Addressing Unconscious Bias for Inclusive Safeguarding

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic judgments and stereotypes that influence our decisions and actions without our conscious awareness. In the context of safeguarding, these biases can significantly impact the effectiveness and fairness of safeguarding practices.

As explored by the University of California, San Francisco, this form of bias develops throughout our childhood, and the very nature of it means we’re not aware of how it impacts our decisions and our perspectives. Biases can lead to assumptions about who is at risk. For example, staff may unconsciously overlook signs of distress in children from more affluent backgrounds, assuming they are less likely to be at risk compared to those from more challenged socio-economic backgrounds. This can result in certain groups not receiving the attention and support they need.

Biases can affect how concerns are addressed. If staff hold unconscious biases against particular groups, they might either overreact to minor issues or under-react to serious concerns based on stereotypes. This can lead to inconsistent safeguarding practices and potentially put people at greater risk.

Biases can also influence which people are offered support and how that support is delivered. Individuals from minority groups might not receive appropriate cultural or linguistic support if biases lead to assumptions about their needs or the relevance of their cultural background in safeguarding scenarios.

Mitigating the Impact of Unconscious Bias:

• Training and Awareness: Incorporate unconscious bias training into regular safeguarding training sessions. Helping staff recognise and understand their own biases is the first step towards mitigating their impact.
• Diverse Teams: Encourage diversity within teams to bring a range of perspectives and reduce the impact of individual biases. A diverse team is more likely to identify and address biases collectively.
• Inclusive Policies: Review and revise safeguarding policies to ensure they are inclusive and considerate of all potential biases. Policies should explicitly state the importance of equitable treatment.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly monitor and evaluate safeguarding practices to identify any patterns of bias. This can involve collecting data on who is receiving support and how concerns are being handled, then using this data to inform improvements.
• Open Dialogue: Encourage an organisational culture where staff feel comfortable discussing and challenging biases. Promote open dialogue about how biases might be affecting safeguarding practices and what can be done to address them.

Addressing unconscious biases and ensuring fair and effective safeguarding practices are essential for creating an inclusive and equitable environment.

To address unconscious biases and ensure fair and effective safeguarding practices, explore our on-demand course, Managing Unconscious Bias, which can be completed at your own pace. This will help you recognise the impact of different kinds of bias and how to mitigate them.

This course can also be accessed for FREE by anyone who lives or works in one of our Priority Place areas. Priority Places: Understanding Unconscious Bias is part of a suite of free training resources available to those who are located in the areas shown on this map.

Sign up for our unconscious bias training today and take the first step towards creating a more inclusive and fair organisation. For more information, contact us at training@artswork.org.uk or visit our website.

Ensure that your safeguarding policies are more effective by increasing their fairness and reducing any unconscious bias.