Safeguarding Adult and Children Policy

 

1. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to set out the Trinity Winchester Safeguarding Policy.

This document is the Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy for Trinity Winchester which will be followed by all Board Members, Staff and volunteers.

We know that being a young person, child or vulnerable adult makes them vulnerable to abuse by adults.  The purpose of this policy is to make sure that the actions of any adult in the context of the work carried out by the organisation are transparent and safeguard and promote the wellbeing of all children, young person and vulnerable adult.

Principles upon which the Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy is based:

  • The welfare of the child, young person and vulnerable adult is and will always be paramount.
  • The welfare of families will be promoted.
  • The rights, wishes and feelings of a child, young person or vulnerable adult and their families will be respected and listened to.

Keeping safe from harm requires people who work with children and vulnerable adults to share information factually, confidentially and appropriately and on a strictly need to know basis.

 

2. Scope

To fulfil Trinity Winchester’s commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, all organisation’s that provide services for, or work with children and vulnerable adults must have:

  • Clear priorities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, explicitly stated in strategic policy documents.
  • A clear commitment by senior management to the importance of safeguarding and promoting welfare.
  • A clear line of accountability and defined roles and responsibilities within the organisation for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
  • Recruitment and human resources management procedures that take into account of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, vulnerable adults and young people, including arrangements for appropriate checks on new staff and volunteers, to include DBS and references.
  • Safe working practice guidelines which staff and volunteers have read, understood and signed.
  • Procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff and volunteers, including a named safeguarding officer, in this instance HANNAH SCOTT, to whom allegations and concerns are reported.
  • Arrangements to ensure that all staff and volunteers undertake appropriate training to equip them to carry out their responsibilities effectively, also to take up annual refresher training.
  • Policies for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults comply with Trinity Winchester procedures for safeguarding.
  • Arrangements to work effectively with other orgnisations to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, including arrangements for sharing information appropriately.
  • A culture of listening to and engaging in dialogue with adults and children, seeking children’s views in an age appropriate way and understanding, and taking into account the views in the development of our service.
  • Appropriate whistleblowing procedures and a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults to be addressed,
  • Safeguarding of online, social media and generic ICT activities by and for members and visitors and staff and stakeholders.

2.1 References
This policy is to be read in conjunction with the following documents:

  • Confidentiality Policy
  • Professional Boundaries

 

3. Safeguarding Children and Adults Policy

3.1 Definitions of Abuse

Physical Abuse:  Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocation, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or a vulnerable adult.  Physical harm may also be caused when a parent/carer fabricates the symptoms of or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Emotional Abuse:  This is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child or vulnerable adult such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the emotional development of a child, conveying messages of unworthiness, inadequacy, unloved, or valued in only so far as they meet the needs of another person.  It can also include age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on an individual that are beyond their capabilities, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or prevention of participation in normal social interaction.

Sexual Abuse:  This involves forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening.  The activities may include inappropriate physical contact, including penetrative (Rape, Buggery or Oral Sex).  Non-Contact activities can include involving children and vulnerable adults in looking at, or in the production of sexual online images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. Sexual exploitation can be a form of sexual abuse, children or vulnerable adults may be “groomed” and led in to sexual activity as a result.

Neglect:  Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s or vulnerable adult’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of health and development. Neglect can include:

  • Failure to provide food, clothing, and shelter (Including exclusion from home or abandonment).
  • Failing to protect from physical and emotional harm or danger (this can include remaining in situations of domestic abuse).
  • Failing to ensure adequate supervision
  • Failing to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

Domestic Abuse: Witnessing or being subjected to domestic abuse by a parent or a partner is abuse.  Children that witness abuse may be withdrawn or display abusive behaviours themselves, they may fail to thrive, nit invite friends over or remain very quiet about their home lives. Adults may have visible injuries, present as anxious and with a need to be home on time, they may not have access to finances and can be very unwilling to disclose through fear of repercussions. Teenagers may also suffer abuse in peer intimate relationships.

 

3.2 Recognition of Abuse or Neglect

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child or vulnerable adults.  Somebody may abuse or neglect by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm.  Children and vulnerable adults may be abused in a family or an institution or community setting, by those known to them or more rarely by a stranger.  They may be abuse by an adult or adults or by another child or children.

Individuals within the organisation need to be alert to the potential abuse of children and vulnerable adults both within their families and also from other sources including abuse by members of our own organisation.

 

3.3 Recognition of Abuse or Neglect

The organisation should know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse or potential abuse, including where there is a concern for an individual’s welfare.  There is an expected responsibility for all members of the organisation to respond to any suspected or actual abuse in accordance with these procedures.

It is good practice to be as open and honest as possible with parents/carers about any concerns.  However you MUST NOT discuss your concerns with parents/carers in the following circumstances:

  • Where sexual abuse or sexual exploitation is suspected or disclosed.
  • Where organised or multiple abuse is suspected or disclosed.
  • Where there are concerns a child may be at risk of Female Genital Mutilation.
  • Where fabricated or induced illness is suspected or disclosed.
  • Where contacting the parents/carers would place the individual or yourself at immediate risk of harm.

THESE DESCISIONS SHOULD NOT BE ACTED UPON IN ISOLATION, CONSULT WITH SENIOR LINE MANAGER Hannah Scott.

 

3.4 Immediate Action to Ensure Safety

Immediate action may be necessary at any stage in involvement with children and vulnerable adults and families.

IN ALL CASES IT IS VITAL TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION IS NEEDED TO SAFEGUARD THE CHILD OR CHILDREN AND /OR VULNERABLE ADULTS CONCERNED:

  • If emergency medical attention is required this can be secured by calling for an ambulance by dialing 999
  • If a child/children or vulnerable adult/s are in immediate danger the police should be called by dialing 999. The police have the powers to remove a child/children or vulnerable adult/s from a parent/carer under the power of police protection.

 

4. What to do if Children or Vulnerable Adults Talk to You About Abuse

It is recognised that a child or vulnerable adult may seek you out to share information about abuse, or talk spontaneously individually or in groups when you are present. In these situations you MUST:

  • Listen carefully. DO NOT directly question them.
  • Give them time and attention.
  • Allow them to give a spontaneous account; do not stop them when they are freely recalling significant events.
  • Make an accurate record of the information given, taking care to record the timing, setting and people present. The individual’s presentation should be evidenced as well as what is disclosed.  All documentation must be kept and stored in a locked and confidential place in keeping with the confidentiality and data protection policies.
  • Use the individuals language and own words where possible.
  • Explain that you cannot promise to keep secrets and that you may have to share confidentially this information.
  • Reassure them that they have done the right thing by telling someone and that they have done nothing wrong.
  • Tell the individual what you are going to do next to get them help and to keep them safe.
  • DO NOT ask the individual to repeat their account to anyone.

 

5. Consulting About Your Concerns

Because of your observations of or information received you may become concerned about a child or vulnerable adult who has not spoken to you.

It is good practice to ask a child or vulnerable adult why they are upset or how an injury has happened, or to respond to them should they want to talk to you.  This action can help to clarify concerns and result in appropriate action.

If you are concerned about a child or a vulnerable adult you MUST share your concerns with your  Safeguarding Officer Hannah Scott, if out of hours contact Hannah on 07715452730

IF ONE OF THESE PEOPLE OR ALL OF THEM ARE IMPLICATED YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR CONCERNS TO THE LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL 01962 876364.

You should consult with your local children’s or adult’s safeguarding team in the following circumstances:

Hampshire County Council for Children 0300 555 1384
Hampshire County Council for Adults 0300 555 1386

  • When you remain unsure after internal consultation as to whether a protection issue exists.
  • When there is disagreement as to whether a protection issues exist.
  • When you are unable to consult promptly the designated line manager or safeguarding officer for the protection of a child or vulnerable adult.
  • When the concerns relate to any member of the Trustee Board. (LADO to be contacted)

 

6. Making a Referral to Social Services

A referral involves giving social services or the police information about concerns relating to an individual or family in order that enquiries can be undertaken by the appropriate agencies followed by the necessary actions.

Parents or carers should be informed if a referral is being made except in the circumstances outlined in section 3.3.

However inability to inform parents/carers for any reason should not prevent the referral from being made, it would then become the responsibility of social services and or the police to inform the parents/carers.

  • If your concern is about harm or risk of harm from a family member or someone known to the individual, a referral should be made to children or adults services.
  • If your concern is about harm or risk from someone not known to the individual, the referral should go directly to the police.
  • If your concern is about somebody in a position of trust and or responsibility, the referral should be made to the LADO as stated in section 5.
  • If the individual or family need additional help or support a referral should be made to the local children or adult services.

 

7. Information Require When Making a Referral

Be prepared to give as much information as you can, in an emergency you may not have all the information, you will still need to give over what information you do have.  A lack of information should not halt or delay the referral procedure.

  • Your name, contact details, position and request the same of the professional you are speaking to.
  • Full name and address, contact details of the family and D.O.B of child or vulnerable adult.
  • Gender, ethnicity, first language and any information of additional needs of the individual.
  • Names and details of the household member and significant others such as a G.P, Health Visitor
  • The nature of the concern or disclosure and foundation for the concern.
  • An opinion of the urgency for action to ensure the individual is safe.
  • Your View of what appears to be the needs of the child or vulnerable adult and their family.
  • Whether the consent of a parent or carer has been given to the referral being made.

After the referral has been made ensure that all information is documented and that all actions requested are documented, acted upon with a clear indicator of specified time frames and a name of who is responsible for said actions.

 

8. Allegations Against Adult Staff and or Volunteers of Trinity Winchester

If you have information which suggests an adult who works with children, young people or vulnerable adults has:

  • Behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child and or a vulnerable adult.
  • Has possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child and or vulnerable adult.
  • Behaved towards a child and or vulnerable adult in a way that indicated they are unsuitable to work with children, young people or vulnerable adults.

You should speak with your safeguarding officer Hannah Scott.  Should the concerns relate to any of the named people a call to the local LADO should be made, details given in section 5.

 

9. Confidentiality

Trinity Winchester will ensure that any records made in relation to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults will be stored in a confidential and secure place.

Information will be shared with relevant parties, individuals and agencies on a strictly “Need to Know Basis” only.

However, the sharing of information is vital to safeguarding and therefore the issue of confidentiality is secondary to the need for protection.

 

10. List of Contacts

Safeguarding Officer for Trinity Winchester:Hannah Scott: 01962 622220

Hampshire Children’s Services: 0300 555 1384

Hampshire Adults Service: 0300 555 1386

Hampshire LADO: 01962 876364