The charity managing the village hall is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all who use our facilities. We recognise our responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment at the hall, in accordance with current UK safeguarding standards and Charity Commission guidance. The trustees and management committee have put in place appropriate policies and procedures to ensure the hall is operated safely. We regularly assess risks and maintain the building to high safety standards so that children, young people, and vulnerable adults are protected from physical harm while on the premises. Our staff, volunteers, and trustees are briefed on our safeguarding procedures and know how to respond if any concerns arise. Safeguarding is a key governance priority for our charity, and we strive to promote a culture in which everyone feels safe and able to report any worries.
Hirers’ Responsibilities
It is important to note that when the hall is rented out, the individual or group hiring the hall (the Hirer) bears full responsibility for safeguarding during their event. As the managing charity, we do not supervise or direct the activities of independent Hirers , the role of our trustees is to provide the venue in a safe condition, not to run or monitor the Hirer’s event. Therefore, all Hirers are expected to adhere to relevant safeguarding requirements. If an event or activity will involve children (under 18) or vulnerable adults, the Hirer must have suitable safeguarding measures in place. This includes having their own safeguarding policy and procedures, and ensuring that all people running the activity have been vetted (e.g. DBS checked) and are properly trained, where the law requires this. For example, any club or organization working with unaccompanied children should have a child protection policy and confirm that staff/volunteers have passed Disclosure and Barring Service checks if their role is eligible. By hiring the hall, the Hirer agrees that they are solely responsible for the safety and wellbeing of participants in their session. The charity’s trustees do not vet Hirers’ safeguarding policies or individual personnel, and hall hire is granted on the condition that the Hirer will uphold all necessary safeguarding obligations.
Reporting Concerns
Although the hall’s management does not oversee Hirers’ events, we remain vigilant about safeguarding. If anyone, be it a hall user, volunteer, or a trustee has a safeguarding concern about something occurring on our premises, we urge them to report it. The charity’s trustees will act on any concerns brought to our attention. We have a clear procedure to handle and escalate safeguarding issues, in line with national guidance. This means that if we receive a report of abuse or risk (for example, a child being harmed during an activity at the hall), the trustees will promptly inform the appropriate authorities (such as the police or social services) and cooperate in any investigation. We also expect Hirers to report any safeguarding incidents or allegations that occur during their use of the hall to the relevant authorities and to inform us as the venue managers.
By fostering an open and attentive environment, even for activities we do not run ourselves, we align with the Charity Commission’s expectation that protecting people from harm is central to our culture.
In summary, safeguarding at the village hall is a shared effort: the charity commits to keep the premises safe and respond to problems, and Hirers must conduct their events in a safe, lawful manner, particularly when vulnerable people are involved. There should be no ambiguity about these responsibilities, and this policy statement serves to clearly outline the boundaries of accountability between the hall trustees and those who use the hall.