safeguarding
Safeguarding at therapy at the farm…
Our safeguarding responsibilities
All the practitioners recognises their responsibilities in safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk, regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability. We commit ourselves to the protection and safekeeping of all families and professionals we come into contact with. In pursuit of this, we commit ourselves to this policy and to the development of sound procedures to ensure we implement our policy well.
Prevention and reporting of abuse
It is the duty of everyone to help prevent the abuse of children and adults at risk. Any abuse disclosed, discovered or suspected will be reported in accordance with our procedures. all our therapists will fully co-operate with any statutory investigation into any suspected abuse.
Respecting children and adults at risk
All children, adults and adults at risk will be shown the respect that is due to them , irrespective of gender, race, age, needs or.
Definitions
A child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. Safeguarding guidance points out that even if a child has reached 16 years of age and is:
living independently
in further education
a member of the armed forces
in hospital; or
in custody in the secure estate
An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and or support. Some examples of this are:
adults with disabilities
someone bereaved
someone for whom English is not their first language
someone unwell
a homeless adult
What to do if Abuse is Suspected or Disclosed
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child or adult at risk. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child or adult by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children and adults at risk may be abused in a range of settings, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. There are many ways in which people suffer abuse – see table below.
Everyone has his or her part to play in helping to safeguard children and adults at risk if:
If the behaviour of a child or adult at risk gives any cause for concern
If an allegation is made in any context about a child or adult at risk being harmed
If the behaviour of any individual towards children or adults at risk causes concern
All practitioners will follow the following course of action in relation to any safeguarding concerns:
Recognise that abuse may be taking place
Respond to the concern
Record all the information they have received
Report it to the statutory authorities
WHAT TO DO
WHAT NOT TO DO
Listen to and acknowledge what is being said.
Try to be reassuring & remain calm.
Explain clearly what you will do and what will happen next.
Try to give them a timescale for when and how you will contact them again.
Take action – don’t ignore the situation.
Be supportive.
Tell them that:
They were right to tell you;
You are taking what they have said seriously;
It was not their fault;
That you would like to pass this information on to the appropriate people, with their permission;
Be open and honest.
Give contact details for them to report any further details or ask any questions that may arise.
Do not promise confidentiality.
Do not show shock, alarm, disbelief or disapproval.
Do not minimise what is being said.
Do not ask probing or leading questions, or push for more information.
Do not offer false reassurance.
Do not delay in contacting social care.
Do not contact the alleged abuser.
Do not investigate the incident any further.
Never leave a child or adult at risk waiting to hear from someone without any idea of when or where that may be.
Do not pass on information to those who don't need to know.
Type of abuse
Child
Adult at risk
Physical
Actual or likely physical injury to a child, or failure to prevent physical injury to a child.
To inflict pain, physical injury or suffering to an adult at risk.
Emotional
The persistent, emotional, ill treatment of a child that affects their emotional and behavioural development. It may involve conveying to the child that they are worthless and unloved, inadequate, or that they are given responsibilities beyond their years.
The use of threats, fear or power gained by another adult’s position, to invalidate the person’s independent wishes. Such behaviour can create very real emotional and psychological distress. All forms of abuse have an emotional component.
Sexual
Involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This includes non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or FGM (female genital mutilation)
Any non-consenting sexual act or behaviour including FGM (female genital mutilation).
No one should enter into a sexual relationship with someone for whom they have pastoral responsibility or hold a position of trust.
Neglect
Where adults fail to care for children and protect them from danger, seriously impairing health and development.
A person’s wellbeing is impaired and their care needs are not met. Neglect can be deliberate or can occur as a result of not understanding what someone’s needs are.
Type of Abuse
Additional Definitions
Financial
The inappropriate use, misappropriation, embezzlement or theft of money, property or possessions.
Spiritual
The inappropriate use of religious belief or practice; coercion and control of one individual by another in a spiritual context; the abuse of trust by someone in a position of spiritual authority (e.g. minister). The person experiences spiritual abuse as a deeply emotional personal attack.
Discrimination
The inappropriate treatment of a person because of their age, gender, race, religion, cultural background, sexuality or disability.
Institutional
The mistreatment or abuse of a person by a regime or individuals within an institution. It can occur through repeated acts of poor or inadequate care and neglect, or poor professional practice or ill-treatment. The church as an institution is not exempt from perpetrating institutional abuse.
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is any threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are or have been in a relationship, or between family members. It can affect anybody regardless of their age, gender, sexuality or social status.
Domestic abuse can be physical, sexual or psychological, and whatever form it takes, it is rarely a one-off incident. Usually there is a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour where an abuser seeks to exert power over their family member or partner, including coercive and controlling behaviour
Cyber Abuse
The use of information technology (email, mobile phones, websites, social media, instant messaging, chatrooms, etc.) to repeatedly harm or harass other people in a deliberate manner.
Self-harm
Self-Harm is the intentional damage or injury to a person’s own body. It is used as a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. An individual may also be neglecting themselves, which can result in harm to themselves.
Hate crime
‘Mate crime’ is when people (particularly those with learning disabilities) are befriended by members of the community, who go on to exploit and take advantage of them.
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery is the practice of treating people as property; it includes bonded labour, child labour, sex slavery and trafficking. It is illegal in every country of the world.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is when people are bought and sold for financial gain and/or abuse. Men, women and children can be trafficked, both within their own countries and over international borders. The traffickers will trick, coerce, lure or force these vulnerable individuals into sexual exploitation, forced labour, street crime, domestic servitude or even the sale of organs and human sacrifice.
Responding to Concerns
When there are concerns that a child, young person or adult is being abused, the following process must be followed.
A written record must be made of the concern and the concern must be passed on to children’s or adult social care within 24 hours.
The written record should: be made as soon as possible after the event; be legible; include the name, date of birth and address of the child or adult at risk; include the nature of any concerns and description of any bruising or injuries that have been noticed; include an exact record of what the child or adult at risk has said, using their own words where possible; include any action taken; be signed and dated; be kept secure and confidential.
Where formal referrals are made, reports may need to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Any concerns about a child should always be reported. In the case of an adult at risk, the adult concerned has a say in whether we pass on our concerns. However, if we feel that they may not have the mental capacity to make this decision soundly OR if there is a public interest in reporting the matter, we should pass it on. It is not our role to decide whether someone has mental capacity and is therefore able to make decisions that impact on their safety and well-being. Decisions on mental capacity are best made by professionals with the relevant background information to hand. Always share your concerns with relevant professionals even if you do not have the consent of the adult to do so – in this instance, make sure the professional knows that the person concerned has not given consent for the information to be passed on.
The Care Act 2014 provides helpful guidance on these situations:
“If the adult has the mental capacity to make informed decisions about their safety and
they do not want any action to be taken, this does not preclude the sharing of information with
relevant professional colleagues. This is to enable professionals to assess the risk of harm
and to be confident that the adult is not being unduly influenced, coerced or intimidated and
is aware of all the options. This will also enable professionals to check the safety and validity
of decisions made. It is good practice to inform the adult that this action is being taken
unless doing so would increase the risk of harm”.
If you think that anyone is in imminent danger of harm, a report
should be made immediately to the police by calling 999.
Contacts for Bath and Northeast Somerset
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Jackie Deas
01225 396810
jackie_deas@bathnes.gov.uk
Police
Contact 101, or 999 in an emergency
Adult Social Services
8.45am—5pm 01225 477000
Out of hours 01454 615165
Children’s Social Services
8.45am—5pm 01225 396312/01225 396313
Out of hours 01454 615165
Contact Details for Somerset
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Anthony Goble
0300 123 2244
sdinputters@somerset.gov.uk
Police
Contact 101, or 999 in an emergency
Adult Social Services
8.45am—5pm 0300 1232224
Out of hours 0300 1232237
adults@somerset.gov.uk
Children’s Social Services
8.45am—5pm 0300 1232224
Out of hours 0300 1232237
childrens@somerset.gov.uk
If the DPS is not available, or is implicated in the situation, any reports or concerns should be passed to another member of the church Safeguarding Team.
If you think that anyone is in imminent danger of harm, a report
should be made immediately to the police by calling 999.
2.1.3 Responding to Concerns Raised about Adults at Risk
When a concern is raised about an adult it should be treated in the same way as a concern about a child ie the church worker (paid or voluntary) should:
Recognise that abuse may be taking place
Respond to the concern
Record all the information they have received
Report the concern to the DPS who may, in turn, report it to the statutory authorities
It is not your role to decide whether someone has mental capacity, and is therefore able to make decisions that impact on their safety and well-being. Decisions on mental capacity are best made by professionals with the relevant background information to hand. Always share your concerns with the DPS even if you do not have the consent of the adult to do so – in this instance, make sure the DPS knows that the person concerned has not given consent for the information to be passed on.
The Care Act 2014 provides helpful guidance on these situations:
“If the adult has the mental capacity to make informed decisions about their safety and
they do not want any action to be taken, this does not preclude the sharing of information with
relevant professional colleagues. This is to enable professionals to assess the risk of harm
and to be confident that the adult is not being unduly influenced, coerced or intimidated and
is aware of all the options. This will also enable professionals to check the safety and validity
of decisions made. It is good practice to inform the adult that this action is being taken
unless doing so would increase the risk of harm”.
The DPS will consider all the information to hand and decide whether it is appropriate for the information to be reported to the statutory authorities (see appendix 2 for further information). If there are any concerns about an adult's mental capacity, the DPS will contact the Local Authority Adult Safeguarding.
Date: Sept 2023
Review date: Sept 2024