safety and safeguarding month 2026 at asphaleia

Throughout June, we are bringing colleagues together for our first Safety and Safeguarding Month. This internal campaign is designed to keep safety visible, relevant and practical in our day to day work. Each week, staff receive a short, focused email exploring a different theme, with time to reflect, learn and take action.

Rather than approaching safety as a one-off reminder, this month is about building habits. It supports staff to notice risks earlier, feel confident raising concerns, revisit policy and practice guidance, and better understand the part each of us plays in keeping service users and staff safe.

starting with our environments

The first week focuses on safe environments. It highlights that safety is not limited to obvious hazards or frontline delivery spaces.

Colleagues are encouraged to look again at everyday surroundings. This includes physical workspaces, digital environments and situations such as lone working. The message is simple and practical. Risks are often small and easy to overlook, but addressing them early prevents harm.

A key prompt invites staff to think about what they may have accepted as “normal” rather than safe. Alongside this, resources such as risk assessments and key policies help reconnect staff with the standards that support safe environments.

focusing on people

Week two shifts the focus to safe people. This builds on the idea that policies only work when people understand and apply them. The content explores professional boundaries, behaviour expectations and the importance of speaking up.

It also reinforces that no one manages concerns alone. Safeguarding leads and reporting routes are there to support staff in responding to concerns about colleagues or service users. Reflection plays an important role here, too. Staff are asked whether they would feel confident knowing what to do if something did not feel right. This encourages honest thinking about knowledge gaps and confidence.

strengthening everyday practice

In week three, the focus turns to safe practice. This looks closely at how work is carried out each day.

It recognises that shortcuts can develop over time, often with good intentions. However, these can gradually increase risk. The campaign encourages colleagues to revisit procedures, report near misses and share learning with others.

The emphasis is not on blame, but on continuous learning. By discussing what nearly went wrong as well as what works well, teams can strengthen their approach and reduce future risk.

creating a strong safety culture

The final week brings everything together through leadership and safety culture. It highlights that leadership is shown through behaviours and everyday actions, not just job titles.

A strong culture is described as one where people feel able to ask questions, raise concerns and learn together. Staff are invited to reflect on one small change they could make to strengthen safety in their own area.

The campaign also creates opportunities for ongoing engagement. This includes a feedback survey and an upcoming Q and A session with senior leadership, helping ensure that conversations continue beyond June.

why this matters

Safety and safeguarding are part of everything we do. This month provides space to pause, reflect and reset expectations.

Most importantly, it reinforces a shared message. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and small actions taken consistently make a meaningful difference.