What is a safety plan?

A safety plan helps you to think about your actions in advance, to help you stay safe.

This content has been written for children and young people. If you’re looking for information for over 18s, visit our Coping with Crime information.

A safety plan can be useful in any situation where you may feel unsafe. This can include if you are:

I don't know how to keep safe

Everyone should have the right to feel safe, but we can’t control others’ actions. A safety plan can help you to:

  • look at the risks you face, and make choices on how to reduce these risks to keep you safer
  • know which safe adults you can call and who can help when you are not safe
  • know when and how to call the police
  • avoid places that are unsafe
  • plan safe places you can go to and safe ways to travel
  • remember what to do in an emergency.

A safety plan needs to be about you and your own situation. Think about all aspects of your life, such as being safe at school, at home, when travelling, online, in the day, or at night. The plan should be easy to understand and remember.

You shouldn’t safety plan alone, as you will need help from others, particularly safe adults with some of your actions. An adult you trust can help you look at your own individual situation, and help you to think through the risks you are facing.

Try downloading Keeping safe – an information booklet to help you think through ways to keep safe and develop a safety plan.

Ask an adult you trust to help you with a safety plan; this could include a teacher, a family member, your youth worker, social worker or support worker. It can be difficult to know how to have this conversation; we have some tips on asking for help.

There are lots of organisations that can help you plan to keep safe. Check that you know where you can go to get help. You might look at the Who can help sections on the Crime Info pages of this website, or the Services near me.