Safeguarding Policy
Version: 04
| Summary: | This policy will enable Age UK Camden and its subsidiaries to demonstrate our commitment to keeping safe and free from neglect the vulnerable adults connected with the work we do.
The purpose of this policy is to provide staff, trustees and volunteers with an overview of adult safeguarding, clear guidance about everyone’s responsibilities to safeguarding adults and to ensure necessary actions are taken where an adult with care and support needs is deemed to be at risk. |
|
| Keywords: | Free from abuse and neglect | |
| Target Audience: | All Staff, all trustees, all volunteers of the Age UK Camden and its subsidiaries (the Group) | |
| Next Review Date: | December 2024 | |
| Approved & Ratified by: | AUC Board of Trustees | Date Approved – 12.22 |
| Date issued: | 13th December 2022 | |
| Author: | AUC SMT | |
Revision Summary of Changes Date Reviewed Authors:
Version 1 Unknown Unknown PW, TMD
Version 2 Unknown October 2018 PW, TMD
Version 3 Unknown July 2019 PW, TMD
Version 4 Separated out Policy and Procedure. Updated contact details, Updated links, Updated Appendices. AK added detail around neglect. Moved context to end. Added NM and AK and MB contact details. May 2021 MR, TMD, PW, CBOD, AK
Purpose
Safeguarding is defined as ‘protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.’ Every individual working for the Group, irrespective of their role, has a part to play in safeguarding adults who need care and support.
Scope
This Policy applies to all staff and volunteers who have contact with clients.
Policy Statement
Safeguarding is a fundamental part of the Group’s work and this commitment is reflected in the values of our organisation. It informs and supports all of our safeguarding activity. The Group works within the guiding six principles of Safeguarding:
| Role of AUC Group colleagues, volunteers and trustees | Adults we serve | |
| Empowerment | Adults are encouraged to make their own decisions and are provided with support and information. | I am consulted about the outcomes I want from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what is done and what happens |
| Prevention | Strategies are developed to prevent abuse and neglect that promotes resilience and self-determination. | I am provided with easily understood information about what abuse and neglect are, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help |
| Proportionate | A proportionate and least intrusive response is made balanced with the level of risk. | I am confident that the professionals will work in my interest and only get involved as much as needed |
| Protection | Adults are offered ways to protect themselves, and there is a co-ordinated response to adult safeguarding. | I am provided with help and support to report abuse and neglect. I am supported to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want and to which I am able |
| Partnerships | Local solutions through services working together within their communities. | I am confident that information will be appropriately shared in a way that takes into account its personal and sensitive nature. I am confident that agencies will work together to find the most effective responses for my own situation and concerns |
| Accountable | Accountability and transparency in delivering a safeguarding response. | I am clear about the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the solution to the problem |
Types of neglect and acts of omission (copied from SCiE Website. SCiE : Social Care Institute for Excellence):
Failure to provide or allow access to food, shelter, clothing, heating, stimulation and activity, personal or medical care
Providing care in a way that the person dislikes
Failure to administer medication as prescribed
Refusal of access to visitors
Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious or ethnic needs
Not taking account of educational, social and recreational needs
Ignoring or isolating the person
Preventing the person from making their own decisions
Preventing access to glasses, hearing aids, dentures, etc.
Failure to ensure privacy and dignity
Role and Responsibilities
All staff and volunteers
Every individual working for the Group, irrespective of their role, has a part to play in safeguarding children and adults who need care and support. All staff will undertake training and must familiarise themselves with our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and accompanying documents.
Trustees
Age UK Camden’s Trustees approve the Safeguarding Policy and have a duty of care to their charity, which includes taking the necessary steps to safeguard those at risk from abuse and neglect, managing risk and protecting the reputation of the charity. Trustees of Age UK Camden and trustees of the subsidiaries have a responsibility to ensure that safeguarding is included, where appropriate, in the strategic plans, risk assessments, communications and quality assurance processes of the organisation. In some cases, trustees will be required to make decisions in relation to complex or serious safeguarding concerns, in consultation with the Head of Safeguarding. Age UK Camden will continue to have a Safeguarding Representative on the AUC Board and on the Boards of each of its subsidiaries and subsidiary charities.
Senior Managers and Managers
Senior Managers and Managers within the Group are responsible for ensuring that they, and the staff that they supervise, are aware of Age UK Camden’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedure and access relevant training. They must promote the discussion of safeguarding at team meetings and as part of supervision or one-to-one meetings. They may be required to make decisions relating to complex or serious safeguarding concerns and can seek advice from the Safeguarding Senior Manager where required.
Supporting Documents
Age UK Camden’s Adult Safeguarding Procedure
Age UK Camden’s Recruitment Policy
Age UK Camden’s Whistleblowing Policy
Age UK Camden’s Health and Safety Policy
Breaches of Policy
The Group has a zero-tolerance approach to serious misconduct and will not tolerate its trustees, staff or volunteers carrying out any form of violence, abuse, harassment or exploitation or ignoring neglect.
Failure to comply with the Age UK Camden Safeguarding Policy may be managed in a number of ways, depending on the nature and consequences of any incident. In some cases a combination of responses may be required.
Local authority co-ordinated safeguarding investigation
Police investigation
Referral to the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
People & Performance disciplinary process
Serious incident reporting to The Charity Commission
Internal review or co-operation with an external review
Context
This policy is based on:
The Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support statutory guidance: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents/enacted
London Multi Agency Safeguarding Policy and Procedures: https://www.camden.gov.uk/documents/20142/0/London+Multi-Agency+Adult+Safeguarding+Policy+%26+Procedures.pdf/9a4727af-aa29-7842-b0e5-c706dec3d394?t=1619620436296
Under the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to live free from abuse and neglect. http://equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act
The Six Principles of Safeguarding that underpin all adult safeguarding work
AUC is a member of Camden’s Safeguarding Adults Board and is therefore asked to adopt the London Multi- Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. This ensures that there is consistency across London in the way in which adults are safeguarded from neglect or abuse.
Contact Details
The Safeguarding Leads at Age UK Camden/Silverfit/Age UK City are:
Paul Webley – [email protected]
Tracey McDermott – [email protected]
Edwina Brocklesby – [email protected]
Alice Westlake – [email protected]
Monica Riveros (Head of Operations) is the SMT Lead for Safeguarding at Age UK Camden
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0207 239 0400
In the absence of any Safeguarding Lead or the Senior Manager for Safeguarding, staff should contact the Nikki Morris (CEO), [email protected] or Alison Kelly (Safeguarding Lead for the Board) [email protected] . In exceptional circumstances please contact the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mary Burd on [email protected] .
In an emergency staff should call Camden Adult Social Care (Safeguarding Team) on 0207 974 4000 option 1.