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info@extra-help.co.uk
Safeguarding Policy
The Care Act sets out the responsibilities of professionals to make enquiries when it has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult or child has:
- A need for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting those needs).
- Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect.
- As a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against abuse or neglect and the risks of it.
Everyone deserves the right to live in safety, free from abuse and harm. We call this safeguarding – you will learn more about the various situations to help you identify any behaviours either intentional or unintentionally to help prevent abuse or harm in a care setting.
Extra Help recognises that in working with our clients we may also come into contact with client’s children and young relatives. This policy sets out how we will work in conjunction with other agencies to recognise and manage suspicious and/or allegations of abuse or neglect.
Our Principles
Extra Help is committed to the following principles in all aspects of safeguarding:
Empowerment – taking a person-centred approach, whereby our clients feel involved and informed. Ensuring clients are being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent. We want clients to feel listened to and involved in the process directly contributing towards plans and outcomes that ensure their safety.
Protection – responding quickly to allegations of abuse and offering support to allow clients to take action. Ensuring there is support and representation for all of those in greatest need. If suspicious of abuse taking place help clients find out what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and let them know where they can seek help.
Proportionality – We will aim to have the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented. We want clients to know we will take on board their preferred outcomes and look out for their best interest.
Prevention – It is better to take action before harm occurs. Letting clients know we will provide help and support if they need to report abuse, they will be included in the safeguarding process if they require safeguarding in the future.
Partnership – ensuring information is shared appropriately and assisting the relevant authorities to ensure outcomes are appropriate. When appropriate finding local solutions, services or charities working within the local community. Taking the upmost care that clients sensitive information is handled appropriately.
Accountability – Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. Ensuring clients are aware of Extra Help’s clearly maintained role – Extra Help will most likely be involved in the role of ‘alerter’ when allegations of abuse are disclosed or suspected but may also be required to work alongside clients as requested by the relevant authorities as part of a planned approach to prevent further abuse. Extra Help is committed to ensuring that when allegations of abuse are disclosed they are acted upon quickly and effectively.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the term that describes the function of protecting adults and children from abuse or neglect. Safeguarding relates to the need to protect certain people who may be vulnerable for a variety of circumstances. The potential victims may be at risk of abuse or neglect due to the actions (or lack of action) or another person. In these cases it is it is critical that services work together to identify those at risk and put in place interventions to protect people and help prevent any abuse or neglect.
The Care Act 2014 identifies adults at risk as; A person who has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting those needs), and as a result of these needs the person is unable to protect him or herself against abuse, neglect or the risk of it.
The Care Act 2014 became law on 1st April 2015 and now every local authority must:
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Make enquiries, or ensure that others do so if it believes an adult is subject to, or at risk of, abuse or neglect. An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to stop or prevent abuse or neglect and if so, by whom.
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Set up a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) with core membership from the local authority, the police and the NHS (specifically the local Clinical Commissioning Group/s) and the power to include other relevant bodies.
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Arrange, where appropriate, for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry or Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR).
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Co-operate with each of its relevant partners in order to protect adults experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect.The local authority must make (or cause to be made) whatever enquiries it thinks necessary to enable it to decide whether any action should be taken in the adult’s case (whether under this Part or otherwise) and, if so, what and by whom.
Duty of Enquiry
Local authorities must make enquiries, or cause others to do so, if they reasonably suspect an adult who is at risk of, being abused or neglected.
What is abuse?
Abuse is a violation of an individual’s rights by another person or persons. Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may be physical, financial, verbal or psychological or an act of neglect or omission to act. It may occur when an adult at risk is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which s/he has not consented, or does not have the capacity to consent. Abuse can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the victim. “Abuse” is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. It may be a single act or repeated acts.“Harm” is a term more often used to describe the impact of abuse on the victim.
Abuse includes financial abuse, and for that purpose financial abuse includes:
- Having money or other property stolen,
- Being defrauded,
- Being put under pressure in relation to money or other property, and
- Having money or other property misused.
Physical abuse is an individual’s body being injured or hurt due, for example, to assault, hitting, slapping or pushing. It can also be the wrong use of restrictive practices. Examples could be the misuse of medication or using inappropriate restraint such as locking someone in a room, tying them to a chair or using inappropriate physical sanctions.
| Signs / Indicators |
| Injuries that are unexplained or haven’t been treated. There could be a number of injuries of different ages and in different places.
Examples include:
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Domestic violence is any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. It includes psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse and so-called ‘honour-based’ violence.
| Signs / Indicators |
| Signs of domestic violence can be any of those relating to the different types of abuse or neglect that can occur in any incident. |
Modern slavery – this encompasses slavery, human trafficking, and 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.
| Signs / Indicators | ||||||||||||||
Financial or material abuse is the use of a person’s funds and belongings without their permission. This could be theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection to wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
Sexual abuse is when a person becomes involved in sexual relationships or activities that they do not want to be involved in. They may have said that they do not want to be involved or they may be unable to give consent. Sexual abuse includes rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting to.
Neglect is also known as the ‘omission to act’ or ‘failure to act’. It is a failure to meet the basic needs of the individual. It includes ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services and the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
Self-neglect is the term used to refer to those who fail or refuse to take care of their own basic needs. Neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings can include a wide range of behaviours such as hoarding.
Psychological abuse results in a person feeling worthless, unloved or uncared for. It includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyberbullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
Organisational abuse happens where services provided are focused on the needs of the organisation. For example, not providing choice over meal times or when someone can go to bed because this is easier for the organisation. It includes neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one-off incidents to ongoing ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, processes, policies and practices of the organisation.
Discriminatory abuse refers to an individual or group being treated unequally because of characteristics identified in the Equality Act 2010. It involves ignoring a person’s values, beliefs and culture and includes forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
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Where Can Abuse Take Place?
People can be abused or harmed anywhere and at any time. Protecting service users from abuse or harm is everyone’s responsibility and reflects their duty of care.
Abusive behaviour is sometimes difficult to spot and has to be understood from a build-up of signs and feelings that something is wrong. Victims might not seek help when they have been abused and might not want it reported. Victims feelings and sense of dignity must always be respected when discussing their experiences with them.
Where poor standards or abuse are tolerated more widely within an organisation or setting this may be a sign of organisational abuse. Therefore, it’s important to consider not just the person you are working with but others who also may be at risk.
Abuse and neglect are very complex. Patterns of abuse vary and include serial and organised abuse; long-term abuse in the context of ongoing relationships; or opportunistic abuse such as theft occurring because money is left lying around. Incidents of abuse can be one-off or multiple.
Repeated incidents of poor quality of care can be described as organisational abuse. There can often be signs or indicators that abuse has taken place, even if you don’t witness an event happening.
Everyone has a duty to respond if they are worried about abuse or neglect of an adult at risk of harm.
People Who Abuse or Harm
Abuse can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the person subjected to it. People who abuse or harm can include:
- Staff.
- Relatives and friends.
- Visitors.
- Other service users.
Who is at risk?
Clients may be especially at risk if;
- Poor health or disability, either mental or physical, frailty due to age or sensory impairments, for example hearing or sight loss.
- They may depend on others to meet their basic needs, e.g. their health and care needs.
- They do not have a voice, may not be listened to or taken seriously, i.e. their credibility in society may mean that others may disregard their story, for example people with learning disabilities.
- They cannot always express their concerns and may experience challenges in understanding due to lack of mental capacity, or the inability to make their own decisions.
- Impaired communication skills. This may be a speech impairment, it may also be due to English not being their first language.
- Fear. This may be due to being afraid of what will happen next, the implications both for the individual person and others who may be in the same situation, e.g. other residents in a care setting. There may also be fear that the perpetrator will get into trouble.
What To Consider If You Are Concerned
Everyone is different, but certain situations may impact a person’s ability to protect themselves, such as:
- Personal Circumstances – Physical disability, learning disability, mental health, ill health, frailty, addiction.
- Environment – Living circumstances, social contacts, quality of care, physical environment, isolation.
- Resilience – Personal strengths, social support, family support.
If you have concerns that an adult may be at risk, it is important to consider these factors.
Restrictive practices – this term refers to actions that may need to be used such as physical restraint or use of devices, medication or seclusion. Restrictive practice must always be legally and ethically justified and must be absolutely necessary to prevent serious harm. If used inappropriately restrictive practices have the potential to breach human rights.
Safeguarding Adults
Extra Help will instruct their self-employed home helpers in the following key objectives:
- The identification of possible ‘at risk’ clients
- Awareness of types of abuse
- Extra Help’s safeguarding policy
- Awareness of disclosure management
Alerter Role
Anyone who comes in contact with a vulnerable adult is considered to be an ‘alerter’. An ‘alerter’ does not investigate allegations of abuse but must report their concerns or any disclosures to Extra Help. This must be in a written format free and clearly legible. This may be written on an incident report form but in all cases must be submitted on the same day as the incident. Extra Help will then contact the relevant authorities if they feel a client is in immediate danger of harm or social services in all other cases.
Extra Help will inform its self-employed home helpers to:
- Recognise and report abuse
- Ensure safely of its clients
- Preserve evidence
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Write a report in Birdie unless this will compromise their privacy, call and email their local branch owner (franchisee)
If you are concerned that someone is at risk of abuse, then these concerns need to be taken seriously. You may become concerned in different ways, for example: You may witness something, or be told something, or maybe you have several lower concerns that when put together indicate potential abuse.
If you have concerns: Never do nothing. Do not assume that someone else will do it!
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Reducing the Likelihood of Abuse
Be aware of your own potential for abusive or harmful behaviour, think carefully about your own work. If you notice something wrong, discuss it with your branch owner.
Provide person-centred care and promote empowerment, dignity and respect.
Listen to complaints and, where appropriate, help service users or their families to complain.
What is ‘Person-centred’ care?
Being person-centred is about focusing care on the needs of an individual. Ensuring that people’s preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.
Health and wellbeing outcomes need to be co-produced by individuals and members of the workforce working in partnership, with evidence suggesting that this provides better patient outcomes and costs less to health and care systems.
Kindness and respect mean different things to different people, thats why it’s important to be person centred, think about what makes each client unique! Do everything you can to put their needs first, it’s about “working with” instead of “doing to”. We will always endeavour to tailor support to each clients individual needs. You have a professional responsibility to ensure that people’s rights and best interests are at the centre of your decision making. Especially when they are at their most vulnerable. We will make the efforts to find out what matters to each client, seeing the whole person not just their condition or illness – thinking of their needs and wellbeing.
Safeguarding children and young people
Extra Help sometimes provides a Parent’s Help service, all of our home helpers hold an enhanced DBS check, and adhere to Ofsted regulations.
Extra Help will instruct their self-employed home helpers in the following key objectives
- The documentation of their concerns
- Who to inform
- What to do if they have any concerns for the child’s immediate safely
Policy Implementation
This is the policy statement of Extra Help.
The ultimate responsibility for this policy is that of the local franchise owner
Everyday responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to the home helper who visits the client.
What Do I Do?
If you see abuse taking place:
- Take whatever action is appropriate to stop the abuse, if possible without exposing yourself to risk.
- Try to ensure that the client is safe.
- Try not to interfere with evidence.
- Report the situation immediately to your local branch owner.
- Make notes of the events as soon as possible before you forget any details.If you suspect abuse is taking place:
- Do not try to investigate the alleged abuse yourself.
- Report your suspicions immediately to a duty manager / supervisor.
- Make notes of your suspicions and what you have done about them.
If a client discloses abuse to you:
- Reassure the client that you will take them seriously.
- Listen carefully to what they say.
- Remain calm and non-judgmental.
- Refrain from investigating and do not promise to keep the disclosure secret.
- Make notes of the conversation immediately.
- Report the conversation as soon as possible to the local branch owner.
What to doccument
- The details of what you were told and / or saw including dates, times and actual events.
- What the person actually said – in their own words if possible. Do not include your opinions, ideas or assumptions.
- A description of where you were when you were told and / or what you saw, heard, smelt, etc.
- A record of the names of who you were talking to and who else was there.
- A record of the date and time you wrote the note.
- This report could be part of an internal disciplinary procedure or a court case, so must be completed as carefully as possible.
Your branch owner may contact the police to lead on investigations where a crime has been or may have been committed.
- The Police will investigate allegations of abuse.
- The Police will interview the victim, witnesses and the perpetrator.
- The Police will support the victim through any investigation.
- The Police will liaise with the Crown Prosecution Service to ascertain if there is enough evidence for court.
- The Police will put sanctions in place for the perpetrator.
Your branch owner may contact Social Care by connecting with their local authority adult social care team if;
- An adult is at risk or has suffered abuse.
- Adult Social Care will gather information from other agencies.
- Adult Social Care will convene a strategy meeting with partner agencies to decide if the person is at risk and if so, to put a plan of protection in place.
- Adult Social Care will monitor and support the victim in rebuilding their life after abuse with appropriate safeguards in place.
For information on Terror related safeguarding concerns please read here.
References in this page are made to the Care Act 2014 and Mental Capacity Act 2005 but also refer to the relative differences in each different part of the UK. Please see below the equivalent in the other UK countries:
Care Act 2014 (England)
- Social Services Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014.
- Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014.
- Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 (England and Wales)
- Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
- Mental capacity Act (Northern Ireland) (MCA (NI)) 2016.
