Safeguarding

At neurobetter, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are dedicated to ensuring that all our services and activities are conducted in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment, where the wellbeing of our beneficiaries, staff, volunteers, and partners is protected.

As a charity focused on the mental health of neurodivergent individuals, we recognise the particular vulnerabilities that may affect those we work with. Our safeguarding policies and practices are designed to ensure that everyone who interacts with neurobetter feels respected, safe, and protected from harm.

Protecting children

neurobetter covers topics including self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and complex trauma. While this content is vital for the people it supports, it includes material that the Online Safety Act 2023 classifies as primary priority content harmful to children.

We take our duties under the Act seriously. We have completed a children’s access assessment, an illegal content risk assessment, and a children’s risk assessment. We use highly effective age assurance - including partnerships with Luciditi and Yoti - to verify the age of our users and protect children from encountering content that is not appropriate for them.

In the future, we plan to develop services specifically for under-18s, including age-appropriate content and support. Age assurance is what makes that possible - by allowing us to tailor the experience and protections to each user’s age group.

For full details on how we verify age, the methods we use, and the law behind it, see our Age Assurance page.

Protecting vulnerable adults

Many of the people who use neurobetter are neurodivergent adults who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, social isolation, financial hardship, or other forms of vulnerability. Some may be in crisis. Others may be navigating systems - healthcare, benefits, employment - that were not designed with them in mind.

We recognise that vulnerability is not a fixed state. It can be situational, temporary, or fluctuating. Someone may be coping well one day and overwhelmed the next. Our approach to safeguarding reflects this reality.

Our commitments to vulnerable adults include:

• Trauma-informed content - All our Advice Hub content follows trauma-informed writing principles. We avoid graphic descriptions, provide clear signposting, and use callouts to signal the nature of content before readers encounter it.
• Crisis signposting - Every page that discusses distressing topics includes clear, visible links to crisis support services including Samaritans (116 123), Shout (text 85258), NHS 111, and emergency services.
• Safe community spaces - Our Online Community is moderated and governed by Community Guidelines designed to maintain a supportive and respectful environment.
• Professional support - Our Ask a Counsellor service connects members with registered counsellors who understand neurodivergence.
• Data protection - We handle personal data with care, following UK GDPR and data protection by design principles. We are particularly mindful that health and neurodiversity-related data is sensitive. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Our safeguarding framework

Our safeguarding approach includes:

• Age assurance - Verifying the age of users to protect children and tailor services appropriately. Read more.
• ID verification - Our approach to identity verification, including our current position and plans for the future. Read more.
• Risk assessments - Ongoing assessments of illegal content risk and risks to children, as required by the Online Safety Act.
• Content moderation - Monitoring of user-generated content in community spaces to prevent harmful material.
• Staff training - All team members who interact with users or content receive safeguarding training.
• Reporting procedures - Clear processes for reporting safeguarding concerns, both internally and to external authorities.
• Policy review - Regular review of safeguarding policies to ensure they remain current and effective.

Contact

If you have any questions about our safeguarding policies or wish to raise a concern, please visit our Contact page. You can also review our Privacy Policy for details on how we handle personal data.