Policy Created: March 2020
Review Date: March 2022
Latest Training: November 2021 delivered by TSL
Policy Aims:
Uniform Exchange will not tolerate the abuse of adults in any form and is committed to safeguarding adults with care and support needs from harm who engage with in volunteering.
This policy sets out the roles and responsibilities of Uniform Exchange to promote the welfare of adults with care and support needs, and protect them from abuse and neglect. All volunteers of Uniform Exchange are expected to understand their responsibilities in safeguarding adults and follow this policy. This includes volunteers and trustees.
Definitions
The Care Act 2014 provides a definition and framework for Safeguarding Adults:
Safeguarding adults at risk means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. An adult is anyone of 18 years of age or over. (Anyone under 18 years of age will be covered by our Safeguarding Children Policy).
It involves protecting adults at risk from abuse or neglect and putting plans in place to prevent harm in the future. It involves helping people to live as well as possible and to remain healthy and have their independence maintained.
Safeguarding adults at risk is everyone’s business. We all have a duty to report concerns if we think someone is being abused or neglected.
Who is an adult at risk?
An adult at risk is someone
- Who has needs for care and support (whether or not those needs are currently being met),
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
- as a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
An adult at risk could include:
- An older person who is frail due to ill health, physical disability or cognitive impairment
- Has a learning disability
- Has a physical disability and/or sensory impairment
- Has mental health needs including dementia
- Has a long-term illness/condition
- Lacks the mental capacity to make particular decisions and is in need of care
This list is not exhaustive
We will enable all our volunteers and those who work with us to make informed and confident decisions regarding safeguarding issues and take all suspicions and allegations of abuse seriously. We expect everyone (volunteers and anyone working on behalf of Uniform Exchange) to have read, understood and adhere to our safeguarding procedures.
Uniform Exchange will take every reasonable step to ensure that adults at risk are protected where:
- Our own team are directly involved in a project, programme or provision of services;
- We work in partnership with another organisation.
We will endeavour to safeguard adults at risk by:
- Valuing them, listening to and respecting them;
- Adopting this policy and adhering to our safeguarding procedures;
- Ensuring we have a safer recruitment process for every person recruited by Uniform Exchange and ensuring all the necessary checks are made where applicable
- Providing effective management of volunteers through supervision, support and training;
- Sharing information about safeguarding good practice with occasional volunteers, and other relevant parties;
- Ensure organisations we work with or partner have appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place;
- Reviewing this policy and procedures, and updating as appropriate.
Making Safeguarding Personal
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) means it should be person-led and outcome-focussed. We aim to empower people and provide them with the information they need to make decisions into how to be safe from abuse and reduce risks.
Mental Capacity Act
Adults must be assumed to have capacity to make their own decisions and be given all practical help before anyone treats them as not being able to make their own decision. Where an adult is found to lack capacity to make a decision then we will work in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and seek support and guidance where necessary.
Safeguarding Principles
Uniform Exchange will adhere to the six key principles of safeguarding:
Empowerment
People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.
Prevention
It is better to take action before harm occurs.
Proportionality
The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
Protection
Support and representation for those in greatest need.
Partnership
Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
Accountability
Accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice.
Consent, Confidentiality and Information Sharing
The Designated Safeguarding Lead, Helen Haddon, will be responsible for making decisions about sharing information with external agencies including the police and local authority.
We must always respect someone’s right to confidentiality and seek their consent to share information. Confidentiality can be overridden if there is evidence that sharing information is necessary in exceptional circumstances. These are:
- If an adults lacks mental capacity to protect themselves
- If a crime has been committed (or about to be)
- If there are concerns about abuse in an organisation
- If there are concerns about a member of staff /volunteer
- If abuse is occurring in a setting where care takes place
- If other people are at risk (including a child)
- If someone is in a life – threatening situation and in need of emergency services
Record Keeping
Uniform Exchange is committed to keeping accurate and factual records of all safeguarding concerns that are reported. All safeguarding records will be kept securely and confidentially. Records must be factual, accurate and legible and include a date, time and signature.
Safer Recruitment
Uniform Exchange aims to do everything possible to minimise the risk of involving unsuitable people in our work with adults at risk. All staff and volunteers will have clear role/job descriptions which will be assessed for regulated activity. DBS checks will be undertaken for individuals who are undertaking regulated activity, these will be renewed on a 3-yearly basis as a very maximum.
We will carry out safer recruitment practices for all volunteers and staff including application form, obtaining references, undertaking interviews and regular supervision.
Training
All staff, committee members and volunteers with received appropriate safeguarding training in line with their role and responsibilities at Uniform Exchange which will include basic awareness training as a minimum requirement.
Reporting a Concern
Any member of staff, committee member or volunteer who becomes aware that an adult is being abused, or is at risk of being abused or has a safeguarding concern must raise the matter immediately with their Supervisor or the Safeguarding Lead. XXXX Safeguarding Procedures (see appendix) will be followed.
Whistleblowing
All volunteers should feel able to raise concerns about poor safeguarding practice within Uniform Exchange and concerns will be taken seriously by the Trustees.
Review of Policy
This policy will be reviewed annually and amended when necessary. It may also be reviewed should any new, relevant legislation require this.
UNIFORM EXCHANGE SAFEGUARDING ADULTS AT RISK – PROCEDURES
Uniform Exchange is committed to ensuring that safeguarding is paramount when conducting or delivering any activity that involves working with adults at risk.
Procedures for staff, stakeholders/volunteers
It is responsibility of the Trustees to ensure that the safeguarding procedure is adhered to and to support staff/stakeholders/volunteers in upholding their professional conduct.
What to do upon suspicion or disclosure:
Uniform Exchange is not a statutory agency and has no right to undertake investigations into concerns regarding Adult and Child Protection. Referrals should be directed to the appropriate local Children or Adult Social Services Contact Centres.
Safeguarding Procedures
- The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Helen Haddon Chair of Trustees, all concerns must be referred to this person.
- The safeguarding report form should be used to report safeguarding concerns relating to Adults at risk. In an emergency please do not delay in informing the Police / Ambulance. All the information provided must be treated as confidential and reported to the Safeguarding Lead within one working day.
- If you are unable to contact a member of staff, use the contact numbers at the end of the form.
- The form should be completed at the time or immediately following the disclosure, but after all necessary emergency actions have been taken. Please complete the form as fully as possible.
- Remember staff/volunteers must make clear to the adult at risk that they cannot guarantee confidentiality
Details of safeguarding contacts in Kirklees
In an event where the Designated Safeguarding Lead is unavailable and you have a concern that an adult in Kirklees is being abused or mistreated speak to someone at one of the following numbers:
Kirklees Gateway to Care
01484 414933
gatewaytocare@kirklees.gov.uk
Report online: www.kirklees.gov.uk/reportabuse
In an emergency call the police on 999
If a person is not in immediate danger call the police on 101.
For Child Safeguarding Concerns:
Kirklees Duty and Advice Team
01484 5468848
Kirklees Emergency Duty Service
01484 414933 (outside office hours)
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
NSPCC email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Signs of Abuse
Physical abuse – including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions.
Domestic violence – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; so called ‘honour’ based violence.
Sexual abuse – including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.
Psychological abuse – including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
Financial or material abuse – including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
Modern slavery – slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. People are bought and sold for sexual exploitation, forced labour, street crime, cannabis cultivation, grooming and pimping, domestic servitude, forced marriage or even the sale of organs and human sacrifice. How to report Modern Slavery.
Discriminatory abuse – including forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Organisational abuse – including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
Neglect and acts of omission – including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating
Self-neglect – this covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding. It involves no other perpetrator.
OTHER SAFEGUARDING CONSIDERATIONS
Channel/Prevent General Awareness
Prevent is supporting people who may be vulnerable to radicalisation. Radicalisation is when someone starts to believe or support extreme views. They could be pressured to do things illegal by someone else. Or they might change their behaviour and beliefs. If you have a concern you should raise this with your Safeguarding Lead/ Supervisor/Manager.
Further resources, training and guidance can be found at :
Kirklees Safeguarding Adults Board website – lots of good resources including factsheets
NCVO – national guidance tools and tips for the third sector on safeguarding:
Government guidance on handling a safeguarding allegation within a charity:
Disclosure and Barring Service (including eligibility tool):
NACRO advice on recruiting people with a criminal record and how to deal with disclosures: