Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures

Safeguarding Adults Policy Statement

Love Dunston;

•believes everyone has the right to live free from abuse or neglect regardless of age, ability or disability, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital or gender status.

• Is committed to safeguarding adults in line with national legislation and relevant national and local guidelines.

• is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment and an open, listening culture where people feel able to share concerns without fear of retribution.

• acknowledges that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and is committed to prevent abuse and neglect through safeguarding the welfare of all adults involved.

This extends to recognising and reporting harm experienced anywhere, including within our activities, within other organised community or voluntary activities, in the community, in the person’s own home and in any care setting.

Actions taken by Love Dunston will be consistent with the principles of adult safeguarding ensuring that any action taken is prompt, proportionate and that it includes and respects the voice of the adult concerned.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate the commitment of Love Dunston to safeguarding adults and to ensure that everyone involved in Love Dunston is aware of:

• The legislation, policy and procedures for safeguarding adults.

• Their role and responsibility for safeguarding adults.

• What to do or who to speak to if they have a concern relating to the welfare or wellbeing of an adult within the organisation.

Scope

This safeguarding adult policy and procedures applies to all individuals involved in Love Dunston, including board members, staff, volunteers, centre users and visitors.

It is important to have policy and procedures in place so that all board members, staff, volunteers, centre users and visitors can work to prevent abuse and know what to do should a concern arise.

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up following national and local guidance on legislation, policy and guidance including, but not limited to, -

• Sexual Offences Act 2003

• Mental Capacity Act 2005

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

• Disclosure and Barring Service 2013

• The Care Act 2014

A summary of the key legislation is available from:

• National legislation - anncrafttrust.org/resources/safeguarding-adults-legislation/

Definition of an Adult at Risk

The policy and procedures relate to the safeguarding of adults at risk. Adults at risk are defined as individuals aged over 18 who:

• have needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs); and

•are experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and

• as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect. (Care Act, 2014)

• are at risk of radicalisation (under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015, where they are not defined as adult at risk under the Care Act 2014)

Commitments

Love Dunston will work to:

• stop abuse or neglect wherever possible;

• prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs;

• promote the wellbeing of the adult(s) at risk in safeguarding adults arrangements;

• safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live;

• promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned;

• raise awareness of safeguarding adults to ensure that everyone can play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect;

• provide information and support in accessible ways to help people understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or well-being of an adult; and

• address what caused the abuse or neglect.

We will seek to keep adults safe by:

• ensuring that all board members, staff, volunteers centre users and visitors are familiar with this policy and associated procedures;

• having a copy of this document available to all trustees, staff, volunteers, centre users and visitors who attend our activities;

• recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.  working with other agencies within the framework of the relevant local authority policies and procedures (e.g. the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board Policy and Procedures), issued under Care Act 2014 statutory guidance;

• passing information to the Local Authority when more than one person is at risk.

• informing centre users and visitors 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 to another agency without the centre user’s consent;

• making a safeguarding adults referral to the Local Authority as appropriate;  endeavouring to keep up to date with national developments relating to preventing abuse and welfare of adults;

• ensuring that the Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead (DASL) understands their responsibility to refer incidents of adult abuse to the relevant statutory agencies (Police/Local Authority).

Supporting documents

This policy should be used in conjunction with Love Dunston’s policy on Safeguarding Children and Young People

Types of abuse

Love Dunston will not be limited in their view of what constitutes abuse or neglect, as they can take many forms and the circumstances of an individual case will always be considered.

Discriminatory abuse - including forms of harassment, bullying, slurs, isolation, neglect, denial of access to services or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, religion or because someone is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This includes racism, sexism, ageism, misogyny, homophobia or any other form of hate incident or crime.

Domestic abuse or violence - including an incident or a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse, by someone who is, or has been, an intimate partner or family member regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Financial or material - including theft, fraud, internet scamming, exploitation, 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.

Forced Marriage - Forced marriage must never be confused with arranged marriage. A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not, or in the case of some adults with learning or physical disabilities who cannot consent to the marriage and duress is involved. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure.

Honour Based Violence - The terms “honour crime” or “honour-based violence” or “izzat” embrace a variety of crimes of violence (mainly but not exclusively against women), including assault, imprisonment and murder where their family or community punishes the person. They are being punished for actually, or allegedly, undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behaviour. In transgressing this correct code of behaviour, the person shows that they have not been properly controlled to conform by their family and this is to the “shame” or “dishonour” of the family.

Ill Treatment and Wilful Neglect - An allegation of abuse or neglect of an adult at risk who does not have capacity to consent on issues about their own safety will always give rise to action under the Safeguarding Adults process. Subsequent decisions will then be made in their best interests in line with the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Capacity Act Code. Section 44 of the Act makes it a specific criminal offence to wilfully ill-treat or neglect a person who lacks capacity. See http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/section/44

Mate Crime - when “vulnerable people are befriending by members of the community who go on to exploit and take advantage of them” (Safety Network Project, ARC). It may not be an illegal act, but it still has a negative effect on the individual. A mate crime is carried out by someone the adult knows, often happens in private and can be known as cuckooing.

Modern Slavery - Encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.

It is often difficult to know the extent or presence of care and support needs in such cases because the victims are often unknown to services. Therefore, safeguarding adults referrals are encouraged for all adult victims of modern slavery in order that their needs can be explored further as part of a safeguarding adult’s enquiry, rather than initially excluding cases because of the lack of an appearance of care and support needs.

Neglect and acts of omission - including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to access appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.

Organisational (sometimes referred to as institutional) - 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 a person’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.

Physical – including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, burning, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) (all acts of FGM are a crime in the UK and the girls and women subjected to FGM are victims of this crime).

Psychological (sometimes referred to as emotional) - including 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 support networks.

Sexual - including rape, indecent exposure, sexual assault, sexual acts, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.

Self-neglect - includes a person neglecting to care for their personal hygiene, health or surroundings; or an inability to provide essential food, clothing, shelter or medical care necessary to maintain their physical and mental health, emotional wellbeing and general safety. It includes behaviour such as hoarding.

Radicalisation - The process of a person being influenced or coerced into supporting violent extremism including terrorism.

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 to recognise signs of abuse

It is not always easy to recognise signs of abuse, but it is important for you to have some idea about some of the signs to look out for when you’re concerned about an adult. There are many signs and indicators that may suggest someone is being abused or neglected, these include but are not limited to:

• Unexplained bruises or injuries.

• Person has belongings or money going missing.  Person is not attending / no longer enjoying their sessions. You may notice that a participant has been missing from sessions.

• Someone losing or gaining weight / an unkempt appearance.

• A change in the behaviour or confidence of a person. For example, a participant may be looking quiet and withdrawn when their brother comes to collect them from sessions, in contrast to their personal assistant whom they greet with a smile. • They may self-harm.

• They may have a fear of a particular group or individual.

• They may be overly secretive about online viewing.

• They may tell you / another person they are being abused – i.e. a disclosure.

Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead (DASL)

Love Dunston has a named person who is responsible for dealing with any concerns about the safeguarding of young people and adults. In their absence deputies will be available to consult with.

Designated adult safeguarding lead

Name: Brenda Clelland

Phone: 07802785292

Email: rovista@sky.com

Deputy adult safeguarding lead

Name: Gary Haley

Phone: 07525802673

Email: cllr.ghaley@gateshead.gov.uk

Should these named people be unavailable then board members, staff, volunteers, centre users and visitors should contact the relevant Health and Social Care department and / or the Safeguarding Adults Unit in the relevant authority directly.

The roles and responsibilities of the DASLs:

• Play a lead role in developing and establishing the organisation’s approach to safeguarding adults and in maintaining and reviewing the organisation’s implementation plan for safeguarding adults in line with current legislation and best practice.

• Ensure Love Dunston’s Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures are followed and act as a source of advice on safeguarding matters.

• Ensure that all board members, staff, volunteers, centre users and visitors are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they have concerns that an adult at risk may be experiencing, or has experienced abuse or neglect.

• Receive reports of and manage cases of abuse reported to the organisation – including an appropriate recording system.

• Ensure that concerns are acted on, clearly recorded in writing and referred to the appropriate body.

• Manage and have oversight over individual complex cases involving allegations against an employee or volunteer.

• Reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that board members, staff, volunteers centre users and visitors 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 are greatest.

• Urgent referrals should be reported immediately by those aware of them, even if the named person and the named deputies are not available. It is the role of the named person for safeguarding adults to ensure that all staff and volunteers know how to do this.

• Follow up any referrals or allegations, ensure verbal and telephone referrals are made in writing, and ensure the issues have been addressed.  Ensure that any records are kept safely, securely and in line with data protection requirements.

How to respond to an adult telling you about abuse

• Reassure the person concerned.

• Listen to what they are saying.

• Record what you have been told/witnessed as soon as possible.

• Remain calm and do not show shock or disbelief.

• Tell them that the information will be treated seriously.

• Do not start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions.

• Do not promise to keep it a secret.

Reporting abuse or allegations of abuse, including when the allegations of abuse are against someone working or volunteering with Love Dunston

Love Dunston recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse or neglect. It also acknowledges that taking action in cases of adult abuse is never easy.

If you witness abuse, or abuse has just taken place, the priorities will be (the sequence of priorities will depend on the circumstances):

• To call an ambulance if required.

• To call the Police if a crime has been committed.

• To preserve evidence.

• To keep yourself and others safe.

• To inform the Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead.

• To record what happened in name of place/file/log where safeguarding adults concerns will be recorded.

All situations of abuse or alleged abuse will be discussed with the Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead. If anyone feels unable to raise their concern with the Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead then concerns can be raised directly with Adult Social Care Direct (see below).

If it is appropriate and there is consent from the individual, or there is a good reason to override consent, such as risk to others, a referral will be made to the Adult Social Care Direct team. If the individual experiencing abuse does not have mental capacity to consent to a referral, a best interest decision will be made on their behalf.

Making safeguarding personal

The legislation recognises that adults make choices that may mean that one part of our well-being suffers at the expense of another. Adults can choose to risk their personal safety; for example, to provide care to a partner with dementia who becomes abusive when they are disorientated and anxious.

None of us can make these choices for another adult. If we are supporting someone to make choices about their own safety we need to understand ‘What matters’ to them and what outcomes they want to achieve from any actions agencies take to help them to protect themselves.

In line with Making Safeguarding Personal principles, the Designated Adult Safeguarding Lead should try to seek the views from the adult (or an appropriate representative) about what they would like to happen as result of the concern. This will help to inform the multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Enquiry.

Concerns about an adult at risk being radicalised

Where there is a concern that an adult at risk has been or is being radicalised, normal multi-agency safeguarding adults procedures apply.

Making a safeguarding adults referral

If you are concerned about a situation you should refer the matter immediately to Love Dunston’s named person. The concern should be written down using the form for ‘Safeguarding Adults Initial Enquiry Form’ (see below in Appendix 1).

A referral should be made within 24 hours of the abuse being reported or as soon as practical.

Urgent referrals should be reported immediately by those aware of them, even if the named person and the named deputy are not available.

Gateshead

Safeguarding Adults duty worker on 0191 433 2222 (for queries).

Adult Social Care Direct on 0191 433 7033 (for referrals).

To report concerns about an adult online - https://www.gatesheadsafeguarding.org.uk/article/9180/Report-concerns-about-an-adult

Newcastle

Community Health and Social Care Direct (8am-5pm) on 0191 278 8377.

Out of office hours service on 0191 278 7878 (for emergency social care needs). Northumberland

All adult social care services in Northumberland can be contacted through on 01670 536 400. Or email socialcare@northumbria.nhs.uk

North Tyneside

Gateway Service on 0191 643 2777 (office hours) 0191 200 6800 (evenings and weekends) To report concerns about an adult online - https://mycare.northtyneside.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/worriedadult#assess

South Tyneside

Call the Let's Talk team: 0191 424 6000 (Monday to Thursday - 8.30am to 5pm, Friday - 8.30am to 4.30pm) 0191 456 2093 (outside of the above office hours)

Durham

Call Social Care Direct 24 hours a day on 03000 267 979.

Redcar/Cleveland

Contact Redcar & Cleveland Adult Social Care on 01642 065070. 01642 524552 (outside of office hours).

If the referral is urgent: If you think an adult is at risk now, you should contact the police on telephone 999.

Responding to allegations of abuse against a Love Dunston member of staff or volunteer

Love Dunston will ensure that any allegations made against a member or members of staff will be dealt with swiftly.

If you hear any allegation against a Love Dunston member of staff or volunteer (including Trustees) you should refer the matter immediately to Love Dunston’s named person/s.

Where a member of staff/volunteer 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 Designated Named Person will liaise with the relevant safeguarding unit to discuss the best course of action and to ensure that Love Dunston’s disciplinary procedures are coordinated with any other enquiries taking place as part of the ongoing management of the allegation.

Suspected or actual abuse Immediate threat or crime committed?

Contact Police or Emergency Services Inform line manager and/or Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager Referral made to Community Health and Social Care Direct via telephone and then using Safeguarding Adults Initial Enquiry Form

If it is outside office hours and the matter cannot wait until the next working day then you should contact the relevant authority (as listed above). If the matter is urgent call the police: 999

The allegation should be written down using the form for ‘Safeguarding Adults Initial Enquiry Form’ (see Appendix 1).

Recording and managing confidential information

Information about concerns of abuse includes personal data. It is therefore important to be clear as to the grounds for processing and sharing information about concerns of abuse.

Love Dunston is committed to maintaining confidentiality wherever possible and information around safeguarding adults issues should be shared only with those who need to know. This does not automatically include the persons spouse, partner, adult, child, unpaid or paid carer. Information should only be shared with family and friends and/or carers with the consent of the adult or if the adult does not have capacity to make that decision and family/ friends/ carers need to know in order to help keep the person safe.

Importantly personal information can be shared with the consent of the adult concerned. However, the adult may not always want information to be shared. This may be because they fear repercussions from the person causing harm or are scared that they will lose control of their situation to statutory bodies or because they feel stupid or embarrassed. Their wishes should be respected unless there are over-riding reasons for sharing information.

The circumstances when we need to share information without the adult’s consent include those where:

• it is not safe to contact the adult to gain their consent – i.e. it might put them or the person making contact at further risk.

• you believe they or someone else is at risk, including children.

• you believe the adult is being coerced or is under duress.

• it is necessary to contact the police to prevent a crime, or to report that a serious crime has been committed.

• the adult does not have mental capacity to consent to information being shared about them.

• the person causing harm has care and support needs.

When information is shared without the consent of the adult this must be explained to them, when it is safe to do so, and any further actions should still fully include them.

All allegations/concerns should be recorded on the form ‘Safeguarding Adults Initial Enquiry Form’.

The information recorded should be factual and not based on opinions, record what the person tells you, what you have seen, and record witnesses if appropriate. The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with data protection.

Paper information will be secured in a locked filing cabinet. Access to this information both paper and electronic will be by the Designated Named Person. The Chair of Love Dunston will keep information regarding any allegations about staff members.

Any decision to share or not to share information with an external person or organisation must be recorded together with the reasons to share or not share information.

Training, induction and supervision of staff and volunteers

Love Dunston will provide effective management for staff and volunteers and centre users through induction, supervision, support and training. This policy will be included in the induction documents for all staff, trustees and volunteers and readily available and signposted to any center users and visitors. All personnel, through this document, will receive information and basic training in safe conduct and what to do if they have concerns about an adult, where to get advice and what to do if no-one seems to have taken their concerns seriously.

Safeguarding issues will be discussed and recorded in supervision when appropriate.

The designated safeguarding leads will be required to complete safeguarding training every 3 years

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually. Policy Information

Policy Start Date: January 2024

Policy Review Date: January 2025