Safeguarding Adults Policy
1. Statement of Intent
1.1 Safeguarding is everyone’s business and is everyone’s responsibility to ensure vulnerable adults are properly safeguarded.
1.2 This policy is represents Someone Cares commitment to safeguarding adults at risk who are referred to us via a third party or who self-refer into the service.
1.3 This policy will be implemented to safeguard clients and potential clients by staff, volunteers, management team and others who work for Someone Cares.
1.4 It provides guidance on individual and collective responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding adults and vulnerable client. Safeguarding responsibilities to children and young people (CYP) is covered in our Safeguarding CYP policy.
1.5 Someone Cares Confidentiality, data protection and information sharing policy and Someone Cares client contract detail how and when Someone Cares will break confidentiality and raise a safeguarding concern to third parties.
2. Policy Context
2.1 The Care Act 2014 and the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014 define Safeguarding as ‘protecting an adult’s right to live in safety free from abuse and neglect’. Adult Safeguarding is about preventing and responding to concerns of abuse or harm or neglect of adults. Staff and volunteers should work together in partnership with adults so that they are:
• Safe and able to protect themselves from abuse and neglect.
• Treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• Protected when they need to be.
• Able easily to get the support, protection and services they need.
2.2 This policy aims to reflect both the six Safeguarding Principles and the concept of Making Safeguarding Personal. The six principles of safeguarding detailed below are stipulated in the Department of Health and Social Care (Care and Support Statutory Guidance, June 2020).
Accountability: Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.
Empowerment: People are encouraged to make their own decision.
Prevention: It is better to take action before harm occurs.
Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need.
Proportionality: The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
Partnership: Services oƯer local solutions to working closely with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
2.3 Section 42 of the Care Act (2014) requires that each local authority must make enquiries, or cause others to do so, if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect. An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to prevent or stop abuse or neglect, and if so, by whom.
2.4 The Care Act (2014) guidance supports the need for safeguarding to be person led and outcome focused. This means engaging the person in conversation about how best to respond to their safeguarding situation in a way that embraces choice and control as well as maintaining a focus on improving their quality of life, wellbeing and safety. The concept of Making Safeguarding Personal is about leadership and creating a culture that places the client at the centre of all interventions and decisions.
2.5 Someone Cares has established the CO and deputy CEO are designated Safeguarding Leads and there will always be a trained safeguarding lead available during office hours. All staff have been made aware of this and provided with their contact details.
2.6 Someone Cares recognises that it is the responsibility of all member of staff and volunteers to prevent neglect, physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse of vulnerable adults and to report any abuse disclosed or suspected as per our reporting procedure.
3. Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse
3.1 When an individual is experiencing abuse, they may display particular signs and symptoms that act as indicators that they may be experiencing abuse. Some of these signs and symptoms include but is not limited to:
Becoming withdrawn/withdrawing from friends and family, losing interest in hobbies, job etc, low self-esteem/confidence, depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, mental health issues, slower than normal development, unusual or erratic behaviour, running away from home, rapid weight loss or gain, repeated illnesses, alcohol misuse, drug misuse, sudden changes in behaviour – becoming too withdrawn or erratic, evident bruising, scratches, cuts or other marks and injuries (this list is not and exhaustive list).
3.2 It is important to remember that individually these signs may not present a concern but persistence and a combination of a number of the above can offer further indication that abuse may be taking place.
3.3 Staff and volunteers working with clients and service users remotely via telephone must remember that the above signs and symptoms of abuse may not be as evident as when working with clients and service users in a face-to-face setting. For this reason, we do not provide remote service to clients who we deem as at increased risk or very vulnerable, however, staff and volunteers are required to ensure they are vigilant in their responsibilities to safeguarding clients and must report significant changes of risk to their line manager and supervisor.
3.4 Across all services at Someone Cares it is important to remember that victims/survivors have the right to share as much or as little information as they wish, so they may choose not to share information which alludes to abuse taking place. Our role is to support the individual and not to intelligence gather.
3.5 The categories and descriptions of abuse below are intended to help Someone Cares staff and volunteers be alert to and identify signs of abuse whenever possible.
Neglect or act of omission: This is the persistent failure to meet an adult’s basic needs both physical and or emotional/psychological. It may, for example, involve failure to provide clothes, shelter and food or failure to keep them clean or protect them from physical harm or danger. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, the person’s basic emotional needs and their developmental needs.
Physical abuse: This is causing physical harm to an adult such as by hitting, shaking, pushing, beating, pinching, burning, restraining unnecessarily, or other form of physical harm. Harm can also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates symptoms of ill health or causes actual ill health in a vulnerable adult.
Sexual abuse: This is forcing an adult to engage in sexual activities. These may include rape, sexual assault, prostitution, and may also include non-contact abuse, such as involving the person in creating or looking at pornographic material. Sexual abuse includes activities such as sending inappropriate messages and online or face-to-face grooming. Sexual abuse usually comes to light in a diƯerent way from physical abuse or neglect.
Emotional or psychological abuse: This involves a pattern of behaviour where a person consistently rejects, belittles, controls, frightens or deceives another, often within a ‘caring’ or ‘loving’relationship. There can be extra difficulty in identifying an emotionally abusive relationship because emotional or psychological abusers may be unaware of what they are doing. They may believe what they are doing is for the benefit of their victim. Emotional abuse is present in all abuse but can also stand alone.
Financial or material abuse: This is when a person is prevented from accessing their own money, benefits or assets or is subject to undue pressure, duress, threat or undue influence in connection with loans, wills, property inheritance or financial transactions. It may involve exploitation of a person’s money or assets or missing personal
possessions, an unexplained lack of money or inability to maintain a lifestyle, unexplained withdrawals of money from accounts or involve the person allocated to
manage financial aƯairs being evasive or uncooperative.
Modern day slavery: including human trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, such as escort work, prostitution and pornography as well as debt bondage (being forced to work to pay oƯ debts that realistically they will never be able to clear). The person may appear malnourished, unkempt or withdrawn. They may be isolated from the community or present as being under the control of others. There may be an avoidance of eye contact and the person may appear frightened or hesitant to talk to other people.
Self-neglect: This is characterised by poor personal hygiene, unkempt appearance, lack of essential food clothing or shelter, malnutrition, hoarding, non-compliance with health or care services, an inability or unwillingness to take medication or treat illness or injury.
Discriminatory abuse: This may manifest itself as any of the other categories of abuse previously stated. What is distinctive, however, is that discriminatory abuse is motivated by oppressive and discriminatory attitudes towards a person’s disability, physical or learning disability, mental ill-health or sensory impairment, race, gender, age, religion, cultural background, sexual orientation, political convictions, appearance or other aspects.
Organisational abuse: Occurs when a setting (e.g. hospital, care home, mental health hospital etc) fails to provide a standard of care and treatment which causes harm to a person. May include inflexible or non-negotiable systems or routines, lack of adequate physical care, withholding care or medication etc.
4. Suicidal ideation and Self-harm.
4.1 It is not unusual for survivors/victims to have histories of self-harm or suicidal ideation or to be currently self-harming /have feelings of suicidal ideation. Someone Cares recognises that self-harm can be a coping mechanism and self-harm in itself will not necessarily trigger a
safeguarding concern.
4.2 Someone Cares staff and volunteers should consider self-harm that requires medical attention and where the survivor is unwilling or unable to secure medical attention as a safeguarding concern (e.g. ingestion of harmful substances or ingestion or insertion of blades or wounds that require stitching or wounds at risk of serious infection).
4.3 Someone Cares staff and volunteers should also consider the context of self-harm. For example, a client’s self-harm which has escalated from cutting to slashing and stabbing themselves when in heightened emotional state should be considered as a safeguarding concern that increases the risk of a medical emergency.
4.4 Survivors who have taken steps to end their own life or have advanced plans to take their own life should be dealt with under Someone Cares Suicide Prevention Policy.
4.5 Any of the risk identified above should be added to the client’s notes and a record of Safeguarding concern form should be completed with details and dates of the presenting risk.
Other risk factors – such as key dates, trial and sentencing dates
4.6 It is not unusual for survivors to be triggered by key dates related to the incident/s or to the Criminal Justice System. Meaning they are of heightened risk of self-harming behaviours.
4.7 Someone Cares staƯ and volunteers should consider being aware and making a note of dates which may be triggering to their client’s.
5. Protocol for raising concerns about an adult 5.1 In the first instance, staff and volunteers should raise any safeguarding concerns with the designated safeguarding lead for the day, all office staff are trained safeguarding leads and there will be at least 1 member of staff in the office at all times.
5.2 If in the unlikely scenario a safeguarding lead is not available, staff and volunteers can contact their supervisor or a member of the management team for support.
5.3 The designated safeguarding lead will discuss your concerns with you and decide whether:
• the concerns need to be escalated outside of Someone Cares
• the concerns will be raised with or without the consent of the individual
The designated safeguarding lead will consider whether:
• the action being taken is proportionate to the risk
• raising the concern is in the public interest (e.g. is there a risk to others)
• raising the concern is in the adult’s best interests (i.e. it will prevent harm or distress)
5.4 The protocol for raising concerns about an adult is found at the end of this policy, Appendix 1, Safeguarding Adults Flowchart.
5.5 The contact details for raising safeguarding concerns internally with Someone Cares designated safeguarding leads or externally with other agencies is found at the end of this policy, Appendix 1, Safeguarding Adults Flowchart.
5.6 All staff and volunteers involved in raising a safeguarding concern should:
• write down the safeguarding concern in client notes
• complete the record of Safeguarding Concern form
• ensure your line manager and supervisor are aware of the safeguarding incident.
6. Allegations against Someone Cares staff, volunteers or management team
6.1 Any allegations made against a member of staƯ or volunteer will be dealt with as a serious matter, following Someone Cares disciplinary policy and procedure. This may lead to Someone Cares referring to the relevant local authorities LADO.
6.2 Any allegations against staff and volunteers should be reported to the safeguarding lead or if the concern is with the safeguarding lead, to the Chair of management team who will delegate to an appropriately qualified third party. It is Someone Cares policy that all complaints against line managers or members of the management team will be dealt with by an external body.
7. Public protection
7.1 Public protection from sexual offences
7.1.1 When an individual tells Someone Cares that they have been raped or sexually assaulted by a complete stranger, Someone Cares can, with client consent, pass anonymous intelligence to the police. Such intelligence may include the gender and approximate age of the survivor and the rough time and location of the rape or sexual assault. This action should be passed to the ISVA for advice on how to proceed with anonymous intelligence reporting.
7.1.2 NOTE anonymous intelligence should not be shared in familial abuse, as the intelligence is too identifying (i.e. the perpetrator or other family members will be able to identify the victim based on the intelligence shared with the police).
7.2 Public protection from terrorism
7.2.1 Prevent is part of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. This is a measure that aims to reduce the threat of terrorism in the UK. Prevent is everybody’s business.
7.2.2 The overall aim of Prevent is to safeguard children, young people and adults from the threat faced by those who pose extremist or radicalised views. The Prevent programme is about protecting vulnerable people from being exploited by extremists. It places a duty on public sector organisations to prevent people from being drawn towards such views and ensures that support is in place for those who are vulnerable.
• Terrorism -‘ the use or threat of action where the use or threat must is designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public or section of the public and the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideology cause’ (Terrorism Act, 2000). Actions can include serious violence against a person, serious damage to property or serious disruption to an electronic system.
• Extremism -‘vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of diƯerent faiths and beliefs’ (Home Office, Revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales, Updated 1 April 2021).
• Radicalisation – ‘someone is being encouraged to develop extreme views or beliefs in support of terrorist groups and activities’ (Home OƯice, Get help for radicalisation concerns, 8 June 2022)
• Radicaliser -‘an individual who encourages others to develop or adopt beliefs and views supportive of terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism’
7.2.4 The most common types of terrorism in the UK are extreme right-wing terrorism and Islamist terrorism (www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-if-youre-worried-about-someone-beingradicalised).
7.2.5 If someone is expressing extreme views of hatred which could lead to them harming themselves or others, you can raise your concerns in confidence with the Action Counter Terrorism Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764.
8. Supervision and de-briefing
8.1 Safeguarding concerns should be raised immediately as stated above, however, staff and volunteers will be given opportunities for wider discussions on any safeguarding concerns:
• With their line manager
• In clinical supervision
• With the safeguarding leads.
9. Training
9.1 CPD certified Safeguarding online training will be provided to all new staff, volunteers and management team
9.2 Online Designated Safeguarding Lead training will be provided to designated safeguarding leads.
9.3 Refresher safeguarding training will be provided to all staff, volunteers and management team every 3 years.
9.4 A record of all staff and volunteers’ safeguarding training will be retained in their personnel file.
10. Access and review
10.1 Line managers will signpost staƯ and volunteers to this policy as part of their induction.
10.2 A copy of this policy will be stored on Someone Cares website public and staff pages.
10.3 The Board of Management team will review this policy every 12 months.
10.4 Staff and volunteers will be informed of any updates via team meetings. Other linked policies: Confidentiality, data protection and information sharing policy, client contract, safeguarding– CYP, suicide policy, supervision policy, disciplinary policy, recruitment policy, whistleblowing policy.
Contact details
Nominated child protection lead Nominated safeguarding adults’ lead.
Name: Kirsty Dobson Name: Donna Lowden
Phone/email: 0191 25789094. Phone/email: 0191 25789094.
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on: 24/05/2024. This policy will next be reviewed on 24/05/2025.
SomeOne Cares1 Amble Close
North Shields
NE29 7XW
This policy is also available in large print and electronically.