Safeguarding and Wellbeing

Last updated: 31 August 2026

Important: this is not an emergency service

IPP Committee in Action is not an emergency, medical, mental-health, legal or statutory safeguarding service. Our email account is not monitored continuously. If somebody is in immediate danger, at immediate risk of serious harm or requires urgent emergency assistance, call 999.For urgent mental-health support in England, call NHS 111 and select the mental-health option. For confidential emotional support at any time, call Samaritans free on 116 123.

1. Our commitment

IPP Committee in Action is committed to protecting the safety, dignity, rights and wellbeing of everybody who encounters our work.

This includes:

  • victims and survivors of crime;

  • people serving or formerly subject to IPP or DPP sentences;

  • families and bereaved families;

  • children and young people;

  • adults at risk;

  • witnesses and people providing information;

  • campaigners and volunteers;

  • prison, probation and other criminal-justice professionals;

  • members of Inquiry panels and advisory groups; and

  • people engaging with our website, events or publications.

Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. Abuse, neglect, exploitation, harassment, intimidation, discrimination and retaliation will not be tolerated.

2. Our principles

Our safeguarding approach is:

  • person-centred — listening to the wishes, needs and circumstances of the person affected;

  • trauma-informed — recognising how trauma can affect communication, memory, behaviour and participation;

  • proportionate — taking action that responds to the nature and seriousness of the concern;

  • protective — prioritising immediate safety and the prevention of further harm;

  • inclusive — respecting disability, race, sex, gender, sexuality, religion, age and other personal characteristics;

  • confidential where possible — limiting information to people with a genuine need to know;

  • transparent — explaining the limits of confidentiality and what action may be required;

  • non-retaliatory — protecting people from punishment or disadvantage for raising a concern in good faith; and

  • accountable — recording and reviewing safeguarding decisions appropriately.

3. Victims and survivors of crime

Victims and survivors will be central to the People’s Inquiry and will never be treated as political props or used to score points in debates about punishment and release.

Participation will not require a person to:

  • support IPP Committee in Action’s campaign position;

  • agree with retrospective abolition;

  • meet or communicate with the person responsible for harming them;

  • speak publicly;

  • waive anonymity;

  • disclose more information than they choose; or

  • continue participating after asking to pause or withdraw, subject to information already lawfully published or action required to protect somebody from harm.

The Inquiry’s Victims and Survivors Panel will be designed to influence its questions, evidence standards and recommendations. Victims and survivors must be able to challenge the Inquiry and express different or conflicting views without having their experiences selected, edited or presented merely to validate a predetermined conclusion. Any contact between a victim or survivor and an offender, former offender or their family must be separately requested, properly assessed and supported. It will never be presumed or arranged for publicity.

4. People affected by IPP and their families

People affected by IPP may have experienced prolonged uncertainty, institutionalisation, recall, bereavement, family separation, psychological deterioration and repeated exposure to distressing legal or clinical processes.

We will aim to:

  • avoid unnecessary repetition of traumatic accounts;

  • explain the purpose and possible use of information before collecting it;

  • offer different ways to communicate;

  • allow breaks, pauses and supported participation;

  • avoid making promises about release, recall, parole or legal outcomes;

  • distinguish campaigning, research and formal Inquiry evidence;

  • provide clear boundaries about what the organisation can and cannot do; and

  • direct people towards appropriate professional or emergency support where necessary.

IPP Committee in Action cannot direct a prison, probation service, Parole Board, court or medical professional and cannot guarantee an individual outcome.

5. Children and young people

The website is intended principally for adults. A child or young person should be supported by a trusted adult when contacting us unless doing so would place them at greater risk. If information suggests that a child may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation or immediate danger, the concern may need to be referred to the police or the children’s social-care team at the relevant local authority.

Before the People’s Inquiry directly involves children or accepts evidence from them, it must establish:

  • a specific child-safeguarding procedure;

  • informed and age-appropriate consent arrangements;

  • parental or responsible-adult involvement where appropriate;

  • secure information-handling arrangements;

  • appropriate support and referral routes;

  • safer recruitment and role checks where required; and

  • a clear assessment that participation is in the child’s interests.

Formal direct participation by children will not begin until these arrangements are approved.

6. Adults at risk

An adult may be at risk because of disability, illness, mental-health needs, age, dependency, coercion, detention, institutionalisation or difficulty protecting themselves from abuse or neglect.

Concerns may include:

  • physical or sexual abuse;

  • psychological or emotional abuse;

  • financial exploitation;

  • coercive or controlling behaviour;

  • discriminatory abuse;

  • organisational or institutional abuse;

  • neglect or acts of omission;

  • modern slavery or exploitation;

  • online abuse or harassment; and

  • self-neglect where there is a serious risk of harm.

Where appropriate, concerns may be referred to the adult-safeguarding service of the relevant local authority, the police or another suitable statutory body.

7. The People’s Inquiry

The People’s Inquiry will not open its formal evidence process until appropriate safeguarding and data-protection arrangements are established.

Before evidence collection begins, the Inquiry will:

  • appoint a named Safeguarding Lead and suitable deputy arrangements;

  • publish a dedicated safeguarding contact route;

  • approve procedures for adults at risk and children;

  • establish confidential referral and escalation procedures;

  • complete appropriate risk and data-protection assessments;

  • train people who receive or handle testimony;

  • create secure methods for receiving sensitive material;

  • establish informed-consent and withdrawal arrangements;

  • create separate procedures for victims and survivors;

  • establish wellbeing support and signposting;

  • set rules governing anonymity, publication and media contact; and

  • explain the circumstances in which confidentiality cannot be maintained.

The general contact email is not currently a formal Inquiry evidence-submission route.

8. Confidentiality and its limits

We will respect privacy and keep safeguarding information as confidential as reasonably possible. However, we cannot promise absolute confidentiality.

Information may be shared without consent where there is a lawful and proportionate reason, including where:

  • somebody appears to face an immediate and serious risk of harm;

  • a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect;

  • an adult at risk may require safeguarding intervention;

  • disclosure is required by law or court order; or

  • emergency or statutory services need limited information to protect life or safety.

Where it is safe and lawful to do so, we will explain what information needs to be shared, with whom and why. Only the minimum information reasonably necessary should be disclosed.

9. Reporting a safeguarding concern

For a non-emergency safeguarding concern connected with IPP Committee in Action or the future People’s Inquiry, email:

ippcommitteeinaction@yahoo.com

Use the subject line:

SAFEGUARDING CONCERN

Where it is safe to do so, include:

  • who may be at risk;

  • the nature of the concern;

  • whether the risk is immediate;

  • the person’s location or prison, if relevant;

  • any action already taken; and

  • a safe method of contacting you.

Do not investigate the matter yourself, confront a suspected perpetrator or send extensive confidential records through ordinary email unless requested and a suitable transfer method has been agreed. A website report must not be used instead of contacting emergency or statutory services where immediate action is required.

10. Concerns about somebody in prison

If you are worried about the immediate safety or wellbeing of somebody in prison:

  • call 999 where an emergency response is appropriate;

  • contact the prison directly and ask for its Safer Custody Team;

  • use the prison’s published Safer Custody hotline or contact route; or

  • contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 for information and guidance.

Contact details for individual prisons are available through GOV.UK. People in prison may also request access to Samaritans or a prison Listener.

11. Support for victims and survivors

Victim Support provides independent, free and confidential support to people affected by crime.

Victim Supportline: 0808 16 89 111

The service is available whether or not a crime has been reported and regardless of when it occurred.

12. Mental-health crisis and emotional support

If there is immediate danger to life, call 999 or attend A&E.

For urgent mental-health support in England:

Call NHS 111 and select the mental-health option.

For confidential emotional support at any time:

Samaritans: 116 123

For children and young people:

Childline: 0800 1111

These services are independent of IPP Committee in Action.

13. Concerns about a child

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. If the risk is not immediate, contact the children’s social-care team at the local authority where the child lives.

The NSPCC Helpline can provide advice about concerns for a child:

0808 800 5000

A child or young person seeking confidential support may contact Childline on:

0800 1111

14. Online conduct and retaliation

We will not tolerate:

  • threats or intimidation;

  • stalking or persistent unwanted contact;

  • publication of private addresses or identifying information;

  • discriminatory or degrading abuse;

  • attempts to pressure or silence witnesses;

  • retaliation against somebody for giving evidence;

  • impersonation or deliberate misinformation intended to cause harm; or

  • attempts to identify an anonymous participant.

Content may be removed, access restricted and serious concerns referred to the appropriate platform or authority. Legitimate disagreement, scrutiny and criticism will not be treated as abuse merely because it is uncomfortable.

15. Media, testimony and personal stories

Consent to speak privately does not automatically constitute consent to publication, filming, recording, media contact or social-media use. Separate and informed permission must be obtained before identifiable testimony, photographs, recordings or personal stories are published.

Particular care will be taken concerning:

  • victims and survivors;

  • bereaved families;

  • children;

  • adults at risk;

  • people in custody;

  • people facing parole, recall or active legal proceedings; and

  • information identifying another person.

Consent will be recorded and the intended use explained clearly.

16. Data protection and record keeping

Safeguarding information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice and applicable data-protection law. Access should be limited, records should be factual and necessary, and information should not be retained longer than required. Formal Inquiry evidence will be governed by a separate Evidence Privacy Notice and retention policy.

17. Responsibility and review

A named Safeguarding Lead will be appointed before the People’s Inquiry begins accepting formal evidence.

This public framework will be reviewed when:

  • the Inquiry’s leadership and panels are formally established;

  • the evidence process is approved;

  • safeguarding roles are appointed;

  • a serious incident or significant concern identifies a need for change; or

  • relevant law or professional guidance changes.

The current version and review date will remain available on this page.