Executive Summary
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS) is uniquely placed to identify risk, vulnerability and harm through daily contact with communities, homes, businesses and its own workforce. Safeguarding means protecting children, adults at risk and people in vulnerable circumstances from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm, while promoting their welfare, dignity and rights.
This Safeguarding Strategy sets out how NYFRS will meet its statutory responsibilities, embed safeguarding into everyday practice and work collaboratively with partners to identify risk early and take proportionate, person-centred action. Safeguarding applies to everyone we encounter through our work – members of the public, children, adults, employees and volunteers.
Safeguarding is integral to prevention, protection, operational response and organisational culture. It underpins our commitment to early intervention, community safety and workforce wellbeing, and supports delivery of the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), the Serious Violence Duty and the
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.
The Strategy reflects national legislation, statutory guidance and sector standards, including NFCC safeguarding guidance, the Fire Standards Board Safeguarding Fire Standard and HMICFRS inspection expectations. It positions safeguarding as a whole-service responsibility, supported by clear leadership, skilled people, effective systems and strong multi-agency working.
NYFRS will focus on:
• protecting vulnerable people
• supporting staff and raising awareness
• embedding safer recruitment and workforce assurance
• taking timely, lawful and proportionate action
• learning continuously to improve practice and culture
Areas of Focus, defined roles and responsibilities, and a safeguarding delivery model based on concern identified → concern managed → specialist response ensure safeguarding is accessible, consistent and effective across all service activity.
This Strategy is supported by an annual Safeguarding Tactical Delivery Plan and robust governance arrangements. Together, this ensures safeguarding activity remains effective, accountable, evidence-based and focused on preventing harm, strengthening resilience and maintaining public trust. By 2029, this Strategy will support earlier identification of vulnerability, greater staff confidence, stronger partnership working, improved assurance and clearer evidence that safeguarding activity is reducing risk and preventing harm.
Strategic Outcomes
The Strategy will be delivered against the following outcomes:
• Vulnerable people are identified earlier and referred through appropriate safeguarding or support pathways.
• Staff and volunteers are confident, trained and supported to recognise, record and respond to safeguarding concerns.
• Safeguarding practice is embedded consistently across prevention, protection, operational response and workforce arrangements.
• Safeguarding learning, audit findings and partner feedback are used to improve practice and culture.
• Safer recruitment, allegations management and workforce safeguarding arrangements are lawful, timely and effectively assured.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Introduction
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS) plays a vital role in protecting lives, property and communities through proactive prevention and early intervention. As a progressive, people-centred service, our aim is to help reduce risk and vulnerability. This includes helping to safeguard our own people, recognising that a safe, supported and confident workforce is essential to delivering effective and ethical services for the public. Safeguarding applies to everyone we encounter through our work including children, adults, families, communities, employees and volunteers.
We exist to:
• Respond to emergencies whenever and wherever they occur
• Protect communities by reducing risk and keeping people safe
• Safeguard property and the built environment, minimising damage and disruption
Although emergency response remains vital, early identification of vulnerability and safeguarding concerns is key to preventing harm. Fire and Rescue Services are uniquely placed to do this through trusted community contact, operational activity, prevention visits and partnership working.
This Strategy sets out how NYFRS will fulfil its safeguarding responsibilities, protect vulnerable children and adults, support its workforce, and meet statutory and sector expectations as a Fire and Rescue Service. Our approach is evidence-based, inclusive and aligned with national safeguarding legislation, the Fire Standards Board Safeguarding Fire Standard, NFCC guidance and local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
Our focus is on recognising vulnerability early, developing and exercising professional curiosity, and taking timely, proportionate action to protect those at risk. We work collaboratively with safeguarding partners to ensure concerns are identified, shared and addressed appropriately and effectively. By embedding safeguarding awareness into everything we do, we aim to reduce harm, promote wellbeing and strengthen safety within homes, communities and our own organisation.
Purpose of the Safeguarding Strategy
The purpose of this Safeguarding Strategy is to:
• Provide a clear framework for safeguarding activity across the Service, including identifying concerns, reporting appropriately and responding effectively to safeguard children, adults and families.
• Ensure compliance with national and local safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and expectations, including Working Together to Safeguard Children, NFCC safeguarding guidance and local safeguarding partnership procedures.
• Promote consistency, quality and accountability in how safeguarding is understood and delivered by all staff, crews, managers and volunteers.
• Embed safer recruitment and workforce assurance, including proportionate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, robust pre-employment screening and clear processes for managing concerns, recognising the safeguarding responsibilities of Fire & Rescue personnel.
• Strengthen multi-agency collaboration, recognising that safeguarding is a shared
responsibility and effective outcomes depend on timely information sharing and coordinated joint working.
• Set measurable objectives that enable us to monitor performance, learn from safeguarding cases and reviews, build confidence and capability, and continuously improve our safeguarding culture and practice.
National and Local Drivers
Our Safeguarding Strategy is shaped by national legislation, statutory guidance, inspection findings and local safeguarding partnership arrangements. Together, these frameworks define North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service’s responsibilities to protect children, adults at risk and our own workforce, and to contribute effectively to multi-agency safeguarding systems.
Safeguarding responsibilities apply across prevention, protection, operational response and organisational culture, and reflect the increasingly recognised role of Fire & Rescue Services in early identification of vulnerability and harm.
Care Act 2014
The Care Act establishes statutory duties for safeguarding adults with care and support needs. It places clear responsibilities on organisations, including Fire & Rescue Services, to prevent abuse and neglect, share information appropriately and work collaboratively with partners to protect adults at risk. The Act underpins our approach to Making Safeguarding Personal and proportionate, person-centred intervention.
Children Act 1989 and 2004
The Children Acts provide the legal foundation for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. They place responsibilities on all professionals, including Fire & Rescue personnel, to identify concerns, take timely action and work with children’s social care and partner agencies to protect children from harm.
Working Together to Safeguard Children
This statutory guidance sets out how organisations and agencies must work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Statutory safeguarding partners are the local authority, police and health; Fire and Rescue Services contribute as relevant agencies and key local partners, with responsibilities including information sharing, contribution to assessments and prompt action when concerns are identified.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
This Act provides the legal framework for the fair and proportionate consideration of criminal records. It underpins NYFRS’s Safer Recruitment practices, including the appropriate use of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, robust pre-employment screening and risk-based employment decisions to protect children, adults and the workforce.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
The VAWG framework supports the recognition, prevention and response to gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, harassment and exploitation. It reinforces our commitment to identifying vulnerability, supporting victims and working with partners to reduce harm. This directly informs safeguarding practice by ensuring staff are equipped to recognise indicators of abuse, respond safely and appropriately, and contribute to coordinated multi-agency safeguarding and
prevention efforts.
Local Safeguarding Partnership Arrangements
City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council provide local safeguarding policies, procedures and partnership frameworks that NYFRS works within. As statutory safeguarding partners, these arrangements set expectations for multi-agency information sharing, joint risk management, learning from reviews and coordinated action to protect vulnerable children and adults.
Fire Standards Board
The Fire Standards Board sets national standards for safeguarding across Fire & Rescue Services. These standards reinforce person-centred practice, safe systems of work and the integration of safeguarding into operational activity, prevention work, training, leadership and organisational culture.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Fire & Rescue Plan
The Fire & Rescue Plan sets expectations for improving public safety and ensuring resources are effectively targeted to meet community needs. Safeguarding supports delivery of these priorities by strengthening early intervention, partnership working and protection for those most at risk.
Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP)
The CRMP is NYFRS’s core strategic document for identifying and prioritising community risk across North Yorkshire. Using evidence-based analysis, it informs how prevention, protection and response activities are targeted. Safeguarding is integral to CRMP delivery, ensuring that vulnerability, inequality and cumulative risk are recognised and addressed alongside foreseeable fire and emergency risks.
HMICFRS
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection findings inform our safeguarding approach, with particular focus on leadership, organisational culture, staff confidence and training, information sharing and the effective identification and management of vulnerability.
Principles
We will protect children, adults at risk and vulnerable communities across North Yorkshire by identifying harm early, strengthening resilience and working collaboratively with partners. These principles underpin how we deliver safeguarding across prevention, protection, operational response and organisational culture, and guide how every member of the Service contributes to keeping people safe.
Person-Centred
We place individuals at the centre of safeguarding practice, tailoring our response to their needs, circumstances and wishes. We prioritise those most at risk and ensure safeguarding action is proportionate, respectful and focused on reducing harm.
Inclusive and Equitable
We ensure safeguarding is accessible to all and responds to the diverse needs of our communities. We recognise that inequality, barriers to access and discrimination can increase risk, and we adapt our approach to address these factors.
Evidence-Led
We use data, insight, professional judgement and learning from reviews to identify risk, target activity and strengthen safeguarding outcomes. Evidence informs where we focus our efforts and how we continuously improve practice.
Collaborative
We work closely with safeguarding partners across health, social care, policing, education, housing and the voluntary sector. Effective safeguarding relies on timely information sharing, joint decision-making and coordinated action.
Community Resilience
We support individuals, families and communities to understand risk, seek help early and build the confidence to stay safe. Strengthening resilience helps reduce harm and supports long-term wellbeing.
Continuous Improvement
We learn from experience, audits, inspections and safeguarding reviews, using this learning to improve consistency, effectiveness and confidence in safeguarding practice across the Service.
Assurance and Evaluation
We maintain clear governance, quality assurance and oversight to ensure safeguarding is effective, lawful and accountable. Regular review enables us to demonstrate impact and respond to emerging risk.
Wellbeing and Professionalism
We support and develop a skilled, confident and professional workforce through training, advice, supervision and wellbeing support. A supported workforce is essential to effective safeguarding.
Safe, Open and Accountable Culture
We promote a culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, concerns are raised and addressed promptly, and professional standards are upheld. Safer recruitment, transparency and ethical leadership protect both the public and our workforce.
Understanding and Responding to Vulnerability
Vulnerability can affect anyone, whether a member of the public or someone working within our Service. Vulnerability may be temporary, situational or long-term and is often shaped by a combination of personal circumstances, environment, health, inequality and exposure to harm.
Fire and Rescue Services are uniquely placed to identify vulnerability through operational response, prevention activity, community engagement and trusted contact with individuals and families. By recognising vulnerability early and understanding the factors that increase the risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, NYFRS can take timely, proportionate and effective safeguarding action.
Our understanding of vulnerability is informed by:
• National and sector evidence
• Learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
• HMICFRS inspection findings
• Community Risk Profile (CRP) analysis
• Service experience from prevention, protection and operational activity
This section sets out the key groups and circumstances that are widely recognised as increasing vulnerability, both within our communities and across our workforce.
Children and Young People
Children and young people may be more vulnerable due to their age, dependence on others and limited ability to protect themselves. National safeguarding evidence consistently shows that risk increases where children are exposed to harm within their family, community or peer environment.
Children and young people at greater risk may include:
• Those experiencing neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Children living in households affected by substance misuse, mental ill-health or domestic abuse
• Young people exposed to criminal, sexual or online exploitation
• Children with disabilities or additional needs
• Young carers with increased responsibility and reduced support
Fire and Rescue Services have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children and young people they encounter. NYFRS fulfils this role by identifying concerns early, exercising professional curiosity and working with safeguarding partners to support early help and protection, including activity aligned to the Serious Violence Duty and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) priorities.
Adults at Risk of Abuse, Harm or Neglect
The Care Act 2014 defines adults at risk as those who may be unable to protect themselves due to care or support needs. Evidence from safeguarding reviews highlights that adult vulnerability often arises through a combination of health, social isolation, dependency and environmental risk.
Adults more likely to require safeguarding support include:
• Older adults who may be frail, isolated or reliant on care
• Adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or neurodivergence
• People experiencing mental ill-health, cognitive impairment or crisis
• Individuals affected by domestic abuse, coercive control or exploitation
• People affected by substance misuse or chaotic lifestyles
NYFRS contributes to the prevention of harm by identifying safeguarding concerns during home visits, operational incidents and community engagement, and by working collaboratively with partners to support proportionate safeguarding responses.
People at Risk Due to Their Living Situation or Environment
Living conditions and environmental factors can significantly increase vulnerability and exposure to harm. National evidence consistently highlights links between unsafe housing, poverty, isolation and increased safeguarding risk.
People who may be more vulnerable due to their living situation include:
• Individuals experiencing homelessness or unstable accommodation
• People living in poverty or areas of high deprivation
• Those with limited access to services, including rural and isolated communities
• Migrant communities, visitors and people with language barriers
• Individuals living alone, where abuse, neglect or self-neglect may go unnoticed
• Households affected by cumulative or multi-agency concerns
NYFRS recognises that environmental risk, fire risk and safeguarding risk often overlap. Understanding these factors supports targeted prevention, early identification of vulnerability and partnership working to reduce harm.
People at Risk from Those in Positions of Trust
Safeguarding risk can arise where there is a power imbalance and one person holds authority, influence or control over another. This applies both within communities and within organisational settings, including Fire and Rescue Services.
National guidance and learning emphasise the importance of:
• Safer recruitment and robust vetting
• Clear professional boundaries
• Effective processes for managing concerns and allegations
NYFRS maintains clear expectations of professional conduct and operates robust arrangements to manage concerns or allegations relating to anyone working in a position of trust, including employees and volunteers.
People at Risk Due to Exploitation or Coercion
National evidence shows that some individuals are deliberately targeted because of vulnerability, age, isolation or dependency. Exploitation may be criminal, sexual, financial or emotional and often involves coercion or control.
Groups at increased risk include:
• Victims of domestic abuse or controlling relationships
• Adults or young people subject to criminal, sexual or financial exploitation
• People with learning disabilities or additional support needs
• Those being groomed or radicalised
NYFRS supports early identification of exploitation through trusted contact, professional curiosity and partnership working, contributing to safeguarding, prevention and wider community safety objectives.
People Who Self-Neglect or Hoard
Self-neglect and hoarding are recurring themes in Safeguarding Adult Reviews and present significant risks to individuals, communities and emergency responders.
Learning from SARs consistently highlights the importance of:
• Professional curiosity
• Repeated and persistent engagement
• Timely information sharing and partnership escalation
People at risk may include:
• Individuals unable to manage personal care or daily living
• People living in unsafe or deteriorating home environments
• Individuals disengaging from services despite escalating concerns
NYFRS recognises the need for persistence and partnership working when responding to self-neglect and hoarding, balancing respect for autonomy with the prevention of serious harm.
Staff and Volunteers Experiencing Vulnerability
Safeguarding responsibilities extend to everyone working within NYFRS. Staff and volunteers may experience vulnerability due to personal circumstances, health, domestic abuse or other safeguarding concerns.
The Service is committed to supporting workforce safeguarding through:
• A safe and open reporting culture
• Access to wellbeing and support arrangements
• Clear professional standards and supervision
This approach reflects Fire Standards Board expectations that safeguarding applies to employees and volunteers as well as to the public.
NYFRS understands vulnerability through national evidence, safeguarding learning and service experience. This ensures safeguarding action is ethical, proportionate and focused on preventing harm, rather than labelling individuals or communities.
Areas of Focus
Our Safeguarding Strategy focuses on protecting children, adults at risk and vulnerable communities across North Yorkshire by identifying harm early, strengthening resilience and working collaboratively with partners. These areas of focus reflect where North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service can have the greatest impact through prevention activity, operational response, partnership working and organisational culture.
Identify Vulnerability Early
We will identify children, adults and families at risk during home visits, operational incidents and community activity. Safeguarding concerns will be recognised early, responded to proportionately and referred appropriately, with a strong focus on promoting safe, healthy and resilient living environments. Fire and rescue staff are uniquely placed to identify safeguarding concerns in the home. This area of focus ensures safeguarding is embedded within everyday service delivery.
Embed Inclusivity, Accessibility and Equity
We will ensure safeguarding practice is inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of our communities. We will recognise and address additional risks linked to inequality, exclusion, disability, language barriers and access to services, and remove barriers that prevent individuals from seeking or receiving help.
Safeguarding responses must be equitable, person-centred and culturally informed to reduce harm effectively.
Strengthen Partnerships and Multi-Agency Safeguarding
We will work collaboratively with health, social care, policing, education, housing and the voluntary sector to share information appropriately, coordinate support and deliver joined-up safeguarding responses.
Effective safeguarding relies on strong multi-agency relationships, timely information sharing and shared accountability for protecting vulnerable people.
Improve Community Safety and Resilience
We will support individuals, families and communities to recognise risk, build support networks and access safeguarding services early. We will empower people to stay safe, seek help and reduce vulnerability through awareness, early intervention and prevention-focused activity.
Strengthening community resilience supports long-term safety and helps prevent harm from escalating.
Drive Continuous Learning and Assurance
We will strengthen safeguarding practice through learning, quality assurance and review. We will use safeguarding case learning, reviews, audits, feedback and inspection findings to improve consistency, confidence and effectiveness in identifying and responding to concerns.
A culture of continuous learning and assurance ensures safeguarding practice remains effective and responsive to emerging risks.
Support and Develop Our People
We will provide training, guidance, supervision and wellbeing support so that all staff and volunteers are confident in recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns. We will promote a culture where raising concerns is understood, encouraged and valued, strengthening professional curiosity, psychological safety and inclusive behaviours across all teams.
Align with National Standards and Sector Learning
We will align safeguarding practice with national standards and guidance, including those set by the NFCC and Fire Standards Board. We will engage with safeguarding networks, share learning and contribute to sector-wide improvement to ensure a consistent, evidence-based approach.
Engage and Support Children and Young People
We will work with schools, youth services and safeguarding partners to prevent harm, promote positive behaviours and reduce risks such as exploitation, neglect, violence and other risky behaviours. We will prioritise early help wherever possible, recognising the importance of early intervention in improving safety, wellbeing and long-term outcomes.
Manage Allegations and Safer Recruitment
We will promote a safe, open and accountable culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Concerns and allegations will be reported, assessed and managed promptly, fairly and in line with safeguarding partnership procedures.
We will maintain robust safer recruitment arrangements, including role-appropriate background checks and DBS processes, to ensure all employees and volunteers are suitable, safe and aligned with our values.
Our Approach to Delivery
We will deliver safeguarding through a whole-service approach that embeds safeguarding into our culture, leadership, prevention, protection, operational activity and partnership working. Safeguarding is not the responsibility of a single team; it is integral to how North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service operates every day.
Our approach is built on strong leadership, skilled and supported people, effective systems and high-quality multi-agency collaboration.
Leadership, Governance and Accountability
We will ensure clear leadership, oversight and accountability so safeguarding is understood and applied consistently across the Service. We will:
• Maintain clear leadership through designated safeguarding roles, governance boards and routine reporting.
• Keep policies, procedures and guidance aligned with national legislation, NFCC safeguarding expectations, Fire Standards Board requirements and local safeguarding partnership frameworks.
• Ensure safeguarding is embedded within decision-making, planning, assurance and
organisational culture.
Strong governance ensures safeguarding practice is lawful, consistent and effective.
A Person-Centred, Making Safeguarding Personal Approach
We will place individuals at the centre of every safeguarding decision. Our approach is respectful, compassionate and focused on reducing harm. We will:
• Listen to, value and learn from the lived experience of individuals and staff involved in
safeguarding.
• Promote empowerment, choice and professional curiosity.
• Recognise individual strengths, circumstances, identity, culture and lived experience.
• Ensure staff adopt a respectful and trauma-informed approach in every interaction.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
Every interaction is an opportunity to identify vulnerability, offer support and reduce harm. We will:
• Promote MECC principles into home visits, operational incidents and community engagement.
• Equip our staff with the skills to have safe and appropriate conversations that encourage people to seek help.
• Use MECC to connect people to local support relating to safety, wellbeing, health, domestic abuse, exploitation and early help.
A Skilled, Confident and Supported Workforce
We will ensure staff and volunteers have the confidence, competence and support to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. We will:
• Provide role-appropriate safeguarding training across the Service.
• Offer access to professional advice and wellbeing support where needed
• Promote a workplace environment that values professional curiosity and where raising concerns is both standard and encouraged.
• Provide support to our staff and volunteers who might face safeguarding issues themselves.
Safeguarding in Prevention, Protection and Operational Activity
Safeguarding is embedded into day-to-day service delivery across prevention, protection and operational response. We will:
• Integrate safeguarding prompts and checks into Home Fire Safety Visits and prevention activity.
• Use person-centred approaches to explore vulnerability sensitively during operational
attendance.
• Promote timely safeguarding referrals and escalate concerns where risk is identified.
• Use operational learning and risk information to target safeguarding activity where it is most needed.
• Embed safeguarding awareness within Protection activity, ensuring that risks identified through fire safety regulation, audits and inspections consider vulnerability to harm alongside fire risk, and are shared appropriately with safeguarding partners where concerns arise.
Supporting Children and Young People
We will use our trusted role to deliver early intervention and contribute to safeguarding for children and young people. We will:
• Collaborate with schools, youth services, and safeguarding partners to proactively identify risks at an early stage.
• Deliver targeted interventions to reduce harm and risk-taking behaviour.
• Provide safe, appropriate and meaningful engagement through youth education, engagement and prevention programmes.
Partnership Working and Multi-Agency Collaboration
Safeguarding is most effective when agencies work together. We will:
• Actively participate in Safeguarding Adults Boards, Children’s Partnerships, Community Safety Partnerships and other relevant forums.
• Share information appropriately and proportionately to protect individuals.
• Work with partners to address domestic abuse, exploitation, VAWG, serious violence,
radicalisation and other cross-cutting vulnerabilities.
• Contribute to joint interventions, place-based work and early help arrangements.
Learning, Intelligence and Continuous Improvement
We will learn from practice, intelligence and review activity to continually strengthen safeguarding. We will:
• Monitor safeguarding referrals, themes and outcomes to identify trends.
• Apply learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs), operational debriefs and internal case reviews.
• Use audits, quality assurance and feedback to improve consistency and confidence in practice.
• Review and adapt our approach in response to emerging risks, legislation and national learning.
Safer Recruitment and Allegations Management
We will promote a safe, open and accountable culture for the public and our workforce. We will:
• Apply safer recruitment processes, including proportionate DBS checks and risk-based
employment decisions.
• Operate clear allegations management procedures, working with PiPoT, LADO and HMICFRS where required.
• Promote high standards of conduct, professional boundaries and clear behavioural expectations.
• Create an environment where staff feel safe to raise concerns and challenge unsafe or unethical practice.
Our approach is grounded in the Core Code of Ethics, ensuring we act with integrity, professionalism and transparency, always putting the community first.
Safeguarding Our Workforce
NYFRS recognises that safeguarding responsibilities extend to employees and volunteers. Safeguarding our workforce is essential to maintaining safety, wellbeing and public trust.
All staff and volunteers have the right to work in an environment that is safe, respectful and free from abuse, harassment or exploitation.
The Service will:
• Promote awareness that safeguarding applies equally to the workforce and the public.
• Encourage staff to raise concerns about their own safety or wellbeing, or that of colleagues.
• Provide access to appropriate support, including wellbeing services and confidential reporting routes.
• Ensure concerns relating to staff vulnerability are responded to sensitively, lawfully and
proportionately.
Managing Allegations and Concerns About Staff (Positions of Trust)
NYFRS has a clear responsibility to manage concerns or allegations about anyone working in a position of trust, including employees and volunteers.
The Service has a clear allegations management process, including liaison with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Position of Trust (PiPoT) arrangements and HMICFRS where required. This process maintains appropriate separation between safeguarding processes and employment processes, where required.
Information will be shared lawfully, proportionately and securely in line with safeguarding legislation, the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, local information-sharing agreements and NYFRS policy. Where appropriate, consent will be sought; however, information may be shared without consent where there is a lawful basis to do so, including where necessary to prevent serious harm, protect a child or adult at risk, or support a statutory safeguarding process. Decisions to share or withhold information will be clearly recorded, including the rationale, risk assessment and any advice received.
Safeguarding Governance and Review
Effective safeguarding governance ensures clear accountability, legal compliance, quality assurance and continuous improvement in how North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service protects vulnerable people and supports its workforce. Governance arrangements reflect the expectations set out in NFCC safeguarding guidance and the Fire Standards Board Safeguarding Fire Standard, including senior strategic ownership, trained safeguarding leads, compliant processes and effective oversight.
The Director of Community Risk and Resilience is the strategic lead for this Safeguarding Strategy and is accountable for ensuring delivery remains aligned with safeguarding legislation, national guidance, Fire Standards Board requirements and local safeguarding partnership arrangements. Operational delivery will be coordinated through the annual Safeguarding Tactical Delivery Plan, with named leads responsible for actions, milestones, evidence and escalation.
Safeguarding governance will be maintained through:
• Safeguarding Compliance Meetings, chaired by the Director of Community Risk & Resilience, providing oversight of safeguarding activity, performance, risk, incidents and learning.
• Managing Allegations Oversight Meetings, ensuring appropriate, timely and lawful responses to concerns relating to people in positions of trust.
• Regular reporting to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, as part of wider
organisational assurance and scrutiny.
• Oversight through internal governance and performance structures, ensuring safeguarding is embedded within service planning, delivery and assurance.
• Annual compliance returns to Local Authority Safeguarding Boards.
Where required, this Strategy will be refreshed to reflect emerging risks, changes in legislation, inspection findings or organisational change.
An annual Safeguarding Tactical Delivery Plan will translate this Strategy into delivery, setting out clear actions, ownership, timescales, milestones and measures aligned to the Safeguarding Areas of Focus. Delivery progress will be reviewed through safeguarding governance meetings, with unresolved risks, non-compliance, capacity issues or significant safeguarding learning escalated through internal performance and risk arrangements and, where appropriate, to the Combined Authority or relevant
safeguarding partnership forum.
An annual review of this Strategy will be undertaken to ensure continued alignment with:
• Legislative and statutory guidance changes
• HMICFRS inspection findings
• National and sector learning
• Local safeguarding partnership priorities
Measuring Success
Safeguarding effectiveness will be monitored through a balanced assurance framework covering activity, quality, outcomes, workforce culture and partnership assurance. This will help the Service assess impact, demonstrate compliance with national standards and provide evidence that safeguarding practice is improving safety, reducing risk and preventing harm.
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