Safeguarding Vulnerable Children and Adults Policy

Introduction

This policy applies to all staff, including senior managers, clinicians, trainers and administrative staff, or anyone working on behalf of Positive Response Training and Consultancy Ltd (Positive Response).

The purpose of this policy is:

• to protect children, young people and adults who directly or indirectly receive Positive Response services.
• to provide Positive Response staff with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.

Positive Response believes that no service user should ever experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all service users and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.

Positive Response is committed to supporting the right of service users at risk to be protected from abuse and to making sure all staff work together in accordance with national and local policies, and act promptly when dealing with allegations or suspicions of abuse.

Positive Response believes that:

SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone. We will work together to prevent and minimise the potential for abuse. If we have concerns that someone is being abused our loyalty to the vulnerable person comes before anything else – our company, other service users, our colleagues and the person’s friends and family.

DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION

If we know, or suspect, that a vulnerable adult is being abused, we will do something about it and ensure our work is properly recorded. We will work within the boundaries of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding for Adults and Child Protection procedures.

Our Commitment

To support people who are experiencing, or at risk from, abuse, Positive Response is committed to:

• Identifying the abuse of vulnerable adults or children where it is occurring.
• Responding effectively to any circumstances giving grounds for concern, or where formal complaints or expressions of anxiety are expressed.
• Ensuring the active participation of individuals, families, groups and communities wherever possible and appropriate.
• Raising awareness of the extent of abuse on vulnerable adults and children, as well as its impact on them.
• Promoting and supporting work designed to reduce abuse and the fear of abuse as experienced by vulnerable adults and children.
• Regularly monitoring and evaluating how our policies, procedures and practices for protecting vulnerable adults and children are working.
• Making sure our policies, procedures and practices stay up to date with good practice and the law in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Ensuring our procedures are in line with the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Procedures.

Definitions

Definition of a child

A child is under the age of 18 (as defined in the United Nations convention on the Rights of a Child).

Definition of Vulnerable Adults

The definition of a vulnerable adult is a person over the age of 18 years who:

• Is or may be in need of / eligible for Community Care Services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness
• AND is unable to take care of him / herself
• OR is unable to protect him / herself from significant harm or exploitation

A vulnerable person may fall into any one of the following groups: older and frail people; people with a mental health need, a learning difficulty, a physical impairment, a sensory impairment; people who are substance or alcohol dependent; or family carers providing assistance to another vulnerable adult.

Definition of Abuse

Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other persons(s) or group of people. Abuse may be single or repeated acts. It can be:

Physical: for example, hitting, slapping, burning, pushing, restraining or giving the wrong medication.

Psychological and emotional: for example, shouting, swearing, frightening, blaming, ignoring or humiliating a person, threats of harm or abandonment, intimidation, verbal abuse.

Financial: including the illegal or unauthorised use of a person’s property, money, pension book or other valuables, pressure in connection with wills, property or inheritance.

Sexual: such as forcing a person to take part in any sexual activity without his or her informed consent – this can occur in any relationship.

Discriminatory: including racist or sexist remarks or comments based on a person’s disability, age or illness, and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment. This also includes stopping someone from being involved in religious or cultural activity, services or support networks;

Institutional: the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to vulnerable people. This includes a failure to ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable adults and maintain good standards of care in accordance with individual needs, including training of staff, supervision and management, record keeping and liaising with other providers of care.

Neglect and acts of omission: including ignoring medical or physical care needs. These can be deliberate or unintentional, amounting to abuse by a carer or self-neglect by the vulnerable person: for example, where a person is deprived of food, heat, clothing, comfort or essential medication, or failing to provide access to appropriate health or social care services.

Abuse may be carried out deliberately or unknowingly.

Abuse may be a single act or repeated acts.

People who behave abusively come from all backgrounds and walks of life. They may be doctors, nurses, social workers, advocates, staff members, volunteers or others in a position of trust. They may also be relatives, friends, neighbours or people who use the same services as the person experiencing abuse.

How Might We Notice Abuse?

Concerns about or evidence of abuse can come to us through:

1. A direct disclosure by the vulnerable person.
2. A complaint or expression of concern by a participant at one of Positive Response’s training events.
3. An observation of the behaviour of the vulnerable person by Positive Response staff.

As most of Positive Response services are indirect, the second of these is likely to be the most commonly encountered scenario.

Responding in situations where there may be evidence of abuse

Positive Response recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse or neglect. It also acknowledges that taking action in such situations is never easy. This may be even more difficult for trainers as they will usually come to hear of disclosures of abuse/neglect from staff whilst delivering training courses and will therefore probably have no first-hand knowledge of the person experiencing the suspected abuse or neglect or the context.

If staff receive any information about possible abuse they should:

• Contact the office on the day that the information is received in order to speak to the Safeguard lead or deputy to discuss how to proceed.
• Await further instruction whilst the Safeguarding lead contacts the Manager of the suspected person’s organisation or raises a Safeguarding alert with the relevant authority.
• Record, in writing, what they have been heard or been told as soon as possible and not more than 24 hours after receiving the information
• Liaise with the Safeguarding officer and follow the agreed procedure

Managing allegations made against member of staff

Positive Response will ensure that any allegations made against members or member of staff will be dealt with swiftly.

Where a member of staff is thought to have committed a criminal offence the police will be informed. If a crime has been witnessed the police should be contacted immediately.

The safety of the individual(s) concerned is paramount and it should be ensured that they are safe and away from the person(s) who are the alleged perpetrators.

The named person will liaise with the Adult/Child Protection officer in the locality concerned to discuss the best course of action and to ensure that the Positive Response procedures are coordinated with any other enquiries taking place as part of the ongoing management of the allegation.

Recording and managing confidential information

Positive Response is committed to maintaining confidentiality wherever possible and information around Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults & Children issues should be shared only with those who need to know. For further information, please see Positive Response’s Data Protection Policy.

All allegations/disclosures/concerns should be recorded in writing. The information should be factual and not based on opinions, record what the person tells you, what you have seen and any the evidence of any witnesses, if appropriate.

The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with data protection.

Named person for safeguarding

Positive Response has an appointed individual who is responsible for dealing with any Safeguarding concerns. In their absence, a deputy will be available for workers to consult with. The named person for Safeguarding within Positive Response is:

Named Person for Safeguarding: Mark Hilley

Office telephone number: 01326 377401

Mobile number: 07527 482957

Name of deputy person: Melody Kozlowski

Office telephone number: 01326 377401

Email via website contact page

The roles and responsibilities of the named person(s) are:

• To ensure that all staff are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they have concerns that someone may be experiencing, or has experienced abuse or neglect.
• To ensure that concerns are acted on, clearly recorded and referred to an Adult Protection Risk Assessment Coordinator (APRAC), Children’s Safeguarding team, where necessary.
• To follow up any referrals and ensure the issues have been addressed.
• To reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that staff are adhering to good practice with regard to confidentiality and security. This is because it is around the time that a person starts to challenge abuse that the risks of increasing intensity of abuse is greatest.
• To ensure that staff working directly with service users who have experienced abuse, or who are experiencing abuse, are well supported and receive appropriate supervision.