Rose NI’s Safeguarding Adults procedures detail the steps, which will be
followed, where there are concerns that a vulnerable adult experience abuse and/or neglect. This process needs to be used in conjunction with the good practice guidance as outlined in both Keeping Adults Safe: A Shared Responsibility and Keeping Children Safe: Our Duty to Care and Adult Safeguarding Policy for Northern Ireland
Introduction
ROSE NI provides respite and resource services to families and individuals, specifically to those in rural areas. Having worked within the care sector for many years, and conducting the necessary research, Rose NI has identified a significant lack in meeting both the individual’s physical and mental needs. This service will aim to ‘bridge the gap’ evident within current care services. We understand the power of people-centric practice and recognise that knowing what matters to the individual, as well as how they want to be supported, can make a world of difference to a person’s wellbeing. It is about seeing the person first – not their diagnosis. ROSE NI are committed to ensuring that the individual, and their family, have control over their life and the life of their loved one, as much as possible. We have made it our mission to work with those who are currently lacking in social support services.
We understand how difficult it is to find a good match between support staff and a client. Rose NI uses people-centric support tools in developing structure and capturing information, allowing in-depth information to be used in support planning. This bespoke service enhances independence and autonomy in the comfort of your own home. This is not a one-size-fits-all service – it is one designed around each individual, truly enabling a person-centred approach in delivering care.
This safeguarding policy has been designed to ensure the welfare and protection of any adult who accesses services provided. Rose NI is committed to putting in place safeguarding measures to reduce the likelihood of abuse taking place within the services it offers and that all those involved will be treated with dignity and respect.
These procedures are cross referenced with and should be read in conjunction with the
following policies and procedures:
- Staff and Volunteer recruitment policies
- Confidentiality
- Health and Safety
- Disciplinary and Grievance
- Whistle blowing
- Complaints
- Equality and Diversity
- Data Protection
These procedures are divided into the following sections:
- Preventing and minimising abuse
- Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse
- Named person for safeguarding adults
- Responding to people who have experienced or are experiencing abuse
- Managing allegations made against a member of staff or volunteer
- Recording and managing confidential information
1 Preventing and Minimising Abuse
Rose NI is committed to safer recruitment policies and practices for paid staff,
volunteers and trustees. This includes enhanced Access NI disclosures for staff and volunteers, ensuring references are taken up and adequate training on Safeguarding Adults is provided for staff and volunteers. Where appropriate management committee members will be required to provide two references and have an enhanced Access NI check. The organisation will work within the current legal framework for reporting staff that are abusers.
Information will be made available about abuse and the complaints policy and Safeguarding
Adults policy statement will be available to service users. This information will be in a form
that can be easily understood. Service users will be provided with simple and straightforward ways to report their concerns.
All staff, volunteers, trustees and service users will be provided with training and
information to enable them to develop the awareness; skills and abilities appropriate to
their role within the organisation and responsibilities regarding Safeguarding.
All staff, volunteers and trustees will be provided with information regarding the
organisations safeguarding policies and procedures during their induction period.
Staff will be provided with opportunity to discuss Safeguarding issues during their supervision and appraisal. Rose NI will review and monitor policies and reports regarding Safeguarding on an annual basis or in line with legislative requirements.
2 Recognising the Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
Rose NI is committed to ensuring that all staff and volunteers undertake training
to gain a basic awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse and will ensure that the named
person and other members of staff and volunteers have access to training around
Safeguarding Adults.
“A single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human or civil rights” ~ Action on Elder Abuse Northern Ireland 2018
Abuse includes:
- Physical abuse, hitting, slapping, punching, burning
- Sexual abuse, rape, indecent assault, inappropriate touching
- Emotional abuse, belittling, name calling,
- Financial or material abuse, stealing, selling assets
- Neglect and acts of omission, leaving in soiled clothes, failing to feed properly
- Discriminatory abuse (including racist, sexist, based on a person’s disability and other
forms of harassment)
- Institutional
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.
Safeguarding Adults procedures relate to the multi-agency responses made to a person aged 18 years or over: ‘who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and is or maybe unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation’ ~ Safeguarding Matters 2011.
3 Named Person for Safeguarding Adults
Rose NI has an appointed individual who is responsible for dealing with any Safeguarding Adults concerns. In their absence, a deputy will be available for workers to
consult with. The named person(s) for Safeguarding Adults within Rose NI is/are:
Named Person for Safeguarding Adults: Katrina Taggart
Mobile Number 07468616961
Emergency Contact Number 07468616961
Name of deputy person: Paulette Mallon
Mobile number 07843050100
Emergency contact number 07843050100
The roles and responsibilities of the named person(s) are:
- To ensure that all staff, volunteers and trustees are aware of what they should do
and who they should go to if they have concerns that someone may be experiencing,
or has experienced abuse or neglect.
- To ensure that concerns are acted on, clearly recorded and for Rose NI to refer to Keeping Adults Safe: A Shared Responsibility and Keeping Children Safe: Our Duty to Care and Adult Safeguarding Policy for Northern Ireland for guidance and support.
- To follow up any referrals and ensure the issues have been addressed.
- To reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that staff and
volunteers are adhering to good practice with regard to confidentiality and security.
- To ensure that staff and volunteers working directly with service users who have
experienced abuse, or who are experiencing abuse, are well supported and receive
appropriate supervision.
- To co-operate with safeguarding investigations carried out under the NISCC Standards of Conduct and Practice, RQIA, PSNI and the Health and Social Care Trust.
- To ensure that disciplinary procedures are co-ordinated with any other enquiries taking place as part of the ongoing management of any allegation.
4 Responding to People who have Experienced or are Experiencing Abuse
Rose NI recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse or
neglect. Anyone who has contact with vulnerable adults and hears disclosures or allegations
or has concerns about potential abuse or neglect has a duty to pass them on appropriately.
How to respond if you receive a disclosure:
- 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
- Don’t start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions
- Don’t promise to keep it a secret
- If you witness abuse or abuse has just taken place the priorities will be:
- To call an ambulance if required
- To call the police if a crime has been committed
- To preserve evidence
- To keep yourself, staff and service users safe
- To inform the named person
- To record what happened in our dairy document
All situations of abuse or alleged abuse will be discussed with the named person. The alleged victim will be told that this will happen. This stage is called the alert and the named person can then take advice from the Safeguarding Adults Team and/or other
advice giving organisations. 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 to Adult Social Care will be made, using NISCC, RQIA, PSNI and Health and Social Care Trust’s referral process. If the individual experiencing abuse does not have the mental capacity to understand what is happening to them, a referral will be made without that person’s consent.
Making a Referral
Once you have established that you believe there is an allegation of abuse, you have
a duty to make a referral to either Adult Social Care will be made, using NISCC, RQIA, PSNI and Health and Social Care Trust’s referral process. Prior to making a referral, you will need to gather as much information as you can about the allegation, and complete as much of the Safeguarding Adults Form as possible. However, lack of access to the necessary information should NOT delay the referral.
Referrals can be made to:
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Trust Headquarters Ulster Hospital Upper Newtownards Road Dundonald Belfast BT16 1RH Phone: Ards Hospital: 028 9181 2661 / Bangor Hospital: 028 9147 5100 / Downe and Downshire Hospitals: 028 4461 3311 / Lagan Valley Hospital: 028 9266 5141 / Ulster Hospital: 028 9048 4511 Email: public.relations@setrust.hscni.net Website: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
9th Floor Riverside Tower
5 Lanyon Place
Belfast
BT1 3BT
By telephone: (028) 9536 1990
By email: info@rqia.org.uk
Explain to the call taker that you wish to raise a ‘Safeguarding Concern’.
It is important to provide contact details about yourself, as the Safeguarding Manager
may need to contact you for further details and, should contact you in any event to offer
feedback about the safeguarding assessment.
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC)
Fitness to Practice Team
7th Floor Millennium House,
25 Great Victoria Street,
Belfast, BT2 7AQ
Telephone: 028 9536 2600
Email: info@niscc.hscni.net
You should contact NISCC to report serious concerns about a social care worker’s standard of behaviour or the quality of the care they are providing. Information on reporting concerns and how they investigate them is available from Fitness to Practise & Hearings.
5 Managing Allegations made Against A Member of Staff or Volunteer
Rose NI will ensure that any allegations made against members or member of staff, volunteer or trustee will be dealt with swiftly. Where a member of staff/volunteer/trustee 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.
Where the allegation involves alleged abuse of a vulnerable adult, a referral should be made
following the process in section 4. The safety of the individual(s) concerned is paramount and it should be ensured that they are safe and away from the person(s) who are the alleged perpetrators. The named person will liaise with A Safeguarding Manager to discuss the best course of action and to ensure that Rose NI’s Disciplinary Procedures are coordinated with any other enquiries taking place as part of the ongoing management of the allegation.
6 Recording and Managing Confidential Information
Rose NI is committed to maintaining confidentiality wherever possible and
information around Safeguarding Adults issues should be shared only with those who need
to know. For further information, please see Rose NI’s confidentiality policy.
All allegations/disclosures/concerns should be recorded in writing. The information should
be factual and not based on opinions, record what the person tells you, what you have seen
and witnesses if appropriate. The information that is recorded will be kept secure and will comply with data protection.
7 Disseminating/Reviewing Policy and Procedures
Rose NI will ensure that the Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures are reviewed annually. The named person for Safeguarding Adults will be involved in this process and can recommend any changes. It may be appropriate to involve service users in the review and parents/carers need to be informed of any significant changes. The named person will also ensure that any changes are clearly communicated to staff, volunteers and service users.