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Safeguarding Policy and Procedures

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Safeguarding Policy and Procedures

Slide 1 Safeguarding Policies

Hello and welcome to this recording from Support Cambridgeshire.

This recording considers how to create safeguarding policies and procedures It is a starting point and part of a package of tools and guidance available from Support Cambs.

Alongside this recording this transcript includes the links referred to throughout.

 

Slide 2 – Session Overview

This recording will cover:

  1. Policy or Procedure?
  2. What to consider when developing your policy?
  3. What to include within your policy and procedures?
  4. Plus additional considerations.

 

Slide 3 – What is a Safeguarding Policy

A safeguarding policy:

  • Outlines the aims of the policy without specifying how it will be delivered and also includes a commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals from harm, abuse, and exploitation.
  • Creates a framework and lays out the principles for safeguarding within your organisation.

 

Slide 4 – What is a Safeguarding Procedure?

A safeguarding procedure is more detailed that the policy and includes a detailed step by step guide that outlines the actions your organisation will take to protect individuals from harm, abuse or neglect.  You may choose to combine your policy and procedure documents.

The details and length of your procedures should be relevant to your organisation needs and can include flowcharts, diagrams, and reporting forms to help make the steps easier to follow if that works best for your organisation.

 

Slide 5 – Why have separate policies for Children and Adult at Risk?

It is recommended that you have separate policies and procedures because:

  • This issues the 2 groups face are different.
  • The definitions and terms used differ.
  • Procedures for reporting abuse and handling cases are not the same.
  • Different legislation covers each group.

The most importance difference between safeguarding adults and children is the adults right to self-determine. An adult may choose not to act at all to protect themselves and it is only in extreme circumstances that the law will intervene.

If you are a smaller group and choose only to have one document, this should clearly differentiate between children and adults where needed.

For further guidance regarding separate policies please refer to this link

Why Have Different Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding Children and Adults – ACT

 

Slide 6 – What to consider when writing your policy?   

Each organisation is different and there isn’t one size fits all policy. Although templates can provide a quick starting point you will need to consider:

  •  Does the policy reflect how you operate?
  • Is it in keeping with the size and needs of your organisation.
  • Think about the language:
    • use must and not may
    • be reader friendly, clear and easy to understand
    • if you use links, they need to be checked regularly

 

Slide 7 – What should you include in your safeguarding child safeguarding policy?

On the following slides I’ll talk you through each of these key policy elements relating to child safeguarding:

  • Your aims and commitments regarding safeguarding.
  • Refer to current legislation.
  • Outline the scope of the policy.
  • Give the legal definition of a child or young person.
  • The definition of child abuse or neglect.
  • State who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and how can they be contacted

 

Slide 8 – Child Safeguarding policy: Aims and commitments

When writing your child safeguarding policy a stated aim might be to protect all children and young persons who come into contact with your organisation from harm, regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation and the policy could state a commitment to support all committee members, staff and volunteers so that they have an understanding of their role and responsibilities regarding safeguarding. Your policy is an opportunity to reflect your organisations values and culture.

Example wording is shown on the slide (see below)

Aim

  • Protect all children and young persons who come into contact with our organisation from harm, regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Commitment

  • Support all committee members, staff and volunteers in understanding their role and responsibilities regarding safeguarding

 

Slide 9 – Reference to Current Legislation

You should also include the relevant legislation to demonstrate your awareness of the need for legal compliance.  The legislation provides further guidance and clarifies your responsibilities.

In England, child safeguarding legislation is covered by three main acts:

  • Children Act 1989.
  • Children Act 2004.
  • Children and Social Work Act 2017.

Working together to safeguard children is the key statutory guidance for anyone working with children in England.

For more detailed information regarding legislation for safeguarding children please refer to the links below

Child protection system for England | NSPCC Learning

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board

 

Slide  10– the Scope of the Policy

The scope of the safeguarding policy outlines who it applies to, typically staff, volunteers, and trustees, but consider who else may interact with the children, such as caretakers or contractors.

We recommend also including the paragraph shown on the slide that states that ‘Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone’, it is a reminder to us all that taking no action is not an option!

Text shown on slide

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone within

(name of organisation) that includes, committee members,

 staff, volunteers and service users. (name of organisation)

 recognises that every organisation has a crucial role to play in

the support, identification and reporting of adults who may be at

risk of harm. Doing nothing is never an option.

 

Slide 11 – Definition of a Child or Young Person

In England, a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if a child has reached 16 years of age and is:

  • Living independently.
  • In further education.
  • A member of the armed forces.
  • In hospital.
  • In custody in the secure estate.

It is important to remember that even when they are away from home living as an adult, they are still legally children and should be given the same protection and entitlements as any other child and any safeguarding concerns will need to be managed via the safeguarding procedures.

 

Slide 12 – Definition of Abuse or Neglect

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 includes definitions of the four broad categories of abuse:

  • Physical Abuse.
  • Emotional Abuse.
  • Sexual Abuse.
  • Neglect.

Supporting your staff and volunteers to be able to recognise the signs of child abuse or neglect is a priority.

How much detail you choose to include within your policy for both the definition of abuse and neglect and potential indicators again will be relevant to the size and service your organisation provides.

The template we have available on request provides a brief statement within the policy but with further information being provided within an appendix which you may wish to consider as an option.

Please refer to   Recognition of Abuse and Neglect | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board or the  NSPCC link within the transcript as both are  excellent resources. Understanding child abuse: types, signs, and support | NSPCC

 

Slide 13– Designated Safeguarding Lead

  • Name and contact of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputy.
  • Name of safeguarding trustee.

Charity trustees have a collective responsibility for safeguarding which includes appointing a Designated Safeguarding lead (and ideally a deputy) and a named trustee to oversee safeguarding.

 

Slide 14 – What we recommend including in your safeguarding adults at risk policy?

We’ll now go on to look at an Adult at Risk safeguarding policy and procedures

The following slides will consider these key elements:

  • Your aims and commitments regarding safeguarding.
  • Reference to current legislation.
  • Scope of the policy.
  • Definition of an adult at risk.
  • Definition of abuse or neglect.
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Although the points covered are the same to those in the safeguarding children’s policy, there are some significant differences which is why separate policies are recommended.

 

Slide 15 Adult at risk policy: Aims and Commitments

Just as with child safeguarding the policy should state aims or outcomes and commitment to achieving these.  An example for an adult safeguarding policy is shown on the slide (see below):

Aim:
To create a safe and supportive environment where all adults, particularly adults at risk, are protected from harm, abuse, and exploitation.

Commitment:
We will ensure all staff and volunteers attend safeguarding training annually, we will implement robust reporting procedures for suspected abuse and conduct background checks on all those working within our organisation. “

 

Slide 16 – Reference to Current Legislation (Adults)

Key legislation your policy must reference include The Care Act 2014.   The six key principles are shown on the slide (see below) and underpin how organisations should manage adult safeguarding, how you support adults who need care, and ensures that everyone you work with is treated with respect and empowered to make choices about their care.

The 6 key principles should inform your policy and practices for safeguarding adults. If you work with adults at risk it is an essential read prior to developing or reviewing your adult policy.

Text from slide

The Care Act 2014 – Six Key principles:

Empowerment – People are supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.

Prevention – It is better to take action before harm occurs.

Proportionality – The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.

Protection – Support and representation for those in greatest need.

Partnership – Services offer local solutions through working closely with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting, and reporting neglect and abuse.

Accountability – Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.

Here is the relevant link to the guidance in this transcript. Safeguarding Adults at Risk Key Legislation and Government Initiatives

 

Slide 17 – Reference to current legislation

Other key pieces of legislation your policy should reference are:

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA)

The MCA is the legislation that provides the legal framework for making decisions on behalf of adults who lack capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP):

The MCA outlines how to assess capacity, make decisions in the best interests of those who lack capacity, and the legal obligations of those acting on behalf of others.

Making Safeguarding Personal MSP is ensuring that safeguarding work is done with the person concerned and not to the person concerned. This again needs to be reflected within your procedure.

For more detail please refer to. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Multi-Agency Safeguarding Policy | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board (safeguardingcambspeterborough.org.uk)

 

Slide 18 Scope of the adult at risk policy

The scope of the safeguarding policy outlines who it applies to, typically staff, volunteers, and trustees, but consider who else may interact with the person at risk of abuse.

 

Slide 19– Definition of an Adult at Risk

An adult at risk of abuse

  • Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs).
  • Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect.
  • As a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.

 

Slide 20 – Adult Definition of Abuse

The Care Act guidance lists the following types of abuse:

  • Physical abuse.
  • Domestic violence.
  • Sexual abuse.
  • Psychological abuse.
  • Financial or material abuse.
  • Modern slavery.
  • Discriminatory abuse.
  • Organisational abuse.
  • Neglect and acts of omission.
  • Self-neglect.

Recognising abuse is the first step toward following safeguarding procedures, ensuring appropriate action is taken to protect individuals. Understanding potential indicators—like changes in behaviour, unexplained injuries, or withdrawal can help to stop abuse. The details you include within your policy regarding abuse and signs or indicators is down to each organisation but again can reinforce your safeguarding commitment.

 

Slide 21- Designated safeguarding lead

As with the Child Safeguarding Policy, the Adult Safeguarding policy should give the name and contact details of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and their deputy  and the name of the trustee who takes a particular interest in safeguarding and ensures it is considered in all relevant trustee decisions.

 

Slide 22 – What to include within your safeguarding procedures?

This slide provides some guidance to help you address the key points of a safeguarding procedure, whether it’s for children or adults.

  • How to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect.
  • How to respond appropriately.
  • How, when and what to record.
  • How, when and where to report.
  • Managing an allegation against a staff member or volunteer.
  • Information sharing.
  • Reviewing safeguarding practises.
  • Annual review of policy.

While the overarching points are similar, the way you manage processes for children and adults will differ. This difference should be reflected in the specific wording and approach outlined in your child and adult safeguarding procedure.

 

Slide 23 – Additional considerations

We’ve now completed our review of what you should include in your adult or child safeguarding policy and procedures.  But there are additional points that need to be considered and you should check whether the following are covered within other policies and if not, consider if they are relevant for your organisation

  • On-line safety and use of social media
  • Whistleblowing
  • Events and outings
  • Record keeping and retention
  • Safer recruitment
  • Prevent
  • Missing child
  • Uncollected child
  • Mobile phones and cameras
  • Anti bullying

If you need help addressing any of these please contact us.

 

Slide 24– Next Steps

  • You might now want to take some time to read the useful links provided with the transcript, review your current practises and see what works well or could be improved.
  • Ensure your policy is easy to read for anyone who needs to understand it, and you might want to consider testing a draught policy with a small group to identify any unclear sections.
  • You also need to think about how your policies and procedures are communicated and whether people need training to ensure they understand and can follow them clearly.

 

Slide 25 – Thank You

If you would like more individual support, further guidance, a policy review or draft templates please contact us Info@supportcambrigdeshire.org.uk​

Remember we are here to help!

 

Guidance links

For a copy of our safeguarding templates please contact us at info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk 

Slide 5

Why Have Different Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding Children and Adults – ACT

Slide9

Child protection system for England | NSPCC Learning

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board

Slide 12

Recognition of Abuse and Neglect | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board

Understanding child abuse: types, signs, and support | NSPCC

Slide 16

Safeguarding Adults at Risk Key Legislation and Government Initiatives

Slide 17

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Multi-Agency Safeguarding Policy | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Partnership Board (safeguardingcambspeterborough.org.uk)

Health and Safety

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  1. Writing a Health and Safety Policy

  2. Risk Assessment Made Simple

  3. Running a Safe Event

CCVS guide to Writing a Health and Safety Policy

So coming up, we’ll start with the purpose of a safety policy and why it is needed, before looking closely at the three elements that form the content.

The Purpose

Let’s begin then with the Purpose.

A safety policy should be a working document. It should set out your organisation’s general approach to health and safety; and explain how you will manage health and safety in your group, charity or social enterprise.

And that’s it you don’t need to include pages of small print about noise, trips and falls, manual handling and so on… These are all matters that should be dealt with separately in a risk assessment.

But why is it needed?

Having an effective safety policy is a sign of a healthy organisation. It makes clear who is responsible for safety and what this actually involves.

And for organisations that employ staff, it is also the law.

But even if you are, volunteer-only, it is good practice to have a written safety policy

It shows that you plan, check and act on safety matters; and in particular, it demonstrates a positive attitude towards health and safety.

A safety policy may also be a requirement of certain funders.

So clearly, it is an important document. But what about the policy’s content… There are three main elements…starting with

The Statement

Quite simply, this is just a few lines committing the organisation to looking after the health, safety and welfare of its people; and meeting its health and safety duties.

Roles and responsibilities

Next are roles and responsibilities. Firstly, you need someone with overall and final responsibility for health and safety, such as your trustee board; and then someone with day-to-day responsibility such as your chief officer.

You also need to name those with any specific safety roles, such as undertaking risk assessment, monitoring safety controls, dealing with problems, and supervising team members.

You should also set out the responsibility of your staff and/or volunteers to work safely, attend safety training, and report concerns.

Safety arrangements

So what about your safety arrangements? Well, these should cover the actions, processes and procedures you will follow to manage health and safety.

This should include arrangements for conducting risk assessments, such as when and where they are needed, and how often they are carried out.

Other arrangements should cover how and when your team will be consulted on safety matters, your first aid arrangements, safety training, reporting incidents, and your emergency evacuation procedure.

Finally, the arrangements should also name your competent health and safety adviser. This is either an internal or external person who understands the safety issues you face and is experienced in safety matters.

Now, to help you, there are links to a template for a safety policy in the accompanying transcript of this presentation.

But let’s just sum up…

Keep it simple. Start your policy with an opening statement of intent, followed by a list of roles and responsibilities; and finally, a page or two setting out your arrangements. This is all you really need.

Thank you

Video Transcript was produced for CCVS by Green Pepper Consulting

CCVS Guide to Risk Assessment Made Simple

Hello, my name is David Green from Green Pepper Consulting; and in this short training presentation, one of a series from Cambridge CCVS, I will be looking at how we should conduct a safety risk assessment. Let’s begin…

Risk assessment involves identifying hazards, evaluating the risk they pose, and implementing measures to control or remove the risk. There are five steps to the process, so coming up we will look at each of the steps in turn.

What is a hazard?

But first, what exactly do we mean by a hazard?

Well, a hazard is anything that can cause harm.

This might be something that can harm a person’s physical health. Or something that can harm mental health, such as stress.

Why assess risk?

It is perhaps obvious, but to clarify, we assess risk to:

  • understand what safety measures are needed
  • help prevent accidents and occupational diseases
  • meet our legal duties

Risk assessment is a requirement of many safety regulations; and is a key aspect of health and safety management.

What’s more, a failure to assess risk might result in injury or illness to someone, leaving the organisation open to compensation claims and even prosecution.

To help you with the risk assessment process, there are links in the accompanying transcript of this video to a safety inspection checklist and to a risk assessment form.

Ok, Let’s now look at:

Step one of risk assessment – identifying the hazards

You do this by inspecting the workplace, ideally, with a staff rep or colleague, and then by speaking to your staff and volunteers – about their work.

We want to find out about different tasks, the equipment, the methods they use, and the environment in which they work. By looking at the workplace and speaking to your team at work, you can identify any hazards that they may face.

You will need to look for anything that might cause harm, something for example that could cause a trip, slip or fall. There could be manual handling hazards, objects stacked up high that could topple over, chemicals, noise, risk of violence and so on.

Because hazards can differ so widely, sometimes it helps to use a safety inspection checklist when looking around your workplace.

For those who work remotely, such as lone workers and home workers, it may not be possible to inspect how they work. But by discussing working methods with the individuals concerned, prompting and asking them about their safety concerns, you can together work out the likely hazards.

Step two of risk assessment – decide who might be harmed, and how

Step two of risk assessment considers who might be harmed, and how…

Look for anyone who could be harmed by the hazards you identify and how this could happen, including when and where.
Those affected might include members of your team, whether staff or volunteers, including homeworkers, and lone workers. Also your beneficiaries and other visitors to the workplace.

Think also about any special groups who might be more vulnerable to particular harm and may need additional support, such as new or expectant mothers, or people with disabilities.

It might also include those who may have communication difficulties, such as people who don’t have English as a first language.

Once you know who can be harmed, decide how and when it could happen.

Together, the who, how, and when, will give you the likelihood of something causing harm.

Step three – evaluate the risk and introduce safety control measures

Step three has two parts. Firstly to evaluate the risk; and secondly, to introduce safety control measures.

We evaluate risk by combining the likelihood of the hazard, which we have worked out from step two, with the severity of the hazard.

But what if we need to find out more about the hazard before deciding how severe or dangerous it can be?

We can do this by looking up the hazard on the Health and Safety Executive website; and then consulting the manufacturer’s handbook, data sheet or their own website.

So something that has a high degree of severity, and a moderate to high likelihood of occurring, would be a high-risk hazard.

Once you have evaluated a hazard; you can put in place safety control measures.

Always consider the most effective measure first. Your starting point should always be to try and remove the risk altogether. (For example, although you could warn people about a slippery surface, the best remedy would be to remove the slippery surface and replace it with a safe one).

If this isn’t possible then see if there is some less risky way of doing the same thing, for example using a different technique or with different equipment or substances.

Other measures might be to reduce access to the risk (such as cutting the time someone is exposed to the risk, or perhaps using a smaller pool of people). Or to use personal protective equipment.

Finally, make sure your team is trained on how to use your control measures, and that they receive clear instructions on how to mitigate the risk. It’s very important they understand the nature of the risk, and why the control measures are necessary.

Step four – record your findings

We now come to Step four which is to record your findings. One of the simplest ways is in the form of a table. This is the information you will want to record…

  • the hazard
  • who might be harmed
  • how they might be harmed
  • current control measures
  • any new control measures needed
  • who is responsible (for action)

Step five – monitor and review your risk assessment

The final and fifth step is to monitor and review your risk assessment. This will involve periodically checking that the control measures you have implemented are being used properly and that they are effective.

Any shortfalls should prompt a review of the risk assessment; and possibly result in new control measures (or better management of the ones you already have in place); and perhaps better training.

You should also review your risk assessment if there is an accident, or if new information about the hazard or activity becomes available.

So we are almost to the end of this video. Contact information and details of other training videos in this series follow.

Summary of the risk assessment process

  1. identify the hazards
  2. decide who might be harmed and how
  3. evaluate and control the risk
  4. record your findings
  5. monitor and review

Thank you for watching.

Video Transcript was produced for CCVS by Green Pepper Consulting

CCVS Guide to Running a Safe Event

Hello, my name is David Green from Green Pepper Consulting; and in this short training
presentation I will be looking at how an event can be run safely.

Indeed, whenever you organise an event; you have a duty of care to those who attend. So
clearly you will want to avoid accidents or incidents that could cause harm to individuals.
The following explains what you need to do.

OK, This is what we’re going to cover…, We’ll start with the pre-event considerations, then
look at safety plans, followed by risk assessment, and finally, managing an event.
So lets begin with the pre-event considerations.

 

Pre-event considerations
Firstly, you should make someone have overall responsibility for the event’s safety.
Next, make a list of who will need consulting, such as the venue, your event partners and the
active participants. These could be performers, players, speakers, exhibitors etc.

If using contractors for any aspect, such as setting-up, lighting, catering, for example, make
sure they are safe and competent. Ask to see risk assessments and check references.
Alongside all of the above, check your organisation’s safety policy to ensure that you are
following your stated safety arrangements and responsibilities.
And finally, draw up an event safety plan.

This is a key step and we shall cover this next.

 

So what goes into a safety plan?
A key step in planning a safe event is to consult with those who will be involved.
As we have seen, this will include your team, the venue, any partner organisations and
active participants.

Consulting is important to identify the expected roles of those involved, the activities that will
take place at the event; and to find out about possible hazards and the risk assessments that
will be needed.

If you can, visit and inspect the venue as this can inform many aspects of your safety plan.
Next, sketch or obtain a site layout, even if your event is outdoors. This can help you decide
who goes where, the maximum numbers of attendees, and consider the entry and exit
routes etc.

Then assign someone to carry out risk assessments; and check those risk assessments
already supplied by the participants and others. Where gaps are identified, new risk
assessments should be undertaken.

The goal is to make sure everyone knows what safety measures are needed when the event
starts. There will be more on this topic later in the video.

While considering hazards, it is wise to consider contingencies in the case of severe
weather. Outdoor events are more prone to problems, but indoor ones can also suffer,
especially when approaches to buildings are slippery, or when hot weather is making venues
uncomfortable.

So assess poor wintery conditions, or hot summer days in the same way you would as any
other hazard; and plan your response.

Regardless of the size of your event, you should include a crowd or people management
plan. For bigger events youmay also need to include traffic management.

You will also want to ensure, if necessary, that you can contact key people during the
event…so prepare a contact list; and know where they will be if you need them.

A good way to ensure things run smoothly is to appoint members of your team as stewards,
and brief them on what they will need to do. This will include people management, ensuring
safety controls are followed, reporting problems and dealing with accidents.

A very important part of the planning process is to know how to deal with emergencies. You
need to ensure that there are clearly marked fire exits, and that your team of stewards know
what to do if the worst happens. You should also nominate a person to call the emergency
services.

Finally, your safety plan should also include arranging insurance if your existing insurance
does not extend to events. And don’t forget to check information about facilities such as
drinking water, toilets and anything else the venue can provide to help with wellbeing.
Where the venue can’t provide such things, you may have to use contractors so don’t leave
arranging these until the last minute.

Here then is a short summary of what goes into a safety plan.
• consultation
• layout of venue
• risk assessment
• weather contingencies
• people/traffic management
• contact list
• stewards
• emergency procedure
• insurance
• and facilities

 

Risk assessment
We now come to risk assessment.
This will form a vital part of your safety plan; and the results of your risk assessments will
decide how your event can be run.
The process involves assessing all foreseeable risks, whether they be from the activities of
your organisation, the active participants, your chosen venue, or even the public.

So as well as your own risk assessments, you will need to consider any risk assessments
provided by the venue, exhibitors, performers, stall holders, speakers, contractors or
whatever other organisations are involved.

It is from these risk assessments that you can take steps to avoid or control any safety risks
that are presented by your event.

But what does a risk assessment involve…? Well, there are five steps involved in risk
assessment…
1. Identify the hazard(s)
2. Decide who might be harmed, and how
3. Evaluate and control the risk(s)
4. Record your findings
5. Monitor your safety measures, and review them if needed
For more detail on risk assessment, please see our separate training video, Risk
Assessment Made Simple.

 

Managing an event
The final topic is “managing your event” from a safety perspective….
There are a number of considerations.

Firstly, before the event starts ensure that health and safety is covered in an induction for
stewards and the active participants so that everyone understands their role, including what
to do if there is an accident.

Next, check that safety measures are in place.

Thirdly, make sure there are signs and notices to help enforce health and safety.
Also, ensure that stewards and active participants are aware of the emergency procedure;
and understand what they would have to do, should an emergency arise.

Ensure that stewards can guide people so they can move safely into, during and out of the
event. This people management should be in your safety plan. Good signage to car parking
may also be needed.

During the event, monitor safety measures during the event as it progresses, and be ready
to act on a problem.

Finally, check-in with stewards during the event, so keep close at hand your list of key
contacts and your safety plan.

Once the event finishes, do another inspection to check any taking down of equipment is
following correct procedures; and that the venue is left in good order.

Then debrief your team, and learn any lessons for next time.

 

Well, that’s all our topics covered. So before I finish, let’s have a very brief summary of what
it takes to run a safe event…
Consult all those who will be involved
Draw up a safety plan
Assess risks and implement safety measures
Raise awareness of the safety plan so everyone knows who is responsible for what
particular actions
And finally: Monitor safety as the event progresses.
….Thank you for listening.

 

Data Protection

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  1. What You Need To Know
  2. What You Need To Do
  3. Writing a Privacy Notice

Data Protection Part 1: What You Need To Know

Welcome.  

This is a short training video from Support Cambridgeshire, the first in a series on data protection.  

We’re looking at the essentials of data protection law. In other words, what you need to know.  

Let’s see what we’re going to cover. We’ll begin with a short look at why privacy matters, and then we’ll move to the principles behind data protection which are set out in law. Then we’ll look at the lawful reasons for which you can process personal data. Finally, we’ll finish off this video with a look at individual data protection rights.  

But before we begin, let’s remind ourselves what we mean by personal data.  

What we mean by personal data

Personal data is any piece of information, including a photograph, from which an individual can be identified. So name, address, payroll number, or bank account number, for example, are all forms of personal data. But things like hair colour, shoe size, town of birth are not personal data because on their own, none of these things can identify a single individual.  

Of course, when you combine certain data, such as a person’s race with their name, for example, then both would be classed as personal data.  

Learn more about Key Data Protection Terms. 

Why privacy matters

Okay, so why should we be bothered about privacy? Isn’t it just common sense?  

Well, it’s much more than that. We all have a right to privacy, and if that right is broken, then the consequences can be severe. For example, the release of personal data about health conditions or perhaps trade union membership could result in discrimination or even dismissal by an employer. Of course, criminals use personal data for identity theft and fraud, blackmail, ransom, and other threats.  

But failing to respect privacy can damage voluntary organisations as well. For a charity, it can lead to bad publicity, damage to reputation, loss of support and funding, fines, and the extra costs of putting things right.  

That’s why we have data protection laws, namely the UK GDPR, which is how it’s known following Brexit, and the 2018 Data Protection Act. But what do these laws say?  

The principles behind data protection

Helpfully, the UK GDPR sets out a number of principles by which personal data must be processed. Follow these, and you shouldn’t get into trouble with the law.  

The first principle is that you must have a lawful reason or basis for your processing. There are six of these which we shall look at later.  

Next, you can only use the data for the purpose it was collected. For example, you can’t use someone’s details for sending them funding requests if you’ve only said you will use it to provide a particular service.  

The third principle says you must only collect and process data that is necessary, so no asking for a postal address if you only ever intend to email someone.  

The fourth principle is that the data you process must be accurate. This means you must take reasonable steps to keep it up to date.  

Fifth, it should be kept for no longer than is actually necessary. Once it’s not needed, it should be deleted.  

And six, it must be secure. This means you need good cyber and physical security for the data.  

Finally, the seventh principle says you are accountable for how you handle data, so you need to make sure you can demonstrate compliance with the law.  

Now, as we’ve seen, the first principle of data protection is that you can only process data for a lawful reason.  

Lawful reasons on which data can be processed 

Let’s just look at the six lawful reasons, sometimes called bases, on which data can be processed.  

The first reason or lawful basis for processing personal data is consent. To be valid, this consent must be freely given by clear, affirmative action for each processing reason. 

There can be no generic or bundled up consents and no pre-tick boxes for someone to untick. Finally, it must be easy to opt out, withdrawing or revoking consent at any time.  

The next lawful reason for processing is contractual. This is where we process data with a view to entering into or operating a contract. Processing personal details, such as in a quote for some work is a contractual reason for data processing.  

We now come to legitimate interest. This is a useful reason to have for data processing because it’s so flexible. However, the small print says that your interest must not override the privacy interests of the individual, so the processing has to be something transparent that the data subject would expect. A business interest, for example, can be a legitimate interest if it is clear and expected. A good example might be processing the names of individuals who have applied to attend a training course. Clearly, you can’t process applications without collecting names. Anyone who signs up would expect you to do this, so there is no hidden processing or undermining of an individual’s privacy. 

The fourth of our six reasons is legal obligation. This is where you are required to process the data by law. For example, an employer has a legal duty to collect income tax through Pay As You Earn, which clearly requires the processing of personal data.  

The next reason is vital interest. It applies in very limited circumstances, specifically when there is a risk to life. 

The sixth and final lawful reason applies to public authorities and elected officials, such as a councillor or member of parliament. Here, personal data can be processed lawfully, specifically in order to provide a service or to perform a public task. 

The next part of this video involves looking at the individual legal rights people have on how their data is processed, all of which are enforced by a regulator, the ICO, (Information Commissioner’s Office).  

So what are these rights?  

Top of the list is the right to be informed about how and why your data is processed. This is usually set out in a privacy notice which must be provided at the point that personal data is collected. We cover privacy notices in the third video in this series.  

You also have a right to access your personal data that an organisation is processing. This is enacted through a “subject access request”.  

Next, you have a right to have errors rectified once the organisation has been made aware of the error.  

And you have a right to restrict processing. This limits how data can be used and usually applies when the accuracy of data is contested or while an objection to data processing is being considered, which leads nicely into your specific right to object to processing in certain circumstances. For example, if you object to your data being used for direct marketing, or if you question why an organisation is relying upon their legitimate interest as the lawful reason for the data processing.  

You also have a right to be forgotten, that is to have data erased when data is no longer needed. For example, if the data is historical or if you have withdrawn consent for processing.  

Perhaps not used quite so often is a right to data portability, which allows you to reuse your data for your own purposes across different services. This is how, for example, insurance comparison sites work.  

Finally, you have certain rights in relation to high volume automated processing and profiling. This is something used to evaluate an individual based on their personal data and decide, for example, what products they may like to buy.  

Okay, that’s all we’re covering in this video, so let’s quickly recap.  

To protect privacy, you should comply with the seven data protection principles, which includes processing data securely and being accountable for what you do. You should always have a lawful basis for every data processing operation. Finally, you should uphold the data protection rights of individuals, which, among other things, means providing privacy information. 

For practical advice on compliance with the law, please look out for the other titles in this Data Protection Series. 

And to learn more about the areas we have covered in this video, please refer to the ICO website. 

Guidance links: 

Data Protection Part 2: What You Need To Do

Welcome. 

This is the second short training video produced by Support Cambridgeshire in a series on data protection. In this one, we’ll be looking in particular at the key steps you should take to comply with data protection law.  

But first, here is a very short recap on what we covered in video one.  

Video one highlighted the seven principles of data protection that underpin the law. One of these is that you must have a lawful reason to carry out your processing. There are six lawful reasons, including consent, entering into a contract and legitimate interest. We ended the first video explaining that individuals have a range of legal rights, including the right to be informed and to have access to the data you hold on them.  

With these things in mind, what are we going to cover in this video? Firstly, we’ll begin with what you’re allowed to do with other people’s personal data. Then we’ll look at what steps you must take to comply with the law and so meet your legal duties. This will include looking at data audits, privacy notices, data protection policies, and staying accountable. Finally, we’ll finish with a look at the vital subject of data security. 

Other people’s personal data

Let’s look at what you’re allowed to do with personal data. The answer may surprise you. If you stick to certain requirements, in other words, the data protection principles and respecting an individual’s data protection rights, you can do almost anything with someone’s personal data.  

This includes processing their data without consent, because consent is just one of six legal reasons for processing data. Profile someone and target specific individuals. Share data, including that of a personal nature such as to do with health, criminal records or a protected characteristic. Sell data, refuse someone a job or even prescribe someone (in other words, bar or prohibit someone from something).  

Remember, though, the data protection principles are strict, and they include having a legal reason for processing data and only processing data for the purpose it is collected.  

Complying with the law  

This looks at what you must do as an organisation to comply with the law.  

The place to start is with a data audit. To make sure you comply with the law, you first need to understand all the different types of data you are collecting. So carry out a data audit to find out what is collected, how, why and when you do this. Also, look at what you actually do with the data, including who, if anyone, it is shared with and how it is stored.  

The importance of auditing your processing operations cannot be understated because it will inform your future data processing arrangements. For example, the audit allows you to decide the legal reason for each of your processing operations and to identify any associated privacy risks.  

Once the audit is complete, you can also use it to produce a privacy notice. This is used to tell people whose data you are processing, why you need their data, and what you’re doing with it. In this way, you’ll be meeting an individual’s right to be informed.  

Your privacy notice must include certain required information as set out by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Data Protection Regulator. One of these is the lawful reasons by which you are processing data, but others include how your data is stored and who has overall responsibility for data protection in the organisation. Privacy information must also be made available at the time data is collected. You will need to think about your data collection methods and how your privacy notice can be made available to individuals. Again, your data audit should help with this.  

Given the importance of privacy notices, we have devoted the third video of our data protection series to this topic. Please view the video to find out how you write a privacy notice for the data you process.  

General data protection policy

Alongside your privacy notice, you also need to have a general data protection policy. 

This will explain how you meet other aspects of data protection law and good practice. It’s all about showing that you are accountable, trustworthy, and transparent.  

So what does a data protection policy look like? It should start by setting out your commitment to protecting privacy and the levels of responsibility for data protection within your organisation. This includes stating who is in overall charge of data processing. It should then go on to cover all your arrangements for compliance with the law. The arrangements should cover things like your data processing audit, your data security, your data sharing arrangements, and clear procedures for dealing with data breaches, requests, or complaints connected to individual rights.  

To help you develop a suitable policy, a template is available from Support Cambridgeshire. In addition, the NCVO have produced some guidelines for writing a data protection policy, and the link to the relevant page on their website cab be found in the guidance links below.

You need to account for your actions when you process personal data and show that you are complying with the law. Indeed, this is one of the seven principles of data protection. Keep good records, make sure your data protection policy is fit for purpose, and that the arrangements it describes are working properly. Make sure your team is fully trained on how to process data securely and that they know how to recognise cyber attacks like phishing.  

As I explained in the first video of this series, consent, when used as a lawful reason for processing, must be given freely and it must be possible to withdraw the consent at any time, something that must be made clear when consent is given. When it comes to email marketing circulars and e-newsletters, obtaining consent is the only legal route you have.  

Indeed, an individual must consent to be placed on the marketing mailing list, and they must be able to withdraw that consent at any time. This means including an “unsubscribe” notice, or preferably an “unsubscribe” button on every email or newsletter.  

However, an upcoming change in the law will allow charities and voluntary groups to apply what is called the soft opt-in in certain circumstances. This means that direct consent will not necessarily be required. More information can be found in the guidance links below.

Data security

Keeping your data safe, both physically and electronically, is absolutely essential, so you must train your staff and/or volunteers in data security. In fact, you can be fined quite heavily if you fail to protect your data from hackers and thieves, even though you, as an organisation, will have been the victim of a crime.  

So make sure that you: one, control access to data who and where with robust passwords and two-factor authentication of users. Two, regularly back up your data. Three, ensure physical security… The doors, locks, lighting, CCTV, etc. Four, ensure safe disposal of data waste. Five, control the use of laptops and other mobile devices with encryption, passwords, antivirus software, etc. Six, keep software and operating systems up to date. And seven, develop a cyber incident plan so you are ready to deal with any problems if they arise.  

Summary

Okay, we’re almost at the end of this video, so let me sum up. 

As long as you have a lawful reason for your processing and can meet all the other data processing principles, then you can  process data for all sorts of reasons. But to stay within these principles, you must comply with the law. To do this, you need to know what data you are processing and why, and what exactly you will do with it.  

This is where a data audit helps. You should also have policies and procedures setting out who is responsible for what aspects of data protection and the different arrangements you have in place for legal compliance. Key among these is the need to provide privacy information at the time data is collected.  

So use the videos and other resources from Support Cambridgeshire and then complete a data audit. Do this and you’ll find that data protection compliance becomes straightforward.  

For further information, please refer to the Information Commission’s website and see guidance links below for information on: key data protection terms, who needs to register with the Information Commission’s office, dealing with freedom of information and subject access requests, and the soft opt-in for sending out marketing emails.  

That is the end of this video, so thank you for watching..  

Key Data Protection Terms

Who needs to register with the ICO

Freedom of Information 

Subject Access Requests 

The soft “opt-in” 

Guidance on direct marketing using electronic mail

Privacy notice generator tool

Writing a data protection policy and procedures

Guidance on AI and data protection

AI risk toolkit

Data Protection Part 3: Writing a Privacy Notice

This is part three of a series produced by Support Cambridgeshire on Data Protection. In this video, we are looking at writing your privacy notice.  

Let’s see what we’re going to cover.  

We will start by looking at why you need a privacy notice. Then consider where to start. Next, we’ll look at the very important content of a privacy notice. Lastly, we’ll look at making your privacy notice available to people.  

Why you need a privacy notice

So why is it needed? A privacy notice is a statement that tells someone how and why you will be using their personal data. Essentially, it’s a tool to help you comply with the transparency obligations of the UK General Data Protection Regulation, commonly known as the UK GDPR. Because of this law, individuals have a right to be informed, and to comply, you must provide privacy information that tells individuals about your data processing in a way that is easily accessible and easy to understand.  

Where do you start? 

To provide individuals with privacy information, begin by checking your data audit. If you don’t have a data audit, then carry one out to find out about your processing activities. This means looking at each data processing operation in your organisation and deciding what you are processing, why you’re doing it, where and when, the lawful reason that allows your processing to go ahead and who the data is shared with, how it is stored, and so on.  

By doing the data audit, you will have all the information you need to get started on a privacy notice.  

What about the content?

Exactly what should go into a privacy notice is set out by the Information Commissioner’s office. This is the UK regulator responsible for data protection.  

Your privacy notice should include the following: what personal data you use such as name, address, telephone number, and email addresses; why you use it, in other words, what you need it for; how you use it; who, if anyone, it is shared with, such as another organisation or agency; How long you will keep it. It should also provide the lawful basis for your processing, for example, this might be consent; the name and contact details of your organisation; the rights of individuals, and how to complain.  

There may also be some other things that should be included, but only if they apply to your processing. These are, if not obtained from the individual, then the source of someone’s personal data; your legitimate interests for the processing. This only applies if you rely on legitimate interest as a lawful basis. The right to withdraw consent. Again, this only applies if consent is your lawful basis for processing.  

Making your privacy notice available

But how should you go about providing privacy information? How and when do you make your privacy notice available?  

Firstly, it must be provided at the time personal data is collected. This means it can be provided in person or if a link is given, then to a website. But remember, putting your privacy notice on a website is only going to reach those people who look at that particular website. It must also be in a concise accessible format using plain language, so keep it short and jargon free. Remember also that you don’t have to overwhelm someone with privacy information, so you can make it available in layers or parts to suit your audience. You can also use handouts, clearly visible footnotes, dashboards, icons, and banners as as needed.  

Summary

A privacy notice is essential to meet your transparency obligations and should provide information about how and why you process someone’s data. There are certain pieces of information that you are required to provide, and it must be given at the time that personal data is collected. Finally, it must be clear, accessible, and free of jargon.  

For further information, please refer to the Information Commissioner’s website. This includes under the section on “advice for small organisations”, a privacy notice generator tool. And a sample of a privacy notice generated by this tool is also available from Support Cambridgeshire.  

Finally, there is a transcript that accompanies this video with links to additional information on key data protection terms, who needs to register with the Information Commissioner’s office, dealing with freedom of information and subject access requests, and the soft opt-in for email marketing newsletters.     

Key Data Protection Terms  

Who needs to register with the ICO 

Freedom of Information 

Subject Access Requests

The soft “opt-in”

Guidance on direct marketing

Privacy notice generator tool  

Writing a data protection policy and procedures 

 AI and data protection 

AI risk toolkit

 

Fundraising basics for small voluntary groups and charities

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Fundraising basics for small voluntary groups and charities

Slide 1

Hello and welcome to this recording from Support Cambridgeshire. This training introduces the basics around fundraising that any group should consider.

  • You’ll find the guidance links to all the materials mentioned in this recording at the end of the accompanying transcript.
  • This recording focuses on fundraising through encouraging donations and contributions to activities and events. If you want to find out more about applying for grant funding we have another recording you can look at called Funding Application Tips and you can also look at our Support Cambridgeshire 4 Community funding database available for free on our website which gives information about funds for not for profits in Cambridgeshire.

 

Slide 2

Fundraising provides vital unrestricted income for small charities.  Unlike most grant or contract funding, it is not usually ring fenced for a particular purpose and can be used to cover essential costs that support the delivery of the group’s mission or build reserves that can be used at the discretion of the trustees to build sustainability.

However, with changing economic conditions and new trends in donor expectations, staying effective means adapting and refining your fundraising approach. In this session we’ll look at some key fundraising trends , explore a basic fundraising strategy, discuss building a supporter base, highlight the importance of a strong case for support, touch on the fundraising mix, and finally, outline some tips for planning your fundraising activities.

 

Slide 3 

Key Fundraising Trends include

  • The need to focus on donors from all age groups although older donors remain important for regular donations and legacies, younger donors are more likely to engage in events and in fundraising volunteering
  • Digital Fundraising continues to be important despite the return and growing popularity of in person events. Digital fundraising includes donations made through websites and giving platforms as well as social media and email marketing. Mobile-friendly giving is key with more people than ever browsing and donating through mobile devices.  Areas of focus include:
    • Livestream fundraising – this has been steadily growing on platforms such a Twitch involving people making donations while watching others play online games
    • In person events using digital fundraising tools have also been growing in popularity. Both those centred around socialising such as quizzes and coffee mornings and exercise challenges such as fun runs.
  • The need for greater transparency in relationships with donors: Donors want to know exactly where their money is going. They want to see impact through storytelling, social proof, and real-time updates. The most popular causes continue to be health, children and animals with most individuals supporting 2 or 3 causes
  • Opportunities for Corporate Partnerships: Businesses are increasingly looking to align with social causes both to appeal to the values of their staff and to deliver on their social responsibility commitments.
  • Environmentally conscious campaigns appeal to many donors, especially younger ones, but groups need to ensure they make this alignment with integrity and avoid green washing.

 

Slide 4

Fundraising insights

Given these trends what sorts of things could you do to improve fundraising success?

  • Set fundraising targets and developing fundraising strategies to meet these targets
  • Diversify sources of income
  • Manage data to gain an understanding of your supporters and their patterns of giving behaviour.
  • Make use of AI’s potential to utilise data to anticipate supporter need, predict behaviours and improve efficiency. As well as using free AI packages to help generate resources.

 

Slide 5

A Basic Fundraising Strategy

A fundraising strategy is essentially a roadmap to achieve your funding goals over the next few years. Creating a strategy doesn’t have to be complex:

  1. Start by reviewing where you are now with your fundraising:
    1. How much did you raise in the last couple of years? Which of your activities and events were most successful in raising funds?
    2. Who are your existing supporters and how do they support you? Include those that give you their time and in-kind support to help raise funds as well as direct financial contributions. Are your supporters’ individuals in your local community, small businesses, specific groups with a passion for your cause or some other group?  Think about what you know about your supporters and how you can build a closer relationship with them.
    3. What is the environment you are operating in? Do you have competitors for funding? What are the likely barriers to supporter engagement? For example, cost of living increases or demographic change.
  2. Set your goals: Define how much money you need to raise over a particular period and why.  If you have a business plan this should be reflected here. Be specific – knowing your exact funding requirements and purposes will make it easier to communicate this to supporters.
  3. Select Fundraising Methods: Choose the tactics that best fit your resources and audience, we’ll discuss this further when we look at the fundraising mix.
  4. Allocate Resources: Who can you involve and how, what budget can you afford to allocate?
  5. Finally, continually monitor your efforts, and don’t hesitate to adjust your tactics based on what works and what doesn’t.

 

Slide 6

Developing a Supporter Base

For small charities, a cohort of loyal supporters can be more valuable than simply aiming to grow your number of supporters.  Loyalty is developed by creating relationships.  Here are some points to consider:

Keep in touch: Send out regular updates and stories via social media, emails, and newsletters to help build your community around your cause. The most effective messaging will outline the positive difference their support has made to your beneficiaries.

Show appreciation: Thank your donors so that they know their contributions matter and are valued.

Find ways to engage people: Not everyone can give money, so consider ways they can volunteer, share your cause, or contribute their skills.

Create Donor Journeys: Think of the donor relationship as a journey, from first contact to regular giving, advocacy, and potentially legacy giving. Nurture relationships at each stage.

 

Slide 7

Developing a Strong Case for Support

A compelling case for support is critical – it’s what communicates the need and urgency of your cause. To develop this effectively:

  • Clearly Define the difference you want to make: What problem are you solving, and why does it matter? Describe how contributions make a tangible difference.
  • Share Stories: Facts and figures are essential, but stories create emotional connections. Share real stories of those whose lives have been changed by your organisation’s work. You may want to make it clear if you are intentionally keeping beneficiary identities anonymous.
  • Show Accountability: Highlight how donations are used. Transparency and accountability build trust and show that you’re responsible with funds.
  • Include a Call to Action: Be direct about how supporters can help. Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or spreading the word, make the call to action clear and easy to follow. Don’t be shy about making an ask here is a lot to be said for a big red donate button.

 

Slide 8

The Fundraising Mix

The fundraising mix is the combination of methods you use to bring in donations.  The mix you develop will depend on your specific goals, resources, audience and attitude to risk.  The main elements of the mix are:

  • Individual Giving: This can be one-time giving, such as a collection outside a supermarket or regular giving through direct debit offered by more committed supporters. It is essential that donors’ data is kept secure and that there is good communication to build relationships and to be responsive.  Individuals may also give by paying your organisation for goods or services
  • Community Events: such as charity runs, bake sales, or fetes allow you to engage face-to-face with donors and build connections to create a wider base of supporters. This type of fundraising is resource intensive and requires careful management of costs to ensure a good return on investment.  You will find resources to support event fundraising in the transcript accompanying this recording and for larger events check out your local authority’s safety advisory group page – this covers advice around any licencing and permission required.
  • Peer to Peer fundraising is when supporters raise money on your behalf via their existing networks typically through social media or donation platforms like JustGiving that can reach a wide audience with limited overhead costs.
  • Crowdfunding for not for profits usually involves asking people to donate to a campaign run by an organisation to achieve a specific purpose and within a set time frame. Although we usually associate crowdfunders with online giving platforms, crowdfunding has been used to good effect for many years to raise funds, for example for community buildings.  Some crowdfunding platforms such as ‘Crowdfunder’ and ‘Space Hive’ offer access to match funding opportunities.
  • Finally we have organisational giving: where businesses or organisations such as the Rotary Club may offer sponsorship, volunteering or in-kind donations

 

Slide 9

Fundraising Planning

In addition to creating a fundraising strategy you’ll need a shorter-term action plan. Here are some tips to consider:

Create a Calendar: Map out key fundraising activities throughout the year, considering factors like seasonal giving trends, annual events, busy delivery periods and your cashflow forecast.  For example, Giving Tuesday is a matched crowdfunding opportunity that takes place in December but requires groups to sign up for it in July   There is a link about Giving Tuesday in the transcript.

Create a budget:  Allocate funds to cover fundraising activities, keeping your budget realistic

Set short term targets: such as funds raised, donor retention rates, and event attendance. These will help you assess progress and guide future planning.

Evaluate and Reflect: Regularly assess your fundraising efforts. What worked well, and what didn’t? Use these reflections to feed into what you do.

 

Slide 10

Fundraising compliance

Any charity that is carrying out fundraising activity, even on a small scale, is subject the Fundraising Regulator’s code of fundraising practice.  The code exists to protect the public and encourage those involved in fundraising to follow best practice.  You can find a link to the code in the transcript.  The code includes a requirement to have an easily accessible complaints policy and to put in place safeguards on how to handle and bank any money collected.  Your organisation will also need to comply with other relevant regulations for example around safeguarding, health and safety, food hygiene and licencing.  See the links in the transcript for more on these.

 

Slide 11

Data protection

Data protection is crucial to ensure the privacy and security of supporters information from unauthorised access, misuse, or loss. This is important not only to comply with legal requirements – such as the General Data Protection Regulations – but also to maintain trust and credibility with your supporters.  Take a look at the links relating to this topic in the transcript.

 

Slide 12

In summary

Fundraising brings unique challenges and opportunities. By staying on top of trends, building a dedicated supporter base, creating a compelling case for support, mixing various fundraising methods, and planning strategically, your organisation can become more sustainable.

 

Slide 13

To find out more

For more detail on all of the topics covered here, check out the guidance links in the recording transcript.

You can also contact our team for help including help with policies and templates at

Info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk and you can join our online fundraisers network to link in with other fundraisers across the county.

 

Guidance links

For more information contact our team on info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk

Join Support Cambridgeshire’s Fundraisers Network

 

General background information

Fundraising facts you need to know in 2025 (Charity Digital)

Charitable Support Across Generations in the UK and Ireland (Blackbaud institute Nov 24)

UK Civil Society Almanac 2024 (NCVO)

UK Giving 2024 (CAF)

Introduction to engaging with business (Support Cambridgeshire/Get Synergised)

 

Fundraising resources

Guidance and resources for small charities (Chartered Institute of Fundraising CIoF)

How to build a fundraising strategy (Charity Digital )

How to boost your charity campaigns with AI (Charity Digital)

How to perfect the donor journey (Charity Digital)

Storytelling to support your goals (Support Cambs)

A-Z of the best fundraising ideas for charity (Charity Digital)

 

Livestream fundraising

Complete guide to livestream fundraising (Charity Digital)

Gaming for good fundraising pack (End Youth Homelessness)

Jingle jam

 

Events

The ultimate event power pack (Cambridge City Council 2024)

Ideas & resources (Eden Project)

Safer activities and events (NSPCC)

Event Safety Checklist (CCVS)

 

Local authority safety advisory group guidance:

Cambridge City Council

East Cambs DC

Fenland DC

Hunts DC

South Cambs DC

 

Data protection

Advice for small organisations (ICO)

 

Compliance

Community fundraising and events (Fundraising regulator)

Trustees and Fundraising a practical guide (CIoF)

 

Grant funding

Funding Application Tips (Support Cambridgeshire)

Support Cambridgeshire 4 Community funding database

Storytelling to Support Your Goals 

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Storytelling to Support Your Goals 

Slide 1 

Hello and welcome to this recording from Support Cambridgeshire, a partnership of Cambridge CVS and Hunts Forum. This is one of several recordings we have developed to support small charities.   

To accompany the recording there are guidance links, available at the end of the transcript which will provide you with any materials or links we mention.  

 

Slide 2 What we’ll cover: 

During this short introduction, we will cover 

  • Why we tell stories 
  • The power of purpose 
  • Story structure 
  • Sharing stories – how to maximise your efforts   

I will also be referring to some case studies to provide real-world practical examples showing how charities have used storytelling in practice to promote their cause. This on-demand training is aimed at individuals linked to community and voluntary groups and small charities, the goal is to encourage you to take your first steps on your storytelling journey and to briefly introduce you to how to make the most of your stories. 

 

Slide 3 Why Should You Tell Stories 

Its important to get the fundamentals of storytelling right first. Why should you as a (not for profit) tell stories ?  

  • Stories build interest, awareness, and empathy 
  • Your story is what attracts people to you—and what keeps them coming back.  
  • They are the basic building blocks for reaching every goal you have as listed on the slide this includes raising money, recruiting partners and volunteers and building relationships.  

 

Slide 4 How do you begin your story? 

How do we start putting your story together? As we all appreciate, everyone has limited time – you as an individual, as an organisation, and your target audience. So thinking through how a story can help you achieve your aims and make a difference is important. So how do you create a story that achieves the outcome you want?  Like a lot of things, it starts with questions. Keeping these points in mind when creating content or a campaign could help you achieve your storytelling goals. 

  • Who are you telling your story to? 
  • Why are you telling it? 
  • What do you want to happen and when?  

I will discuss each question in a little more detail over the next few slides.  

 

Slide 5  Who are you telling your story to 

So lets start with the “who?”  

It’s really important that you get to know your audience. This will help you to create a more targeted campaign. You might think about segmenting your audience  –  introductory guides on how to plan your campaign are included in the links. Consider what barriers your audience are they facing – that are perhaps stopping them from engaging with your cause – is it time, digital or other access needs, finances etc. Also think about how they might want to get involved, based on what you know about them – so for example busy working individuals may want quick information on how they can support your cause outside of core working hours 

 

Slide 6 WHY are you telling your story? 

WHY are you telling your story? There could be many reasons or just one, but thinking about this will help you to achieve your goals with your story. Don’t tell a story or share content for the sake of it. Think through the outcomes you want to achieve early on and this will inform the story you tell and how you tell it  

 

Slide 7 What do you want to happen and when?  

What do you want to happen and when? What would you like the reader of your story to do or how you would like your story to impact your reader? It can be helpful to categorise your story to shape your message. You might think along the lines of a hard or specific ask for example; you want your reader to “donate here” or “volunteer now”.  Or perhaps you want your story to have a “soft ask” so that your story shares information and inspires your reader to access further information or to further action.  

Make sure your call to action is clear, for example, “click here to donate.” It is clear to your audience “when” they should take action. 

 

Slide 8  Case study 

This case study highlights how simple it can be to share a story. I found this very straightforward yet powerful story on the COOP website 

The story is: Ian is a talented conductor, he has been a part of the Paisley Abbey choir for 20 years, he started a new community group called The Paisley Senior Singers. The group aims to attract seniors in the local area and beyond to join their singing and social group, on a weekly basis. The story shares details of when and where and who to contact for further details. There is also some text about sharing your own story about how your community has come together to support each other.  

Referring back to our starter questions: Who, Why, What and when…… 

  • Who: Ian is a volunteer who wishes to support his community in particular the lonely older people, he is a talented conductor. 
  • Why: The aim is to decrease loneliness, improve well being and increase community engagement  
  • What: Ian used his experience to set up a group to engage with the local community to improve well being. The call to action is to share your community engagement story  
  • When: Coop are asking community groups to share their stories about how their community has come together to support each other, there is a clear Call to action: “Share your story” button on the page. 

 

Slide 9 Be More Cat 

A useful tool to support you with starting to tell your own stories: it is to be more CAT  

So looking at our Paisley Senior Singers case study again 

  • Challenge: Decrease loneliness and increase community engagement 
  • Action: engage with local community to improve well being  
  • Transformation: volunteer used his experience to set up a group to engage with local community to improve well being. The call to action/transform is: share your own story on how you transformed your community for the better.   

 

Slide 10 A second case study 

A second case study. This is actually about a cat. This is a Cats Protection social media post. The story is about a cat called Gizmo who was found 20 miles away from his home, he had jumped into a delivery van, but he was microchipped so when he was found he was returned to his owners without further delay. The post included a direct quote from the joyful owners of Gizmo. 

So there was a Facebook post, with text and pictures 

Breaking the story down using the questions I posed earlier  

Who is the story aimed at – cat owners – and what do cat owners like – pictures and stories of cats. This social media story includes a cute pic of a cat to ensure a wide reach with a personal story and a happy ending, where Cats Protection has played a positive and vital role, and how the target audience as cat owners can help Cats Protection to continue their work. 

Why share this story – to keep cats safe. Cats Protection mission include rehoming cats and championing their rights, ensuring they return to their owners when they are lost forms part of their key objectives.  

What outcomes does Cats Protection want to achieve with this story: If cats are lost, they can be returned home quickly and safely, and microchipping cats ensures this happens. So increase the number of cats being microchipped.  

So; the final call to action is to Find out more about microchipping with a link 

I have also posted a screenshot of some of the comments just to show how a Social Media post can engage an audience and continue the story, with re-shares, comments by other cat owners with their own stories and likes etc. So the one story about Gizmo can generate a conversation and “microchipping movement.” 

Looking at this same case study using the CAT tool: 

The Challenge is to engage with cat owners to encourage them to microchip their cats 

The Action is to share Gizmo’s successful story and to inspire cat owners 

The Transformation is for cat owners to be inspired to learn more about microchipping and microchip their own cats. 

 

Slide 11 Sharing stories and how to maximise your efforts – less can be more 

Moving on to sharing stories and how to maximise your efforts. Really helpful to remember that when thinking about digital storytelling, especially social media, think less is more. A few top tips are included on the slide 

  • Keep sentences short (20 words maximum) 
  • Keep films short 2/3mins maximum 
  • Use short words  
  • Don’t over-do punctuation  
  • Be concise 
  • Use every day English  
  • Be authentic  

 

Slide 12 sharing stories and how to maximise your efforts – accessibility 

Sharing stories – how to maximise your efforts. Accessibility. There are a lot of free readability and accessibility software to assist you with this, including Microsoft which can help with accessibility, Grammarly can help with readability and CHAT GPT and AI can also be used to create content BUT be careful and make sure you are checking over any AI created content, so that it is your story and it makes sense.  There are also some helpful, straightforward style guides when using various software tools. For example; Social media now have Alt text features and most have their own accessibility guides that tell you what to do. But across all platforms think about your presentation including your font and colours etc. There are some helpful links and resources on the slide  

 

Slide 13 Memorable stories  

To be able to maximise our efforts we want to make sure we are creating and sharing memorable stories, but what makes a memorable story? There is a clear beginning, middle, and end. The story is fairly short.  It offers some action or transformation. We have already discussed this when we looked at story structure and how to create our stories, remember our initial questions, why are we telling the story and what do we want to happen, and the CAT tool, what’s the challenge, action and transformation. Also, remember Less is More (from the previous slide) when sharing our stories. When we looked at our initial questions, we did look at “who are we telling our story to.”  And this also forms part of creating memorable stories, we should aim to tell and share a story that is personally relevant to you or the person who shared it with you so that it creates that all-important emotional connection with your audience.  

The links on the slide provide further information and guidance on this idea of emotional connection with your audience when telling and sharing stories. The first step in making this emotional connection is your story’s voice, which we will discuss next. 

 

Slide 14 “Person first Charity second.” Third Case Study. 

If you are sharing someone’s story, you want to ensure an authentic voice to create that emotional connection. You need to be respectful and ethical. Remember; person first and charity second. On the slide is our third case study, from the Anthony Nolan website (they are a blood cancer charity). The links are to a short YouTube video and blog post with photos, sharing Jo’s lived experience. This case study shows that successfully sharing someone’s story, using their own voice doesn’t have to be slick professionally created content, instead user-generated low-quality footage but with quality content can be authentic and engaging, this is because Jo is charismatic, positive and confident. The audience is left rooting for her and it’s an inspiring story of lived experience created and shared authentically in Jo’s own voice. But remember that sharing lived experience can be complex depending on the people your charity works with, you will need to make judgements about what is appropriate. You must ensure that consent and ongoing consent is properly obtained and recorded. (We have provided links to further resources in the final slides and transcript.) The key to sharing lived experiences and others’ stories, ethically is to ensure that you build a consensual relationship based on trust, which continues even after the story has been created and shared.  

 

Slide 15 Choosing your platform  

Where do we start with what platform to use to share our stories? 

This initial first question can already be overwhelming before we have even begun to share. As you are probably aware different platforms can reach different audiences. On the slide there is a link to We are Social Digital 2024 which does break this down a little. So for example the younger generations tend to use snapchat and tik tok and perhaps older generations use Facebook. 

Think about your knowledge and capacity, as an individual and as an entire team. 

If you think back to the Cats Protection case study – when I shared the screenshot of the comments section to Gizmo’s story – those comments can be just as important as the original post in creating that engagement and momentum, keeping the story alive and present. So, the knowledge and capacity to monitor and engage with the comments.  

And remember that you can reuse or edit your content so that it can be used on more than one platform. Thinking back to Jo’s story with the Anthony Nolan Trust on the previous slide it was a blog post with a photo and also YouTube videos – which were then shared and posted on different Social Media platforms as well as their website. 

Finally, remember essentially you are a matchmaker – matching your story to the best platform – so that as many people as possible will see it / hear it and action it  

 

Slide 16 It’s part of a Process 

In summary, storytelling is part of the bigger picture of your group’s story and it is all part of a process starting with: 

  • Your audience – who are you telling your story to? 
  • How can you connect with them – create that emotional connection 
  • Collecting and curating those connections, those lived experiences and voices and include everyone – your entire team;  
  • Producing the stories. Remember structure – beginning, middle and end. Remember CAT – challenge, action and transformation. 
  • When you hit share it’s not the end – watch what the impact is – learn from it so that when you consider your next story and digital campaign you can improve on the outcomes.  

 

Slide 17 Policies and procedures 

I am ending with a couple of important resources slide. You may already have in place policies around safeguarding, EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) and health and safety. But as you consider storytelling it is important to make sure that you also have policies for the way you work through digital channels and on digital platforms. I have listed a few policies here that you may not already have, and you may need to think about adopting, including:  

  • Data protection & GDPR   
  • Consent & Photography  
  • Copyright 
  • Training & Guidelines  
  • Digital Strategy  
  • What to do if things go wrong? Dealing with complaints and negative comments 
  • Social Media  

 

Slide 18 Resources 

Some further resources that may be of assistance 

 

Slide 19 Here to Help 

We hope that this training has been of assistance as you embark upon your storytelling journey. Please do reach out to us directly with any further support needs and do check out our website for further training resources. 

 

Guidance and support links: 

Charity Digital, Eight Steps to Planning Marketing Campaigns 

Facebook, Understand Audiences  

The Process of Effective Story 

1st Case study: Paisley Senior Singers 

From raw content to stand out stories – Chris Flood,  

content and search lead, Cancer Research UK. Charity Comms.  

Pixar in a Box, The art of storytelling, Introduction to Structure 

2nd Case study Cats Protection – Gizmo and Microchipping 

Microsoft Word’s built-in readability guidelines 

Content Design London’s readability guidelines 

Diversity & Ability  

Lisa Riemers, accessibility resources,  

Charity Comms, Accessible Communication: a starting point to foster inclusive comms. 

Thekar Pekar, Lesson from Retelling Stories, NeuroCooking   

It drew me in… Christmas advertising is not only about storytelling, it is about the story of us as humans – Walnut Unlimited 

3rd Case study: Jo’s story – Anthony Nolan and Youtube video – Jo’s story 

The Power of Human Stories; How to be an authentic storyteller. Charity Comms  

We are Social: Digital 2024 UK 

The Catalyst, how to tell your story with digital 

 

Policies and Procedures  

Policies & procedures: NCVO help and Guidance (National Council for Voluntary organisations) 

Data Protection & GDPR  

Consent & Photos 

Copyright 

Complaints 

Training & Guidelines   

Digital Strategy   

Guidance support on social media from NCVO 

Resources 

Charity Comms  

Charity Digital 

Canva tutorials 

The Curve  

Catalyst  

Lisa Riemers  

Diversity & Ability 

Gov.uk Accessible Formats 

Digital Culture Network 

Pixar in a Box 

Heritage Digital  

Cambridge Online, YouTube 

Here to Help 

www.supportcambridgeshire.org.uk 

To contact CCVS  

enquiries@cambridgecvs.org.uk 

To contact Hunts Forum 

info@huntsforum.org.uk 

New on -Demand Training – Introduction to engaging with business

/by

Get Synergised, one of Support Cambridgeshire’s collaborators has developed a new free training course that anyone can access. This course aims to refresh knowledge and allow you to feel confident in the subject area.

Introduction to engaging with businesses

WHO THIS TRAINING FOR?

Those looking to engage with businesses to develop connections

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Five insights that you probably wish you knew about cultivating partnerships with businesses to help diversify income and resources for greater sustainability.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

11.39 mins

 

The Support Cambridgeshire On-Demand Training portal updates your knowledge base around charity and community sector know-how. It is free to access whenever every you want. Fill in the form, press send, and you be sent the link to browse at your leisure, don’t forget to save the link so you can return it as many times as you want!

Interested to learn? This click HERE

New on-Demand training – Legal Issues Around Managing Volunteers

/by

Support Cambridgeshire partner CCVS has developed a new free training course that anyone can access. This course aims to refresh your knowledge and allow you to feel confident in the subject area.

Legal Issues Around Managing Volunteers

WHO THIS TRAINING FOR?

Anyone involved in dealing with or managing volunteers, even if you are a volunteer yourself.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Headline information about the key legislation, policies, and procedures to help you deliver your legal responsibilities to volunteers and those they support.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

18.19 mins

 

The Support Cambridgeshire On-Demand Training portal updates your knowledge base around charity and community sector know-how. It is free to access whenever every you want. Fill in the form, press send, and you be sent the link to browse at your leisure, don’t forget to save the link so you can return it as many times as you want! Interested to learn? This click HERE

NEW! On-Demand video – Funding Application Tips

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We have recently added a new on-demand session to our portal, this one centers around attracting volunteers.

Read more

NEW! On-Demand video – Attracting Volunteers & What is a committee?

/by

We have recently added a new on-demand session to our portal, this one centers around attracting volunteers.

Read more

NEW! On-Demand training – Business Planning & What do trustees have to do?

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Support Cambridgeshire partner CCVS has developed a new free training resource for anyone to access. This training is aimed at refreshing your knowledge and allow you to feel confident in the subject area. Below are two new sessions which have been recently added to the portal.

NEW!

Business planning – Starting your own community group

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

This session introduces the idea of business planning to make sure you get the best possible result with the resources you have.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Why you need a business plan and what needs to go into one. There is title-by-title guidance on each section, so you truly understand how to build your plan, along with advice on policies and procedures and how to evaluate your performance.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

10:21 minutes

NEW!

What do Trustee have to do?

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

An introduction to the six primary duties of trustees aimed at those considering becoming a trustee, new trustees, those working with trustees and trustees looking to refresh their knowledge.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

What defines a charity, and how can it be structured? The six primary duties of trustees as defined by the Charity Commission.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

14.37 minutes

 

The Support Cambridgeshire On-Demand Training portal updates your knowledge of charity and community sector know-how. It is free to access whenever every you want. Fill in the form, press send, and you’ll be sent the link to browse at your leisure, don’t forget to save the link so you can return it as many times as you want!

Interested to learn? This click HERE