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SL13-Safeguarding Adults Policy (MH)

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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Safeguarding Adults Policy

Policy Statement and Principles

{{org_field_name}} is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare and rights of adults using its supported living services. We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or improper treatment. All staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of care and respect, ensuring that service users are protected from harm, treated with dignity, and empowered to live safely. Safeguarding is not just about responding to incidents, but also about actively promoting well-being, preventing abuse, and embedding a culture of openness and accountability throughout the organisation. This policy is grounded in the six key principles of adult safeguarding as outlined in the Care Act 2014, which guide how we operate:

 

Purpose and Scope

Purpose: This policy outlines how {{org_field_name}} prevents and responds to any allegations or incidents of abuse or improper treatment. It provides clear guidance to staff on their responsibilities and the procedures to follow. It also assures service users, families, and regulators (including the Care Quality Commission) that safeguarding is embedded in our service and that we foster a safe, caring environment.

Scope: This policy applies to all of {{org_field_name}}’s supported living services. It is specifically tailored to adults (age 18 and over, including older adults 65+) with physical disabilities and/or mental health conditions whom we support. (Our service does not currently provide for certain other groups such as individuals with significant learning disabilities, autism, or dementia; thus, this policy focuses on the needs of adults with physical and mental health support needs.) It covers all staff members (full-time, part-time, agency, and volunteers) and anyone working on behalf of {{org_field_name}}. Everyone in the organisation has a duty to uphold this policy. Service users and their families are made aware of the standards of care they should expect and how to report any concerns. This policy is limited to supported living services and is not intended for other service types (such as residential care homes or general domiciliary care not associated with supported living).

 

Legal and Regulatory Framework

{{org_field_name}} adheres to all relevant UK legislation, regulations, and guidance relating to safeguarding adults. Key legislation and standards informing this policy include:

(Note: Other relevant guidance includes the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (which we apply when supporting individuals who may lack mental capacity for specific decisions) and the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act regarding Liberty Protection Safeguards, as well as the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 for whistleblowing protections. These are addressed in context below.)

 

Types of Abuse and Improper Treatment

Abuse can take many forms. All staff must be able to recognize the various types of abuse and neglect, as well as signs of improper treatment. Below are definitions and examples of different forms of abuse or harm relevant to adult safeguarding. No form of abuse is acceptable, and staff should be vigilant for any of these:

Recognising Signs: Each type of abuse may have indicators. For example, physical abuse might show as unexplained bruises or frequent “accidents”; financial abuse could be noticed if a person’s bills aren’t paid or they seem anxious about money; emotional abuse might be suspected if a person becomes withdrawn, fearful, or overly submissive. Staff are trained to be observant and to take note of any changes in a service user’s behavior, mood, or physical condition that could suggest something is wrong. A key part of prevention is being alert to early signs and never ignoring “nagging doubts” – it is always better to report a concern that turns out to be unfounded than to miss a real problem.

 

Prevention and Safeguarding Culture

{{org_field_name}} believes that preventing abuse and neglect is as important as responding to it. We strive to foster a culture where safeguarding is everyone’s business and is embedded in daily practice. Key preventative measures include:

By implementing these preventative measures, {{org_field_name}} strives to create a service where abuse is less likely to occur, and where any concerns are spotted and addressed early. Our goal is a positive, open culture in which safeguarding is “built-in” to everything we do.

Roles and Responsibilities

Safeguarding is the responsibility of every member of staff at {{org_field_name}}, as well as those in leadership positions. We have clear roles defined to ensure accountability and effective handling of safeguarding issues:

Key responsibilities of the Safeguarding Lead:
– Be the first point of contact for all safeguarding concerns or allegations. They ensure every concern is taken seriously, acted upon immediately, and recorded properly.
– Provide advice and support to staff who report concerns, guiding them through the process as needed. The Safeguarding Lead is knowledgeable about internal procedures and external referral pathways.
– Liaise with external agencies (such as the Local Authority Safeguarding Adults Team, police, and CQC). When a safeguarding concern needs to be formally referred to the local authority or another body, the Safeguarding Lead (or a delegate) will usually make or oversee that referral and ensure proper information sharing.
– Keep secure records of all safeguarding concerns, actions, and outcomes. The Safeguarding Lead maintains a central confidential log of all safeguarding incidents or alerts in the organisation, which is used to track patterns and ensure follow-up.
– Monitor the implementation of any safeguarding plans or actions that result from investigations. For example, if the Local Authority’s safeguarding enquiry leads to an agreed protection plan for a service user, the Safeguarding Lead ensures our staff implement those actions (such as increased monitoring, changes in care, etc.).
– Support the service user affected by a safeguarding incident. This includes ensuring that the person (and, where appropriate, their family or advocate) is kept informed and involved in decisions, consistent with the principle of Making Safeguarding Personal. The Safeguarding Lead seeks the individual’s input about what they want to happen and communicates updates in a sensitive way.
– Promote a safe culture. The Safeguarding Lead takes a lead on reminding everyone that “safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.” They might organise refresher trainings, share lessons learned from incidents, or circulate new guidance. They also ensure that this policy (and related procedures) are reviewed regularly (at least annually, or whenever there are changes in legislation/guidance) and updated as needed. Any learning from safeguarding cases – things that went wrong or were handled well – is used to improve our practice.

In our supported living service, the Registered Manager also typically fulfills the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead. (If these roles are held by separate people, they work closely together. Important: If the Registered Manager is also the sole Nominated Individual for the service, see further guidance below on handling allegations involving that person.)

Everyone from frontline support workers to the most senior leader has a part to play. We emphasize that safeguarding is “core business” for all of us – it is not an optional task or something only managers handle. Each role has different duties, but they all interlock to create a strong safety net for the people we support.

Procedures for Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

All concerns or suspicions of abuse or improper treatment must be taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately. The following procedures outline how staff (and others) should raise concerns, and how those concerns are handled within {{org_field_name}}. We emphasize prompt reporting, thorough investigation, and partnership with external authorities at every step. Staff are trained on these procedures, and this section of the policy is available as a quick reference.

Recognising and Raising Concerns

1. Immediate safety first: If you think a person may be in immediate danger or in need of urgent medical attention, act at once to secure their safety. For example, if you find a service user with an injury or in a dangerous situation, ensure they are safe and call emergency services (dial 999) if needed. If a crime is in progress or imminent, call the police immediately. Ensuring the person’s safety is the top priority.

2. Pay attention to your instincts: If something doesn’t seem right – for instance, you notice unexplained bruises, sudden changes in behavior or mood, a service user seems unusually afraid of a particular individual, or any other “red flag” – do not ignore it. It is better to report a suspicion that turns out to be unfounded than to miss a situation of real abuse. Trust your professional curiosity and compassion.

3. Listen and reassure (for disclosures): If an adult directly confides in you that abuse or neglect is happening (this is often called a “disclosure”), stay calm and listen carefully. Let them speak at their own pace. Reassure them that they did the right thing by telling you and that you take them seriously. Do not promise to keep secrets. It is important to explain gently that you will need to report this to people who can help keep them safe, but you will only tell those who absolutely need to know. Avoid asking leading questions or pressuring the person for more details – just gather the basics (who, what, when, where, in their words) and thank them for telling you.

4. Preserve evidence (if applicable): In some cases (especially if a crime may have occurred, such as a physical or sexual assault, or theft), it’s important to preserve any potential evidence. This could include, for example, not tidying up the scene of an incident, keeping any torn clothing, notes, or objects involved, and securing any relevant CCTV footage. Do this only if it does not further distress the person – evidence is secondary to someone’s immediate welfare. If you’re unsure, you can get advice from a manager or the police on how to preserve evidence properly.

Once the immediate safety and initial information gathering steps above have been addressed, the next step is to report the concern internally without delay.

 

Internal Reporting Procedure

As soon as any staff member or volunteer suspects abuse, witnesses an incident, or receives an allegation or disclosure, they must report it internally immediately. Do not wait until the end of your shift or the next day. Our internal reporting pathway is as follows:

In such a scenario, also consider contacting our organisation’s owner or another director if one exists (in some cases the manager may also be the owner, but if not, an owner or board member should be informed). The key point is that concerns about the most senior person must still be reported – do not allow loyalty or fear to prevent you from reporting. We assure staff that they will not suffer adverse consequences for bypassing the normal chain of command in order to protect service users. (This is supported by whistleblowing law and our own policy.) The Local Authority and CQC expect providers to have this kind of contingency.

At this point, an internal report has been made and initial actions taken. The next stage often involves external reporting – contacting agencies like the local authority – to ensure a proper safeguarding enquiry is conducted under multi-agency procedures.

External Reporting and Safeguarding Enquiries

{{org_field_name}} works in partnership with the Local Authority and other agencies in accordance with multi-agency safeguarding procedures. Under the Care Act 2014, the Local Authority is the lead agency for coordinating safeguarding enquiries in most cases. We will involve external authorities without delay whenever required. Our procedure for involving external agencies is:

(The above are the contacts to use if we need to make a safeguarding referral or seek advice. These are kept up-to-date. If the concern arises outside normal hours, we contact the Local Authority’s Emergency Duty Team at their out-of-hours number.)

Important: If the allegation implicates our own management (e.g. the concern is about the Registered Manager), the referral to the Local Authority will be made by whichever staff member or alternate manager received the report, to ensure it is done without bias. We will clearly communicate that conflict of interest to the Local Authority so that any enquiries can be handled appropriately.

Throughout this entire process, our guiding principle is that the safety and rights of the adult at risk come first. We will navigate confidentiality and information-sharing in a way that best protects individuals (sharing information with authorities when necessary and permissible under GDPR/Data Protection for safeguarding purposes, as the law allows).

Whistleblowing (Reporting Concerns About the Organisation)

Whistleblowing is the reporting of concerns by staff (or volunteers) about wrongdoing or poor practice within their own organisation. This can include concerns about abuse, negligence, or any breach of professional standards. {{org_field_name}} supports and protects whistleblowers, and we consider whistleblowing an important part of our safeguarding culture. Our stance is that any staff member who discovers or suspects serious wrongdoing – including abuse or cover-ups – has not just the right but the responsibility to report it, and they will be protected when doing so.

Key points of our Whistleblowing approach:

In summary, our message to staff is: If you see something that troubles you – whether it’s about how service users are treated, safety risks, fraud, or any serious issue – speak up. You can do so without fear. We have both internal mechanisms and external avenues for you to report. It is far better to raise a concern and protect people, than to stay silent and allow harm or bad practice to continue. CQC expects providers to have effective whistleblowing procedures and to make them known to staff, and we fully embrace that expectation.

(For more details, staff should refer to the full Whistleblowing Policy of {{org_field_name}}, which provides additional guidance on how to raise concerns and the process that follows.)

Supporting Service Users and Families in Safeguarding

Safeguarding is ultimately about the well-being of the people we support. {{org_field_name}} is committed to ensuring that service users are at the heart of any safeguarding process. We operate under the principle “Nothing about you, without you.” In practical terms, this means:

In essence, we want the individuals we support and their loved ones to feel confident, safe, and listened to. Safeguarding is not a process done to people; it’s done with them. By empowering our service users and their families, we not only respond to issues better but also prevent harm by building a foundation of trust and openness.

 

Managing and Recording Incidents and Complaints

Not all issues will start as an obvious “safeguarding” concern; sometimes they may come to light through an incident report or a complaint. {{org_field_name}} integrates its safeguarding system with its incident reporting and complaints handling to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

If a person is dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint or how it was handled, we advise them of external avenues: for example, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman can review unresolved complaints about adult social care services. We also inform them that while CQC does not resolve individual complaints, they can be informed of concerns and will use that information in their regulatory oversight. In cases where a complainant might not trust our internal process (e.g., if the complaint is about a high-level person or serious abuse), we would encourage them to go straight to the local authority or police as appropriate – essentially, treating their complaint as a safeguarding referral themselves.

All incidents and complaints records are kept confidentially and securely. When they involve safeguarding, they are cross-referenced in the safeguarding log. Senior management reviews these records regularly to ensure proper action was taken in each case and to spot any unresolved issues.

 

Monitoring, Review, and Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement in safeguarding is essential. {{org_field_name}} will monitor the implementation of this policy and ensure accountability at all levels. Key actions we take include:

By monitoring our safeguarding work and actively seeking to improve, {{org_field_name}} aims to remain vigilant and effective in protecting people. Safeguarding is not a one-time task but an ongoing process of quality improvement, learning, and adaptation. We recognise that risks and challenges evolve over time, so we too must evolve our practices. Through strong governance and open dialogue, we maintain high standards and a safe service.

 

Accessibility of this Policy

Safeguarding is only effective if everyone can understand and use the procedures. {{org_field_name}} ensures this Safeguarding Policy is accessible to all who need to see it, in various ways:

In summary, we strive to make sure the policy is not just a document on a shelf. It’s a living, usable guide for all stakeholders. Everyone – staff, service users, families – should know the basics of how we keep people safe and what to do if they have a concern. If anyone has difficulty accessing or understanding the policy, we take steps to assist them.

(This policy will be reviewed at least annually or sooner if required by changes in law or significant incidents. All updates will be communicated to staff and relevant parties.)

Sources: Care Act 2014; Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Reg.13; CQC Registration Regulations 2009, Reg.18; CQC and SCIE guidance on safeguarding and whistleblowing; Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

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