Safeguarding AND PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE ADULTS Policy

Introduction

Phoenix Rising:MK (PRMK) is an organisation which makes provision for vulnerable adults (VA) and must ensure that:

• The welfare of the vulnerable adult is paramount

• All vulnerable adults, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse

• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately

• All staff (paid/unpaid) have a responsibility to report concerns to the appropriate officer

Types of Abuse

The Care Act 2014 defines abuse as follows:

• Physical Abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Psychological or Emotional Abuse

• Financial and Material Abuse

• Organisational Abuse

• Discriminatory Abuse

• Modern Slavery

• Domestic Abuse

• Neglect and Acts of Omission

• Self-Neglect

Policy statement

PRMK has a duty of care to safeguard all VA involved in our work from harm. All VAs have a right to protection and the needs of disabled adults and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account. We will ensure the safety and protection of all involved in our work through adherence to the protection guidelines. 

Policy aims

The aim of the PR:MK Policy is to promote good practice:

• Providing VAs with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of PR:MK 

• Allow all staff/volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific   protection issues.

Promoting Good Practice with Vulnerable Adults  (VA)

Introduction

Abuse, particularly sexual abuse, can arouse strong emotions in those facing such a situation.  It is important to understand these feelings and not allow them to interfere with your judgement about any action to take.  Abuse can occur within many situations. Some individuals will actively seek employment or voluntary work with young or vulnerable people in order to harm them. A Manager, session leader /support, administrator or volunteer may have regular contact with VAs and be an important link in identifying cases where a young person needs protection. All suspicious cases or poor practice should be reported following the guidelines in this document. 

We must work in line with the principles of care as outlined in the Care Act (2014):

• Empowerment – Supporting vulnerable adults so they can confidently make their own decisions and give informed consent regarding their care.

• Protection – We are duty bound to promote the safety and wellbeing of our vulnerable adults by following safeguarding policies and procedures as well as health and safety policies and procedures.

• Prevention – We must proactively prevent safeguarding concerns where possible, through training, policies and procedures and by fostering a culture of safety first.

• Proportionality – We use preventative measures and safeguarding actions in the most unobtrusive way possible applying an individualized approach in every situation to limit adverse impact on vulnerable adults quality of life and dignity.

• Partnership – We partner with local services and communities to help prevent, detect and report suspected cases of abuse and neglect.

• Accountability – We aim to be transparent, responsible and communicate clearly in all our dealings with safeguarding practice. We all have a duty to raise any safeguarding concerns that arise.

Good Practice Guidelines

All personnel should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations.  The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate within our work.

Good practice means:

• Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging an open environment i.e. no secrets).

• Treating all adults equally and with respect and dignity

• Always putting the welfare of each VA first before achieving goals.

• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with participants (e.g. it is not appropriate to have an intimate relationship with them)

• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust, which empowers  everyone to share in the decision-making process

• Making activities fun, enjoyable and promoting equality of opportunity and fairness

• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism

• Securing or checking consent where possible if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid and or other medical treatment

• Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs along with the details of any treatment given.

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Practice to be avoided

The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge, i.e. session leader or Director.    

• Avoid spending excessive amounts of time alone with vulnerable adults away from others

• Avoid transporting group members in your vehicle on their own where possible.

Practice never to be sanctioned

The following should never be sanctioned.  You should never:

• Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay

• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching

• Allow use of inappropriate language to go unchallenged

• Make sexually suggestive comments even in fun

• Use aggression or restraint as a form of control

• Allow allegations made by anyone to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon

• Do things of a personal nature for disabled adults that they can do for themselves 

• Take on the responsibility for tasks for which you are not appropriately trained.

If any of the following occur you should report this immediately to another colleague, the Safeguarding Manager and a Director and record the incident. You should also ensure the carers of the group member are informed.

• If you accidentally hurt a group member

• If he/she seems distressed in any manner

• If a participant misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done.

Guidelines for Use of Photography or video of group members.  

PRMK has a photographic consent form which must be signed and placed on file before any photographs are taken or published.

Responding to suspicions or allegations

It is not the responsibility of anyone working with PRMK in a paid or unpaid capacity to take responsibility or to decide whether or not abuse has taken place. However, there is a responsibility to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities.

All safeguarding concerns should be taken to the Safeguarding Manager or to a Director who will raise and where relevant report them via MK Council (or other relevant local authority)

PRMK will assure all staff/volunteers that it will fully support and protect anyone, who in good faith reports his or her concern that a colleague is, or may be, abusing someone.

Action if there are concerns

The following action should be taken if there are concerns:

Poor Practice

• If, following consideration, the allegation is clearly about poor practice; the appropriate Director will deal with it as a misconduct issue.

• If the allegation is about poor practice by the Safeguarding Manager, a Director or if the matter has been handled inadequately and concerns remain, it should be reported as a safeguarding alert with MK Council (or other appropriate local authority) who will decide how to deal with the allegation.

Suspected Abuse

• Any suspicion of abuse against a vulnerable adult should be reported to the Safeguarding Manager or the Director, who will take such steps as considered necessary to ensure the safety of the person in question and anyone who may be at risk.

• The Safeguarding Manager or Director will refer the allegation to the social services department or in the case of adults, MK Council Adult Social Care via the website on line reporting system 

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/adults-at-risk

• Telephone Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:15pm 01908 253772

• In an emergency, out of hours 01908 605650

• Please remember that adults with disabilities are still adults and have the same rights as anyone else, therefore it would not be appropriate to involve parents at this stage and without their permission.

• The parents or carers will be contacted as soon as possible following advice from the social services department

• The Director will deal with any media enquiries.

Confidentiality

Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned.

Information should be handled and disseminated on a need to know basis only. This includes the following people:

• The Director.

• The Safeguarding Manager

• MK Council safeguarding team if a vulnerable adult (see above.)

• The person making the allegation.

• Social services/police.

• The alleged abuser. (and parents/carers/support workers if the alleged abuser is a vulnerable adult).*

*Seek social services advice on who should approach alleged abuser.

Information should be stored in a secure place with limited access to designated people, (in accordance with the Caldecott Principles) and in line with data protection laws (e.g. that information is accurate, regularly updated, relevant and secure).