SAFEGUARDING ADULTS AND PREVENTION OF ABUSE
Woodlands, Hill Brow and Hill House believe that residents should be safeguarded from all forms of abuse. We recognise that while we must attempt at all times to protect our residents from abuse, and to identify and deal with specific instances of abuse if they occur, we must always be aiming for the very best quality of care. We will not be satisfied with anything which falls short of that standard even if it cannot be categorized specifically as abuse. We will take every possible action to prevent abuse, or to deal with it as promptly and effectively as possible if it occurs. The action to be taken is set out in written policies and procedures.
We have a zero tolerance against abuse. All staff have been and are constantly being trained in all types of abuse and what route to take in reporting abuse. All staff attend updates at least once per year.
2. The aim of this policy is to lay down for all relevant parties the principles and values underlying our approach to abuse of residents, the ways in which we hope to protect our residents and to avoid abuse taking place, and the action which will be taken to deal with abuse if it occurs which are available to all and are regularly revised.
3. Defining Abuse
We recognise that abuse of residents may take the following forms:
Physical abuse
- Financial or material abuse
- Psychological abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
- Discriminatory abuse
- Self-harm
- Inhumane or degrading treatment
- Inappropriate or excessive restraint
4. Identifying Abusers
We accept that abuse may be committed by a range of possible people. We have a responsibility for seeking to protect our service users from all sources, which include:
- The staff and management of the home
- Volunteers working in the home
- Visiting health and social care practitioners and other official visitors
- Residents friends and relatives
- People who have contact with our residents while they are temporarily beyond the confines of the home
- Other residents
5. The Role and Accountability of Staff in Relation to Abuse
All staff have a responsibility to:
- Provide residents with the best possible care
- Desist from any abusive action in relation to residents
- Report anything they witness which is or might be abusive
- Cooperate in every possible way in any investigation into alleged abuse
- Participate in training activities relating to abuse and protection
6. Managers have a Responsibility to:
Foster structures within which it is possible to deliver the best possible care
- Encourage a culture and ethos for the home which is hostile to any sort of abuse
- Produce and regularly revise policies and procedures to combat abuse
- Operate personnel policies which identify, appropriately deal with and, if necessary, exclude from practice potential or actual abusers. All staff are CRB checked and must be ISA or NMC registered.
- Provide training for staff in all aspects of abuse and protection
- Investigate any evidence of abuse speedily and sympathetically
- Implement improvements to procedures if an investigation into abuse reveal deficiencies in the way in which the home operates
- Collaborate with all other relevant agencies in combating abuse and improving the protection of residents
7. Preventing Abuse from Occurring
We will take all possible steps to prevent abuse from occurring including:
- Setting out and making widely known our procedures for responding to suspicions or evidence of abuse
- Operating personnel policies which ensure that all potential staff are rigorously checked, by the taking up of references, CRB checks and clearance through the Protection of Vulnerable Adults register
- Incorporating material relevant to abuse into staff training at all levels
- Maintaining vigilance concerning the possibility of abuse of our residents from whatever source
- Encouraging among staff, residents and all other stakeholders, a climate of openness and awareness which makes it possible to pass on concerns about behavior which might be abusive or which might lead to abuse
- Devising systems which minimize the risk of abuse of residents by other residents by understanding and dealing appropriately with any form of aggression
- Maintaining robust procedures for regulating any contact the staff of the home need to have with resident’s property, money or financial affairs.
- Communicating concerns to the appropriate officers of the Local Authority Adult Protection unit and the Care Quality Commission in accordance with relevant legislation and the Department of Health and other authoritative professional bodies.
- Helping our residents as far as possible to avoid or control situations or relationships which would make them vulnerable to abuse.
8. Identifying Actual or Possible Abuse
We will aim to identify any instances of actual or possible abuse involving our residents by all possible means including:
- Fostering an open and trusting communication structure within the home so that staff, residents and others feel able to discuss their concerns with someone authorized to take action.
- Ensuring that all staff and residents know to whom they may turn for advice and action if they become aware or suspect that abuse is occurring.
- Encouraging staff to recognise that a commitment to the highest possible standards of care must, when necessary, overrule loyalty to colleagues individually or corporately.
- Making it clear to staff that not to report incidents or suspicions of abuse is itself abusive and may lead to disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
- Operating systems of management, supervision, internal inspection and quality audits which have the potential to reveal abuse where it exists.
9. Action when Abuse has Occurred or is Alleged to have Occurred
If abuse is clearly occurring or is alleged to have occurred, we will take swift action to limit the damage to residents and to deal with the abuse, in accordance with the following steps:
| 9.1 | A staff member who witnesses a situation in which a resident is in actual or imminent danger should use their judgment as to the best way to stop what is happening without further damage to anyone involved, including themselves, either by immediately intervening personally or by summoning help. |
| 9.2 | Any staff to whom actual or suspected abuse is reported or who is involved in a situation of abuse has the responsibility either to institute action under this policy or to report the matter immediately to an appropriate senior member of staff. |
| 9.3 | The senior staff member will immediately take any further action necessary to provide protection, support or additional care to a service user who has been harmed, in line with the Hampshire Adult Safeguarding Policy. |
| 9.4 | Report to Audit protection and CQC as per the Hampshire Audit Safeguarding Policy do not take any further action. It is now the responsibility of Adult Protection to lead the investigation. |
10. Planning Further Action
At the end of an incident involving possible or actual abuse, managers should review what has happened with a view to assessing whether the home or its management has been in any way culpable, ineffective or negligent, to learning lessons for the way the home should operate in the future, and to passing on any appropriate information to other agencies. If necessary the home’s policies, procedures and training arrangements should be modified in response to any material which has emerged from the incident or the investigation. It is also the responsibility of the manager as per Adult Protection Policy to report if required the abuser to Protection of Venerable Adults (POVA).
11. Other Policies Relating to Abuse and Protection
This policy should be read in conjunction with the several other policies of the home which relate to aspects of abuse or protection of residents. These include:
- Concerns and complaints
- Physical restraint
- Management of service users’ money and financial affairs
- Staff supervision
- Whistleblowing
- Hampshire Safe Guarding Policy12. Useful Numbers
Hampshire
Hants Direct Adult Services: ( 0845 603 5630
Children’s Services: ( 0845 603 5620
Out of Hours Adult & Children’s Services Team: ( 0845 600 4555
If you are unsure if a situation within your service requires a safeguarding alert to be raised firstly speak with a senior person within your organisation. If it is felt that further advice and guidance is required the number below can be used by anyone wanting additional support.
Safeguarding Professional Advice Line: ( 01962 847214
The safeguarding professional advice line is NOT for reporting alerts.
This is undertaken through the Hants Direct number above.
Portsmouth
Adults Team and Out of Hours: ( 02392 680810
Safeguarding Adults Lead: ( 02392 688424
Southampton
Adult Services: ( 02380 834567
Out of Hours: ( 02380 233344
Safeguarding Adults Lead: ( 02380 917971
CQC
( 03000 616161
Police
( 0845 045 45 45
And ask for the local Public Protection Unit
ISA Helpline
( 0300 123 1111