Accountable leadership
A governing body will approve strategy, risk, safeguarding, finance and policy. Decisions and conflicts of interest will be recorded.
Governance and policies
The structure beneath the support
Warm intentions are not enough. These drafts describe how Branches of Safety intends to make decisions, protect people, handle information and remain accountable.
Current position
A complete development pack, not a claim that services are open
Branches of Safety is not yet a registered charity or operational support service. The policies have been prepared now so important safeguards shape the organisation from the beginning.
A foundation CIO is now the preferred legal direction, subject to specialist advice. A founding safeguarding lead and deputy have been identified, and an interim independent-escalation rule is agreed. The remaining work is to recruit independent governance, complete training, approve the policies and test every practical system.
Open the development and launch roadmapGovernance foundations
How responsibility should work
Lived experience with boundaries
Lived experience will shape the work, but will not replace training, supervision, professional advice or safe decision-making.
Safety before growth
No direct support, groups or case navigation will open until safeguarding, insurance, supervision and information-handling arrangements are ready.
Learning organisation
Feedback, complaints, incidents and near misses will be used to improve practice rather than quietly filed in the cupboard of doom.
Development policy pack
Read the working policies
They are written in plain English, with enough detail to guide later procedures, training and role descriptions.
01
Safeguarding and reporting
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →02Confidentiality and information sharing
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →03Complaints and feedback
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →04Safer working and peer-support boundaries
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →05Equality, diversity and accessibility
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →06Records and retention
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →07Privacy notice
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →08Website terms and information boundary
Read the development draft and the steps still required before it can be approved.
Open policy →Before any pilot begins
The launch gate
- Foundation CIO decision confirmed after specialist advice and application prepared
- Independent, suitably skilled governing people recruited
- Safeguarding lead and deputy training completed
- Permanent independent safeguarding and complaints escalation route agreed
- Insurance, supervision and role descriptions in place
- Safer recruitment and DBS eligibility decisions documented
- Secure record systems, retention schedule and incident log tested
- Referral, consent, complaints and emergency routes tested
- Policies approved, communicated and scheduled for review