Safeguarding
Policy

Safeguarding Adults Policy Statement

 

This policy will enable Excell Home Care Ltd to demonstrate its commitment to keeping safe the vulnerable adults with whom it supports.

 

Excell Home Care Ltd acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports or suspicions of abuse.

 

It is important to have the policy and procedures in place so that staff, service users, carers and management can work to prevent abuse and know what to do in the event of abuse.

 

The Policy Statement and Procedures have been drawn up in order to enable Excell Home Care Ltd to:

 

• Promote good practice and work in a way that can prevent harm, abuse and coercion occurring.

• To ensure that any allegations of abuse or suspicions are dealt with appropriately and the person experiencing abuse is supported.

• And to stop that abuse occurring.

 

The policy and procedures relate to the safeguarding of adults. Adults are defined as people aged 18 or over:

 

• Who are receiving, or may need domiciliary care services because of their age, illness, learning, physical and/or mental health.

• Who are, or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

 

The policy applies to all staff, including senior management, paid support workers, volunteers, bank workers, agency staff, students and/or anyone working on behalf of Excell Home Care Ltd.

 

It is acknowledged that significant numbers of vulnerable adults are abused and it is important that Excell Home Care Ltd has a Safeguarding Adults Policy, a set of procedures to follow and puts in place preventative measures to try and reduce those numbers.

 

In order to implement the policy, Excell Home Care Ltd will work:

 

• To promote the freedom and dignity of the person who has or is experiencing abuse

• To promote the rights of all people to live free from abuse and coercion

• To ensure the safety and wellbeing of people in our care who do not have the capacity to decide how they want to respond to abuse that they are experiencing

• To manage our homecare services in a way which promotes safety and prevents abuse

• Recruit staff safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made

• Provide effective management for staff through supervision, support and training

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Excell Home Care Ltd

• Will ensure that all senior management, staff, service users, and carers/families are familiar with this policy and procedures

• Will work with other agencies within the framework of the Sheffield Adult Safeguarding Partnership and adhere at all times to Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 2014.

• Will act within its GDPR policy and procedures and will usually gain permission from service users before sharing information about them with another agency

• Will pass information to Adult Social Services when more than one person is at risk. For example: if the concern relates to a worker, volunteer or organisation who provides a service to vulnerable adults or children

• Will inform service users that where an adult is in danger, or a child is at risk, or a crime has been committed then a decision may be taken to pass this information to another agency without the service user’s consent

• Will make a referral to the Adult Social Care team as appropriate

• Will endeavor to keep up to date with national developments relating to preventing abuse and welfare of adults

• Will ensure that the Designated Named Person understands his/her responsibility to refer incidents of adult abuse to the relevant statutory agencies (Police/CQC/Social Services)

 

The Designated Named Person for Safeguarding Adults in Excell Home Care is the Registered Manager and, in their absence, it lies with the compliance officer. In both their absence; it then lies with the CQC nominated individual.

 

They should be contacted for support and advice on implementing this policy and it's procedures.

 

Excell Home Care Ltd policies can be found in the Home Care filing cabinet in the main office located in Mosborough. They can also be found on the company server.

 

1. Introduction

Excell Home Care Ltd provides home care services to elderly and vulnerable people in the comfort of their own home. These procedures have been designed to ensure the welfare and protection of any adult who accesses services provided by Excell Home Care Ltd. The procedures recognise that adult abuse can be a difficult subject for workers to deal with. Excell Home Care Ltd is committed to the belief that the protection of vulnerable adults from harm and abuse is everybody’s responsibility and the aim of these procedures is to ensure that all employees, managers act appropriately in response to any concerns raised or identified.

 

2. Preventing abuse

Excell Home Care Ltd is committed to putting in place safeguards and measures to reduce the likelihood of abuse taking place within the services it offers and that all those involved within Excell Home Care Ltd will be treated with dignity and respect.

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Therefore this policy needs to be read in conjunction with the following policies:

 

• Equality and Diversity

• Complaints

• Disciplinary and Grievance

• GDPR & Confidentiality

• Recruitment and Selection

• Whistle Blowing

 

Excell Home Care Ltd is committed to safer recruitment policies and practices for staff. This will include DBS disclosures for all staff, ensuring references are taken up and adequate training on Safeguarding is provided for all staff.

 

Management will be required to provide two references and have a Disclosure Barring Service disclosure.

 

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 and their carers/families.

 

3.Recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse

Excell Home Care is committed to ensuring that all staff and senior management undertake training to gain a basic awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse. Excell Home Care will ensure that the Designated Named Person and other members of staff, management and trustees have access to training around Safeguarding Adults.

 

“Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons” (No Secrets Act 2000)

 

Abuse includes:

Physical abuse: including but not limited to hitting, slapping, punching, burning, misuse of medication, inappropriate restraint

• Sexual abuse: including rape, indecent assault, inappropriate touching, exposure to pornographic material

• Psychological or emotional abuse: including belittling, name calling, threats of harm, intimidation, isolation

• Financial or material abuse: including stealing, selling assets, fraud, misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits

• Neglect and acts of omission: including withholding the necessities of life such as medication, food or warmth, ignoring medical or physical care needs

• Discriminatory abuse: including racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment

• Institutional or organisational: including regimented routines and cultures, unsafe practices, lack of person-centred care or treatment

 

Abuse may be carried out deliberately or unknowingly. Abuse may be a single act or repeated acts.

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People who behave abusively come from all backgrounds and walks of life. They may be professionals such as: doctors, nurses, social workers, advocates, staff members, 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.

 

4. Designated Named Person for safeguarding adults

 

Excell Home Care Ltd has an appointed lead who is responsible for dealing with any Safeguarding Adults concerns:

 

Registered Manager

0114 247 1428

 

In their absence, the compliance officer will be available for workers to consult with:

 

Should either of these named people be unavailable, then please ask for the CQC Nominated Individual. If you can not get hold of this person, then you may have no alternative then to contact adult social services.

 

The roles and responsibilities of the appointed lead person (registered manager) are:

 

• To ensure that all staff are aware of what they should do and who they should go to if they have concerns that a vulnerable adult may be experiencing, or has experienced abuse or neglect.

• To ensure that concerns are acted on, clearly recorded and referred to an Adult Social Care Direct team, or to the allocated social worker/care manager where necessary.

• To follow up any referrals and ensure the issues have been addressed.

• Consider any recommendations from the Safeguarding Adults process.

• To reinforce the utmost need for confidentiality and to ensure that staff are adhering to good practice with regard to confidentiality and security. This is because it is around the time that a person starts to challenge abuse that the risks of increasing intensity of abuse are greatest.

• To ensure that staff working directly with service users who have experienced abuse, or who are experiencing abuse, are well supported and receive appropriate supervision.

• If appropriate staff will be given support and afforded protection if necessary, under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998: they will be dealt with in a fair and equitable manner and they will be kept informed of any action that has been taken and its outcome

• Responding to people who have experienced or are experiencing abuse

 

Excell Home Care Ltd recognises that it has a duty to act on reports, or suspicions of abuse, or neglect. It also acknowledges that taking action in cases of adult abuse is never easy.

 

How to respond if you receive an allegation:

 

• 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

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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 registered manager in your organisation

• To record what happened in name of place/file/log where safeguarding adults’ concerns will be recorded

 

All situations of abuse, or alleged abuse will be discussed with the registered manager; or their deputy. If a member of management or staff member feels unable to raise this concern

with the registered manager, or their deputy, then concerns can be raised directly with Adult Social Care. The alleged victim will be told that this will happen. This stage is called the alert.

 

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 (alert) will be made to the Adult Social Care team.

 

If the individual experiencing abuse does not have capacity to consent a referral will be made without that person’s consent, in their best interests.

 

The Designated Named Person (registered manager) may take advice at the above stage from the First Contact Team at social services:

 

0114 273 4908

 

Available 7 days a week - 24 hours a day

Howden House

1 Union Street

Sheffield

S1 2SH