Ref No: OC19

Safeguarding Adults

Revision 16: Dec 16

Review Date: July 16

Next Review Date: July 17

OC19

Safeguarding Policy

1Purpose

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is fundamental to high-quality health and social care. This policy is underpinned by the requirements of the Care Act 2014 and will ensure compliance with Local Authority guidance.

The Local Authority is the lead Organisation for safeguarding. An overview of Local Authority stage 4 processes to safeguarding is listed in Appendix 3 of the Procedure : S42 Enquiry.

2Policy

Safeguarding adults at risk is an absolute priority for Outlook Care. The safety and well-being of people we support is integral to everything we do. A Safeguarding Committee, led by a Board member, monitors all safeguarding incidents, reporting to Board on trends and areas for development via a set of performance indicators and information reports.

Through induction and training, all staff will be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, including bullying and harassment between people we support and reassure our customers and their families that we will do all in our power to prevent harm. All staff within Outlook Care will receive training in safeguarding including the Board members. The staff supervision template will prompt Managers to discuss safeguarding with their staff.

The Care Act puts adult safeguarding on a legislative footing for the first time in the same way as children’s safeguarding. It is important to remain focused on outcomes rather than just the process of safeguarding. The outcomes should be to:

  • Ensure the safety and wellbeingof anyone who has been subject to abuse or neglect
  • Take action against those responsible for abuse or neglect taking place
  • Learn lessons and make changes that could prevent similar abuse or neglect happening to other people e.g. through learning and development programmes for staff.
  • Prevention - It is better to take action before harm occurs. Staff will receive clear and simple information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and seek help. Staff should work with the adult to establish what being safe means to them and how that can be best achieved.

2.1Outlook Care

  • Has a culture that does not tolerate abuse
  • Works in partnership with others to prevent abuse
  • Everyone who works and lives within Outlook Care knows what to do when abuse happens
  • People we support and their families will be re assured that we have a systematic process for managing safeguarding issues through a competent, trained and compassionate workforce who understand their roles in safeguarding adults.

People we support will be satisfied that if safeguarding incidents occur they will be managed and responded to quickly, effectively, sensitively together with all appropriate stakeholders, with clear steps put in place to minimise risk of further harm.

3Legislation

  • Care Act 2014
  • Mental Capacity Act 2005
  • Government Statement of Policy on Adult Safeguarding (HM Government, 2013)
  • Children Act 2004
  • Working together to safeguard children
  • A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

4Governance

The purpose of the Board is to direct the affairs of Outlook Care, set the long-term vision and protect the reputation and values of the organisation, adopting the principles of good governance as outlined in “Good Governance – a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector (Second Edition 2010)”.

The Board have responsibility for setting the Policy and delegate implementing and following the procedure to the Organisation/Chief Executive/Executive Management Team.

5Customer Impact Statement

Outlook Care wants to make sure that all our customers are happy with the service they receive. Outlook Care defines its customers as people we support, their families, the public sector commissioners and the local communities in which we work. If unhappy about anything, they are able to talk to someone to help put things right. This policy and its subsequent procedure, is drafted in line with our values, giving guidance to our staff to ensure that our customers are able to speak freely about concerns, be listened to by staff, who will then put things right. The impact of this policy is to empower our customers to let us know when something has gone wrong and be confident that we will put it right.

6Adoption

The Board of Trustees makes adoption of this policy.

Chief Executive / Chairman
Name:Piotr Rejek / Name:Steve Marsh
Signature: / Signature:
Date:28 October 2016 / Date: 28 October 2016

This policy statement is reviewed annually.

OC109

Safeguarding Policy

Procedure & Guidelines

z1Purpose

2Policy

2.1Outlook Care

3Legislation

4Governance

5Customer Impact Statement

6Adoption

7Linked Documents/Forms/Websites

8Who does this Apply to?

9Making Safeguarding Personal

10Abuse

10.1Abuse between people we support living in our services

10.2Supporting people who challenge

11Roles & Responsibilities within Outlook Care

12How do I raise a safeguarding alert?

13Outlook Care staff: Responding to Alleged or Suspected abuse

13.1Reporting abuse is not a matter of personal choice, it is a legal duty

14Manager’s Checklist

Following immediate action taken after responding to alleged or suspected abuse

15Safeguarding Closure

16Organisational Responsibility for Safeguarding

17Confidentiality and Data Protection

18Referrals to Disclosure and Barring Service

19Ill Treatment or Wilful Neglect

19.1Ill Treatment or wilful neglect – care worker offence

19.2Ill Treatment or wilful neglect – care provider offence

20Support, training and counselling for staff and people we support

21Whistleblowing

22Helplines

22.1Confidential Safeguarding Helpline

22.2Outlook Care Safeguarding Helpline: Telephone No: 01277 637521

23Role of Safeguarding Adults Board and Adult Safeguarding Reviews

23.1Role of Safeguarding Adults Board

23.2Objective and Role

23.3Membership

23.4Safeguarding Adults Review

24Appendix 1: What is Abuse?

24.1Abuse can happen anywhere:

24.2Forms of abuse

25Appendix 2: Safeguarding Adults and Pressure Ulcers

26Appendix 3: S42 Enquiry

7Linked Documents/Forms/Websites

  • OC95Child Protection
  • OC18 Risk Management Policy
  • OC73 Mental Capacity & Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
  • OC33 Investigations
  • OC5 Records, Data and Confidentiality
  • OC59Positive Behaviour Management
  • OC62 Whistleblowing Policy
  • OC79Governance Policy
  • OC105Quality Policy
  • Form 402Action to be Taken if Abuse is Alleged or Suspected
  • Form 3 Abuse Poster Template
  • Form 164Body Map
  • Form 147OCB Communications and Complaints
  • Guidance for Nurses – Dignity in Health Care for People with Learning Disabilities
  • Care Quality Commission (CQC) Easy Read Fundamental standards

8Who does this Apply to?

All Staff / Care & Support Staff / Central Services Staff / Line Managers / Board/EMT
SMT/BDT
√

9Making Safeguarding Personal

People we support will be enabled to make choices and have control in how they choose to live their lives, with a focus upon ensuring their safety and wellbeing is in line with our commitment to making safeguarding personal.

We will offer people we support regular opportunity to talk about what abuse is, and how to respond. We will use accessible materials including DVDs and workbooks via workshops, forums and support-planning meetings to help people we support to better understand their rights. We will encourage family members to take part in these learning opportunities.

We will support people who have capacity to make advanced decisions about how any future safeguarding incidents are managed and who will be involved to support the person emotionally, and in terms of understanding the process. The advance decision regarding who the appropriate person should be to support the person in the event of an allegation must be detailed on the one page profile.

The support plan will clearly identify risks of abuse with details of exactly how this will be minimised. The support plan review will openly discuss the risks and any changes that have increased or decreased the risks. Where a safeguarding alert has been raised the actions and learning from the closed alert will be incorporated into the support plan and will be reviewed.

At the point of an allegation the person’s views about the preferred outcome will be listened to and reflected in alerts, notifications and incident reports.

Following a safeguarding incident the process will be reviewed with the individual to ensure they were at the centre of any decision making; this will be documented at the support plan review meeting.Best interest decisions will be made for people who lack capacity regarding the above.

Managing risk is a key aspect of keeping people safe, however, it is recognised that risk is an inevitable consequence of people making decisions about their lives. Where people have the mental capacity to make decisions and understand consequences they will be supported to manage this while maintaining choice and control.

Under the Care Act the Local Authority is required to consider whether there is an appropriate person who can facilitate the adult’s involvement in the safeguarding process. If it is not immediately clear whether there is an appropriate person the local authority may need to arrange for an advocate to facilitate. (An appropriate person cannot be a member of Outlook Care staff).

Outlook Care staff are trained and skilled to identify and apply for applications under Deprivation of Liberty safeguards, for people in Nursing, residential and community care settings. A safeguarding issue arises when a potential Deprivation of Liberty is identified and not acted upon.

Outlook Care is required to meet the fundamental standards as a condition of our registration with the Care Quality Commission, as a part of the standards we are subject to a duty of candour. This means we will be open, honest and transparent about care delivered, apologise when it goes wrong and learn from each situation.

10Abuse

  • Abuse can take place in any setting – for example an individual’s private home, care home, hospital, day service, public transport, park, police station or college.
  • Abuse can consist of a single or repeated act(s), intentional or unintentional
  • Abuse may or result from a lack of knowledge
  • Abuse can cause temporary harm or exist over a period of time and can occur in any relationship
  • Abuse can be perpetrated by anyone, individually or as part of a group or organisation. Importantly, abuse can often constitute a crime

Types of abuse and the signs and symptoms of abuse are listed within Appendix1 What is Abuse?

If you are unsure if abuse has occurred complete an incident report and contact the Manager/On call Manager for advice. Alternatively you can seek advice from the local authority.

10.1Abuse between people we support living in our services

Abuse between people we support who live in our services must always be managed under this procedure, and could be considered as a criminal activity. Support must be given to both the victim and perpetrator in these circumstances.

10.2Supporting people who challenge

Staff are trained to defuse situations where people we support present indications of physical assault on staff. Staff are trained to call for assistance and respond in a way that will keep the situation calm and safe to themselves and other people around them. The staff will follow the guidance within the support plan in relation to supporting the individual which is underpinned by the procedure OC59 (Supporting People who Challenge).

1

Ref No: OC19

Safeguarding Adults

Revision 16: Dec 16

Review Date: July 16

Next Review Date: July 17

11 Roles & Responsibilities within Outlook Care

We are all responsible

Ref No: OC19

Safeguarding Adults

Revision 16: Dec 16

Review Date: July 16

Next Review Date: July 17

12How do I raise a safeguarding alert?

Ensure all staff have access to their Local Authority Safeguarding Adults at Risk Procedures. Within the Local Authority procedures is a process which refers to the ‘alerter’. The alerter is the person reporting alleged abuse. Each local authority will have specific documentation that staff should use to notify the safeguarding team/Local Authority of suspected abuse

Ensure a hard copyof Safeguarding information is available within the Emergency Red Folder and is accessible to all staff and must contain valid and up-to-date copies of the following:

  • Relevant Local Authority Safeguarding Guidelines
  • OC19 Safeguarding Adults - Outlook Care’s Policy
  • 4 X relevant LA Alert Forms
  • 4 X CQC Notification Forms

Access to electronic versions of Guidelines, proceduresand alert forms can be obtained on the relevant Websites via the links below:

Southend
By Email:
Secure email only:
Please note you can only send emails to the secure address if you are sending from a secure email
Non Secure email:
By safe haven Fax to: 01702 534794
Making a referral/enquiry by telephone: Access Team: 01702 215008
Out of hours Referrals:
General Public - 0845 606 1212
Statutory Agencies – 0300 123 0778
Fax - 0300 123 0779
Link to Safeguarding Adults Guidelines and reporting abuse form:

Essex
By Post to: Essex Social Care Direct, Essex House, 200 The Crescent, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9YQ
By email:
Secure email only:
Please note you can only send emails to the secure address if you are sending from a secure email address
Non Secure email:
Making a referral/enquiry by telephone: 0845 603 7634
By safe haven fax to: 0845 601 6230
Out of hours Referrals:
General Public - 0845 606 1212
Statutory Agencies – 0300 123 0778
Fax - 0300 123 0779
Link to Essex Safeguarding Adults Board:

Link to Safeguarding Adults Guidelines and reporting abuse form:

Thurrock
Secure email only:
Please note you can only send emails to the secure address if you are sending from a secure email
Non Secure Email:
By safe haven Fax to: 01375 652760
Making a referral/enquiry by telephone:
Community Solutions Team: 01375 652868
Out of hours: 01375 372468 (Fax 01375 397080)
Link to Safeguarding Adults Guidelines:

Link to Reporting Abuse form:

Barking & Dagenham
Email:
Tel: 0208 724 8863 / 8858 / 8860
Fax:0208 517 7356
Link to Contact details and Safeguarding Adults Guidelines:

Havering
By Email:
Adult Social Services Safeguarding adults team
Telephone: 01708 433 550
Fax: 01708 432 497
Link to Safeguarding Adults Guidelines, contact details and reporting abuse form:


Westminster
By Email:
Safeguarding Adults Tel No: 020 7641 2176
Safe Haven Fax Number : 020 7641 1593
Link to procedure

Link to local authority form

Waltham Forest
The Safeguarding Adults Team by email only
Email:
Tel: 0208 496 3000
If outside normal office hours, or at the weekend or a Bank Holiday:
To SOCIAL SERVICES EMERGENCY DUTY TEAM
Tel: 020 8496 3000
Link to procedure

Link to local authority form

Redbridge
Email to:
Social Services on 0208 708 7333 Mon-Fri (9.00am-5.00pm) or 0208 554 5000 Mon-Fri 8.30am to 6.00pm)
Link to procedure & forms

Brent
Email:
Tele: 0208 937 4300
Fax: 0208 937 4027
Link to Safeguarding Adults Guidelines, contact details and reporting abuse form:

Greenwich
Email:
Tele: 0208 921 2304
Fax: 0208 854 8888 (Out of hours)
Links to website only

Newham
Tele: 0203 373 0440
Link to Website & Form

Link to Procedure

Lewisham
Tele: 0208 314 7777
Link to Website

Link to Procedure & Form

13Outlook Care staff: Responding to Alleged or Suspected abuse

13.1Reporting abuse is not a matter of personal choice, it is a legal duty

Staff member to Inform Line Manager immediately and RecordDetails of concern on a separate sheet.
Is the person in immediate danger of harm?
Yes
IMMEDIATE
  • Take appropriate emergency action to reduce risks to the person(s) at risk.
  • Reassure the person that you are there to help. Ensure they are in a safe location while you take the necessary action.
  • Arrange for immediate medical attention if required (record any injuries using body map).
  • Use hospital admission pack if a stay in hospital is required.
  • Ensure Medication Administration Record (MAR) sheet and relevant information is taken on admission.
  • Staff have a duty to report to the police any incident where a criminal act is suspected/alleged with or without the consent or capacity of the victim (customer). The police will make further enquiries and if at that stage the victim chooses not to pursue the case then this will be considered.
  • Preserve clothing, do not give personal care if a crime is suspected until police advised
/ No
  • Reassure the person that you are there to help.
  • Record your observation or any information given to you by the service user on the A&I form

  • Contact Area Manager/ Senior on-call Manager / Service Manager and agree who will contact Safeguarding Team /Social Work Team
  • Discuss whether a place of safety needs to be arranged
  • If the concern involves your line manager contact Area Manager/Senior on-call.
  • Contact & agree with local Safeguarding Team what measures can be taken to minimise risk
  • Complete incident report and send to Area manager / Assistant Director of Operations / Director of Operations within 24 hours

  • Agree with Service Manager who will contact relatives and offer verbal apology under Duty of Candour if applies, for further information see Complaints, Compliments & Comments Policy (OC65)
  • Inform the placing authority if this is different from the Local Authority
  • Agree notifications to any other parties
  • If duty of candour applies it will be followed up by Director/Assistant Director of Operations with a letter in writing
Throughout each stage reassure the person that they are doing the right thing in speaking out. Make sure they continue to get support beyond the immediate response to the allegation. Keep the victim up-to-date with the process and actions taken. (See individual support plan/ one page profile for their advance decision concerning safeguarding and appropriate person). Staff member to agree with manager if police need to be contacted.

14Manager’s Checklist

Following immediate action taken after responding to alleged or suspected abuse

  • Is the allegation of abuse also a complaint?
  • Responding to alleged or suspected abuse,check all actions have been completed by staff as set out in paragraph 6 above.
  • If press interest is suspected provide details to the Executive Management Team (EMT) immediately
  • Check the following forms have been completed and saved in line with procedure:
  • Incident Report
  • Safeguarding Alerts (if requested by Local Authority)
  • CQC Notification (if providing regulated activity)
  • If a safeguarding alert is raised forward the link immediately to Area Manager and Assistant Director of Operations or Director of Operations for Foxburrow Grange.
  • Collect statements regarding allegation from staff on duty.
  • Ask Shift Manager/ Leader to write a statement about observations they have made on that shift including any staff or resident’ issues that may have led to that allegation.
  • Complete a Body Map (FM164);in line with Data Protectionphotography of any injuries is not permitted.
  • If an allegation is made about a staff member seek advice from HR about possible suspension/ senior on-call if out of hours
  • Speak to the Safeguarding Team and confirm if they will be considering the Alert further under a Section 42 Enquiry. Agree the process going forward and confirm what action has been taken so far. (Local Authority Procedure of Managing a S42 Enquiry is listed in a Flowchart under Appendix 3 S42 Enquiry)
  • Speak to the Safeguarding Team and agree arrangements of an appropriate adult or advocate and be aware of advanced safeguarding decisions recorded within the Support Plan.
  • Agree immediate Risk Management Plan to keep the person safe prior to any Safeguarding Strategy Meeting or Serious Case Review.
  • Ensure person’s notes detail any safeguarding raised and who it was passed to including the date and time.
  • Keep person subject to abuse up to date with the process and actions taken and record in the Support Plan.Prepare folder of required information in preparation for the Safeguarding Strategy Meeting this will contain the following but may require additional information:
  • Incident Report
  • Safeguarding Alert
  • CQC Notification
  • Statements
  • Risk Assessment
  • Support Plan
  • Proposals & Recommendations
  • Consider if Duty of Candour applies and make necessary calls to family offering an apology – update Assistant Director / Director for Foxburrow Grange and follow up in writing. (See OC65 Complaints Compliments & Comments for details)
  • Following the Sign-off Closure of Safeguarding Review, debrief staff and reflect upon lessons learnt and changes to be made.
  • Ensure the person we support and the appropriate person/advocate is being kept up to date with processes and actions being taken.
  • If the allegation of abuse originally came via a complaint, ensure the complainant has been responded to in line with the Complaints Compliments & Comments Procedure. (OC65)
  • If the Local Authority have indicated the Section 42 Enquiry / safeguarding has been closed, but have not confirmed this in writing please email the Safeguarding Lead stating, “We have supplied all the information requested in accordance with your procedures. We are of the understanding the alert has been closed, please can you confirm this is the case”

15Safeguarding Closure