New guidelines on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults come into effect this month.

A Safeguarding Board has been created to replace the separate boards for children and vulnerable adults. Laws approved last year also put an obligation on organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults to consider safeguarding needs.

The previous boards were on a non-statutory footing, unlike the new statutory board, which has appointed Glenys Johnston as an independent chairman.

She has penned a joint foreword to the guidelines, along with government chief secretary Will Greenhow.

They say the placing of the board on a statutory basis is recognition of the importance of its role.

But they add: ’This does not mean that safeguarding is solely the responsibility of the Safeguarding Board.

’Everybody in the Isle of Man community has a role to play - safeguarding is everybody’s business.

’All members of the community can actively contribute to ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe.’

The 2018 Safeguarding Act requires the board to develop rules and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and for safeguarding and protecting vulnerable adults.

The foreword adds: ’We need to deliver a system that responds to the needs and interests of children, young people and vulnerable adults, ensuring practitioners are aware about what is required of them individually and how they need to work together in partnership with others.’

The guidelines are aimed at managers in organisations involved in services for children and vulnerable adults, including social workers, health professionals, the police, schools and colleges and voluntary and private sector organisation that are affected.

Meanwhile, at next week’s Tynwald sitting, Policy and Reform Minister Chis Thomas will seek approval of regulations for the Safeguard Board and two other bodies established under the act, the action and implementation panel and the serious case management review panel.