It is key to take all concerns, allegations, suspicions and disclosures of abuse or mistreatment very seriously.
It helps if you have a standard reporting procedure in place that sets out the action that must be taken. If any concern, allegation, suspicion or disclosure is made, whether current or in the past, it may indicate current or former staff or volunteers have behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child.
False or, more rarely, malicious accusations may sometimes occur. However, it is not possible to determine whether an allegation is founded or not without a structured follow-up procedure. Failure to respond to a safeguarding concern may result in ongoing suspicions against the alleged perpetrator.
