MOD Safeguarding Partnership Board
Information about the Ministry of Defence Safeguarding Partnership Board and who you can contact about safeguarding in Defence.
Defence Safeguarding Partnership Board (Def SPB)
The Def SPB is the lead strategic pan-Defence partnership that is responsible for ensuring consistent and rigorous approaches to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk across Defence.
The Def SPB has the following specific collective tasks:
- own and assure the health of the Defence safeguarding system
- define and direct how safeguarding arrangements will operate in Defence, including an effective multi-agency response to serious safeguarding incidents and legislative changes
- identify and coordinate strategic level safeguarding risks
- set the strategic priorities for action to strengthen the system and mitigate risk
- ensure that learning is implemented
- define and own the Defence training model for safeguarding
- manage linkages to other strategic Boards to encourage joint working
Safeguarding Policy Team
The work of the Def SPB is managed by the Safeguarding Policy Team who provide specialist advice, support and direction in respect of all matters relating to safeguarding.
Safeguarding Assurance
The Def SPB assures itself that safeguarding arrangements are effective through an ongoing programme of formal assurance-related activity.
This inspection, which was conducted in October 2023, was commissioned by the Def SPB to provide assurance that social work services provided overseas replicate the elements of statutory social work delivered by local authorities in the UK to the required standard.
Helen Helliwell, Director of Armed Forces People Policy and Chair of the Def SPB, said:
I am delighted to see social work practice overseas is providing effective interventions with children and families. It is pleasing to note that concerns about children are responded to swiftly, that assessments are comprehensive and that the support provided to families helps to improve children’s lives.
However, we are not complacent, and Ofsted has identified helpful learning in terms of record management and information sharing, and the findings will be utilised to provide a baseline for the future delivery of social work services.
This external assurance supports our ongoing commitment to keeping families safe and improving support for all Armed Forces families. The Defence Safeguarding Partnership Board will continue to assure itself that safeguarding arrangements are effective through an ongoing programme of formal assurance-related activity.
Contact us
Contact the Safeguarding Policy Team by: