I feel your pain!  Twenty-five years ago, I was the Executive Director of a charity, and our insurance company notified me that they would not continue our abuse coverage as we were not meeting their requirements to qualify for coverage.  I can assure you that it was not due to a claim or any historical abuse that we were aware of, but it still concerned our Board of Directors enough that they asked me to prioritize the securing of abuse coverage. I was to report back to them in 30 days about my progress.  This event was a pivotal point in my journey and impetus for me to gain the knowledge and skills to raise the bar on safeguarding.  With focus and hard work, we were able to demonstrate we did qualify for coverage. 

I am a person of faith. However, many individuals may question why an organization (or myself) would operate out of fear and depend so heavily on insurance when faith is in play.

I believe that faith and trust are intertwined with wisdom and knowledge.  I trust God to protect my important work, but I also know that God has given me the wisdom and knowledge to take the necessary steps to protect the people and assets entrusted to me. I desire to be a good steward of those resources.  Insurance, in this context, is a tool that allows me to exercise that stewardship. 

But, what if hard work and determination to raise the bar on safeguarding is not enough to convince your insurance company.

It's not uncommon for insurance companies to exclude abuse coverage from policies. We often bring this to our clients' attention. Many churches, charities, and organizations may be operating without abuse coverage, unaware of the potential risks they face.  It's crucial to check with your insurance company and confirm you have this coverage.  Most organizations serving vulnerable populations should have $5M abuse coverage to protect against the potential consequences of not having it.

To secure adequate abuse coverage, organizations will need to qualify for it by demonstrating they have the following:

1) robust policies on safeguarding,

2) definitions of abuse and misconduct,

3) comprehensive screening of staff and volunteers,

4) annual training on safeguarding,

5) operational procedures to mitigate abuse,

6) modifying your premises to reduce the risk of abuse and

7) reporting and response protocols that reflect provincial laws. The duty to report child abuse is the most important law relating to child protection. 

Insurance companies may exercise their right to remove coverage when there have been abuse claims.  If you receive this news, it would be wise to pause your activities to determine the next steps and ensure everything is in place to reduce the risk of abuse before continuing the work with or without insurance.

If you lose coverage due to recent claims or historical abuse, it's a risk that many insurance companies will not want to take on. It would be a tremendous risk to any Board to proceed without insurance.  If you choose to proceed without insurance in place, we highly recommend you seek legal counsel and approval from your Board and members. Input from your legal team will provide the support and guidance to help you make informed decisions about your organization's future. 

Over the past twenty years Plan to Protect® has helped thousands of organizations qualify for and maintain abuse coverage. Call us today at 1-877-455-3555.