The Tomorrow’s Cities Safeguarding Policy sets out our approach to preventing harm caused to any person as a result of our activities. This includes:

• An overview of what safeguarding means in the context of our work
• Principles and guiding questions for anticipating, mitigating and addressing harm
• Individual and organisational responsibilities
• Governance and reporting procedures

This is a living document and will be updated throughout the lifetime of the Hub in response to new understandings of risk, harm and vulnerability, as well as ways in which these can be more effectively and equitably anticipated, mitigated and addressed.

We are currently undergoing Hub-wide and City-specific engagement on this policy in order to set out contextually relevant ways in which to strengthen our approach. As a result, we anticipate a significant update to this policy in January 2021.

This policy has been written by Dave Bell, with support and consultation from Richard Powell (Director of Safe for Children), Sam Staddon (Chair of the Geosciences Research Ethics and Integrity Committee, University of Edinburgh) and Clara Caila (Deputy Director of the School of Health in Social Science Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Edinburgh).

Reporting concerns

If someone is at immediate risk of harm, and it is safe for you to do so, you should immediately call an appropriate local service – e.g. emergency services (police and/or ambulance) and/or building security – and consider seeking help from others to intervene. If there is no immediate risk of harm, or the risk has passed, you should report the concern to one of the following contacts (as appropriate):

– Eliane Reid – Hub Operations Manager (via manager@tomorrowscities.org)
– Dave Bell – Hub Knowledge Exchange and Monitoring Specialist (via monitoring@tomorrowscitie.org)

You can also report using this online form – which allows you to report anonymously, if you wish. No concern is too small to report.