Executive summary of PAS 5222

What is it?

PAS 5222 is a new standard, developed to support organisations and individuals to safeguard children where they engage with children (U18) in out-of-school settings. It includes a framework specifically designed to reduce the risks of harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect that children may encounter.

PAS 5222 follows an approach that helps organisations and individuals integrate child safeguarding principles into their governance, policies and procedures. It recognises the importance of safeguarding children, irrespective of whether children engage with organisations that are staffed by paid staff or volunteers. Its aim is to elevate safeguarding practices, equip any organisation that comes into contact with children with effective risk management processes, instil confidence, establish compliance frameworks, and promote consistent implementation of child safeguarding. There is considerable regulation for safeguarding children within school settings, however, there is limited guidance and uncertainty regarding safeguarding practices for children in out-of-school settings. PAS 5222 helps plug this gap by establishing a safeguarding specification standard tailored specifically for these organisations. 

In essence, PAS 5222 is designed to create a safer environment for children while raising trust and assurance among providers and clients. It demonstrates the serious way those who meet this standard take in protecting children. 

Benefits of using the standard 

Implementing PAS 5222:2024 raises the benchmark of safeguarding practices, guiding users on how to effectively protect children under their care. By aiding in risk management and enhancing safeguarding expertise, it instils.

The standard: 

  • Raises the benchmark of safeguarding good practice by providing a clearly outlined and proportional step-by-step process that organizations or individuals can use to assess and improve their child safeguarding efforts;  
  • Offers its users a framework upon which they build their child safeguarding expertise, including elements some providers might not be familiar with, such as risk assessment and management;  
  • Causes its users to develop, test and refine their child safeguarding policy, procedures, and responses in line with the nature of their activities and corresponding costs;  
  • Promotes a common, professional approach to safeguarding in out-of-school activities by stating the same requirements for all providers to follow, regardless of their size or geographic location; confidence in children, parents, and carers, thus fostering trust. Furthermore, it establishes a common set of requirements, facilitating consistency of child safeguarding across providers of activities in out-of-school settings.  
  • Reassures children, parents, and carers that a provider who follows its requirements are responsive to and proactive about child safeguarding, and may be audited and inspected against standardized requirements;  
  • Enables paid and voluntary staff contemplating a move to other activity providers to evaluate compliance with the standard, thereby enabling a more confident and well-informed decision making process; and  
  • Contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being, and Goal 15 on life on land through its focus on child safeguarding policy and procedures development.  
In this episode listen to some of the key people involved in PAS 5222, including Mark Bramah and Lady Edwina at the launch of the standard PAS 5222. They describe the reasons the standard was developed and the difference it will make.

Please complete the form to download the PAS 5222 Standard

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