, not re-exposed

• Volunteers are supported, not exploited

• Risks are identified early, not ignored

• Safeguarding is embedded into every system, not bolted on

About the role:

To design and uphold safeguarding systems that protect survivors, volunteers and the organisation, ensuring safety, ethics and legal compliance are built into every practice as the CIC grows. Safeguarding is the infrastructure that allows the work to "SAFELY" exist at all.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Experience in safeguarding within:

 Charity; Statutory services; Education; Health; Grassroots or community settings

• Experience working with vulnerable adults and/or children.

• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice.

• Ability to respond to disclosures calmly and appropriately.

• Experience writing and implementing safeguarding policies.

• Risk assessment and incident management experience.

• Understanding of UK safeguarding legislation and guidance.

• Confidence challenging unsafe practice at any level.

• Ability to balance care with boundaries.

• Strong judgement under pressure.

• Clear written documentation skills.

• Capacity to work unpaid and full-time during build phase.

• Emotional regulation and professional restraint.

• Integrity, steadiness and clarity.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Design, implement, and maintain a safeguarding framework that protects survivors, volunteers, members and the organisation.

• Develop and own safeguarding policies, procedures and reporting pathways covering:

  •  Adults and children at risk
  • Volunteers and peer supporters
  • Digital spaces, storytelling, and online engagement
  • Ensure safeguarding is embedded into:
    • Recruitment and onboarding
    • Training and supervision
    • Programme design and delivery
    • Digital systems and data handling

• Establish clear risk assessment processes for activities, campaigns, and content.

• Act as the safeguarding lead for concerns, disclosures, and incidents, ensuring:

  • Timely, appropriate responses
  • Accurate recording
• Correct escalation to statutory agencies where required

• Build systems that prevent re-exposure, re-traumatisation, or exploitation of survivors.

• Ensure volunteers are supported, supervised and not placed in unsafe or inappropriate roles.

• Advise leadership on safeguarding risks, capacity limits and ethical boundaries.

• Deliver safeguarding guidance and training proportionate to role and risk.

• Monitor safeguarding practice across teams and intervene early where drift appears.

• Work closely with Digital, Membership, Fundraising, and Social teams to manage risk in:

  • Storytelling
  • Online engagement
  • Data use

• Maintain professional distance and emotional steadiness when handling complex situations.

• Review and update safeguarding systems as the CIC scales.

• Contribute to external accountability and transparency where appropriate.

You must:

• Be able to commit 80% dedication during the build phase

• Be comfortable working unpaid while the CIC is being built

• Be emotionally grounded and professionally boundaries

• Understand trauma without centring yourself

• Be able to hold complexity without collapsing into control or avoidance

You should have experience in some of the following:

• Safeguarding (statutory, charity, education, health, or grassroots)

• Working with vulnerable adults and/or children

• Trauma-informed practice

• Policy development and implementation

• Risk assessment and incident management

Formal qualifications are welcome but not essential - Integrity, clarity and steadiness are.

This role is not for you if:

• You want safeguarding to be “light touch”

• You avoid difficult conversations

• You seek authority without responsibility

• You are uncomfortable challenging leadership when needed

• You are looking for a title rather than accountability

What You Gain:

• A founding leadership role in a CIC tackling real harm

• The chance to build safeguarding the right way

• Influence over how protection, care, and accountability coexist

• The opportunity to shape a future paid safeguarding role

• Deep purpose-driven work that actually protects people

As the CIC scales, this role is expected to evolve into a paid senior safeguarding position, shaped by the person who built it.

Formal qualifications are not required, but desirable.
Essential equivalent experience mandatory.

Next Steps:

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led conversation

• A practical discussion about event planning, coordination, and execution

If you believe that well-organised, purposeful events can change communities, and that experiences inspire action, this role is for you.

A Final Word

Safeguarding is an act of love.
It is also an act of discipline.

If you know that:

• Survivors deserve better systems

• Vulnerable people deserve real protection

• Community work must be safe to be sustainable