Who we are
The British Asian Christian Association (BACA) was born from a single event – in the ashes of churches and homes razed to the ground by a horde of Islamist thugs who persecuted Pakistani followers of Jesus Christ. It happened in the city of Gojra on August 1st 2009 when a married Christian couple were wrongly accused of using torn shreds of the Koran as confetti at their wedding. This incident pinpointed the need for a body such as the BACA to highlight ongoing abuse of Christians in Pakistan
The role
Responsibilities:
In addition to wider responsibilities as a Trustee, the lead Trustee for Safeguarding will take on three main responsibilities which are; Strategic, Effective Policy and Practice and Creating the Right Culture.
Creating the Right Culture, The Safeguarding Lead will:
- Champion safeguarding throughout the Charity.
- Attend relevant safeguarding training events and conferences.
- Support the trustees in developing their individual and collective understanding of safeguarding.
- Attend meetings, activities, projects to engage with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries to understand safeguarding on the ground.
- Work with the Chair, designated safeguarding lead and communications team in order to manage all serious safeguarding cases.
- Support regular safeguarding updates for staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.
- Make sure you have ways of gathering the views of staff and volunteers in relation to safeguarding and sharing these with the board of Trustees.
Strategic, The Safeguarding Lead will:
- Consider the Charity’s strategic plans and make sure they reflect safeguarding legislation, regulations specific to your activities, statutory guidance, and the safeguarding expectations of the Charities Commission.
- Work with the Chair and designated safeguarding lead regularly to review whether the things the organisation has put in place are creating a safer culture and keeping people safe.
- Check the Charity’s risk register reflects safeguarding risks properly and plans sensible measures to take, including relevant insurance for trustees liability.
- Make sure there is space on the agenda for safeguarding reports and help trustees understand and challenge those reports.
Effective Policy and Practice, The Safeguarding Lead will:
- Make sure there is an annual review of safeguarding policies and procedures and that this is reported to trustees.
- Understand the monitoring the charity does to see whether policies and procedures are effective.
- Call for audits of qualitative and quantitative data (either internal or external) when they’re needed.
- Learn from case reviews locally and nationally, to improve the Charity’s policies, procedures and practices.
- Oversee safeguarding allegations against staff or volunteers, together with Chair and designated safeguarding lead.
- Be a point of contact for staff or volunteers if someone wishes to complain about a lack of action in relation to safeguarding concerns.
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to build effective working relationships with staff and others.
- Ability to advise and support individuals at all levels within the Charity.
- Act with integrity and respect when working with others.
- Administration management skills.
- Communication skills.
- Influencing skills.
- Ability to work with conflict and emotionally distressing matters.
- Ability to produce and develop guidance and resources.
Knowledge:
- The role voluntary organisations have in safeguarding.
- Types of abuse and harm.
- Legislation, government guidance and national frameworks for safeguarding children and adults at risk.
- Role and responsibilities of local key safeguarding agencies, including social services and the police.
- Local social services processes for the assessment and referral of safeguarding concerns.
