Social Media Safeguarding: What UK Charities Need to Know

Social media gives charities a powerful way to share their impact, but for many organisations — particularly those working with children, vulnerable adults, or sensitive causes — it also raises real safeguarding questions. Getting this right matters not just for compliance, but for protecting the people your charity exists to support.

This isn't a substitute for your organisation's formal safeguarding policy, but it's a useful starting point for thinking about how safeguarding applies specifically to your social media activity.

Consent Is the Starting Point, Not an Afterthought

Before posting any photo, video, or story involving a beneficiary, volunteer, or service user, it's essential to have clear, informed consent — ideally in writing. This is especially important when:

- The person is a child or vulnerable adult

- The content relates to a sensitive personal situation (health, housing, trauma, etc.)

- The person may not fully understand how widely the content could be shared once posted

Consent should also be revisitable — someone who agreed to be featured should be able to ask for content to be removed later if their circumstances or feelings change.

Be Cautious With Identifying Details

Even with consent, it's worth thinking carefully about what identifying information a post reveals — not just a person's name, but details like their school, street, workplace, or specific location, especially when children or vulnerable adults are involved. Combined together, seemingly small details can sometimes make someone identifiable or locatable in ways that weren't intended.

A good habit is to ask: if a stranger saw only this post, could they identify or find this person? If the answer is yes, it may be worth adjusting the content.

Have a Clear Policy for Who Can Post

Many safeguarding issues on charity social media come not from malicious intent, but from inconsistency — different staff or volunteers posting without a shared understanding of what's appropriate. A simple, written social media policy that covers who can post, what needs sign-off, and what's off-limits can prevent most issues before they happen.

This is particularly important if multiple people have access to your accounts, including volunteers, since consistency of approach matters more than any single post.

Monitor Comments and Messages, Not Just Your Own Posts

Safeguarding on social media isn't limited to what your charity posts — it also includes what happens in your comments and direct messages. Vulnerable followers may sometimes disclose personal information, distress, or safeguarding concerns directly in a comment or message.

It's worth having a clear internal process for:

- Who checks comments and messages, and how often

- What to do if someone discloses a safeguarding concern online

- How to handle inappropriate or concerning comments from other users, including when to hide, delete, or report them

Think Before Location-Tagging

Tagging a specific location — particularly a refuge, support service, or vulnerable person's regular location — can sometimes create real-world safety risks, even when the intention behind the post is entirely positive. If your charity supports people in sensitive circumstances, it's worth having a clear rule about when (or whether) to use location tags at all.

Review Old Content Periodically

Safeguarding isn't just about new posts — content posted years ago can remain live and searchable indefinitely. It's worth periodically reviewing older posts, particularly if a beneficiary's circumstances have changed, consent has since been withdrawn, or an old post no longer reflects current safeguarding standards.

The Bottom Line

Safeguarding on social media comes down to the same core principles as safeguarding anywhere else: informed consent, careful judgement about what's shared, and clear processes for the people managing your accounts. Building these habits into your regular social media routine protects the people you support, and protects your organisation too.

Not sure your current social media approach fully reflects your safeguarding policy? Get in touch — we work closely with charities to make sure content is handled sensitively and consistently.