| Safeguarding Adults Policy & Procedure | Applies to: Everyone undertaking paid & unpaid work (staff) for Hull Lighthouse (the Charity) | |
| Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) Yvonne Watson
yvonne.watson@hulllighthouse.co.uk
| Review date: September 2021
Next review: September 2023 | Approved by Trustees date: September 2021 |
- Introduction
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Prevent and reduce the risk of significant harm to adults from abuse or other types of exploitation, whilst supporting individuals to maintain control over their lives and make informed choices without coercion
- Outline the standard of professional conduct expected of staff when undertaking their duties and to explain the in-house process should an incidence of suspected abuse arise.
- Inform the people who use our services, the public and external organisations of the standard of professional conduct they can expect when they come into contact with the Charity.
This policy applies to all staff, trustees, volunteers, agency workers, students and anyone working on behalf of the Charity. For the purpose of clarity, the term staff used throughout the policy refers to all of these groups.
- Statement of intent
The Charity, in its working practice, is committed to the protection of ‘any adult who has care and support needs and is experiencing or at risk of, abuse or neglect’.
The Policy Statement and Procedures have been drawn up in order to enable the Charity to:
- Promote good practice and work in a way that can prevent harm, abuse and coercion occurring.
- Ensure that any allegations of abuse or suspicions are dealt with appropriately and the person experiencing abuse is supported.
- Take measures to stop that abuse occurring.
The organisation will endeavour to maintain management representation at appropriate training and events.
- Purpose of the Policy
This Policy and procedure relate to the safeguarding of an adult with care and support needs and is experiencing or at risk of, abuse or neglect’. The term ‘adult at risk’ has been used as an exact replacement for this description’. An adult at risk applies to any person aged 18 years or over (with care and support needs) and may be a person who is:
- Someone who misuses substances or alcohol to the extent that it effects their ability to manage day to day living
- A person experiencing or at risk of sexual exploitation and/or abuse
- Someone with mental health needs
- A person with a physical or learning disability
- Someone experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse, emotional and/or physical
- A person with a long-term health condition
- The Charity’s Responsibility
The Charity will:
- ensure that all staff, and anyone working on behalf of the Charity are familiar with and understand this policy and procedures
- ensure all staff are aware that they have a responsibility to protect the adults at risk that they work directly with
- ensure all staff know that they have a responsibility to raise concerns they may have about the protection of adults at risk they have indirect contact with
- act within its data protection and information security guidelines and will usually gain permission from the people who use the services before sharing information about them with another agency.
- report concerns to either Hull or East Riding of Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Boards
- ensure that managers are aware of their responsibility to put effective mechanisms in place
- will inform the people who use our services in line with their confidentiality procedures that where a person is in danger, a child is at risk, or a crime has been committed then a decision may be taken to pass information on to the appropriate professional and/or agency without consent
- will have a designated named person(s) who is responsible for safeguarding
The designated named person for safeguarding adults (DSO) is:
Yvonne Watson, Project Manager
Hull Lighthouse
31 Beverley Road
Hull HU3 1XH
Email: yvonne.watson@hulllighthouse.co.uk Tel: 01482 442953
- in the absence of the above, or if the project manager (DSO) is implicated in any way, the Chair of Trustees should be contacted
Jane Honey, Chair of Trustees
Hull Lighthouse
31 Beverley Road
Hull HU3 1XH
Tel: 01482 442953
- Procedures
The Charity provides a variety of services for women from a background in prostitution and those at risk of exploitation and abuse. These procedures have been designed to ensure the welfare and protection of any adult who accesses services provided by the Charity. The procedures recognise that adult abuse can be a difficult subject for staff to deal with. The Charity is committed to the belief that the protection of adults at risk from harm and abuse is everybody’s responsibility and the aim of these procedures is to ensure that all staff act appropriately in response to any concern around suspected adult abuse.
- Preventing abuse
The Charity is committed to putting in place safeguards and measures to reduce the likelihood of abuse taking place within the services it offers and that all those involved within the Charity will be treated with respect.
Therefore, this policy needs to be read in conjunction with the following policies:
- Equality and Diversity
- Complaints
- Public Interest Disclosure
- Disciplinary and Grievance
- Data Protection and Privacy
- Recruitment
- Any other policies which are relevant that the organisation has in place
The Charity is committed to safer recruitment policies and practices for all staff. This includes having satisfactory DBS disclosures, taking up two references and providing Safeguarding Adults training. This training will be updated every year.
The organisation will work within the current legal framework for reporting any staff that are suspected abusers.
- Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect
The Charity is committed to ensuring that basic awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect training is accessed. The Charity will ensure that the Designated Named Person and other members of staff, trustees and volunteers have access to safeguarding training.
Definition:
Abuse is the harming of another individual usually by someone who is in a position of power, trust or authority over the individual. It may be carried out deliberately or unknowingly and may be a single act or repeated acts. The harm may be physical, psychological or emotional or it may be directed at exploiting the vulnerability of the victim in more subtle ways (for example, denying access to people who can come to the aid of the victim, or through misuse or misappropriation of his or her financial resources). The threat or use of punishment is also a form of abuse. In many cases it is a criminal offence.
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.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Physical abuse: hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions
- Sexual abuse: rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult has not consented, or could not consent or was pressured into consenting
- Psychological abuse: emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks
- Financial abuse: theft, fraud, exploitation, misuse of property, possessions or benefits
- Neglect: ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, heating, etc.
- Domestic Abuse: controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse by someone who is or has been an intimate partner or family member.
- Modern slavery: violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another to exploit them for personal or commercial gain
- Grooming and exploitation: It can be difficult to identify those who are at risk of Exploitation and Grooming. The grooming process draws vulnerable persons into what they initially perceive as a new and caring relationship with an exciting other person. Exploitation and Grooming is a form of abuse whereby vulnerable persons are deliberately persuaded to enter situations where they receive something (for example, gifts, money, food, accommodation) in exchange for sexual activity. Vulnerable persons may be exploited by an individual, several individuals working as an organised group, or by a gang. Grooming is the process of ‘preparing’ a vulnerable person for a sexual purpose. Grooming is often slow and subtle, continuing for several weeks or months and lulling the vulnerable person into a false sense of security. It always involves manipulation and deceit. Attempts to explain the risks to the vulnerable person may be met with derision and hostility. By the time the vulnerable person realises the reality of the ‘relationship’ they may have been seriously sexually and physically abused, threatened with the distribution of indecent photographs or videos of their abuse and warned that they will put themselves or their family in danger if they speak out. Unsurprisingly, the vulnerable person will be reluctant to disclose their abuse, particularly to people in positions of authority. The vulnerable person may find it impossible, for several reasons, to speak to their parent/carer and their abusers will have sought to isolate them from their family and friends. Some vulnerable persons may have developed drug or alcohol addictions and rely on their abusers for supply.
- Radicalisation: is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly radical views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo.
Radicalisation can result in both violent and nonviolent action – academic literature focuses on radicalisation into violent extremism or radicalisation leading to acts of terrorism
- Spiritual abuse: is a form of emotional and psychological abuse. It is characterised by a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in a religious context. Spiritual abuse can have a deeply damaging impact on those who experience it. However, holding a theological position is not in itself inherently spiritually abusive, but misuse of scripture, applied theology and doctrine is often a component of spiritually abusive behaviour.
- Responding
The Charity recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse or neglect.
Disclosure of abuse:
- Reassure the person concerned
- Listen to what they are saying
- Record what has been said/witnessed as soon as possible
- Remain calm and do not show shock or disbelief
- Tell them that the information will be treated seriously
- Don’t start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions
- Don’t promise to keep it a secret – adults disclosing abuse done to them can remain confidential unless not passing on the information could cause risk of harm to child or another vulnerable adult
- Report it to the project manager or Chair of Trustees if the project manager is implicated in any way.
- Where necessary, and with the support of the project manager or Chair of Trustees, report it through the Safeguarding Adults Board (see Appendix 1)
Witness to abuse:
- Call an ambulance if required
- Call the police if a crime has been committed
- Preserve evidence
- Keep self, all staff and service users safe
- Report it to the project manager or Chair of Trustees if the project manager is implicated in anyway.
- Record what has been said/witnessed as soon as possible
- Complete an incident form (see Appendix 2)
- Where necessary, and with the support of the project manager or Chair of Trustees, report it through the Safeguarding Adults board (see Appendix 1)
Suspicion of abuse:
- Call an ambulance if required
- Call the police if a crime has been committed
- Preserve evidence
- Keep self, all staff and service users safe
- Report it to the project manager or Chair of Trustees if the direct line manager is implicated in anyway.
- Record what has been said/witnessed as soon as possible
- Complete an incident form (see Appendix 2)
- Where necessary, and with the support of the project manager or Chair of Trustees, report it through the Safeguarding Adults board (see Appendix 1)
Due to the nature of the Charity’s service users, it is possible to mis-identify abuse, as their lifestyles are intrinsically abusive. Consideration must be taken on whether signs are a result of lifestyle conditions that can cause these signs or abuse caused deliberately by another or self. We welcome the fact that that their lifestyles are diverse, and we do not make judgements about the acceptability or otherwise of this, however it is important that this philosophy does not stand in the way of the Charity’s responsibility to protect vulnerable adults from harm.
- Allegation made against member of staff
The Charity will ensure that any allegations made against members 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. A risk assessment must be undertaken immediately to assess the level of risk to all service users posed by the alleged perpetrator. This will include whether it is safe for them to continue in their role or any other role within the service whilst the investigation is undertaken.
The DSO will liaise with the Safeguarding Adults Board to discuss the best course of action and to ensure that the Charity’s disciplinary procedures are co-ordinated with any other enquiries taking place as part of the ongoing management of the allegation.
- Recording
The Charity is committed to maintaining confidentiality wherever possible and information around Safeguarding Adults issues should be shared only with those who need to know.
All allegations/concerns should be recorded factually and not based on opinions.
The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with data protection.
- Disseminating/Reviewing policy and procedures
This Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedure will be clearly communicated to all staff and service users. The Designated Named Person will be responsible for ensuring that this is done.
New members of staff will receive Safeguarding Training and a personal copy of the Safeguarding Adults Policy, then along with all staff, will be updated as and when there are any changes made to this policy as well as updates during supervision/briefing sessions and an annual review.
New service users will have the Safeguarding Adults policy and procedures explained to them during the initial assessment meeting and will receive a leaflet explaining procedures.
The Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures will be regularly reviewed by the Trustees (at least once a year). The Designated Named Person for Safeguarding Adults will be involved in this process and can recommend any changes. The Designated Named Person will also ensure that any changes are clearly communicated to all staff. It may be appropriate to involve service users in the review and service users need to be informed of any significant changes. Those service users involved in Peer Mentoring will have regular sessions that raise awareness of safeguarding issues, recognising abuse and how to make a report.
Posters stating ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s business’ and how to report it will be displayed in the offices and all communal areas.
- Contact details for Safeguarding Adults
Hull Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board
Warehouse 2
Guildhall Road
Hull HU1 1HJ
Tel: 01482 379092
Email: sab@hullcc.gov.uk
To report or discuss abuse:-
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Kenworthy House, 98- 104 George Street, Hull. HU1 3DT
Tel: 01482 616092 – ask for the adults safeguarding team duty officer
Or 01482 300304 after 5pm or weekends