Safeguarding Policy

All People All Places is committed to the safety and welfare of all who use our services. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all adults at risk to keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects them. If trustees, staff, contractors, or volunteers are concerned in any way about the safety of an adult, please refer to the procedure below. All People All Places is aware that safeguarding is everyone’s business, and we understand how important it is for organisations to work together to protect people.

All People All Places will be referred to as ‘APAP’ throughout the policy document. This policy should be read in conjunction with the separate Safeguarding Adults at Risk procedure.

Purpose and scope of the policy

This policy refers to adults at risk who take up APAP services or are present in our buildings and shelters. This policy applies to all staff, trustees, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff, contractors, working or volunteering on behalf of APAP.

This policy provides staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding. It seeks to clarify the roles and responsibilities of APAP workers when faced with safeguarding issues, and identifies risk factors.

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect adults at risk, namely:

The Care Act (2014)
Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework
Pan-London Multi-agency policy & procedures to safeguard adults from abuse (2019)
Mental Capacity Act (2005)
Government Information Sharing Guidance (2018
Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (2018)
Human Rights Act (1998)

APAP policy framework

This policy should be read alongside our Safeguarding Adults at Risk Procedure

Definitions

‘Safeguarding’ “involves working with adults at risk to keep them safe from abuse or to prevent abuse or neglect from occurring.

An ‘adult at risk’ is “a person who is 18 years or over who may be in need of support from community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness, and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself; or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation”.

The term “community care services” includes all care services provided in any setting or context, by any agency. This includes statutory, voluntary and independent organisations in health and social care, including hospitals, housing agencies and advice services.

Definitions of abuse

There is no single definition of ‘abuse’. Abuse may:

Consist of a single act or repeated acts;
Be physical, verbal, psychological or emotional;
Be an act of neglect or an omission to act;
Be intentional or unintentional and can result from lack of knowledge;
Occur when a young person/ child is persuaded to enter into a financial arrangement or sexual relationship to which they have not, or could not have, consented;

Some forms of abuse may also be a crime. Some forms of abuse may seem minor but may cause a great deal of harm over time and/or may reduce a person’s wellbeing or opportunities. Types of abuse are detailed in the safeguarding procedure document .

All People All Places safeguarding responsibility

To keep adults at risk safe, APAP will:

Adhere to the following principles in all aspects of safeguarding work:
- Empowerment
- Protection
- Prevention
- Proportionality
- Partnership
- Accountability as set out in the Care Act 2014;

Respect the rights, wishes and feelings of adults at risk and ensure that they are listened to;
Recognise that adult abuse is not a localised or isolated problem;
Respect the rights of adults who are subject to abuse to retain personal choice about how they will respond to being abused or the risk of abuse, subject to any statutory requirements on APAP;
Recognise that all people, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, immigration status, sexual orientation or identity or immigration status have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;
Recognise that some adults are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, immigration status or other issues;
Recognise that we have a duty, not only to protect guests and visitors from all forms of abuse and work to prevent abuse or neglect from occurring, but also to protect workers from situations that may lead to the allegation of abuse;
Support workers and visitors in the recognition and reporting of adult safeguarding issues by providing access to training, supervision and support as appropriate;
Work together with other agencies, including social services, police and any other agency which may be involved with the adult at risk – in the prevention, identification, investigation and treatment of alleged, suspected or confirmed abuse;
Aim to develop the ability of adults at risk (wherever possible) to communicate themselves by building their self-esteem, confidence and language skills;
Ensure we provide a safe physical environment by applying health and safety measures and undertaking risk assessments;
Record and store information professionally and securely, and promote safeguarding wherever possible with visitors and young people.

Staff responsibility

All workers are accountable for adhering to this policy and will:

Be aware of and recognise abusive, oppressive situations and practices and be alert to the possibility that abuse may occur
Act in a manner which helps to prevent safeguarding concerns being raised (eg. practising good professional boundaries)
Voice and record their concerns or evidence of abuse, which they may see or hear about, within the framework of APAP Safeguarding Procedure
Respect the rights, feelings and wishes of adults at risk, whilst also considering their capacity to understand any particular risks they might face
Never prevent or persuade another person from expressing their concerns about abuse
Undertake safeguarding induction and training as necessary
Co-operate with any investigation
Undertake DBS checks if required

Training & supervision

All staff and volunteers will receive initial training on APAP’s safeguarding policies and procedures, within the first six months
All staff will be informed of local statutory arrangements in respect of the disclosure or discovery of abuse
All staff and volunteers will be given supervision to support their safeguarding role
All staff and volunteers will be made aware of the government ‘Prevent’ programme. If staff or volunteers are concerned that an adult with care and support needs is at risk of radicalisation, they should treat it in the same way as any other safeguarding concern. For guidance, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
Further training may be provided in areas as appropriate, for example communication with a wider range of people, or risk assessment (making complex interpretations of information about the safety and well-being of people in order to balance professional assessment of risk with the rights of adults at risk to determine their own safeguarding outcomes).

Allegations against APAP workers or volunteers

In cases where the person alleged is believed to be a APAP worker or volunteer, all workers or volunteers have a responsibility to report any suspicions or incidents. Any investigation of a member of staff or volunteer will be conducted within APAP’s Disciplinary Procedure. Dependent on circumstances, investigation of an employee or volunteer may also involve external statutory agencies. Failure to fulfil responsibilities is a failure in the duty of care and could lead to disciplinary action and/or criminal investigation.

Safer recruitment and DBS checking

APAP will ensure that all new staff and volunteers are suitable to work with adults at risk through appropriate and robust recruitment and vetting processes. This will include:

Thorough checking and verification of a candidates training and qualifications
Self-disclosure of any criminal offences
Interview processes which cover understanding of safeguarding, and equality and diversity
Reference checks
A thorough induction process
Risk assessments
A period of probation and review
Provision of safeguarding training once the candidate is in post

All staff will receive an enhanced DBS check and reference. APAP does not normally require volunteers to undergo a DBS check since most do not have sustained ‘regular’ contact with adults at risk and the support provided by volunteers to visitors does not amount to ‘care services’. Volunteers do not normally have unsupervised contact with visitors or children.

APAP trustees are not required to undergo a DBS clearance check unless they are to act in a supervisory capacity.