Safeguarding and Erasmus+: what assessors quietly look for
Safeguarding is the section most applicants dread and most assessors quietly weight more heavily than the form admits. The good news: assessors aren't looking for a perfect policy. They're looking for evidence that the organisation has thought it through. Five signals tell them you have.
1. A safeguarding policy that names overseas activity
Not a generic policy that mentions travel in passing. A policy section — or a one-page appendix — that explicitly addresses what changes when participants are abroad: chaperone ratios, accommodation rules, communication protocols.
2. A risk assessment that exists at submission
Assessors can tell the difference between "a risk assessment will be completed once funded" and "a draft risk assessment is attached as Appendix C." One signals capacity. The other signals intention without delivery.
3. A named DSL or equivalent lead
A real person, named in the bid, who is responsible for safeguarding decisions during the activity. Bonus marks for evidence they've been briefed before submission.
4. Country-specific consideration
A short paragraph showing you've thought about the destination — its emergency services, the legal age of majority, any safeguarding-relevant context. Two or three sentences is enough; absence is what hurts.
5. An incident plan
What happens at three in the morning if a participant is taken to hospital in another country? Who picks up the phone? Who has the parents' contact details? A one-page incident plan, named in the bid, settles this.
The full Eligibility Guide includes a safeguarding checklist you can run through in 20 minutes, plus the full self-check scorecard for the rest of your readiness. Download it below.