This template is intended as a guide for your organisation to create a suitable culture document for your organisation. It should always be checked to ensure that all systems, activities, or considerations are covered by this document.

This document must reflect who you are as an organisation and what you do to manage your services and support those that engage with you.  This policy should outline accurately and honestly how you do that.  This is purely a recommendation / guideline, make sure it reflects your work.

  The sections in [BOLD] are yours to edit to tailor the organisation’s details. [INSERT ORGANISATION] is for the name of the group / organisation. [INSERT ROLES] is for the distinct categories within (e.g. staff, volunteers, trustees, committee, board) [INSERT POSITION] is the person acting as the lead for Belonging (e.g. Chair, Manager, Volunteer Manager)

  These are guidance discussion points for your organisation.  Areas in which a decision will need to be made on the best way of doing it for your organisation and all those involved.

  The rest in plain type are usually not for editing.  Only edit these if it contradicts an existing system or policy that you already have.  Think clearly before you edit those areas.

Safeguarding Adults Example Wording / Template

Introduction

This Adult Safeguarding Policy for [INSERT ORGANISATION] is based on the principles that underpin the Care Act 2014 - those of promoting wellbeing and putting service users at the centre of all adult safeguarding by making it personal to each individual.  This policy also acknowledges the need to support and minimise the risk to those that are providing the service (including staff, volunteers, contractors and guests).

Context

In this policy:

‘Adult’ means a person aged 18 years or over.

‘Safeguarding’ is the multiagency approach to supporting individuals that have experienced harm or abuse.  This applies to individuals with Care And Support Needs who are At Risk.

‘Protection’ is the defending and guarding of individuals through the coverage of support for the victims of crimes.  This does not need to apply to individuals with Care And Support Needs and those At Risk.

‘Safeguarding Concern’ is the term for what was traditionally considered an ‘allegation’ or ‘disclosure’.  ‘Concern’ is used as it covers more eventualities and situations.

Objectives

The objectives of this Adult Safeguarding Policy are:

1. To explain the responsibilities the organisation and its *INSERT ROLES* have in respect of adult safeguarding.
2. To provide *INSERT ROLES* with an overview of adult safeguarding
3. To provide a clear procedure that will be implemented where adult safeguarding concerns arise

The role of [INSERT ALL ROLES]

All [INSERT ALL ROLES] performing tasks on behalf of the organisation have a duty to promote the welfare and safety of adults.

[INSERT ROLES] may receive Safeguarding Concerns and observe adults who are at risk. This policy will enable people to make an informed and confident response to specific adult safeguarding issues.

Role of the Safeguarding Lead

The role of the designated lead is to deal with all instances involving adult protection that arise within the organisation. They will respond to all adult safeguarding concerns and enquiries. 

What should the role of the Safeguarding Lead be in the organisation?  Are they the person that all enquiries should go through? What responsibilities should they have?

Alternate / additional wording:
The role of the designated lead is to oversee Safeguarding within the organisation.  Ensure that training is up to date and that systems and processes keep all parties at reduced risk.  After all Safeguarding Concerns are raised to the relevant agency, the Safeguarding Lead will be informed.

The designated Adult Safeguarding Lead for the organisation is [INSERT POSITION]

What is Safeguarding?

The Care Act 2014 (Care and Support Statutory Guidance Chapter 14) defines safeguarding as ‘protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.’ 
People and organisations should work together to:

• Prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse and neglect
• Ensure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted
• Have regard for the adult’s beliefs, feelings, wishes and views in deciding any action.
• It must be recognised that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and maybe unrealistic, ambivalent, or unclear about their circumstances.

Aims of Safeguarding

The aims of Adult Safeguarding are to:

• Stop abuse or neglect wherever possible
• Prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs
• Safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control over how they want to live
• Promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned
• Raise public awareness so that communities as a whole, alongside professionals, contribute to preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect
• Provide information, advice and support in accessible ways to help adults understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or wellbeing of an adult 

Who does Safeguarding apply to?

The Statutory Safeguarding adults at risk duties apply to any adult who:

• Has needs for care and support
• Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
• Is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of or the experience of abuse or neglect 

Defining what Care and Support means

‘Care and Support’ is the term used to describe person / internal characteristics which means that the individual may need more support to live a comfortable safe life, this can include:

• Lack of mental capacity
• Communication difficulties
• Physical dependency
• Low Self-esteem
• Previous experience of abuse
• Rejecting help
• Unusual offensive / aggressive behaviours

Defining what At-Risk means

‘At Risk’ is the term used to describe the social/external situations which may put the individual in situations where the opportunity for harm or risk to happen is greater, these can include:

• Being physically and financially dependent on others for care
• Living in families with multiple problems
• Isolation & Social Exclusion
• Discrimination and/or a target for crime

Principles of the Care Act (2014) and the correlating 'I' Statements

All adult safeguarding work should reflect the following key Principles of the Care Act 2014.

[Note: The Principles are not in order of priority; they are all of equal importance.]

EMPOWERMENT – People are being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.
“I am consulted about the outcomes I want from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what happens.”

PREVENTION – It is better to take action before harm occurs. 
“I am provided with easily understood information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.”

PROPORTIONALITY – The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
“I am confident that the responses to risk will take into account my preferred outcomes or best interests.”

PROTECTION – Support and representation for those in greatest need.
“I am provided with help and support to report abuse. I am supported to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want and to which I am able.”

PARTNERSHIP – Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
“I am confident that information will be appropriately shared in a way that takes into account its personal and sensitive nature. I am confident that agencies will work together to find the most effective responses for my situation.”

ACCOUNTABILITY – Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.
“I am clear about the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the solution to the problem.”

Trauma-informed practice

Trauma-informed practice recognises the prevalence of trauma and its impact on people's emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing.  The approach aims to empower individuals to re-establish control of their lives.  Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

Many people may be living with the legacy effects of overwhelming stress (trauma). Despite the large numbers of people affected, many of us don’t automatically think of the possibility that someone we meet, speak with or support may have experienced trauma. This makes us less likely to recognise it. Keeping the possibility of trauma and the sensitivities and vulnerabilities of people who may be trauma survivors in our practises is the first step toward trauma-informed practice.  This means paying attention to ‘how’ we engage with other people, as well as to ‘what’ we do. It also means thinking about what may have happened to someone, rather than judging what is ‘wrong’ with them. 

We should not underestimate the capacity of positive interactions, even routine interactions, to be therapeutic and validating. Positive experiences of relationships are central to trauma recovery, whilst negative experiences in relationships can exacerbate emotional and psychological impacts. 

Key principles/pledges

The key principles underlying TIP are listed below, adapted into pledges from Fallot and Harris (Fallot & Harris, 2006).

Our pledges of trauma-informed practice

Safety - We will make efforts to ensure the physical and emotional safety of everyone involved. This includes reasonable freedom from threat or harm and trying to prevent further retraumatisation.

Trustworthiness - We will be transparent with our policies, procedures, and practices, to build trust among everyone involved.

Collaboration - We recognise the value individual’s experience in overcoming challenges and improving the system. This comes from working honestly and openly together.  

Empowerment - We will aim to, where possible, share power and give everyone a strong voice and opportunities to choose a path that works for them.

It is the responsibility of [INSERT ROLES] to work towards meeting these pledges.

Contextual Safeguarding / Think Family

Contextual Safeguarding recognises the need to look at situations and circumstances that could cause a person harm or trauma beyond their household / domestic setting.  The risks can range from being denied the opportunity to make own decisions, being in debt, threatened, and coercion to commit criminal acts including violence and abuse, to becoming victims of violence including serious injury, rape, and death.
Think Family means securing better outcomes for adults, children and families by coordinating the support and delivery of services from all organisations.  Neither adults or children exist in isolation and Think Family aims to promote the importance of a whole-family approach.
Both approaches encourage looking at the person as a whole and the many elements that make up their lives when considering how that person may need support. They also promote the need for strong partnerships and working with other agencies to create a strong network for the organisation.  It is the responsibility of *INSERT ROLES* to ensure the organisation is connected to the relevant partnerships.

Types of abuse / neglect

Abuse can occur in any relationship and it may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the person subjected to it.   Incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple and affect one person or more. [INSERT ROLES] should look beyond single incidents or individuals to identify patterns of harm. Repeated instances of poor care may be an indication of more serious problems.  To see these patterns, it is important that information is recorded and appropriately shared.  Abuse or neglect may be the result of deliberate intent, negligence or ignorance.  Exploitation can be a common theme in the experience of abuse or neglect.  

PHYSICAL ABUSE - using a weapon, body or environment to cause harm.  Physical abuse includes hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, being locked in a room, inappropriate physical sanctions or force-feeding, adaptations to the environment (manipulating light, sound, temperature, comfort etc.) and inappropriate methods of restraint.

SEXUAL ABUSE – non-consensual acts or sexual behaviours.  Sexual abuse includes rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE - control and harm caused by behaviour, acts and messages.  Psychological abuse includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyberbullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.

FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL ABUSE - exploitation or misuse of a person’s assets.  Financial abuse includes theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion concerning an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.

ORGANISATIONAL ABUSE - poor treatment and dehumanisation by an organisation.  Organisational abuse (previously known as Institutional abuse) includes neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home or concerning care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one-off incidents to ongoing ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

NEGLECT AND ACTS OF OMISSION - removal / denial of basic and additional life needs.  Neglect and acts of omission include ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.  

SELF NEGLECT - inability or unwillingness to exercise self-care.  Consider the criteria of neglect and apply to an individual not providing it for themselves.

DISCRIMINATORY ABUSE - harassment or deliberate exclusion based on a ‘difference’.  Discriminatory abuse includes forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment because of race, faith or religion (or absence of), age, disability, gender, sexual orientation and political views. It also includes racist, sexist, homophobic or ageist comments or jokes, or comments and jokes based on a person’s disability. Excluding a person from activities on the basis that they are ‘not liked’ is also discriminatory abuse.

DOMESTIC ABUSE - coercion and control within an intimate / close relationship.  The Home Office (March 2013) defines domestic abuse as: “Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over, who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.”

MODERN SLAVERY - Modern Slavery encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, sexual exploitation, debt bondage, organ harvesting and child criminal exploitation. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING - Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, using the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion. It can include abduction, fraud, deception, the abuse of power or of a position of trust or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for exploitation.

FORCED LABOUR - Forced Labour Convention No.29 (1930) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines forced labour as: ‘Any work or service exacted under the menace of any penalty, and for which the worker has not offered themselves voluntarily.’ To better understand what forced labour constitutes in practice, the ILO initially developed a list of six forced labour indicators: threats or actual physical harm to the worker; restriction of movement or confinement to the workplace; debt bondages; withholding of wages or excessive wage reductions; retention of identity documents; the threat of denunciations to the authorities. 

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION - Sexual exploitation involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where adults at risk (or a third person or persons) receive 'something' (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities. It affects men as well as women.

DEBT BONDAGE / DEBT SLAVERY - Debt bondage occurs when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt. They are coerced or tricked into working for little or no pay, with no control over their debt.  Most of all of the money they earn go to pay off their loan. The value of their work invariably becomes greater than the original sum of money borrowed.

ORGAN HARVESTING – Trafficking or transportation of an individual to remove their organs for sale on the black market.

CRIMINAL EXPLOITATION / COUNTY LINES EXPLOITATION – Criminal exploitation is increasingly used to describe this type of exploitation where anyone, but especially children are involved.  Child Criminal Exploitation is common in county lines and occurs when an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim of whatever age may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual.  Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. Criminal exploitation is broader than just county lines and includes for instance individuals forced to work on cannabis farms or to commit theft or other crimes.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS (VAWG) - Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is abuse that is targeted at women or girls because of their gender and it affects women and girls disproportionately but men can be abused too. VAWG mustn't be seen as a series of incidents or assaults that a woman or girl experiences, but as a pattern of violent or controlling behaviour that seeks to achieve power and control over them.

SO-CALLED ‘HONOUR’ BASED VIOLENCE (HBV) - a violent act as punishment for ‘shame’.  HBV is a crime or incident which has or may have been committed to protect or defend what is perceived to be the ‘honour’ of the family or community. HBV is a violation of human rights and may be a form of domestic and/or sexual violence. It can be used to control behaviour within families or other social groups to protect perceived cultural or religious beliefs.

FORCED MARRIAGE - non-consensual pairing with another person.  A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both of the parties are married without their consent or against their will. It is recognised as a form of violence against women, men or children and is a serious abuse of human rights.

HARMFUL PRACTISES – Cultural / based practises that cause harm to the individual, these include FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) - intentional alteration of the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. This has no medical benefit for the girl.  BREAST IRONING – the injuring of the breast tissue to prevent development. 

SEX SELECTIVE ABORTION – forcing termination based on the gender of the foetus.

DOWRY-RELATED ABUSE - Any act of violence or harassment associated with the giving or receiving of dowry at any time before, during or after the marriage.  It can include all forms of violence including domestic violence, sexual violence, acid throwing, burning and other forms of violence. In extreme cases, it involves murders that are often masked by the perpetrators as suicides or accidents – often through burning.

PROSTITUTION - Prostitution is not a crime in itself but there are many offences related to it.  Prostitution is dangerous and unhealthy. Individuals involved in prostitution are often extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Research has shown that many are poor, homeless and have already suffered violence and abuse throughout their life.

FABRICATED / INDUCED ILLNESS (FII) - FII is the most commonly used term for the falsification of an illness in children by carers. FII is a situation where a child is (or is likely to be) harmed due to the parent or carers’ behaviours and actions. It is based on a need for the child to be recognised and treated as ill or more unwell/ disabled than the child is. The presence of an existing chronic medical condition does not exclude FII.

HATE CRIME - targeting a person because of perceived difference.  A hate crime is any incident or criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim's: Disability, Race, Religion or beliefs (or absence of), Sexual orientation, Transgender identity.  It should be noted that this definition is based on the perception of the victim or anyone else and is not reliant on evidence. In addition, it includes incidents that do not constitute a criminal offence.

MATE CRIME - false friendships to take advantage of a person’s assets / situation.  The Safety Net Project defines mate crime as the following: ‘when vulnerable people are befriended by members of the community who go on to exploit and take advantage of them. It may not be an illegal act but still harms the individual.’

RADICALISATION - a process by which a person comes to support terrorism and. extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups.  Radicalisation is defined as the process by which people come to support terrorism and extremism and, in some cases, to then participate in terrorist groups.  There is no obvious profile of a person likely to become involved in extremism or a single indicator of when a person might move to adopt violence in support of extremist ideas. The process of radicalisation is different for every individual and can take place over an extended period or within a very short time frame.

Children

It is essential that the needs of any children within an abusive or volatile situation where there is an adult safeguarding issue involved are considered and acted upon. Please contact the Warrington Borough Council First Response Team – 01925 443322 (Option 2 – Social Care) or the Police – 101 or 999 if the CYP is in immediate danger or has evidence on or about their person

Responding to a Safeguarding Concern

Procedures following a safeguarding concern or suspicion of harm or abuse.

Adults must be protected from abuse. All concerns or suspicions must be taken seriously. 

This procedure must be followed whenever a concern is raised or when there is a suspicion that an adult has been abused.

If a concern is raised by an adult or a third party:

• Do not clean or tamper with any evidence – if the person is in immediate danger or has just been affected – CALL 999
• Listen carefully to what is being told and tell the person that you must pass this information on – NEVER KEEP A SECRET
• Record only the facts, in the language/words used by the person making the allegation, and don’t ask any questions which may seem to be ‘leading’.  Record any injuries on a body map.
• Make a note of the time and date that the concern was raised, who raised the concern and who it was raised to (sign and date the report).
• Inform the Safeguarding Lead - [INSERT NAME] who will then report using the numbers below. 

The Safeguarding Lead should never be ‘gatekeeper’ to the information and decide if it should be reported.  Concerns raised should be passed to the First Response Team.  If the person that the concern has been raised to is unsure as to what to do, the Safeguarding Lead can be consulted.  Ultimately, you are trying to reduce the number of people involved.

Alternate / additional wording:
If the person whom the concern was raised to isn’t confident to report it or is unsure or needs further assistance, then they should consult the Safeguarding Lead.  Otherwise, to minimise the number of people involved and to make for the efficacy of reporting, that person will report the concern to the numbers below.

Report the concern to the following:

Warrington Borough Council First Response Team | 01925 443322 (Option 2 – Social Care)

Unless the safeguarding concern is urgent (i.e. where the individual is at risk of imminent harm), all safeguarding concerns made by a professional or provider should be reported using the online form.  If you phone or email the council to report a non - urgent safeguarding concern you will be asked to use the online form to report the concern. The form can be found on our website alongside the guidance pack: https://www.warrington.gov.uk/report-abuse-vulnerable-adult.

The Police | 101or 999 if the adult is in immediate danger or has evidence on or about their person

In the event [INSERT ORGANISATION] is unsure of a situation or is seeking further advice, they will contact either the First Response Team or the Police.
[INSERT ORGANISATION] is committed to protecting the people involved in the activities of the organisation and therefore will pass on concerns and ask questions of the First Response Team and the Police.

REMEMBER: DOING NOTHING IS NEVER AN OPTION

It is important to remember that [INSERT ORGANISATION] and the [INSERT ROLES] within it is not responsible for deciding whether abuse has occurred. This is a task for professional adult protection agencies.

Confidentiality

Please word this section carefully, it mentions roles in different ways which may have different layers of responsibilities. Tailor this to suit your practices and organisation.

Adult safeguarding raises issues of confidentiality which must be clearly understood by all.

[INSERT ROLES] have a professional responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of adults with other professionals, particularly investigative agencies and adult social services.

Clear boundaries of confidentiality will be communicated to all.

All personal information regarding an adult will be kept confidential. All written records will be kept in a secure area for a specific time as identified in data protection guidelines. Records will only record details required in the initial contact form. 

If an adult confides in a [INSERT ROLES] and requests that the information is kept secret, the [INSERT ROLES] must tell the adult sensitively that they have a responsibility to refer cases of alleged abuse to the appropriate agencies.

Within that context, the adult must, however, be assured that the matter will be disclosed only to people who need to know about it. 
Where possible, consent must be obtained from the adult before sharing personal information with third parties. In some circumstances obtaining consent may be neither possible nor desirable as the safety and welfare of the adult is the priority.

Where a concern has been raised, [INSERT ROLES] must let the adult know the position regarding their role and what action they will have to take as a result.
[INSERT ROLES] must assure the adult that they will keep them informed of any action to be taken and why. The adults’ involvement in the process of sharing information must be fully considered and their wishes and feelings are taken into account.

Privacy

Everyone involved in [INSERT ORGANISATION] will be mindful of discussing details and circumstances of the people the organisation supports / involves with anyone other than the relevant team members or support network.  Gossip, conversation, or storytelling about a person’s situation, regardless of intent is disrespectful and is exposing the person’s business to the wider community.  [INSERT ORGANISATION] will treat this very seriously and the problem-solving procedure may need to be utilised as a result.

This policy needs to work in conjunction with other policies for the organisation including:

• Confidentiality
• Disciplinary and Grievance / Problem Solving
• Data Protection
• Recruitment and Selection
• Safeguarding children and young people

Training

Take some time to consider what is proportionate and achievable, don't make a promise you can't keep but equally this is an incredibly important concept that needs to be visited frequently regardless of how much experience or knowledge someone feels they have. Also take into account the CYP and Adult Safeguarding are different and require different levels of involvement because someone is trained in CYP doesn't make them able to deal with Adult and vice versa.

Training will be provided, as appropriate, to ensure that [INSERT ROLES] are aware of these procedures.  It is the responsibility of [INSERT SAFEGUARDING LEAD] to ensure that the [INSERT ROLES] have the relevant and most up to date training and information.  A training log will be kept and a refresher training will be attended every [INSERT TIME PERIOD].